Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is known to contribute to the modulation of insulin resistance and systemic inflammation seen in obesity and the metabolic syndrome. The present study was performed to investigate the fertility competence of TLR4 knock out male mice (TLR4 mice) on a high-fat diet (HFD), compared to a normal-chow diet (NCD). The controls included wildtype (WT) mice fed on a HFD or NCD. Six-week-old male mice were fed with either a NCD or HFD for 20 weeks. Body and organ weights, serum levels of glucose, triglycerides and hepatoxicity, sperm quality and spermatogenesis were observed after the sacrifice. Also, randomly selected male mice were mated with virgin female mice after feeding of 19 weeks. The weight of the body and organs increased in WT and TLR4 mice on a HFD compared to those of mice on a NCD. The weights of the reproductive organs did not vary among the treatment groups. The motility and concentration of the epididymal spermatozoa decreased in both WT and TLR4 mice fed a HFD. The pregnancy rate and litter size declined in the HFD-fed WT mice compared to the HFD-fed TLR4 mice. In conclusion, the HFD alters energy and steroid metabolism in mice, which may lead to male reproductive disorders. However, fertility competence was somewhat restored in HFD-fed TLR4 male mice, suggesting that the TLR4 is involved in testis dysfunction due to metabolic imbalance.

PURPOSES : There are generally various driving behaviors in toll collection areas, including lane changing, merging and diverging, and other behaviors. Because of these behaviors, accident risk and traffic congestion may occur. To mitigate these problems, multi-lane electronic toll collection systems have been developed with a high-speed limit of 80 km/h. This study was conducted to investigate travel speed changes and effects through multi-lane electronic toll collection systems with a high-speed limit. METHODS : Traffic simulations were conducted using VISSIM. Before conducting simulations, driving behavior around the toll collection areas was observed, and field data were collected based on drones for peak and non-peak hours. In addition, safety effect evaluations were conducted based on conflict analyses using the SSAM software. RESULTS : Through multi-lane electronic toll collection systems with a high-speed limit, the travel speed on the toll collection area was increased, and traffic operational efficiencies were identified. However, different speed variations were produced as observation locations in toll collection areas. Speed variations were mitigated at most locations except the area within the tollbooth because of the high speed limit for multi-lane electronic tollbooth. CONCLUSIONS : It was important to manage lane-changing activities, and this may influence traffic operational effects. Safety effects were also identified through conflict analyses.

Korean government has been pushing the policy to lower the expensive toll on the private highways that has caused continuous complaints from the society because of relatively more expensive toll than that of the national highway which is managed by Korea Expressway Corporation(KEC). In Korea, seventeen private highways are under operation as of September, 2017. The average toll of the private highways is 1.51 times higher than that of the national highways. In the Ilsan-Toegyewon section(36.3 km) of the Seoul Outer Ring Highway which is composed of the northern private highway section and the southern national highway section, the toll discount was applied maximum 33% since March 29, 2018. With the application of this toll discount policy, the toll of Ilsan-Toegyewon section was lowered from 1.71 times to 1.1 times compared to that of southern national highway section in Seoul Outer Ring Highway. The applied business restructuring model to lower the toll on Ilsan-Toegyewon section this time is based on the combining the extension of operating period for another 20 years and the replacement of investors. It is reported that Korean government will continue to apply the business restructuring model to lower the toll on the private highways and promoting the benefit of public. If the KEC is participated in this type of business restructuring model as a new investor, the toll of private highway will be lower than the case of new private investor participating, due to lower borrowing rate of KEC.

Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) hydrolyzes fatty acids from phospholipids at sn-2 position. Two immune-associated PLA2s are known in Spodoptera exigua. Both are calcium-independent cellular PLA2 (iPLA2A and iPLA2B). These iPLA2s are inducible to immune challenge using different epitopes such as virus, Gram+, Gram- bacteria, and fungi. However, their expression profiles are different between these two iPLA2s. Especially, immune challenge with Gram+ bacteria and fungi significantly up-regulated these iPLA2 expression, suggesting their expression under Toll signal pathway. RNA interferences of Toll or IMD signal components are being investigated.

An immune signal pathway using Toll receptor in response to Gram positive bacterial or fungal challenge induces cellularimmunity and production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in insects. Here we tested an hypothesis that Toll signal downstreamfactors, MyD88 and Pelle, influence eicosanoid signal by activating phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity in the beet armywormSpodoptera exigua. We knocked-down MyD88 and Pelle expressions using specific dsRNAs and assessed their effect onPLA2 activity in immune-challenged S. exigua larvae. The RNAi-treated larvae failed to induce AMP gene expressionand PLA2 activity under immune challenge. These results shed light on cross-talk between Toll pathway and eicosanoidsignal.

Chronic/cyclic neutropenia, leukocyte adhesion deficiency syndrome, Papillon-Lefèvre syndrome, and Chédiak-Higashi syndrome are associated with severe periodontitis, suggesting the importance of neutrophils in the maintenance of periodontal health. Various Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands are known to stimulate neutrophil function, including FcR-mediated phagocytosis. In the present study, the effect of TLR2 activation on the non-opsonic phagocytosis of oral bacteria and concomitant production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by human neutrophils was evaluated. Neutrophils isolated from peripheral blood were incubated with Streptococcus sanguinis or Porphyromonas gingivalis in the presence of various concentrations of Pam3CSK4, a synthetic TLR2 ligand, and analyzed for phagocytosis and ROS production by flow cytometry and chemiluminescence, respectively. Pam3CSK4 significantly increased the phagocytosis of both bacterial species in a dose-dependent manner. However, the enhancing effect was greater for S. sanguinis than for P. gingivalis. Pam3CSK4 alone induced ROS production in neutrophils and also increased concomitant ROS production induced by bacteria. Interestingly, incubation with P. gingivalis and Pam3CSK4 decreased the amounts of ROS, as compared to Pam3CSK4 alone, indicating the possibility that P. gingivalis survives within neutrophils. However, neutrophils efficiently killed phagocytosed bacteria of both species despite the absence of Pam3CSK4. Although P. gingivalis is poorly phagocytosed even by the TLR2-activated neutrophils, TLR2 activation of neutrophils may help to reduce the colonization of P. gingivalis by efficiently eliminating S. sanguinis , an early colonizer, in subgingival biofilm.

Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) is critical for the triggering of innate immune response by recognizing the conserved molecular patterns of single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) viruses and mediated antigenic adaptive immunity. To understand how TLR7 distinguish pathogen-derived molecular patterns from the host self, it is essential to be able to identify TLR7 receptor interaction interfaces, such as active sites or R848-agonist binding sites. The functional interfaces of TLR7 can serve as targets for structure-based drug design in studying the TLR7 receptor’s structure-function relationship. In contrast to mammalian TLR7, chicken TLR7 (chTLR7) is unknown for its important biological function. Therefore, it has been targeted to mediate contrasting evolutionary patterns of positive selection into non-synonymous SNPs across eleven species using TLR7 conservation patterns (evolutionary conserved and class-specific trace residues), where protein sequence differences to the TLR7 receptors of interest record mutation that have passed positive section across the species. In this study, we characterized the Lys609 residue on chTLR7-ECD homodimer interfaces to reflect the current tendency of evolving positive selection to be transfer into a stabilization direction of the R848-agonist/ chTLR7-ECDs complex under the phylogenetically variable position across species and we suggest a potential indicator for contrasting evolutionary patterns of both the species TLR-ECDs.

Brucella spp. are facultative intracellular pathogens that have the ability to survive and multiply in professional and nonprofessional phagocytes and cause abortion in domestic animals and undulant fever in humans. Brucella species can survive in a variety of cells, including macrophages and their virulence and chronic infections are thought to be due to their ability to avoid the killing mechanisms within macrophages. Inhibition of phagosome-lysosome fusion has been proposed as a mechanism for intracellular survival of Brucella in professional and nonprofessional phagocytes. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are part of a skillful system for detection of invasion by microbial pathogens. Recognition of microbial components by TLRs triggers signaling pathways that promote expression of genes and regulate innate immune responses. Recent studies for the interaction between TLRs-Brucella have indicated the importance of control of Brucella infection. Here, we review selected aspects of TLRs-Brucella interaction, which may be helpful to understanding the mechanism of Brucella pathogenesis.

PURPOSES: This study is to investigate a generated traffic noise when vehicle pass over a transverse rumble strip at toll plaza of highway. METHODS: To investigate traffic noise at toll plaza of highway, Pass-by method which is the most common used for measuring traffic noise was adopted and the traffic noise at toll plaza was measured for 10 min per hour for 11hours(13:00~24:00). RESULTS: The measured traffic noise by pass-by method was changed as function of the transverse rumble strip configuration. Generally, the maximum difference among three noise measurement sections was 7 dB(A). It might be related with traffic speed. Also, the measured traffic noise was strongly generated from a passenger car which was 2 axle. It means that the most of traffic noise on the road is generated at tire/pavement interface of the passenger car. CONCLUSIONS: The traffic noise was strongly related with vehicle speed and transverse rumble strip configuration on the road. For driver safety, the transverse rumble strip is definitely necessary. However, the complaints from residents near highway was increased by traffic noise from transverse rumble strip. Therefore, To satisfy both safety and reduction of traffic noise, the development of configuration of transverse rumble strip is necessary in the further study.

The GroEL heat-shock protein from Fusobacterium nucleatum, a periodontopathogen, activates risk factors for atherosclerosis in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) and ApoE-/- mice. In this study, we analyzed the signaling pathways by which F. nucleatum GroEL induces the proinflammatory factors in HMEC-1 cells known to be risk factors associated with the development of atherosclerosis and identified the cellular receptor used by GroEL. The MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways were found to be activated by GroEL to induce the expression of interleukin- 8 (IL-8), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP- 1), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), E-selectin, and tissue factor (TF). These effects were inhibited by a TLR4 knockdown. Our results thus indicate that TLR4 is a key receptor that mediates the interaction of F. nucleatum GroEL with HMEC-1 cells and subsequently induces an inflammatory response via the MAPK and NF-κB pathways.

An entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Bb), is a potent pathogen against the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua. Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activities were measured in both immune-associated tissues of hemocytes and fat body S. exigua. Upon the fungal PLA2s were significantly activated in both hemocytes and fat body. Considering inhibitory activity of BZA, we posed a hypothesis that BZA against PLA2 activity of hemocyte, resulting in shutdown of eicosanoid biosynthesis, subsequently inducing immunosupression, which leads to enhance Bb pathogenicity. This study directly analyzed the inhibitory activity of BZA on PLA2 extracted from different immune-related tissues. At low micromolar range, BZA significantly inhibited PLA2s of hemocytes, fat body, and plasma, in which most PLA2 activity was found in hemocytes. Interestingly, an immune signal receptor, Se-Toll, was related with PLA2 activation. RNA interference (RNAi) of Se-Toll significantly inhibited PLA2activity while nonspecific RNAi did not inhibit the PLA2 activity. The RNAi of Se-Toll also significantly suppressed hemocyte nodule response against Bb challenge. In addition, the fungal infection significantly induced activation of PLA2 activity, which would lead to production of immune mediating eicosanoids. This study addressed the synergistic effect of BZA on Bb pathegenicity by its inhibition of PLA2 activity, which was linked with Toll signal pathway.

Based on Drosophila model, Toll and Imd signals have regared as central intracellular pathways in insect immune cells in response to various pathogens. Current insect genome studies have identified the corresponding orthologs in other insets. This study reports two immune signaling genes, Se-Toll-1 and Se-Relish-1, and suggests Toll and Imd pathways in the hemocytes of Spodoptera exigua. Partial Se-Toll-1 and Se-Relish-1 share high sequence homologies with known Toll and Relish genes of lepidopteran and dipteran species. Their expressions were detected from all developmental stages. In larval stage, there two genes were expressed in all tested tissues including hemocytes. Real time quantitative RT-PCR indicates that expression of both genes were highly up-regulated by bacterial and fungal infections. Various antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were expressed in the hemocytes of S.exigua, in which their expressions appeared to be controlled by Se-Toll-1 and Se-Relish-1. However, Se-Toll-1 and Se-Relish-1 were proved to controlled different AMP genes from their RNA interference assays. These results suggest Toll and Imd signals in the hemocytes of S. exigua.

요금을 지불하게 되는 유료도로에 대해서는 별도의 가중치를 산정하여 교통계획 모형 내에서 모델링 할 수 있도록 해야 하나 현존하는 유료도로의 가중치 산정방법에서 발생하는 문제점은 현실과 유사한 통행패턴을 설명하기에 부적당하다. 본 연구는 국가교통DB센터에서 이미 정산된 가중치, 차종별 시간가치를 적용한 가중치 그리고 차로수별 교통량 비율로 수정된 가중치로서 총 세 개의 대안을 선정하여 비교 분석하였다. 그 결과 국가교통DB센터에서 정산되어 차로수의 구분없이 동일한 가중치를 적용하였을 경우에는 허용오차범위 내에 포함된 샘플수가 다른 시나리오에 비해 비교적 다수 포함되었으나 현재 유료도로의 차로수별 할인율과 할증률을 반영하지 않고 정산되었다는 점에서 현실에 맞지 않는 방법론으로 분석되었다. 또한 차종별 시간가치를 이용한 가중치는 현재 적용되는 가중치 중에서 가장 이론적으로 정립되었다고 할 수 있으나 가중치의 비율이 낮게 적용됨으로서 배정교통량이 과다예측 되는 결과로 나타났다. 그러나 차종별 시간가치와 차로수별 교통량 비율을 합산하여 재 산정한 가중치를 적용한 결과는 세 개의 대안 중 가장 현실에 근접한 통행배정 결과로 분석되었다. 또한 통행배정 방법에 있어 총량OD평형배정방법이 PCU통행배정방법보다 현실에 가까운 배정결과가 나타나는 것으로 나타났다.

최근의 환경정책은 신설되는 도로에 대하여 비점오염저감시설 설치의무화를 요구하고 있다. 또한 도로건설시 및 유지관리시에는 발생가능한 비점오염물질을 예측하고 이를 저감할 수 있는 방향으로 노선의 계획 및 설계와 더불어 다양한 비점저감방안을 수립할 것을 요구하고 있다. 비점오염원 및 비점오염물질을 관리하기 위해서는 우선 유역의 토지이용도를 분석하여 강우시 배출되는 오염물질의 종류와 양을 산정해야 한다. 특히 도로의 경우, 발생되는 비점오염물질의 원단위가 별도로 존재하지 않고 대지항목의 오염발생원단위를 사용하고 있기에 적용함에 있어서 많은 어려움을 겪고 있는 실정이다. 따라서 본 연구는 포장지역 중 고속도로 영업소를 대상으로 강우시 유출되는 강우유출수의 특성을 파악하여, 이러한 토지이용에서의 비점오염물질 유출특성과 부하량을 산정하고자 한다. 영업소 토지이용의 경우 많은 차량이 속도를 급격히 줄이는 토지이용지역으로 브레이크 패드, 각종 오일 및 엔진파트 등으로부터 많은 양의 오염물질이 축적되고, 포장률이 높아 강우시 다량의 오염물질이 유출되는 지역이다. 본 연구를 통해서 영업소 토지이용지역에서의 초기강우현상을 수리수문 및 농도곡선을 통해 확인할 수 있었다. 또한 EMC로부터 단위면적당 부하량과 강우지속시간당 부하량을 산정하였으며, 이러한 값은 영업소 유지관리시 인근수계에의 환경적인 영향을 해석하기 위한 기초자료로 활용될 수 있다. 강우지속시간당 유출되는 평균부하량은 TSS의 경우 533.7mg/m2-hr, COD 396.2mg/m2-hr, TN 17.0mg/m2-hr, TP 4.8mg/m2-hr로 산정되었다.