Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is considered to be a significant cause of drug wastage. To mitigate clinical DILI risks, assessing drugs using human liver models is crucial since animal studies may fall short due to species-specific liver pathway variations. Cell-based preclinical hepatotoxicity testing is often pertinent. In the present study, cells from a human liver cancer line (HepG2 and HepaRG) were cultured in both formats of 2D and 3D spheroids to explore their responses to drugs. Liver-specific marker expressions across cell lines and culture formats were also examined to assess disparities in DILI marker expressions. After treating each cell with the drugs, cytotoxicity and liver injury markers aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were increased. In addition, liver specific markers albumin and urea decreased in a drug concentration-dependent manner. These findings were consistent with drug sensitivity. Additionally, mRNA expression levels of cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) involved in hepatocellular drug metabolism were compared following treatment with enzyme inducers. CYP1A2 and CYP2C9 were not epxressed in HepG2 cells. HepaRG cells exhibited significantly increased expression of CYP1A2, 2C9, and 3A4 post-treatment. Notably, enzyme expression was notably higher in 3D cultures than in 2D cultures. Collectively, these findings suggest that HepaRG cells and 3D cultures hold promise for evaluating DILI during early-stage drug development.

The objective of this study was to explore the symbolism associated with phoenix patterns in China and the temporal aesthetic characteristics of these patterns found in Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. The study involved collecting examples of clothing designs featuring phoenix patterns from China Fashion Week and the Vogue website, spanning from spring and summer of 2016 to fall and winter of 2022. After collecting and organizing these examples, representative cases were selected for analysis. The objective was to identify effective techniques for incorporating phoenix patterns within the context of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes and provided insights for future clothing design and textile pattern design research. Phoenix patterns boasted a lengthy history and were laden with symbolic meaning. Early renditions of phoenix patterns found at Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang were relatively simplistic in design, mainly employing elements like rhythm, coordination, balance and symmetry to convey a sense of nature and gravity. Over time, these patterns evolved under the influence of the prevailing cultural backdrop, employing repeated emphasis to portray notions of abundance and tenacity. Furthermore, regarding the use of phoenix patterns in clothing, there were four prevalent expression techniques: embroidery, beading, printing, and knitting. Traditional techniques like embroidery and beadwork often prioritized aesthetic features like coordination, emphasis, and symmetry, thereby showcasing the opulent characteristics of phoenix patterns. On the other hand, printing and knitting techniques used a single phoenix pattern or a modified version to simplify designs by emphasizing or repeating aesthetic characteristics while adhering to a modern artistic approach.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a lipid messenger mediated by G protein-coupled receptors (LPAR1-6). It is involved in the pathogenesis of certain chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. In addition, it controls the self-renewal and differentiation of stem cells. Recent research has demonstrated the close relationship between periodontitis and various diseases in the human body. However, the precise role of LPA in the development of periodontitis has not been studied. We identified that LPAR1 was highly expressed in human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs). In periodontitis-mimicking conditions with Porphyromonas gingivalis -derived lipopolysaccharide (Pg-LPS) treatment, PDLSCs exhibited a considerable reduction in the cellular viability and osteogenic differentiation potential, in addition to an increase in the inflammatory responses including tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β expression and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) activation. Of the various LPAR antagonists, pre-treatment with AM095, an LPAR1 inhibitor, showed a positive effect on the restoration of cellular viability and osteogenic differentiation, accompanied by a decrease in NF-κB signaling, and action against Pg-LPS. These findings suggest that the modulation of LPAR1 activity will assist in checking the progression of periodontitis and in its treatment.

The purpose of this study was to review and establish the two concepts of art film and artistic expression in Prada fashion films, through a literature review of domestic and international case studies, as a form of luxury branded content, Prada fashion films are considered to artistic film genre. For the study, aesthetic expression in art films as discussed in the previous research was divided into four types. The study method was to review fashion / art films from the founding of YouTube, specially, works that used digital images from Thunder Perfect Mind, which was introduced in Prada in 2005, to Nylon Farm in 2018, stylistic features were searched by film. In addition, for this study, fashion film was analyzed based on the typology of art films. The following conclusions regarding artistic expression were drawn from this study : First, the Prada fashion films represent a transition to advanced art through a conceptual approach. Second, the causal relationships personality psychology can be cited through the disturbed and fragmented narrative lines. Third, the films help people identity Prada’s aesthetics by humanizing the luxury brand. Fourth, the films are a feature of serialization.

The purpose of this study is to review and establish the three concepts of upcycling, zero-waste fashion design, and regional sustainability through a review of domestic and international case studies. Furthermore, it will provide the theoretical basis for using upcycling as a regional sustainability practice to create zero-waste fashion design. To conduct an empirical study, we systematized the stages of the survey on waste resources in Changsin-dong, the sourcing and utilization of waste resources, the design-planning stage, and the co-production with pattern and sewing masters as a suggested practice for regional sustainability. Through this study, we propose the possibility of regional sustainability by developing and sharing the method of zero-waste fashion design. The conclusion of the study as follows: First, upcycling fashion designs can be extended to a regional sustainability practice by taking the characteristics of social design into account. Second, by providing a design development process and methodology suitable for regional sustainability application, it is helpful to revitalize regional upcycling fashion brands and communities by providing data for upcycled fashion branding. Third, as part of the revitalization project for the Changshin and Soongin areas that started in 2014, using the region’s economic, cultural, and environmental characteristics to make and sell high-value, upcycled fashion products will contribute to social and economic achievements and aid in solving regional problems.

We investigated pollination and foraging activities of honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) and bumblebee (Bombus terrestris L.) during flowering season of the asian pear (Pyrus pyrifolia N.) under different weather conditions. There was no significant statistical difference about the pollination activities of two species. However, the pollination activities of bumblebee were more active than those of honeybee under low temperature and rainfall period. The activities of honeybee and bumblebee were more influenced by temperature than other factors (i.e. illumination and wind velocity). Honeybee was more sensitive to temperature and illumination than bumblebee. At low temperatures (<20℃) on cloudy days (<30,000 lux) with a certain wind velocity (>4.0 m/s), the pollination activity of the honeybee was lower twice than that of bumblebee.

Varroa destructor is a devastating ectoparasitic mite which attacks Honeybee, Apis mellifera. V. destructor feeds on honeybee hemolymph, and often harbors small RNA viruses such as the deformed wing virus to transmit these viruses in the infested bee hive. To survey the genes of V. destructor, total RNA was subjected to high-throughput transcriptome sequencing to construct in silico cDNA library by using the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. Total of 2×107,748,792 paired-end short reads were obtained and quality filtered reads were subjected to Trinity de novo assembler followed by TransDecoder, and CD-HIT program to make a V. destructor reference cDNA library containing 28,023 of clustered contigs with protein coding capacity. These cDNA sequences will help us to understand the molecular biology of V. destructor.

The honeybee inhibitor cysteine knot (ICK) peptide acts as an antifungal peptide and insecticidal venom toxin. However, the ICK peptide from bumblebees has not been characterized. Here, we report the molecular cloning and antifungal activity of a bumblebee (Bombus ignitus) ICK peptide (BiICK). We identified a BiICK that contains an ICK fold. The BiICK was expressed in the epidermis, fat body, and venom gland of B. ignitus worker bees. A 6.7-kDa recombinant BiICK peptide was expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells. Recombinant BiICK peptides directly bound to Beauveria bassiana, Ascosphaera apis, and Fusarium graminearum, but they did not bind to Escherichia coli, Paenibacillus larvae, or Bacillus thuringiensis. Consistent with this finding, BiICK exhibited antifungal activity against fungi. These results demonstrate that BiICK acts as an antifungal peptide.

Crystals of proteinaceous insecticidal proteins, Cry proteins, produced by Bacill us thuringiensis (Bt) have been generally used used to control insect pests. In this st udy, through the 3D structure prediction and accompanying mutagenesis study for the Mod-Cry1Ac, 7 and 16 amino acid residues from domain I and II, respectively, responsible for its insecticidal activity against larvae of Plutella xylostella, Spodopt era exigua and Ostrinia furnacalis were identified. To construct novel cry genes wi th enhanced insecticidal activity, we randomly mutated these 24 amino acid sequen ces by in vitro muti site-directed mutagenesis, resulting in totally 34 mutant cry gen es. For further characterization, these mutant cry genes were expressed as a fusion protein with polyhedrin using baculovirus expression system. SDS-PAGE analysis of the recombinant polyhedra revealed that expressed Cry proteins was occluded in to polyhedra and activated stably to 65 kDa by trypsin. When the insecticidal activit ies of these mutant Cry proteins against to larvae of P. xylostella, S. exigua, and O. furnacalis were assayed, they showed higher or similar insecticidal activity compar ed to those of Cry1Ac and Cry1C. Especially, among them Mutant-N16 showed th e highest insecticidal activity against to both of P. xylostella, S. exigua and Ostrinia furnacalis. Therefore, Mutant-N16 is estimated to have the potential for the efficac ious bioagent.