Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious vesicular disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, causing substantial economic losses to the livestock industry. The causative FMD virus (FMDV) comprises four structural proteins (VP1, VP2, VP3, and VP4) and several non-structural proteins. Among the capsid proteins, VP4 is the most conserved, making it an attractive target as a diagnostic and vaccine antigen, regardless of FMDV serotype. In this study, we attempted to express the VP4 protein N-terminally fused to a glutathione S-transferase (GST) tag in Escherichia coli. Whereas VP0 and VP2 proteins were expressed in the soluble fraction, we failed to detect VP4, even in the insoluble fraction. To investigate the effect of VP4 C-terminal amino acid residues on protein expression, we constructed three VP4 mutants fused to GST, among which the mutant in which the C-terminal 15 amino acid residues had been deleted showed the highest level of protein expression. Furthermore, protein expression was observed even in the mutant in which three amino acid residues (DKK) had been fused to the C terminus. However, unlike the other two mutants, the wild-type VP4 mutant was poorly expressed, thereby indicating that the C-terminal amino acid residues could play a pivotal role in determining expression of the VP4 protein in E. coli.

The occurrence of exotic weeds and their influx into farmlands due to climate change poses many problems. Therefore, it is necessary to generate a prediction model for the occurrence pattern of these exotic weeds based on scientific evidence and devise prevention measures. The photosynthetic apparatus is known as the most temperaturesensitive component of a plant cell and its initial response to temperature stress is to inhibit the activation of photosystem II. This study investigated the potential of OJIP transients in assessing temperature stress in exotic weeds. The four exotic weeds currently flowing into Korean farmlands include Amaranthus spinosus, Conyza bonariensis, Crassocephalum crepidioides, and Amaranthus viridis. These weeds were treated at 5°C, 10°C, 15°C, 20°C, 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, and 40°C and the OJIP curves and JIP parameters were measured and analyzed. The results showed that heat and chilling stress affected the photosystem II (PSII) electron transport of A. spinosus, whereas C. crepidioides and A. viridis were more affected by high-temperature stress than by low-temperature stress. Lastly, C. bonariensis showed resistance to both high and low-temperature stress. The results of this study suggest that OJIP transients and JIP parameters can be used to analyze damage to the photosynthetic apparatus by temperature stress and that they can serve as sensitive indicators for the occurrence pattern of exotic weeds.

Asphalt pavement overlay method is one of widely chosen construction methods for remodelling existing aged concrete pavement layer. However, in this case reflective cracking is a challenging issue due to movement of transverse joints: built in existing concrete pavement layer with constant interval length. In this paper, collecting field data: collection of displacement and temperature data on existing concrete pavement layer for further complicated pavement performance analysis, was performed. To fulfil this objective, various types of thermometer were embedded into concrete layer with different depth level. Then, movement of existing concrete layer was measured numerically. Each Displacement Measuring Gauge (DMG) along with thermometer was embedded with depth of 3cm and 15cm, respectively. Additional thermometers were embedded at the middle depth of overlaid asphalt pavement layer for further extensive analysis and data collection. Total four testing sites were considered based on different asphalt mixture type and construction method. The 1st site was constructed with conventional construction approach, the 2nd site was constructed with a new pavement equipment contains simultaneous tack-coating function, the 3rd site was similar to 1st site but Guss-asphalt was constructed as a binder course, and in 4th site Noise-Reduction Porous Asphalt (NRPA) was constructed as a surface course and regular Dense Grade Asphalt (DGA) was constructed as a binder course. A field asphalt pavement layer sample coring works: along with basic material property tests, were also performed to acquire not only overlaid asphalt but also existing concrete pavement materials. This gauge measuring work in this study is an initial step therefore, long-term movement data of each pavement layer was not able to be collected, unfortunately. However through collecting and analysing initial data on each test site, two crucial findings were acquired. First, in all four tested site highest temperature variations were observed at the upper asphalt pavement layer and the variation trends decreased with increase of pavement depth (in case of concrete pavement layer, temperature and movement variations also decreased with increase of pavement depth). Secondly, when Guss-asphalt was applied as a binder course temperature variations of existing concrete pavement layer was crucially smaller than those of other comparison cases. These current findings and collected data set can provide successful input information for further pavement structure analysis such as 2D (and/or 3D) Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis as a future study.

Background : Ancanthopanax senticosus Fruits Extracts were studied in order to develop as functional pigment. The extracts were evaluated for physicochemical properties and biological activity. Methods and Results : Ancanthopanax senticosus fruits extracts were extracted by the rate of ethanol and distilled water in 1% citric acid. The extracts were evaluated for physicochemical properties by chromaticity, total sugar content, free sugar content, acidity, total anthocyanin contents. Total sugar and acidity were 0.10 brix and 0.44% respectively. Fructose and glucose were 1.54% and 0.36% respectively. The 60% ethanol extracts showed the highest extraction yield and total anthocyanin content. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of 60% and 80% ethanol extracts higher than other extracts. Conclusion : These results suggest that Ancanthopanax senticosus fruits extracts may be useful purple pigment for anti-diabetes activity.

Background : Aerial parts of Angelica gigas were studied in order to develop as functional pigment. The extracts were evaluated for physicochemical properties and biological activity. Methods and Results : Aerial parts of Angelica gigas were extracted by the rate of ethanol and distilled water. The extracts were evaluated for physicochemical properties by chromaticity, total sugar content, free sugar content, acidity, chlorophyll and carotenoids contents. Total sugar and acidity were 0.90 brix and 2.84% respectively. Chlorophyll and carotenoids contents were 0.24 and 0.04% respectively. The extracts were evaluated for biological activity by anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetes activity. Cell viabilities were measured by MTT assay. Effect of extracts on nitric oxide (NO) production from RAW264.7 cells was accessed by Griess reagent assay. Extracts to RAW 264.7 cells reduced amounts of nitrite by 76.0%. Conclusion : These results suggest that aerial parts of Angelica gigas Nakai may be useful pigment for anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetes activity.

Diffuse involvement of the right pulmonary artery (PA) associated with fistula between the PA and coronary artery is report-ed in a woman with Takayasu’s arteritis. Both the subclavian arteries were totally occluded and drained by the meanderinged artery arising from both common carotid arteries. Lung perfusion scan revealed perfusion defect of right lung. Two fistulas were identified. A large fistula was between the right PA and left circumflex artery. A small fistula was between the right PA and left anterior descending artery. This is a rare case of Takayasu’s arteritis presenting with a coronary – pulmonary artery fistula that is secondary to a diffuse unilateral involvement of PA.