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Bottom trawling has widespread impact on the structure and composition of benthic communities. In this study, soft-bottom macrofauna in a heavily trawled area and an adjacent marine park that has been closed to bottom trawling for more than ten years were sampled, allowing to investigate the impact of and recovery from trawling. Both areas were equally affected by seasonal summer hypoxia. Polychaetes were the most abundant at trawled (78-86%) and non-trawled (85-94%) sites in both summer and winter. The non-trawled sites inside the marine park area had a lower level of species composition and abundance as compared to the trawled sites in summer, whereas in winter the benthic communities at these trawled and non-trawled sites appeared much similar with the majority of the identified taxa being dominated by new recruiting juveniles in both sampling areas. Results of permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) on transformed infaunal abundance and biomass data revealed significant differences (pa posteriori PERMANOVA further indicated significant differences for the abundance and biomass data in summer but insignificant differences in winter. PERMANOVA of the biological traits of infauna weighted with transformed biomass also confirmed significant difference for seasons only. Such findings imply that the effect of season was more important than that of trawling especially on the biological trait structure of the benthic communities. In addition, bottom trawling may contribute to a higher level of dissolved oxygen when the area suffered from hypoxia, resulting a higher biodiversity in the trawled area in summer. By comparing data taken prior to closure of the marine park from trawling, the recovery of infaunal community has been slow over the 12 years as a trawl-free area. Apart from natural disturbance of summer hypoxia, such recovery could also be complicated with the presence of artificial reefs deployed within the marine park, which may affect the hydrodynamics of the benthic environment and modify the community structure and function.

Anthropogenic nutrient input to coastal waters is one of the most common disturbances within inshore marine benthic communities. Organic enrichment in sediments leads to the reduction or disappearance of sensitive organisms, and influences the quality and quantity of primary producers which serve as food sources for the benthic fauna. Such changes, in turn, affect the energy flow and food-web interactions in benthic communities. To examine how organic enrichment may alter marine benthic trophic relationship, a stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analysis of the potential food sources and a range of meiofauna and polychaetes from an organically polluted and a relatively unpolluted site was compared in subtropical waters of Hong Kong. Results indicated that some omnivorous infauna shifted from a mainly carnivorous diet at the unpolluted site to a largely herbivorous diet at the organically polluted site. This dietary shift is likely to be related to the oxygen stress, prey limitation and increased abundance and nutritional quality of primary producers in the eutrophic area, resulting in an increase in utilization of plant materials as the major food source. The present findings suggest that such changes in trophic position induced by organic enrichment can provide further insights into the structure and function of coastal benthic communities under pollution stress.

Seasonality has a significant effect on the physiology of fish, especially the effect of water temperature changes. In the present study, the growth, innate immune parameters and liver function indices of two rescued wild adult Chinese sturgeons under captive conditions were monitored for 1 year. The results showed that the total annual weight loss rate of the male was −4.58% and the total weight gain rate of the female was 24.12%, in which the weight of both individuals registered highly significant differences in summer, fall and winter (p < 0.01). The male Chinese sturgeon also exhibited negative specific growth rates (−0.1 to −0.8%) during spring to fall, whereas positive specific growth rates, ranging from 0.03 to 0.11%, were recorded in the female. Seasonality also affected the innate immune parameters of the two Chinese sturgeons, in which leukocytes had been increasing since spring and C-reactive protein (CRP) content was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in summer than fall in both individuals. The CRP level of the male Chinese sturgeon showed a significant increase from fall to winter (p < 0.05), suggesting that it may have contracted infection or inflammation during this study period. With the analysis of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), transaminase (AST:ALT) ratio, alkaline phosphatase, albumin to globulin ratio and triglycerides, it was found that the liver function of the captive Chinese sturgeons was adversely affected along seasonal changes, with the highest degree of liver impairment in winter. In combining observations from growth performance and changes in innate immune and liver function parameters, the present findings deduced that the male Chinese sturgeon under study was more susceptible to seasonal changes than the female. For better indoor culture of adult Chinese sturgeons, monitoring of hematological parameters to detect early signs of inflammation and liver function abnormality should be conducted with routine veterinary care during prolonged captivity.

Ocean acidification threatens marine organisms continuously. To ascertain if adaptation of marine species to ocean acidification enhanced over multiple generations, we studied the transgenerational effects of ocean acidification on the development, reproduction, ingestion rate, and ATPase activity of a copepod Tigriopus japonicus Mori, 1938. In the first mode, individuals were exposed to either one of the pH levels (8.1 (control), 7.7, 7.3) for five successive generations. In the second mode, each successive generation was exposed to a lower pH level (pH levels: 8.1, 7.9, 7.7, 7.5, 7.3). After prolonged exposure to a constant seawater acidification level, the capacity to adapt to the stress increased. However, when exposed to seawater of descending pH, the detrimental effects gradually increased. Energy allocated to development and reproduction was reduced although the ingestion rate continued to improve in successive generations. Therefore, ongoing ocean acidification might lower the energy transfer of copepods to higher trophic levels.

Stiffness of radial high-temperature superconducting (HTS) bearings is widely researched by experiments (measurement method). These researches include radial stiffness and axial stiffness at different temperatures and rotational speeds, cross stiffness, and so on. The measurement method can obtain the precise value of stiffness, while it takes so much time and cost. Simulation calculation method is suitable to model radial HTS bearings which have different structures, and it is easier to obtain stiffness than the measurement method. The problem is that the calculation precision is sensitive to the parameters in the simulation calculation. The measurement and calculation method of the radial stiffness of radial HTS bearings has the strong points of saving time and cost, and high precision. In this paper, this method is improved. Radial stiffness between HTS bulk and permanent magnet (PM) rotor is analyzed basing on a new mechanical model, and equation for the radial stiffness of radial HTS bearings is deduced. The error of calculation is reduced to 2.86 % according to the measured values. Application of this method for calculating the radial stiffness of radial HTS bearings with different number of HTS stator layers is introduced.

Summary Background Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of hair loss, and is characterized by the transformation of terminal scalp hair into vellus hair. The epidemiology of AGA is not fully understood. A strong genetic basis has long been identified, although little is known of its nongenetic causes. Aim To evaluate the association of AGA with a number of environmental factors, including smoking, drinking and sleeping habit. Methods In total, 3114 Korean individuals with AGA who attended any one of 17 dermatology clinics in 6 cities in South Korea between March 2011 and February 2012 were enrolled in the study. Epidemiologic a data were collected using a standard questionnaire. Results No association was seen between eating or sleeping habits and severity of hair loss. However, drinking and smoking were associated with the severity of AGA in male patients. We also found that patients of both genders with a family history had more advanced types of hair loss, and the age of onset of AGA in male patients with a family history was earlier than that in male patients without a family history. Conclusions Although the evidence for an environmental influence on AGA remains very weak, we did find an association between hair loss severity and certain environmental factors, such as smoking and drinking. Family history with more severe hair loss and an earlier age of onset.

Previous studies have shown that ocean acidification has little effect on adult Tigriopus japonicus copepods, and mainly impairs the early development and reproduction of females. This study investigated the possible interactive effect between CO

− Many countries of the world, including IMO, has noticed that foreign marine hazardous organisms,which were introduced by ballast water, have disturbed the marine ecosystem of its own nation, and posed aserious threat to human health and the value of environment and economy. Therefore, IMO has tried to managethe introduced species by assessing the risk of ballast water, and suggested three risk assessment methods, suchas environmental matching risk assessment, speciesbiogeographical risk assessment, and species-specific riskassessment. In this thesis, species-specific risk assessment method was considered, and a risk assessment pro-gram established by applying it was described. Keywords: Ballast Water(선박평형수 ), Risk Assessment(위해도 평가), Species-specific Risk Assessment(종별 특이성 위해도 평가) 1. 서론 IMO를 비롯한 세계 각국은 항만에 배출되는 선박평형수를 관리하고자 노력하고 있다. 이는 특정 해역의 생물 또는 병원균 등이 선박평형수를 담고 있는 선박에 의해 전혀 다른 타 해역으로이송되어, 그 해역의 환경과 생태계뿐만 아니라, 인간의 건강 및경제적 가치에 심각한 위협을 끼치기 때문이다. 즉, 선박평형수가외래 생물종을 자국에 전파하는 매체로 이용되는 것이다(Robinsonet al.[2005]).IMO에서는 오래 전부터 선박에 의한 대기 및 해수 중 배출물에 대한 규제를 해 오고 있는데, 항만에 배출되는 선박평형수에대한 규제는 2004년에 선박평형수 국제협약(IMO[2004])을채택하여 규제하려 하고 있으며, 현재 발효를 준비 중에 있다.또한 14개의 지침서를 제정하여 협약이 원활하게 이행될 수 있도록 하였다.14개의 지침서 중 G7(면제 위해도 평가) 지침서는 항만간 해양생태 특성을 평가하여 동일한 특성을 가진 해역들끼리는 평형수협약의 적용을 면제하여 경제활동의 편의성을 제공하는 규정이다.항만간의 해양생태 특성에 따른 위해도를 평가하는 방법은, 환경매칭 위해도 평가, 생물종생물지리적 위해도 평가, 종별 특이성 위해도 평가 방법 등 3가지를 제시하여 적용할 수 있도록 하였다(MEPC[2007]). 본 논문에서는 G7 지침서에 언급된 3가지 위해도평가 방법 중 종별 특이성 위해도 평가 방법에 관하여 고찰하고

We identified heat shock protein 72 (Hsp72) as a host factor that was differentially expressed in cells expressing nonstructural 5A (NS5A) protein. To investigate how NS5A modulates Hsp72 in hepatitis C virus (HCV) life cycle, we examined the role of Hsp72 in HCV replication and virus production. NS5A specifically interacted with Hsp72. Both Hsp72 and nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5) levels were increased in cells expressing NS5A protein. Treatments of N-acetylcysteine and glutathione markedly reduced protein levels of both NFAT5 and Hsp72. Knockdown of NFAT5 resulted in decrease in Hsp72 level in cells expressing NS5A. Importantly, silencing of Hsp72 expression resulted in decrease in both RNA replication and virus production in HCV-infected cells. These data indicate that NS5A modulates Hsp72 via NFAT5 and reactive oxygen species activation for HCV propagation.

SUMMARY In this study, we investigated the effect of dietary supplementation of Cu-Met chelate (CuMet) and Cu-soy proteinate (Cu-SP) on the performance, blood parameters, liver mineral content, and intestinal microflora in broiler chickens. A total of 1,008 hatched Ross broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 dietary treatments (T): T1, control; T2, antibiotic (6 ppm of avilamycin); T3, 50 ppm of Cu as Cu-Met; T4, 100 ppm of Cu as Cu-Met; T5, 50 ppm of Cu as Cu-SP; and T6, 100 ppm of Cu as Cu-SP. Each treatment had 3 replicates of 56 birds (28 birds of each sex). During the 4-wk feeding period, the BW increase of birds in the antibiotic treatment was 3.25% and those of birds in the 100 ppm of Cu treatments were 2.67% on average compared with the control group. The production efficiency factor {[livability (%) × live weight (kg)/age (d) × FCR] × 100} was increased by 5.23% for birds in the antibiotic treatment and by 0.7 to 7.8% for birds in Cu treatments, among which the treatment with 100 ppm of Cu as Cu-SP was highest. The red blood cell level, hematocrit level, and mean corpuscular volume of birds in the Cu treatments were lower than were those of birds in the control group. Copper concentration in the liver increased as the level of Cu supplementation increased. The populations of lactobacilli and total bacteria increased, and that of Escherichia coli decreased as the level of Cu increased, whereas all microbes, including Clostridium perfringens, decreased in the antibiotic treatment.

A broiler experiment was conducted to compare the effects of duration and level of iron-methionine chelate (Fe-Met) supplementation on the iron, copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) content of broiler meat. Two hundred and fifty hatched Ross broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatments. Each treatment had 5 replicates of 10 birds (5 males and 5 females) each. Birds were housed in raised floor batteries and fed traditional broiler diets ad libitum for 5 weeks. Dietary treatments were as follows: Control and two levels of Fe-Met (100 or 200 ppm in Fe) supplemented for either the whole period (0-5 wk) or grower period (4-5 wk). Production performance was not significantly affected by treatments. Iron content in the muscles (breast, leg and wing) and organs (liver and spleen) were significantly (p

We studied the effects of hyperhydricity on subcellular ultrastructure and physiology of leaves during in vitro regeneration of apple plants. Morphological, anatomical and ultrastructural differences between healthy leaf tissues obtained from greenhouse-grown plants and healthy and hyperhydric leaves obtained from shoots raised from nodal shoot explants in a bioreactor were investigated by electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Compared with healthy leaves, hyperhydric leaves showed abnormal, often discontinuous development of the epidermis and cuticle. Stomata were malformed. The leaf lamina appeared thickened and was characterized by poor differentiation between the palisade and spongy mesophyll tissue. Hyperhydric leaves had a significantly lower chloroplast number per cell and chloroplasts showed reduced thylakoid stacking compared with healthy leaves. Hyperhydricity resulted in a general decrease in concentrations of reduced and oxidized pyridine nucleotides, reflecting a reduction in metabolic activity. The activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase were higher in hyperhydric leaves than in healthy leaves, indicating that hyperhydricity was associated with oxidative stress. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements provided evidence of oxidative damage to the photosynthetic machinery in hyperhydric leaves: photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, effective quantum efficiency and photochemical quenching were all lower in hyperhydric leaves compared with healthy leaves.

The thermal stability of the hysteretic properties and domain structures of exchange-coupled Co–Fe/Ir–Mn and Ni–Fe/Ir–Mn bilayers was studied. Using the magneto-optical indicator film technique, X-ray diffractometry and VSM, we have revealed that the layers’ crystal structures are more regular, and also play the main role in the bilayer remagnetization process after annealing procedures. It was found that post-annealing crystal structure leads to changes in the magnetization reversal process. This effect is greater in the Ni–Fe bilayer than in the Co–Fe bilayer.

Objective: To evaluate the genetic influence of PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms of oestrogen receptor α (ORα) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Korea. Methods: Genomic DNA from 268 female controls and 137 female SLE patients (41 childhood onset and 96 adult onset) were analysed using PvuII and XbaI restriction fragment length polymorphism. Comparison of the frequencies of alleles and genotypes was made in control and patient groups and in childhood onset and adult onset SLE subgroups. Results: Although the Pp genotype occurred more often in SLE patients than in controls (pc = 0.017), ORα genotype distributions of adult onset SLE did not differ significantly from controls. The PP, Pp, and xx genotypes occurred less often in childhood onset SLE (pc = 0.0045, 0.0498, and 0.0255, respectively) than in controls. Additionally, the PP genotype was less common in childhood onset than in adult onset SLE (pc = 0.016). SLE patients with the PP genotypes were older at disease onset than those with the other genotypes (p = 0.001). Patients with the Xx genotype had an earlier onset of SLE than those with the xx genotype (p = 0.025). The frequency of the combined ppXx genotype was greater in childhood onset SLE than in controls (pc = 0.0009) or adult onset SLE (pc = 0.027). The same trend was supported by subgroup analyses according to age at menarche and logistic multivariate analyses. Conclusions: ORα polymorphisms are significantly associated with the age at disease onset in Koreans with SLE.

Recent studies indicate that reactive oxygen species, such as H2O2, can be generated by anti-cancer drugs, can damage cells, and then induce apoptotic cell death. In this study, we reported whether polyamines were capable of affecting apoptotic cell death triggered by H2O2 in leukemia cells or not. Alpha-difluoromethylornithine treatment (DFMO, 3 mmol/L, 48 h), which depletes intracellular putrescine by inhibiting ornithine decarboxylase, reduced H2O2-induced cell death in the HL-60 leukemia cells. Cytotoxicity caused by H2O2 in putrescine-depleted cells was 50% lower than that in the control cells, as determined by propidium iodide, the annexin V and DNA fragmentation assays. Following putrescine (1 mmol/L) supplement, cell death induction caused by H2O2 was restored to a similar level as the DFMO-untreated control cells. It seems that this partly resulted from the intralysosomal iron-dependent oxidation of the cells because DFMO did not significantly affect the increment of enzymes related to oxidative-stress resistance. Putrescine depletion by DFMO treatment reduced the cellular iron uptake of the cells by about 70%. In parallel to the reduction of iron uptake, lysosomal damage (assayed by acridine orange relocalization or uptake test) in the DFMO-treated cells was far less than that in the control cells. Moreover, putrescine supplement also restored the iron uptake to the control cell levels. Pre-incubation with desferrioxamine (DFO), which chelates iron and forms a non-reactive Fe-DFO complex that is localized in the lysosomal compartment, inhibited H2O2-induced cell death. This work suggests that polyamines may play a critical role in apoptotic cell death triggered by H2O2 via the regulation of the iron-dependent instability of the lysosome.

A method for the assay of R-(+)- and S-(−)- metoprolol in human urine has been developed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The method involved purification by liquid-liquid extraction and derivatization with N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide to form an O-silyl ether, followed by subsequent chiral derivatization with (−)-α-methoxy-α-(trifluoromethyl)phenylacetyl chloride to form diastereomeric amide. The reaction was rapid and the diastereomeric derivatives were well resolved. Quantitation was performed by selected-ion monitoring of fragment ions of the diastereomers in electron impact ionization mode. No racemization was found during the reaction. The detection limit was 0.5 ng·mL−1. The intra-day variation ranged between 0.38 and 7.86% in relation to the measured concentration and inter-day variation was 2.26–8.06%. The method has been applied to the determination of R-(+)-and S-(−)- metoprolol in human urine from healthy volunteers dosed with racemic metoprolol tartrate.

The application of artificial reefs (ARs) has a long history, and there is a wealth of information related to the design and performance of ARs in coastal and ocean waters worldwide. However, relatively fewer studies in the literature are focused on the response of benthic communities within the reef areas than those on fish attraction and fish production and on the settlement and colonization of epibiota on the AR structures, especially in the subtropics where seasonal differences and environmental conditions can be large. Recent advances in the understanding of the ecology of ARs in the subtropics are highlighted, with a focus on fish attraction versus fish production, development of epibiota on AR systems and responses of in situ benthic communities in the reef areas. Data are also presented on studies of trophic relationships in subtropical AR systems, and further research areas using analyses of biological traits, stable isotope signatures and fatty acid profiles in investigating the ecology of ARs are proposed.

As the packing density increases in the fabrication of semiconductor chips, the aspect ratio and the critical dimension (CD) of a metal contact are exponentially aggravated in dry etch processing. The aspect ratio dependency of plasma-induced charging damage during the rf precleaning of a metal contact has been evaluated with a two-dimensional Monte Carlo simulation and with related experiments. From the simulation of a metal contact opened on a gate metal, it is found that the potential on a metal contact bottom, which is directly related to plasma-induced charging damage, is saturated near an aspect ratio of 4 after initially linearly increasing with the aspect ratio. However, the linear decrease of CD of a metal contact exponentially increases the potential stress on the gate oxide. These simulation results are confirmed with the two different experiments, an in situ charge-up monitoring and the electrical test of fully fabricated complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor wafers. A phase controlled induc...

Nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region were determined from seven adults of species Paragonimus collected from Jinde and Xiuning Counties, Anhui Province, China. Among these, the nucleotide sequence obtained from one Paragonimus adult (Jinde County) was identical to the ITS2 sequence of P. ohirai previously reported. In order to confirm the result, partial regions of mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase I (COI) and NADH dehydrogenase 1 (ND1) from the putative P. ohirai sample were further sequenced. They showed a high level of similarity with those of P. ohirai, COI (99.7%) and ND1 (99.5%), supporting the result obtained from the ITS2. In addition to this, we designed P. ohirai- and P. westermani-specific primers (BDW and BD2OH) from ITS2 to identify P. westermani and P. ohirai easily and rapidly. After testing utility of the primers, they were applied to identify seven unidentified Paragonimus samples collected from Jinde and Xiuning Counties, China. All the examined samples showed P. westermani band pattern, and it was reconfirmed by sequencing their ITS2 regions that they are P. westermani. This result indicates that the two newly designed specific primers could be quite helpful for easily identifying P. westermani and P. ohirai, that most of Paragonimus in Jinde and Xiuning Counties consist of P. westermani, and that P. ohirai exists in Jinde County with minority.

Thermal conversion process of PPV precursor, insertion of poly(N-vinyl carbazole) PVK layer under PPV and doping of PPV upper surface with lithium salt before metal electrode formation were studied...

Organic thin film electroluminescence devices were fabricated by molecularly doped method with N,N′-Diphenyl-N,N′-bis(3-methylphenyl)-1,1′-biphenyl-4,4′-diamine (TPD) as a hole transport agent, tris(8-quinolinolato) aluminium(III) (Alq3) as an emitting and electron transport agent, and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), side chain liquid crystal polymers (SCLCP) and copolymer as matrix for TPD. The effect of polymer matrix and hole transport layer fabrication method on the electroluminescence characteristics were examined. The highest intensity and stability of EL device was obtained by film casting method using dichloroethane as a solvent at a polymer/TPD concentration of 0.005 wt% and evaporation temperature of 30° C. The electroluminescence intensity increased in the order of PMMA>PC>SCLCP as polymer matrix. The luminance started at voltage as low as 3 V and reached the maximum luminance of 756 cd/m2 at 11 V in the EL device consisted of ITO/SCLCP:TPD/Alq3/Mg (SCLCP/TPD=30/7...

The effects of various alloying elements on the microstructure and wear properties of phosphoric gray cast irons were examined. The wear properties of gray cast irons were examined with wear tests in the lubricated condition at various final loads and sliding speeds. It is found that the microstructure and the morphology and size of flaky graphite do not change much with a small addition of alloying elements such as V, Nb, Mo and Cr. However, the wear resistance of phosphoric gray cast iron is found to increase significantly with an increasing amount of alloying element. For a given amount of alloying element, it is found that V and Nb are very effective, whereas Mo and Cr are less effective in increasing the wear resistance of phosphoric gray cast iron. The increase in the hardness of steadite caused by the segregation of carbide-forming elements is found to be responsible for the excellent wear resistance of low-alloy phosphoric gray cast irons.

This paper presents the design of a smart diagnostic capsule system with novel antenna and nano-biosensors. The design of the novel miniaturized antenna addresses some of the challenges in the current capsule diagnostic systems namely potential capsule miniaturization, wireless link robustness for efficient medical data transfer. The implementation of nano-biosensors can help in sensing of clinically relevant molecular-level biomarkers in vivo which a big improvement over current capsule systems. Initial antenna and nano-biosensor designs will be discussed followed by a brief technology outlook.

Activation of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) promotes the differentiation of keratinocytes and mesenchymal stem cells, but inhibits the differentiation of muscle and fat cells. However, the involvement of SIRT1 in the differentiation of human periodontal ligament cells into osteoblast-like cells remains unclear. To identify the role of SIRT1 in human periodontal ligament cells, we measured SIRT1 mRNA and SIRT1 protein levels during the osteoblastic differentiation of human periodontal ligament cells. Additionally, we investigated the effects of overexpressing and underexpressing SIRT1 on the differentiation of human periodontal ligament cells, and the signaling mechanisms involved.Expression of SIRT1 and osteoblastic differentiation markers was assessed by RT-PCR, real-time PCR, Alizarin red staining and western blotting.Marked upregulation of SIRT1 mRNA and SIRT1 protein was observed in cells grown for 3 d in osteogenic induction medium (OM). Activation of SIRT1 using resveratrol and isonicotinamide stimulated osteoblastic differentiation in a dose-dependent manner, as assessed by the expression of mRNAs encoding alkaline phosphatase, osteopontin, osteocalcin, osterix and Runx2, and induced calcium deposition. In contrast, inhibition of SIRT1 using sirtinol, nicotinamide and gene silencing by RNA interference suppressed mineralization and the expression of osteoblast marker mRNAs. Further mechanistic studies revealed that resveratrol treatment increased the phosphorylation of Akt, adenosine monophosphate kinase (AMPK), Smad 1/5/8 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase, but reduced OM-induced activation of nuclear factor-κB. Conversely, application of sirtinol suppressed the phosphorylation of Akt, AMPK, Smad 1/5/8, p38, ERK and c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and enhanced nuclear factor-κB activity, in OM-stimulated cells.These data suggest that SIRT1 is a potent regulator of differentiation of human periodontal ligament cells and may have clinical implications for periodontal bone regeneration.

Polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) are found ubiquitously in marine environments worldwide. Sediment is the major sink of PBDEs, with the congener BDE 47 being most abundant. In this study, laboratory experiments were carried out to test the hypothesis that contamination of BDE 47 at environmentally realistic sediment concentrations can alter polychaete larval settlement. Using multiple-choice experiment, settlement of three polychaete species (Pseudopolydora vexillosa, Polydora cornuta, and Capitella sp. I) on four types of spiked sediment was studied and compared: (i) low BDE 47 concentration (0.5 ng g(-1) dry weight); (ii) high BDE 47 concentration (3.0 ng g(-1) dry weight), (iii) hexane (solvent control), and (iv) natural sediment (control). Our results showed that settlement of P. vexillosa and Capitella sp. I larvae was significantly promoted, while settlement of P. cornuta reduced, at high BDE 47 concentration in sediment compared with the respective controls under both short- (24 h) and long-term (4 week) exposures. After 4 weeks, body burden of BDE 47 in all polychaete species was directly related to the spike concentration, and body length of settled juveniles of P. vexillosa and Capitella sp. I at the high-concentration treatment was significantly longer compared with that of other treatments and controls. For the first time, we demonstrated that environmentally realistic concentrations of BDE 47 in sediment can affect polychaete settlement in species-specific and dose-dependent manners. Given the global contamination of PBDE in marine sediment, BDE 47 may potentially alter the settlement pattern of marine polychaetes and hence their benthic composition over large areas.

We report results of an angle-resolved photoemission study to elucidate the driving mechanism of the Mo(001) surface reconstruction. We find, for the first time, a remarkable change of the shapes of Fermi contours upon cooling, which reveals a significant nesting at ${\mathit{k}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\parallel}}}$=0.65 A${\mathrm{\r{}}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$, extended 0.30 A${\mathrm{\r{}}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ perpendicular to the \ensuremath{\Sigma}\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} axis. The results suggest that the reconstruction should occur essentially by Peierls-type 2${\mathit{k}}_{\mathit{F}}$ instabilities with significant matrix-element effects.

Aims: Elucidation of the regulation of ChiB production in Aspergillus nidulans. Methods and Results: Mutational inactivation of the A. nidulans chiB gene resulted in a nonautolytic phenotype. To better understand the mechanisms controlling both developmental progression and fungal autolysis, we examined a range of autolysis-associated parameters in A. nidulans developmental and/or autolytic mutants. Investigation of disorganization of mycelial pellets, loss of biomass, extra-/intracellular chitinase activities, ChiB production and chiB mRNA levels in various cultures revealed that, in submerged cultures, initialization of autolysis and stationary phase-induced ChiB production are intimately coupled, and that both processes are controlled by the FluG-BrlA asexual sporulation regulatory pathway. ChiB production does not affect the progression of apoptotic cell death in the aging A. nidulans cultures. Conclusions: The endochitinase ChiB plays an important role in autolysis of A. nidulans, and its production is initiated by FluG-BrlA signalling. Despite the fact that apoptosis is an inseparable part of fungal autolysis, its regulation is independent to FluG-initiated sporulation signalling. Significance and Impact of the Study: Deletion of chiB and fluG homologues in industrial filamentous fungal strains may stabilize the hyphal structures in the autolytic phase of growth and limit the release of autolytic hydrolases into the culture medium.

Mussels Perna viridis and Brachidontes variabilis were exposed to chemical cues from the predatory crab Thalamita danae maintained on different diets, and byssal thread production of the mussels was studied. P. viridis produced the highest number as well as the thickest and longest byssal threads when they were exposed to crabs maintained on a diet of P. viridis as compared with those exposed to crabs maintained on a diet of the top shell Monodonta labio, the rock oyster Saccostrea cucullata, or crabs that were starved. For B. variabilis, results were similar, in that a diet containing B. variabilis elicited the greatest response as compared with other treatments. This indicates that the mussels were able to discriminate chemical cues released from predators maintained on different diets, and respond accordingly to the level of predation risk. By increasing the strength of byssal attachment as a defensive trait, the chance of being dislodged and consumed by crabs is reduced. As energy cost involved in the induction of an antipredatory response is considerable, this defensive trait seems to be an advantage to the mussels in enhancing efficiency. The short response time in byssal thread production allows the mussels to increase resistance against predation by crabs at the time when predation pressure is the highest in a tidal cycle.

Phlegmonous gastritis, or acute suppurative gastritis, is a rare, life-threatening condition which is characterized by purulent necrosis and thickening of the gastric wall. A combination of gastrectomy and antibiotic therapy is an effective treatment. We report a rare case of phlegmonous gastritis occurring after endoscopic mucosal resection. The patient was treated initially with antibiotic therapy but eventually required surgery.

Trichomonas vaginalis est un protozoaire parasite qui possede plusieurs proteines superoxide dismutase riches en fer (FeSOD). Les relations phylogenetiques entre les six proteines (FeSOD1-FeSOD6) ont ete examinees en utilisant les methodes d'analyse phylogenetique suivantes : parcimonie, distance et maximum de vraisemblance. Toutes les analyses ont montre que les six proteines formaient un groupe monophyletique issu vraisemblablement d'une proteine ancestrale par des evenements de duplication. Bien que l'arbre representatif de l'analyse de parcimonie montre une irresolution entre les six proteines, les arbres de distance et de maximum de vraisemblance placent la proteine FeSOD6 en position ancestrale. Les relations phylogenetiques entre les cinq autres proteines ne sont pas toutes bien defendues en terme de valeurs de bootstrap (robustesse aux nœuds), elles se presentent sous la forme (FeSOD2, FeSOD3), (FeSOD4, (FeSOD1, FeSOD5)). Deux nouvelles amorces, ont ete definies pour amplifier l'integralite du gene FeSOD6, ce qui a permis d'etudier sa diversite genetique a partir de 12 isolats de T. vaginalis en provenance de cinq pays et de trois continents. Il s'est avere que toutes les sequences etaient identiques, a l'exception de trois isolats coreens qui presentaient une a trois bases de difference.

Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are very prevalent and so often coincide. Among various anti-inflammatory agents, TNF-α blocking drugs reportedly stabilize renal function in RA patients with CKD and/or secondary renal amyloidosis by suppressing inflammation. However, there are no available data supporting the efficacy of anti-TNF-α agents in a larger population of RA patients with renal insufficiency. Objectives To investigate the impact of anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) therapy on progression of CKD in patients with RA. Methods Seventy patients with RA and CKD were retrospectively analyzed. Outcomes were evaluated using the difference in the annual change of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) between patients with treated with anti-TNF-α or without. Results There was a tendency toward stabilization of eGFR after a median of 2.6 years (interquartile range, 1.2–4.2 years) from 50.3±8.4 ml/min/1.73 m 2 to 54.5±16.0 ml/min/1.73 m 2 in patients received anti-TNF-α therapy (p=0.084). Conversely, eGFR decreased significantly in patients not receiving anti-TNF-α therapy after a median of 3.0 years (interquartile range, 1.8–4.6 years) from 50.9±7.7 ml/min/1.73 m 2 to 43.7±10.9 ml/min/1.73 m 2 (p 2 /y versus -2.9±5.8 ml/min/1.73 m 2 /y; difference in mean values, -4.9 ml/min/1.73 m 2 /y; 95% confidence interval, -7.5 to -2.2; p=0.002). Use of anti-TNF-α drugs was also significantly associated with positive annual change of eGFR in logistic regression analysis (p=0.009). Conclusions Among patients with RA and CKD, treatment with anti-TNF-α drugs was associated with less renal function decline. Anti-TNF-α drugs may be beneficial for managing RA combined with CKD. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.4801

Background Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic granulomatous disorder of uncertain etiology, which is rare in Asia. In particular, subcutaneous sarcoidosis is a specific cutaneous lesion of sarcoidosis that is rarely reported. Objectives The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinicopathological features of 18 pateints with specific subcutaneous sarcoidosis and their relationship with systemic feature of the disease. Methods All patients performed skin biopsy and diagnosed with subcutaneous sarcoidosis from 2003 to 2013 were reviewed. Histological finding and clinical characteristics were analyzed. Results Eighteen patients with specific subcutaneous sarcoidosis were observed. Mean age at diagnosis was 51.4 years and female were dominant (17 patients, 94%). The initial lesions of the patients were 12 infiltrated nodulopapule, 3 maculopapular eruption, and 2 scar sarcoidosis. Subcutaneous lesions were most frequently located in the extremities. Four (22.2%) of 18 patients demonstrated only specific cutaneous involvement during follow-up period and the rest of the patients presented systemic involvement which included 14 hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy with or wihout lung parenchymal lesion, 3 arthritis, 2 uveitis, or 1 splenic involvement. Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme level in patients with systemic involvement tends to be higher than those without, although there was no statistical significance. In most of the patients, subcutaneous nodules appeared at the beginning of the disease and only 3 cases present skin nodules within 6 months after diagnosis. Twelve (66.5%) patients were treated with oral steroid and 4 (22.2%) patients treated with hydroxychloroquine or colchicine. The nodules remitted spontaneously in less than 1 year in 2 patients. Three patients present relapse course with lung involvement and were treated with oral steroid with azathioprine, which showed partial remission. Conclusions Specific subcutaneous sarcoidosis is a quite uniform clinicopathological entity usually appearing at the beginning of the disease. It may present with nonsevere systemic involvement and showed favorable clinical outcome. Disclosure of Interest : None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.5278

Background Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) antagonists bring new hope for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over the past decade. However, the subsequent increased risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) is one of the major drawbacks in patients with TNF-α antagonists. Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the overall incidence rate of TB in RA patients treated with TNF-α antagonists and compare of incidence rate according to type and duration of TNF-α antagonists, and history of treatment for latent TB infection (LTBI) in South Korea, TB-endemic area. Methods All RA patients treated with TNF-α antagonists registered with the Korea National Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) between January 2006 and December 2011 were included and retrospectively analyzed. The incidence of LTBI by screening test and of TB after starting TNF-α antagonists were reviewed. Results Total 3,573 RA patients with TNF-α antagonists were observed. Of these, 735 (21.1%) patients were treated with LTBI before starting TNF-α antagonists. One hundred-thirty two (2.6%) patients developed TB during follow-up period, and the incidence rate of TB was 583.7 per 100,000 person years (PY). The incidence rate of TB in patient with infliximab revealed 1408.1 per 100,000 PY which is the highest rate, followed by adalimumab of 1211.4 per 100,000 PY and etanercept of 618.4 per 100,000 PY. Forty-five (1648.8 per 100,000 PY), 24 (1038.2 per 100,000 PY), and 63 (647.5 per 100,000 PY) cases of TB were observed during first 6 months, 7-12 months, and 13 months or more after starting TNF-α antagonists, respectively. Among the patients who developed TB, 13 (9.8%) patients had completed treatment of LTBI. The incidence rate of TB demonstrated 477.6 per 100,000 PY and 987.7 per 100,000 PY in patients with and without history of treatment of LTBI, respectively. Conclusions The risk of TB infection increased in RA patients treated with infliximab, and during first 6 months with TNF-α antagonists. Relatively lower risk of TB infection were observed in patients treated with etanercept, and during 13 months and more after starting TNF-α antagonists compare to the rest of the RA patients. RA patients with TNF-α antagonists need watchful observation for TB infection, even in patients who had completed treatment of LTBI. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.4813

Background Pediatric-onset SLE (pSLE) represents 10-20% of all SLE patients, and several studies suggest that SLE tends to be more severe in pSLE than in adult-onset SLE. However, the impact of age or puberty at disease onset in children remains unclear and has rarely been studied. Objectives To evaluate the association between pubescent status and the initial presentation of pSLE. Methods Patients with a diagnosis of SLE before the age of 16 years and followed up at Jeju National University Hospital from 2003 to 2013 were eligible for inclusion in this study. Patients were divided into two groups, based on pubertal stage (> Tanner stage II) and/or menarche at diagnosis, defined as pre-pubescent and pubescent. Medical records regarding demographic profile, clinical and laboratory manifestations at diagnosis, SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) at diagnosis were reviewed. Results Forty-two patients with pSLE were included in this study: 36 girls (85.7%) and 6 boys (14.3%). The median age at diagnosis was 12.4 years (range 7.8 to 15.6 years). The cohort of pre-pubescent patients consisted of 9 girls and 5 boys (83.3% in boys), and the most of pubescent patients were girls (27, 96.4% in pubescent). Pre-pubescent patients showed significantly more hematologic and constitutional manifestations at diagnosis compared with pubescent patients, but musculoskeletal, cutaneous, and neurologic involvement occurred more frequently in pubescent patients. Renal involvement, complement level, and autoantibodies at diagnosis were not significantly different between the two cohorts. Pubescent patients showed a significantly higher disease activity score than pre-pubescent patients. Conclusions Although the number of patient was so small, these results suggest that the disease activity at diagnosis in pSLE significantly increased after pubescent and the distinct differences in the initial presentation between pre-pubescent and pubescent patients relate to musculoskeletal, cutaneous, and neurologic manifestations. References Silverman E, Eddy A. Systemic lupus eythematosus. In: Cassidy JT, Petty RE, Laxer RM, Lindsley CB, editors, Textbook of Pediatric Rheumatology. 6th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders, 2011; 315-43. Descloux E, Durieu I, Cochat P, Vital-Durand D, Ninet J. Influence of age at disease onset in the outcome of paediatric systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheumatol 2009;48:779-84. Hui-Yuen JS, Imundo LF, Avitabile C, Kahn PJ, Eichenfield AH, Levy DM. Early versus later onset childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: Clinical features, treatment and outcome. Lupus 2011;20:952-9. Malattia C, Martini A. Paediatric-onset systemic lupus erythematosus. Best Prac Res Clin Rheumatol 2013;27:351-62. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.4172

We explored a biological role of SET as it relates to cell proliferation and differentiation. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that the expression of SET was ubiquitous and diffuse over the whole embryo on gestational day 15. At a later stage of development, SET was expressed at relatively lower levels and localized to specific tissues and cells. On embryonic day 19, specific SET immunoreactivity was found in the epithelium of skin, respiratory tract, intestine, and retina as well as in muscle and cartilage. In these cells SET was stained mostly in the nucleus, which was supported indirectly by nuclear transport of enhanced green fluorescence protein-SET fusion proteins in ECV304 endothelial cells. Set mRNA expression was further confirmed in various cultured cells, including NIH 3T3 cells, L6 myoblast cells, human umbilical vein endothelial cells, and ECV304 cells. Using F9 teratocarcinoma cell lines, which were stimulated to differentiate into the two different cell lineages of parietal and visceral endoderm, we have further examined the role of SET. The expression of set mRNA and SET protein was diminished about three-fold in both differentiated endoderm cells compared to the undifferentiated F9 cells. However, when F9 cells were subjected to serum starvation, reduction of set mRNA abundance also took place at a similar level to that observed in response to differentiation. Consistent with this, quiescent L6 myoblast showed a marked downregulation of set mRNA compared to proliferating cells. These results suggest that SET is involved mainly in the regulation of cell proliferation rather than differentiation during embryonic development.

A complex pectic polysaccharide (GL-4IIb2′) with macrophage Fc receptor expression enhancing activity has been isolated from the leaves of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer. GL-4IIb2′ consisted of at least 15 different component sugars which included the rarely-observed sugars such as 2-Me-Fuc, 2-Me-Xyl, apiose (Api), 3- C -carboxy-5-deoxy-L-xylose (Aceric acid, AceA), 3-deoxy-D- manno -2-octurosonic acid (Kdo) and 3-deoxy-D- lyxo -2-heptulosaric acid (Dha). Sequential degradation experiment provided evidence that GL-4IIb2′ comprised of a highly branched α-(1→4)-linked galacturono-oligosaccharide backbone with side chains such as αRha p -(1→5)-Kdo, Ara f -(1→5)-Dha, AceA-containing oligosaccharide and uronic acid rich-oligosaccharide. These results suggest that GL-4IIb2′ resembles rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II). However, structure of GL-4IIb2′ possessed several differences from that of RG-II: rich in α-Rha p -(1→5)-Kdo side chain, some additional glycosyl linkages, and a relatively higher molecular weight. It was also found that GL-4IIb2′ was directly purified from hot water exracts of ginseng leaves without treatment of endo-α-(1→4)-polygalacturonase.