• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제59권6호
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• pp.573-583
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• 2021

Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular protozoan parasite that infects one-third of the world's population, has been reported to hijack host cell apoptotic machinery and promote either an anti- or proapoptotic program depending on the parasite virulence and load and the host cell type. However, little is known about the regulation of human FHs 74 small intestinal epithelial cell viability in response to T. gondii infection. Here we show that T. gondii RH strain tachyzoite infection or ESP treatment of FHs 74 Int cells induced apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction and ER stress in host cells. Pretreatment with 4-PBA inhibited the expression or activation of key molecules involved in ER stress. In addition, both T. gondii and ESP challenge-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death were dramatically suppressed in 4-PBA pretreated cells. Our study indicates that T. gondii infection induced ER stress in FHs 74 Int cells, which induced mitochondrial dysfunction followed by apoptosis. This may constitute a potential molecular mechanism responsible for the foodborne parasitic disease caused by T. gondii.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제32권9호
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• pp.1134-1145
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• 2022

SCO6993 (606 amino acids) in Streptomyces coelicolor belongs to the large ATP-binding regulators of the LuxR family regulators having one DNA-binding motif. Our previous findings predicted that SCO6993 may suppress the production of pigmented antibiotics, actinorhodin, and undecylprodigiosin, in S. coelicolor, resulting in the characterization of its properties at the molecular level. SCO6993-disruptant, S. coelicolor ΔSCO6993 produced excess pigments in R2YE plates as early as the third day of culture and showed 9.0-fold and 1.8-fold increased production of actinorhodin and undecylprodigiosin in R2YE broth, respectively, compared with that by the wild strain and S. coelicolor ΔSCO6993/SCO6993⁺. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the transcription of actA and actII-ORF4 in the actinorhodin biosynthetic gene cluster and that of redD and redQ in the undecylprodigiosin biosynthetic gene cluster were significantly increased by SCO6993-disruptant. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay and DNase footprinting analysis confirmed that SCO6993 protein could bind only to the promoters of pathway-specific transcriptional activator genes, actII-ORF4 and redD, and a specific palindromic sequence is essential for SCO6993 binding. Moreover, SCO6993 bound to two palindromic sequences on its promoter region. These results indicate that SCO6993 suppresses the expression of other biosynthetic genes in the cluster by repressing the transcription of actII-ORF4 and redD and consequently negatively regulating antibiotic production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제31권7호
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• pp.912-920
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• 2021

SOS response is a conserved response to DNA damage in prokaryotes and is negatively regulated by LexA protein, which recognizes specifically an "SOS-box" motif present in the promoter region of SOS genes. Myxococcus xanthus DK1622 possesses a lexA gene, and while the deletion of lexA had no significant effect on either bacterial morphology, UV-C resistance, or sporulation, it did delay growth. UV-C radiation resulted in 651 upregulated genes in M. xanthus, including the typical SOS genes lexA, recA, uvrA, recN and so on, mostly enriched in the pathways of DNA replication and repair, secondary metabolism, and signal transduction. The UV-irradiated lexA mutant also showed the induced expression of SOS genes and these SOS genes enriched into a similar pathway profile to that of wild-type strain. Without irradiation treatment, the absence of LexA enhanced the expression of 122 genes that were not enriched in any pathway. Further analysis of the promoter sequence revealed that in the 122 genes, only the promoters of recA2, lexA and an operon composed of three genes (pafB, pafC and cyaA) had SOS box sequence to which the LexA protein is bound directly. These results update our current understanding of SOS response in M. xanthus and show that UV induces more genes involved in secondary metabolism and signal transduction in addition to DNA replication and repair; and while the canonical LexA-dependent regulation on SOS response has shrunk, only 5 SOS genes are directly repressed by LexA.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• 제12권5호
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• pp.399-409
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• 2021

The existing method to improve the coordination performance of the inner and outer parts of concrete-encased concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) composite columns by increasing the volume-stirrup ratio causes difficulties in construction due to over-dense stirrups. Thus, this paper proposes an open polygonal composite stirrup with high strength and high ductility CRB600H reinforced rebar, and seventeen specimens were constructed, and their axial compressive performance was tested. The main parameters considered were the volume-stirrup ratio, the steel tube size, the stirrup type and the stirrup strength. The test results indicated: For the specimens restrained by open octagonal composite stirrups, compared with the specimen of 0.5% volume-stirrup ratio, the compressive bearing capacity increased by 14.6%, 15.7% and 21.5% for volume-stirrup ratio of 0.73%, 1.07% and 1.61%, respectively. For the specimens restrained by open composite rectangle stirrups, compared with the specimen of 0.79% volume-stirrup ratio, the compressive bearing capacity increased by 7.5%, 6.1%, and -1.4% for volume-stirrup ratio of 1.12%, 1.58% and 2.24%, respectively. The restraint ability and the bearing capacity of the octagonal composite stirrup are better than other stirrup types. The specimens equipped with open polygonal composite stirrup not only had a higher ductility than those with the traditional closed-loop stirrup, but they also had a higher axial bearing capacity than those with an HPB300 strength grades stirrup. Therefore, the open composite stirrup can be used in practical engineering. A new calculation method was proposed based on the stress-strain models for confined concrete under different restrain conditions, and the predicted value was close to the experimental value.

• 대한토목학회논문집
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• 제42권6호
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• pp.775-786
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• 2022

원자력발전소 구조물을 포함하여 플랜트 구조물에서는 사용 중 설비보강을 위하여 벽체 및 슬래브에 관통부를 신설하는 경우가 빈번히 발생하고 있으며, 관통부 설치작업 중에 철근이 절단되는 사례가 일부 발생하고 있다. 이 관통부들은 설계 또는 건설 단계에서 고려된 것이 아니므로 설치 중 발생한 철근의 절단은 사실상 구조물의 손상이기 때문에, 관통부 주변 응력 전이범위 또는 유효폭을 고려한 구조물의 건전성 평가가 필요하다. 본 연구에서는 가동중인 원자력발전소 벽식 건물의 전단벽에 관통부를 신설할 경우에 발생하는 철근 절단의 영향을 평가하기 위하여 다양한 비선형 해석과 정적 가력 실험을 수행하였다. 그리고 관통부 신설과 철근의 절단으로 인한 벽체의 강성저하와 관통부 주변 철근의 응력 및 변형률 분포를 평가하였다.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.29-42
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• 2022

In mountainous areas of China, concrete poles with connectors are widely employed in power transmission due to its convenience of manufacture and transportation. The bearing capacity of the poles must have degenerated over time, and most of the steel connectors have been corroded. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) offers a durable, light-weight alternative in strengthening those poles that have served for many years. In this paper, the bearing capacity and failure mechanism of CFRP sheet strengthened existing reinforced concrete poles with corrosion steel connectors were investigated. Four poles were selected to conduct flexural capacity test. Two poles were strengthened by single-layer longitudinal CFRP sheet, one pole was strengthened by double-layer longitudinal CFRP sheets and the last specimen was not strengthened. Results indicate that the failure is mainly bond failure between concrete and the external CFRP sheet, and the specimens fail in a brittle pattern. The cross-sectional strains of specimens approximately follow the plane section assumption in the early stage of loading, but the strain in the tensile zone no longer conforms to this assumption when the load approaches the failure load. Also, bearing capacity and stiffness of the strengthened specimens are much larger than those without CFRP sheet. The bearing capacity, initial stiffness and elastic-plastic stiffness of specimen strengthened by double-layer CFRP are larger than those strengthened by single-layer CFRP. Weighting the cost-effective effect, it is more economical and reasonable to strengthen with single-layer CFRP sheet. The results can provide a reference to the same type of poles for strengthening design.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제45권5호
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• pp.729-747
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• 2022

The critical buckling loads and buckling modes of bi-directional functionally graded porous unified higher order shear plate with elastic foundation are investigated. A mathematical model based on neutral axis rather than midplane is developed in comprehensive way for the first time in this article. The material constituents form ceramic and metal are graded through thickness and axial direction by the power function distribution. The voids and cavities inside the material are proposed by three different porosity models through the thickness of plate. The constitutive parameters and force resultants are evaluated relative to the neutral axis. Unified higher order shear plate theories are used to satisfy the zero-shear strain/stress at the top and bottom surfaces. The governing equilibrium equations of bi-directional functionally graded porous unified plate (BDFGPUP) are derived by Hamilton's principle. The equilibrium equations in the form of coupled variable coefficients partial differential equations is solved by using numerical differential integral quadrature method (DIQM). The validation of the present model is presented and compared with previous works for bucking. Deviation in buckling loads for both mid-plane and neutral plane are developed and discussed. The numerical results prove that the shear functions, distribution indices, boundary conditions, elastic foundation and porosity type have significant influence on buckling stability of BDFGPUP. The current mathematical model may be used in design and analysis of BDFGPU used in nuclear, mechanical, aerospace, and naval application.

• Advances in materials Research
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.243-261
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• 2023

This study aims to analyze the mechanical buckling behavior of a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) integrated with a one-parameter elastic medium and modeled as a Kerr-type foundation under a longitudinal magnetic field. The structure is considered homogeneous and therefore modeled utilizing the nonlocal first shear deformation theory (NL-FSDT). This model targets thin and thick structures and considers the effect of the transverse shear deformation and small-scale effect. The Kerr model describes the elastic matrix, which takes into account the transverse shear strain and normal pressure. Using the nonlocal elastic theory and taking into account the Lorentz magnetic force acquired from Maxwell relations, the stability equation for buckling analysis of a simply supported SWCNT under a longitudinal magnetic field is obtained. Moreover, the mechanical buckling load behavior with respect to the impacts of the magnetic field and the elastic medium parameters considering the nonlocal parameter, the rotary inertia, and transverse shear deformation was examined and discussed. This study showed useful results that can be used for the design of nano-transistors that use the buckling properties of single-wall carbon nanotubes(CNTs) due to the creation of the magnetic field effect.

• 한국환경농학회지
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• 제42권3호
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• pp.253-258
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• 2023

In the environment, chromium often exists in a highly mobile and toxic form of Cr(VI). Therefore, the reduction of Cr(VI) to less toxic Cr(III) is considered an effective remediation strategy for Cr(VI)-contamination. In this study, the biological reduction of hexavalent chromium was examined at the concentrations of 0.01 mM, 0.1 mM, and 1 mM Cr(VI) by the dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium, Shewanella sp. HN-41 in the presence of ferric-citrate. With the relatively condensed cell densities, the aqueous phase Cr(VI) was reduced at the proportions of 42%, 23%, and 31%, respectively for the 0.01 mM, 0.1 mM, and 1 mM Cr(VI) incubations, while Fe(III)-citrate was reduced at 95%, 88%, and 73%, respectively. Although the strain HN-41 was not considered to reduce Cr(VI) as the sole electron acceptor for anaerobic metabolism in the preliminary experiment, it has been presumed that outer-membrane c-type cytochromes such as MtrC and OmcA reduced Cr(VI) in the presence of ferric-citrate as the electron acceptor. Since this study indicated the potential of relatively high cell density for Cr(VI) reduction, it might propose a bioremediation strategy for Cr(VI) removal from contaminated waters using engineered systems such as bioreactors employing high cell growths.

• 한국농업기계학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국농업기계학회 2000년도 THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY ENGINEERING. V.III
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• pp.819-826
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• 2000

This study was performed to develop a measurement system of tractor field performance for plow and rotary operations. Measurement system for tractor consisted of torque sensors to measure torque of drive axles and PTO axle, speed sensors to measure rotational speed of drive axles and engine, microcomputer to control data logger, and data logger as I/O interface system. The measurement system was installed on four-wheel-drive tractor. Four-element full-bridge type strain gages were used for torque measurement of drive axles and optical encoders were used to measure speeds of drive axles and engine. Slip rings were mounted on the rotational axles. Signals from sensors were inputted to data logger that was controlled by microcomputer with parallel communication. Sensors were calibrated before the field tests. Regression equations were found on completion of the calibrations. The field experiment was performed at paddy fields and uplands. Rotary and plow were used when the tractor was operated in the field. Travelling speeds of the tractor were 1.9 km/h, 2.7 km/h, 3.7 km/h, 5.5 km/h, 8.2 km/h, and 11.8 km/h. Operating depths of implements were maintained approximately 20cm during the tests. Torque data of drive axles were different at each location during plow and rotary operations. Results showed that torque of rear axles were greater than those of front axles. Total torque were 6860 - 11064 Nm at the upland and 7360 - 14190 Nm at the paddy field for plow operations. It was found that torque at the paddy field were about 20% greater than those at the upland for plow operations. Torque data showed that rotary operations required less power than plow operation at the paddy field and the upland. Torque measurements at each axle for rotary operations were only 8 - 16% of plow operations in the upland and 15 - 20% in the paddy field.