• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.310-316
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• 2016

In this study, the anti-osteoarthritis effects of Cynanchum wilfordii, Phlomis umbrosa, and Angelica gigas extract (CPAE), observed and confirmed in previously clinical studies were further investigated by in vitro and in vivo studies. Anabolic biomarkers related to healthy cartilage maintenance, such as aggrecan, type II collagen ${\alpha}$-1 (Col2a1), sex determining region Y-box-9 (Sox-9), and catabolic biomarkers related to osteoarthritis, such as cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), matrix metalloproteinase-13 (Mmp13), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells ($Nf{\kappa}b$), were evaluated by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and reporter gene assay. In vitro study results showed significant changes in both anabolic and catabolic biomarkers. For anabolic factors, significant changes in the level of aggrecan (P<0.05), Col2a1 (P<0.05), and Sox-9 (P<0.01) activation were shown after treatment of cartilage cells with CPAE (50 ng/mL) with similar efficacy compared to insulin growth factor, the positive control (100 ng/mL). For catabolic factors, significant changes in the inhibition activity of Cox-2 (P<0.05), Mmp13 (P<0.01), and $Nf{\kappa}b$ (P<0.05) were shown for CPAE (50 ng/mL) with similar efficacy compared to Celecoxib, the positive control ($10{\mu}M$). In the in vivo carrageenan-induced paw edema model study results showed that CPAE-treated groups (100 mg/kg) and Celecoxib-treated groups (60 mg/kg) showed comparably significant efficacy of inhibition by 37.1% and 52.1%, respectively. Furthermore, CPAE (200 mg/kg) showed similar effect to Celecoxib (60 mg/kg) with an inhibition rate of 54.3%. This result confirms that CPAE effectively inhibited the inflammation-induced osteoarthritis symptoms.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.937-974
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• 2016

While extensive efforts have been made in the past to develop finite element models (FEMs) for concrete-filled steel tubular columns (CFSTCs), these models may not be suitable to be used in some cases, especially in view of the utilisation of high strength steel and high strength concrete. A method is presented herein to predict the complete stress-strain curve of concrete subjected to tri-axial compressive stresses caused by axial load coupled with lateral pressure due to the confinement action in square and rectangular CFSTCs with normal and high strength materials. To evaluate the lateral pressure exerted on the concrete in square and rectangular shaped columns, an accurately developed FEM which incorporates the effects of initial local imperfections and residual stresses using the commercial program ABAQUS is adopted. Subsequently, an extensive parametric study is conducted herein to propose an empirical equation for the maximum average lateral pressure, which depends on the material and geometric properties of the columns. The analysis parameters include the concrete compressive strength ($f^{\prime}_c=20-110N/mm^2$), steel yield strength ($f_y=220-850N/mm^2$), width-to-thickness (B/t) ratios in the range of 15-52, as well as the length-to-width (L/B) ratios in the range of 2-4. The predictions of the behaviour, ultimate axial strengths, and failure modes are compared with the available experimental results to verify the accuracy of the models developed. Furthermore, a design model is proposed for short square and rectangular CFSTCs. Additionally, comparisons with the prediction of axial load capacity by using the proposed design model, Australian Standard and Eurocode 4 code provisions for box composite columns are carried out.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.529-550
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• 2019

The effect of multiple process parameters on a set of continuous response variables is, especially in experimental designs, difficult and intricate to determine. Due to the complexity in aeroacoustic and vibroacoustic studies, the often-performed simple one-factor-at-a-time method turns out to be the least effective approach. In contrast, the statistical Design of Experiments is a technique used with the objective to maximize the obtained information while keeping the experimental effort at a minimum. The presented work aims at giving insights on Design of Experiments applied to aeroacoustic and vibroacoustic problems while comparing different experimental designs and approximation models. For this purpose, an experimental rig of a ducted low-pressure fan is developed that allows gathering data of both, aerodynamic and aeroacoustic nature while analysing three independent process parameters. The experimental designs used to sample the design space are a Central Composite design and a Box-Behnken design, both used to model a response surface regression, and Latin Hypercube sampling to model an Artificial Neural network. The results indicate that Latin Hypercube sampling extracts information that is more diverse and, in combination with an Artificial Neural network, outperforms the quadratic response surface regressions. It is shown that the Latin Hypercube sampling, initially developed for computer-aided experiments, can also be used as an experimental design. To further increase the benefit of the presented approach, spectral information of every experimental test point is extracted and Artificial Neural networks are chosen for modelling the spectral information since they show to be the most universal approximators.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.75 no.1
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• pp.71-86
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• 2020

This paper presents a study on the mechanical behavior of buried pipelines crossing faults using experimental and numerical methods. A self-made soil-box was used to simulate normal fault, strike-slip fault and oblique slip fault. The effects of some important parameters, including the displacement and type of fault, the buried depth and the diameter of pipe, on the deformation modes and axial strain distribution of the buried pipelines crossing faults was studied in the experiment. Furthermore, a finite element analysis (FEA) model of spring boundary was developed to investigate the performance of the buried pipelines crossing faults, and FEA results were compared with experimental results. It is found that the axial strain distribution of those buried pipelines crossing the normal fault and the oblique fault is asymmetrical along the fault plane and that of buried pipelines crossing the strike-slip fault is approximately symmetrical. Additionally, the axial peak strain appears near both sides of the fault and increases with increasing fault displacement. Moreover, the axial strain of the pipeline decreases with decreasing buried depth or increasing ratios of pipe diameter to pipe wall thickness. Compared with the normal fault and the strike-slip fault, the oblique fault is the most harmful to pipelines. Based on the accuracy of the model, the regression equations of the axial distance from the peak axial strain position of the pipeline to the fault under the effects of buried depth, pipe diameter, wall thickness and fault displacement were given.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.734-740
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• 2005

The blood samples were collected from dairy cows at the same milking stage. The single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) method was used to analyze for polymorphism at the 5'flanking region of the hsp70 gene. The mRNA expression levels of HSP70, HSF1, Bcl-2 and Bax-$\alpha$ at different daily-mean-temperature were analyzed by relative quantitative RTPCR. The DNA content, cell phase and the ratio of apoptosis of lymphocytes in peripheral blood of dairy cattle at different daily-meantemperature were determined by FCM. The PCR-SSCP products of primer pair 1 showed polymorphisms and could be divided into four genotypes: aa, ab, ac, cc, with the cis-acting element (CCAAT box) included. Mutations in the hsp70 5'flanking region (468-752 bp) had different effects on mRNA expression of HSP70, HSF1, Bcl-2 and Bax-$\alpha$. The ac genotypic cows showed higher expressions of HSP70mRNA, HSF1mRNA and Bcl-2mRNA/Bax-$\alpha$mRNA and lower ratio of apoptosis. These mutation sites can be used as molecular genetic markers to assist selection for anti-heat stress cows.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.1431-1441
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• 2018

Objective: This study was conducted to assess the effects of replacing rice straw with different proportions of cassava pulp on growth performance, feed intake, digestibility, rumen microbial population, energy partitioning and efficiency of metabolizable energy utilization in beef cattle. Methods: Eighteen yearling Thai native beef cattle (Bos indicus) with an average initial body weight (BW) of $98.3{\pm}12.8kg$ were allocated to one of three dietary treatments and fed ad libitum for 149 days in a randomized complete block design. Three dietary treatments using different proportions of cassava pulp (100, 300, and 500 g/kg dry matter basis) instead of rice straw as a base in a fermented total mixed ration were applied. Animals were placed in a metabolic pen equipped with a ventilated head box respiration system to determine total digestibility and energy balance. Results: The average daily weight gain, digestible intake and apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter and non-fiber carbohydrate, total protozoa, energy intake, energy retention and energy efficiency increased linearly (p<0.05) with an increasing proportion of cassava pulp in the diet, whereas the three main types of fibrolytic bacteria and energy excretion in the urine (p<0.05) decreased. The metabolizable energy requirement for the maintenance of yearling Thai native cattle, determined by a linear regression analysis, was $399kJ/kg\;BW^{0.75}$, with an efficiency of metabolizable energy utilization for growth of 0.86. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that increasing the proportion of cassava pulp up to 500 g/kg of dry matter as a base in a fermented total mixed ration is an effective strategy for improving productivity in zebu cattle.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.1400-1410
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• 2020

Objective: Genome-wide association study and two meta-analysis based on GWAS performed to explore the genetic mechanism underlying variation in pig number born alive (NBA) and total number born (TNB). Methods: Single trait GWAS and two meta-analysis (single-trait meta analysis and multi-trait meta analysis) were used in our study for NBA and TNB on 3,121 Yorkshires from 4 populations, including three different American Yorkshire populations (n = 2,247) and one British Yorkshire populations (n = 874). Results: The result of single trait GWAS showed that no significant associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified. Using single-trait meta analysis and multi-trait meta analysis within populations, 11 significant loci were identified associated with target traits. Spindlin 1, vascular endothelial growth factor A, forkhead box Q1, msh homeobox 1, and LHFPL tetraspan submily member 3 are five functionally plausible candidate genes for NBA and TNB. Compared to the single population GWAS, single-trait Meta analysis can improve the detection power to identify SNPs by integrating information of multiple populations. The multiple-trait analysis reduced the power to detect trait-specific loci but enhanced the power to identify the common loci across traits. Conclusion: In total, our findings identified novel genes to be validated as candidates for NBA and TNB in pigs. Also, it enabled us to enlarge population size by including multiple populations with different genetic backgrounds and increase the power of GWAS by using meta analysis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.4981-4985
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• 2015

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Targeting autophagic cell death is emerging as a novel strategy in cancer chemotherapy. Aldose reductase (AR) catalyzes the rate limiting step of the polyol pathway of glucose metabolism; besides reducing glucose to sorbitol, AR reduces lipid peroxidation-derived aldehydes and their glutathione conjugates. A complex interplay between autophagic cell death and/or survival may in turn govern tumor metastasis. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the potential role of AR inhibition using a novel inhibitor Fidarestat in the regulation of autophagy in CRC cells. Materials and Methods: For glucose depletion (GD), HT-29 and SW480 CRC cells were rinsed with glucose-free RPMI-1640, followed by incubation in GD medium +/- Fidarestat ($10{\mu}M$). Proteins were extracted by a RIPA-method followed by Western blotting ($35-50{\mu}g$ of protein; n=3). Results: Autophagic regulatory markers, primarily, microtubule associated protein light chain (LC) 3, autophagy-related gene (ATG) 5, ATG 7 and Beclin-1 were expressed in CRC cells; glyceraldehyde-3 phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was used as an internal reference. LC3 II (14 kDa) expression was relatively high compared to LC3A/B I levels in both CRC cell lines, suggesting occurrence of autophagy. Expression of non-autophagic markers, high mobility group box (HMG)-1 and Bcl-2, was comparatively low. Conclusions: GD +/- ARI induced autophagy in HT-29 and SW-480 cells, thereby implicating Fidarestat as a promising therapeutic agent for colorectal cancer; future studies with more potent ARIs are warranted to fully dissect the molecular regulatory networks for autophagy in colorectal carcinoma.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.13
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• pp.5181-5185
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• 2015

Background: CCAT1 has been reported to be linked with pathogenesis of malignancies including colon cancer and gastric cancer. However, the regulatory effect of CCAT1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. The purpose of this research was to identify any role of CCAT1 in the progression of HCC. Materials and Methods: Real time-PCR was performed to test the relative expression of CCAT1 in HCC tissues. A computation screen of CCAT1 promoter was conducted to search for transcription-factor-binding sites. The association of c-Myc with CCAT1 promoter in vivo was tested by Pearson correlation analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Additionally, Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards analyses were performed. Results: c-Myc directly binds to the E-box element in the promoter region of CCAT, and when ectopically expressed increases promoter activity and expression of CCAT1. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that the patients with low expression of CCAT1 demonstrated better overall and relapse-free survival compared with the high expression group. Cox proportional hazards analyses showed that CCAT1 expression was an independent prognostic factor for HCC patients. Conclusions: The findings demonstrated CCAT1, acting as a potential biomarker in predicting the prognosis of HCC, is regulated by c-Myc.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.3363-3368
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• 2014

Background: Curcumin, a phenolic compound extracted from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa, has shown cytotoxic effects against a variety of cancers. The aim of this study was to identify potential microRNA (miRNA) mediators of the anticancer effects of curcumin in ovarian cancer cells. Materials and Methods: SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells were treated with curcumin ($10-60{\mu}M$) and miR-9 expression, cell proliferation, and apoptosis were assessed. The effects of miR-9 depletion on curcumin-mediated growth suppression were also examined. Phosphorylation of Akt and forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) was measured in cells with miR-9 overexpression or curcumin treatment. Results: Curcumin caused a significant and dose-dependent increase of miR-9 expression in SKOV3 cells, while significantly impeding cell proliferation and stimulating apoptosis. Depletion of miR-9 significantly (p<0.05) attenuated the growth-suppressive effects of curcumin on SKOV3 cells, coupled with reduced percentages of apoptotic cells. In contrast, overexpression of miR-9 significantly enhanced the cleavage of caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and promoted apoptotic death in SKOV3 cells. Western blot analysis showed that both miR-9 overexpression and curcumin similarly caused a significant (p<0.05) decline in the phosphorylation of Akt and FOXO1, compared to untreated cells. Conclusions: The present study provided evidence that curcumin exerts its cytotoxic effects against SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells largely through upregulation of miR-9 and subsequent modulation of Akt/FOXO1 axis. Further studies are needed to identify direct targets of miR-9 that mediate the anticancer effects of curcumin in ovarian cancer cells.