Efficiency Analysis of Major Container Ports in Asia: Using DEA and Shannon’s Entropy

This paper attempts to evaluate performance (i.e. efficiency) of Asias container ports. Measurement of the ports performance is critical to increase the competitiveness of maritime transport, ultimately leading to one nations competitive advantages over other countries. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), which is a non-parametric method widely used for assessing efficiency of units which have similar characteristics, was selected to analyse the data. Due to the limitations of the DEA method producing diverse results according to different models, and to the complexities of choosing a specific model among several DEA models, Shannons Entropy was also employed. By including Shannons Entropy, the efficiency results calculated from each model were integrated in order to rank the ports. The results in this study will provide port managers with valuable information in order to understand the current status of Asias container ports in terms of their efficiency

A Comparative Analysis of Three Major Transfer Airports in Northeast Asia Focusing on Incheon International Airport Using a Conjoint Analysis

Due mainly to the privatization and commercialization of airline companies and deregulation of the aviation rules, the demand for air transport has continuously been increasing. Airport authorities state that transfer passengers, who contribute to the large portion of the airports’ profits, are gaining much more importance, particularly in the Northeast Asia region where the air transport industry is very vital. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the competitiveness of IIA (Incheon International Airport) with other major airports located in Northeast Asia in passenger transfers made between Southeast Asia and China to North America using Conjoint Analysis. Results have indicated that airport brand is the most important attribute for the competitiveness of airport, followed by cost, connectivity and duty free shops. In further analysis focusing on brand value of the three airports measured by the use of transfer passengers, it was revealed that IIA needs more effort in developing their brand identity to become the leading transfer hub airport. Based on the results, recommendations for increasing the brand value have also been suggested

Clinical Approach to Children with Proteinuria

Proteinuria is common in pediatric and adolescent patients. Proteinuria is defined as urinary protein excretion at levels higher than 100-150 mg/m2/day in children. It can be indicative of normal or benign conditions as well as numerous types of severe underlying renal or systemic disease. The school urine screening program has been conducted in Korea since 1998. Since then, numerous patients with normal or benign proteinuria as well as early stage renal diseases have been referred to the hospital. Benign proteinuria includes orthostatic proteinuria and transient proteinuria. Most causes of proteinuria can be categorized into 3 types: 1) overflow, 2) tubular, and 3) glomerular. Although treatment should be directed at the underlying cause of the proteinuria, prompt evaluation, diagnosis, and long-term monitoring of these pediatric patients can prevent potential progression of the underlying disease process. This article provides an overview of proteinuria: its causes, methods of assessment, and algorithmic suggestions to differentiate benign from pathologic renal disease

Broussonetia papyrifera Root Bark Extract Exhibits Anti-inflammatory Effects on Adipose Tissue and Improves Insulin Sensitivity Potentially Via AMPK Activation

The chronic low-grade inflammation in adipose tissue plays a causal role in obesity-induced insulin resistance and its associated pathophysiological consequences. In this study, we investigated the effects of extracts of Broussonetia papyrifera root bark (PRE) and its bioactive components on inflammation and insulin sensitivity. PRE inhibited TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappa B transcriptional activity in the NF-kappa B luciferase assay and pro-inflammatory genes' expression by blocking phosphorylation of I kappa B and NF-kappa B in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, which were mediated by activating AMPK. Ten-week-high fat diet (HFD)-fed C57BL6 male mice treated with PRE had improved glucose intolerance and decreased inflammation in adipose tissue, as indicated by reductions in NF-kappa B phosphorylation and pro-inflammatory genes' expression. Furthermore, PRE activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and reduced lipogenic genes' expression in both adipose tissue and liver. Finally, we identified broussoflavonol B (BF) and kazinol J (KJ) as bioactive constituents to suppress pro-inflammatory responses via activating AMPK in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Taken together, these results indicate the therapeutic potential of PRE, especially BF or KJ, in metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes

Synergistic Effects of Simvastatin and Irinotecan against Colon Cancer Cells with or without Irinotecan Resistance

Aims. We here investigated whether the combination of simvastatin and irinotecan could induce the synergistic effect on colon cancer cells with or without resistance to irinotecan. Methods. We investigated cell proliferation assay and assessed cell death detection ELISA and caspase-3 activity assay of various concentrations of simvastatin and irinotecan to evaluate the efficacy of drug combination on colon cancer cells with or without irinotecan resistance. Results. The IC50 values of simvastatin alone and irinotecan alone were 115.4±0.14 μM (r=0.98) and 62.5±0.18 μM (r=0.98) in HT-29 cells without resistance to irinotecan. The IC50 values of these two drugs were 221.9±0.22 μM (r=0.98) and 195.9±0.16 μM (r=0.99), respectively, in HT-29 cell with resistance to irinotecan. The results of combinations of the various concentrations of two drugs showed that combined treatment with irinotecan and simvastatin more efficiently suppressed cell proliferation of HT-29 cells even with resistance to irinotecan as well as without resistance. Furthermore, the combination of simvastatin and irinotecan at 2:1 molar ratio showed the best synergistic interaction. Conclusion. Simvastatin could act synergistically with irinotecan to overcome irinotecan resistance of colon cancer

Anti-proliferative effects of Bifidobacterium adolescentis SPM0212 extract on human colon cancer cell lines

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are beneficial probiotic organisms that contribute to improved nutrition, microbial balance, and immuno-enhancement of the intestinal tract, as well as anti-tumor activity. The aim of the present work was to study the growth inhibition of tumor cells by butanol extract of <it>Bifidobacterium adolescentis </it>isolated from healthy young Koreans.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The anti-proliferative activity of <it>B. adolescentis </it>isolates was assessed by XTT assays on three human colon cancer cell lines (Caco-2, HT-29, and SW480). The effects of <it>B. adolescentis </it>SPM0212 butanol extract on tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and nitric oxide (NO) production were tested using the murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cell line.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The butanol extract of <it>B. adolescentis </it>SPM0212 dose-dependently inhibited the growth of Caco-2, HT-29, and SW480 cells by 70%, 30%, and 40%, respectively, at 200 μg/mL. Additionally, the butanol extract of <it>B. adolescentis </it>SPM0212 induced macrophage activation and significantly increased the production of TNF-α and NO, which regulate immune modulation and are cytotoxic to tumor cells.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The butanol extract of <it>B. adolescentis </it>SPM0212 increased activity of the host immune system and may improve human health by helping to prevent colon cancer as a biological response modifier.</p

Tissue expression and antibacterial activity of host defense peptides in chicken

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.Abstract Background Host defence peptides are a diverse group of small, cationic peptides and are important elements of the first line of defense against pathogens in animals. Expression and functional analysis of host defense peptides has been evaluated in chicken but there are no direct, comprehensive comparisons with all gene family and individual genes. Results We examined the expression patterns of all known cathelicidins, β-defensins and NK-lysin in multiple selected tissues from chickens. CATH1 through 3 were predominantly expressed in the bone marrow, whereas CATHB1 was predominant in bursa of Fabricius. The tissue specific pattern of β-defensins generally fell into two groups. β-defensin1-7 expression was predominantly in bone marrow, whereas β-defensin8-10 and β-defensin13 were highly expressed in liver. NK-lysin expression was highest in spleen. We synthesized peptide products of these gene families and analysed their antibacterial efficacy. Most of the host defense peptides showed antibacterial activity against E.coli with dose-dependent efficacy. β-defensin4 and CATH3 displayed the strongest antibacterial activity among all tested chicken HDPs. Microscopic analyses revealed the killing of bacterium by disrupting membranes with peptide treatment. Conclusions These results demonstrate dose-dependent antimicrobial effects of chicken HDPs mediated by membrane damage and demonstrate the differential tissue expression pattern of bioactive HDPs in chicken and the relative antimicrobial potency of the peptides they encode

BubR1 Insufficiency Impairs Affective Behavior and Memory Function in Mice

Purpose Although aging causes functional declines in cognition, the molecular mechanism underlying these declines remains largely unknown. Recently, the spindle checkpoint kinase budding uninhibited by benzimidazole-related 1 (BubR1) has emerged as a key determinant for age-related pathology in various tissues including brain. However, the neurobehavioral impact of BubR1 has not been explored. In this study, we investigated the role of BubR1 in behavioral function. Methods To investigate the neurobiological functions of BubR1 in vivo, we utilized transgenic mice harboring BubR1 hypomorphic alleles (BubR1H/H mice), which produce low amounts of BubR1 protein, as well as mice that have specific knockdown of BubR1 in the adult dentate gyrus. To assess anxiety-like behavior, the above groups were subjected to the elevated plus maze and the light-dark test, in addition to utilizing the tail-suspension and forced-swim test to determine depression-like behavior. We used novel object recognition to test for memory-related function. Results We found that BubR1H/H mice display several behavioral deficits when compared to wild-type littermates, including increased anxiety in the elevated-plus maze test, depression-like behavior in the tail suspension test, as well as impaired memory function in the novel object recognition test. Similar to BubR1H/H mice, knockdown of BubR1 within the adult dentate gyrus led to increased anxiety-like behavior as well as depression-like behavior, and impaired memory function. Conclusions Our study demonstrates a requirement of BubR1 in maintaining proper affective and memory-related behavioral function. These results suggest that a decline in BubR1 levels with advanced age may be a crucial contributor to age-related hippocampal dysfunction