Nanosecond-pulsed plasma protects against bacterial fruit blotch and promotes melon seedling growth.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial fruit blotch (BFB), known as the 'cancer' of cucurbits, is a seed-borne disease of melons caused by Acidovorax citrulli. Traditional chemical treatments for BFB are ineffective and adversely affect the environment. Using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) nanosecond-pulsed plasma technology, melon seeds were treated to promote germination and growth and to control BFB. RESULTS: Based on the evaluation parameters of seed germination, seedling growth, leaf yellowing and bacterial infection after seed plasma treatments, 9 min at 20 kV was selected as the optimal plasma discharge parameter. In this study, seedling growth was significantly improved after treating melon seeds carrying A. citrulli using this discharge parameter. The number of first true leaves measured on the eighth day was 2.3 times higher and the disease index was reduced by 60.5% compared to the control group. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared measurements show that plasma treatments penetrate the seed coat and denature polysaccharides and proteins in the seed kernel, affecting their growth and sterilization properties. CONCLUSION: Pre-sowing treatment of melon seeds carrying A. citrulli using nanosecond-pulsed plasma technology can effectively control seedling BFB disease and promote melon seedling growth by optimizing DBD parameters. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Mesenchymal stem cell-secreted extracellular vesicles carrying TGF-ß1 up-regulate miR-132 and promote mouse M2 macrophage polarization.

The effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on different types of diseases are controversial, and the inner mechanisms remain unknown, which retards the utilization of MSCs in disease therapy. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the mechanisms of MSCs-extracellular vesicles (EVs) carrying transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-ß1) in M2 polarization in mouse macrophages via the microRNA-132 (miR-132)/E3 ubiquitin ligase myc binding protein 2 (Mycbp2)/tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2) axis. Mouse MSCs were isolated for adipogenic and osteogenic induction, followed by co-culture with mouse macrophages RAW264.7. Besides, mouse macrophages RAW264.7 were co-cultured with MSCs-EVs in vitro, where the proportion of macrophages and inflammation were detected by flow cytometry and ELISA. The experimental data revealed that MSCs-EVs promoted M2 polarization of macrophages, and elevated interleukin (IL)-10 expression and inhibited levels of IL-1ß, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IL-6. MSC-EV-treated macrophages RAW264.7 increased TGF-ß1 expression, thus elevating miR-132 expression. MiR-132 directly bound to Mycbp2, as confirmed by luciferase activity assay. Meanwhile, E3 ubiquitin ligase Mycbp2 could ubiquitinate TSC2 protein. Furthermore, silencing TGF-ß1 inhibited M2 polarization of MSC-EV-treated macrophages. Taken conjointly, this study provides evidence reporting that MSC-secreted EVs carry TGF-ß1 to promote M2 polarization of macrophages via modulation of the miR-132/Mycbp2/TSC2 axis.

In Situ Formation of Ag Nanoparticles in Mesoporous TiO2 Films Decorated on Bamboo via Self-Sacrificing Reduction to Synthesize Nanocomposites with Efficient Antifungal Activity.

We developed a novel green approach for the in situ fabrication of Ag NPs in mesoporous TiO2 films via the bamboo self-sacrificing reduction of Ag(NH3)2+ ions, which can inhibit fungal growth on the bamboo surface. Mesoporous anatase TiO2 (MT) films were first synthesized on bamboo via a hydrothermal method. Then, Ag NPs with a 5.3 nm mean diameter were incorporated into the pore channels of optimal MT/bamboo (MTB) samples at room temperature without the addition of reducing agents, such that the Ag NPs were almost entirely embedded into the MT films. Our analysis indicated that the solubilized lignin from bamboo, which is rich in oxygen-containing functional groups, serves as a green reductant for reducing the Ag(NH3)2+ ions to Ag NPs. Antifungal experiments with Trichoderma viride under dark conditions highlighted that the antifungal activity of the Ag/MT/bamboo samples were greater than those of naked bamboo, MTB, and Ag/bamboo, suggesting that these hybrid nanomaterials produce a synergistic antifungal effect that is unrelated to photoactivity. The inhibition of Penicillium citrinum effectively followed a similar trend. This newly developed bamboo protection method may provide a sustainable, eco-friendly, and efficient method for enhancing the antifungal characteristics of traditional bamboo, having the potential to prolong the service life of bamboo materials, particularly under dark conditions.

MpoxNet: dual-branch deep residual squeeze and excitation monkeypox classification network with attention mechanism.

While the world struggles to recover from the devastation wrought by the widespread spread of COVID-19, monkeypox virus has emerged as a new global pandemic threat. In this paper, a high precision and lightweight classification network MpoxNet based on ConvNext is proposed to meet the need of fast and safe detection of monkeypox classification. In this method, a two-branch depth-separable convolution residual Squeeze and Excitation module is designed. This design aims to extract more feature information with two branches, and greatly reduces the number of parameters in the model by using depth-separable convolution. In addition, our method introduces a convolutional attention module to enhance the extraction of key features within the receptive field. The experimental results show that MpoxNet has achieved remarkable results in monkeypox disease classification, the accuracy rate is 95.28%, the precision rate is 96.40%, the recall rate is 93.00%, and the F1-Score is 95.80%. This is significantly better than the current mainstream classification model. It is worth noting that the FLOPS and the number of parameters of MpoxNet are only 30.68% and 31.87% of those of ConvNext-Tiny, indicating that the model has a small computational burden and model complexity while efficient performance.

Dual Polarization of Ni Sites at VOx-Ni3N Interface Boosts Ethanol Oxidation Reaction.

Substituting thermodynamically favorable ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) engenders high-efficiency hydrogen production and generates high value-added products as well. However, the main obstacles have been the low activity and the absence of an explicit catalytic mechanism. Herein, a heterostructure composed of amorphous vanadium oxide and crystalline nickel nitride (VOx-Ni3N) is developed. The heterostructure immensely boosts the EOR process, achieving the current density of 50 mA cm-2 at the low potential of 1.38 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), far surpassing the sluggish OER (1.65 V vs RHE). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicates that the as-fabricated heterostructure can promote the adsorption of OH- and the generation of the reactive species (O*). Theoretical calculations further outline the dual polarization of the Ni site at the interface, specifically the asymmetric charge redistribution (interfacial polarization) and in-plane polarization. Consequently, the dual polarization modulates the d-band center, which in turn regulates the adsorption/desorption strength of key reaction intermediates, thereby facilitating the entire EOR process. Moreover, a VOx-Ni3N-based electrolyzer, coupling hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and EOR, attains 50 mA cm-2 at a low cell voltage of ≈1.5 V. This work thus paves the way for creating dual polarization through interface engineering toward broad catalysis.

Replacing Plastic with Bamboo: A Review of the Properties and Green Applications of Bamboo-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites.

Natural fiber composites are receiving more and more attention because of their greenness and low cost. Among natural fibers, bamboo is characterized by fast growth, a short cultivation period, high strength and good toughness, and is one of the strongest natural fibers in the world. A bamboo-fiber-reinforced polymer composite (BFRPC) has the characteristics of high mechanical strength, low density, degradability, etc. It has the industrial applicability comparable to metal materials, the same strong corrosion resistance as composites such as glass and carbon fibers, and the same immunity to electromagnetic interference and low thermal conductivity as natural materials. Its unidirectional specific strength and unidirectional specific modulus is higher than that of glass fiber, second only to the extremely high price of carbon fiber, which is playing an increasingly important role in the field of composite materials, and can be widely used in the fields of wind power, construction, aviation, automotive, medical care and so on. At present, it has been initially used in packaging, automotive and transportation fields, and is expected to replace petroleum-based plastics in various fields. In addition to their environmental protection and green production, they have excellent physical properties. This paper provides an overview of the mechanical properties of bamboo-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites and thermoset composites that have been developed so far, such as tensile strength, flexural properties and impact strength. In addition, the prospects of bamboo-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites for automotive, packaging and agricultural applications are presented.

Screening Children's Intellectual Disabilities with Phonetic Features, Facial Phenotype and Craniofacial Variability Index.

BACKGROUND: Intellectual Disability (ID) is a kind of developmental deficiency syndrome caused by congenital diseases or postnatal events. This syndrome could be intervened as soon as possible if its early screening was efficient, which may improve the condition of patients and enhance their self-care ability. The early screening of ID is always achieved by clinical interview, which needs in-depth participation of medical professionals and related medical resources. METHODS: A new method for screening ID has been proposed by analyzing the facial phenotype and phonetic characteristic of young subjects. First, the geometric features of subjects' faces and phonetic features of subjects' voice are extracted from interview videos, then craniofacial variability index (CVI) is calculated with the geometric features and the risk of ID is given with the measure of CVI. Furthermore, machine learning algorithms are utilized to establish a method for further screening ID based on facial features and phonetic features. RESULTS: The proposed method using three feature sets, including geometric features, CVI features and phonetic features was evaluated. The best performance of accuracy was closer to 80%. CONCLUSIONS: The results using the three feature sets revealed that the proposed method may be applied in a clinical setting in the future after continuous improvement.

Stimuli-Responsive Protein Hydrogels: Their Design, Properties, and Biomedical Applications.

Protein-based hydrogels are considered ideal biomaterials due to their high biocompatibility, diverse structure, and their improved bioactivity and biodegradability. However, it remains challenging to mimic the native extracellular matrices that can dynamically respond to environmental stimuli. The combination of stimuli-responsive functionalities with engineered protein hydrogels has facilitated the development of new smart hydrogels with tunable biomechanics and biological properties that are triggered by cyto-compatible stimuli. This review summarizes the recent advancements of responsive hydrogels prepared from engineered proteins and integrated with physical, chemical or biological responsive moieties. We underscore the design principles and fabrication approaches of responsive protein hydrogels, and their biomedical applications in disease treatment, drug delivery, and tissue engineering are briefly discussed. Finally, the current challenges and future perspectives in this field are highlighted.

Photodegradation and Photostability of Bamboo: Recent Advances.

Bamboo and its products are widely used in indoor and outdoor fields. Photodegradation occurs easily on the surface when bamboo is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light from solar radiation. This induces surface discoloration and degrades the physical properties of bamboo, which not only negatively affects its utility and aesthetic characteristics but also restricts its application in outdoor environments. In this work, we review the mechanism of bamboo photodegradation, in which the behavior of lignin is key. The changes in bamboo's microstructure, surface color, and chemical composition during photodegradation are described in detail. Methods for enhancing its photostability, including the application of transparent coatings containing UV absorbers and hindered amine light stabilizer compounds on bamboo surfaces, are then systematically summarized, and potential approaches to combat the photodegradation of bamboo surfaces are discussed. On the basis of the recent advances of photodegradation and photostability of bamboo, this review provides new insights into the scientific application and protection of bamboo in the outdoor field.

The application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing for detection of pathogens from dialysis effluent in peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis .

BACKGROUND: Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) can improve pathogen identification in infectious diseases. METHODS: A prospective parallel control study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical significance of mNGS in identifying pathogens in dialysis effluent of patients with peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis (peritonitis). Dialysis effluent specimens were detected both by peritoneal dialysis effluent culture and mNGS. The positive rates and coincidence rates of the two methods were compared. RESULTS: From April 2020 to March 2021, 30 patients presenting with peritonitis were enrolled in this study. The positive pathogen detection rate of mNGS was significantly higher than that of the traditional culture method (86.67% vs. 60.00%; p = 0.039). Fifteen specimens were positive for both of the methods, while 11 specimens were negative for culture but positive for mNGS. Three specimens were positive for culture but negative for mNGS; all of them were streptococcus mitis. One specimen was negative for both methods. The culture method detected one type of pathogen in all specimens; however, two or more types of pathogens were detected in eight specimens by mNGS. In addition to common pathogens, additional pathogens detected by mNGS included Coxiella burnetii, human herpesvirus type 5, human herpesvirus type 6B and Mortierella. CONCLUSION: The pathogen detection rate of mNGS in dialysis effluent of peritonitis patients was significantly higher than that of traditional culture. The mNGS is advantageous in diagnosing the pathogens that are difficult to be cultured. However, mNGS did not demonstrate sensitivity to streptococcus mitis. Results from this study show that mNGS, combined with traditional culture, has potential application for detecting pathogens in peritoneal dialysis patients with peritonitis.

Optically Transparent Bamboo: Preparation, Properties, and Applications.

The enormous pressures of energy consumption and the severe pollution produced by non-renewable resources have prompted researchers to develop various environmentally friendly energy-saving materials. Transparent bamboo represents an emerging result of biomass material research that has been identified and studied for its many advantages, including light weight, excellent light transmittance, environmental sustainability, superior mechanical properties, and low thermal conductivity. The present review summarizes methods for preparing transparent bamboo, including delignification and resin impregnation. Next, transparent bamboo performance is quantified in terms of optical, mechanical, and thermal conductivity characteristics and compared with other conventional and emerging synthetic materials. Potential applications of transparent bamboo are then discussed using various functionalizations achieved through doping nanomaterials or modified resins to realize advanced energy-efficient building materials, decorative elements, and optoelectronic devices. Finally, challenges associated with the preparation, performance improvement, and production scaling of transparent bamboo are summarized, suggesting opportunities for the future development of this novel, bio-based, and advanced material.

Surface pressure-dependent interactions of secretory phospholipase A2 with zwitterionic phospholipid membranes.

The hydrolytic activity of secretory phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) is regulated by many factors, including the physical state of substrate aggregates and the chemical nature of phospholipid molecules. In order to achieve strong binding of PLA(2) on its substrates, many previous works have used anionic lipid dispersion to characterize the orientation and penetration depth of PLA(2) molecules on membrane surfaces. In this study, we applied monolayer technique with controllable surface area to investigate the PLA(2)s of Taiwan cobra venom and bee venom on zwitterionic phophatidylcholine monolayers and demonstrated an optimum hydrolytic activity at a surface pressure of 18 and 24 mN/m, respectively. By combining polarized attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and monolayer-binding experiments, we found that the amount of membrane-bound PLA(2) decreased markedly as the surface pressure of the monolayer was increased. Interestingly, the insertion area of the PLA(2)s decreased to near zero as the surface pressure increased to the optimum pressure for hydrolytic activity. On the basis of the measured infrared dichroic ratio, the orientation of the PLA(2)s bound to zwitterionic membranes was similar to that observed on a negatively charged membrane and was independent of the surface pressure. Our findings suggest that both PLA(2)s were located on the membrane surface rather than penetrating the membrane bilayer and that the deeply inserted mode is not a favorable condition for the hydrolysis of phospholipids in zwitterionic phospholipid membranes. The results are discussed in terms of the easy access of catalytic water for the PLA(2) activity and the mobilization of its substrate and product to facilitate the catalytic process.

Outdoor Wood Mats-Based Engineering Composite: Influence of Process Parameters on Decay Resistance against Wood-Degrading Fungi Trametes versicolor and Gloeophyllum trabeum.

The process parameters significantly influence the preparation and final properties of outdoor wood mats-based engineering composite (OWMEC). During outdoor use, wood composites are susceptible to destruction by rot fungi. Herein, the role of process parameters such as density and resin content on OWMEC resistance to fungal decay was investigated. The poplar OWMEC samples were exposed to white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor and brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum for a period of 12 weeks. The chemical composition, crystallinity, and morphology were evaluated to investigate the effect of process parameters on the chemical composition and microstructure of the decayed OWMEC. With an increase in the density and resin content, the mass loss of the decayed OWMEC decreased. The highest antifungal effect against T. versicolor (12.34% mass loss) and G. trabeum (19.43% mass loss) were observed at a density of 1.15 g/m3 and resin content of 13%. As results of the chemical composition and microstructure measurements, the resistance of OWMEC against T. versicolor and G. trabeum fungi was improved remarkably by increasing the density and resin content. The results of this study will provide a technical basis to improve the decay resistance of OWMEC in outdoor environments.

Visible-Light-Driven Ag-Modified TiO2 Thin Films Anchored on Bamboo Material with Antifungal Memory Activity against Aspergillus niger.

A round-the-clock photocatalyst with energy-storage ability has piqued the interest of researchers for removing microbial contaminants from indoor environments. This work presents a moderate round-the-clock method for inhibiting the growth of fungus spores on bamboo materials using Ag-modified TiO2 thin films. Photoactivated antifungal coating with catalytic memory activity was assembled on a hydrophilic bamboo by first anchoring anatase TiO2 thin films (TB) via hydrogen bonding and then decorating them with Ag nanoparticles (ATB) via electrostatic interactions. Antifungal test results show that the Ag/TiO2 composite films grown on the bamboo surface produced a synergistic antifungal mechanism under both light and dark conditions. Interestingly, post-illumination catalytic memory was observed for ATB, as demonstrated by the inhibition of Aspergillus niger (A. niger) spores, in the dark after visible light was removed, which could be attributed to the transfer of photoexcited electrons from TiO2 to Ag, their trapping on Ag under visible-light illumination, and their release in the dark after visible light was removed. The mechanism study revealed that the immobilized Ag nanoparticles served the role of "killing two birds with one stone": increasing visible-light absorption through surface plasmon resonance, preventing photogenerated electron-hole recombination by trapping electrons, and contributing to the generation of ●O2-and ●OH. This discovery creates a pathway for the continuous removal of indoor air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds, bacteria, and fungus in the day and night time.

Two-photon fluorogenic probe for visualizing PGP-1 activity in inflammatory tissues and serum from patients.

A PGP-1-specific one/two-photon fluorogenic probe (BH1), capable of high sensitivity, super selectivity, and visual imaging of endogenous PGP-1 activity from live mammalian cells and serum/skin tissues from patients by using one/two-photon fluorescence microscopy (O/TPFM).

[Study on expression of LIM domain only protein 1 in SD rat oral buccal mucosa carcinogenesis induced by 4-nitro-quinoline N-oxide].

OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to determine the expression changes in LIM domain only protein 1 (LMO1) in gene transcription and protein levels during oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) development. METHODS: The tissues in this study were taken from our team's previous animal model building, and we performed hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining on 49 cases. The pathological classification of the experiment group was determined on the basis of the abnormal epithelial hyperplasia degree. The expression part of LMO1 was determined by immunohistochemistry staining. The mRNA and protein LMO1 expression levels in five groups were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative of nucleotide polymer chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot, respectively. RESULTS: HE staining determined 7 cases of the control group, 6 cases of mild epithelial dysplasia, 11 cases of moderate epithelial dysplasia, 9 cases of severe epithelial dysplasia, and 16 cases of OSCC. Immunohistochemistry results: LMO1 expression was localized in the cytoplasm, and the positive expression rates of the protein LMO1 in the control and experiment groups were 14.3% for normal buccal mucosal tissue, 33.3% for mild epithelial dysplasia, 81.8% for moderate epithelial dysplasia, 88.9% for severe epithelial dysplasia, and 93.8% for OSCC. RT-qPCR results: mRNA expression was lowest in the control group and highest in the OSCC group, the difference between the mild dysplasia and control groups was not significant (P>0.05). Pairwise comparison among other groups showed statistically significant differences (P<0.05). Western blot results: with the aggravation of the pathological degree, the protein LMO1 expression level increased gradually. The OSCC group expressed the highest LMO1 expression level. CONCLUSIONS: The oral mucosa carcinogenesis models showed abnormal the mRNA and protein LMO1 expression levels, and the mRNA and protein expression levels were positively correlated with the degree of abnormal proliferation.

Chemopreventive Role of Apigenin against the Synergistic Carcinogenesis of Human Papillomavirus and 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone.

Tobacco smoke and human papillomavirus (HPV) are both crucial causes of cancer, and their cooperative carcinogenesis has drawn more attention in recent years. Apigenin (AP), a typical flavonoid abundantly found in flowers of plants, vegetables, and fruits, has been demonstrated to exert an anti-carcinogenic effect on various types of cancer. In this study, we investigated the capability of AP against malignant transformation and DNA damage of immortalized human esophageal epithelial (SHEE) cells induced by the synergism of HPV18 and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). The results indicated that the enhancement of migration, invasion, and proliferation ability of SHEE cells induced by HPV and NNK could be effectively inhibited by AP. Moreover, the levels of pyridyloxybutylated (POB)-DNA adducts induced by NNK via P450-catalyzed metabolic activation could also be significantly suppressed by AP. Further analyses on the molecular mechanism revealed that AP inhibited the synergistic carcinogenesis of NNK and HPV on SHEE cells by reducing the expression of mutp53, CDK4, Cyclin D1, and p-Rb (Ser 780), increasing caspase-3 activity, thereby arresting the cell cycle at G1 phase and promoting apoptosis of SHEE cells. We hypothesize that the decrease in NNK-induced POB-DNA adduct levels is related to the deactivation of P450 by AP, which needs to be confirmed in future studies. This study highlights that AP may be employed as a promising chemopreventive agent against cancers in smokers with an HPV infection.

Modulation of proliferation and differentiation of gingiva­derived mesenchymal stem cells by concentrated growth factors: Potential implications in tissue engineering for dental regeneration and repair.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation ability of gingiva­derived mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs) cultured with different concentrations of concentrated growth factors (CGF). GMSCs were isolated from gingival connective tissues and characterized by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining and immunohistochemical staining. Cell proliferation activity was determined by the MTT assay, and the effect of CGF on MCSCs was detected with the Cell Counting Kit (CCK)­8 assay. Mineralization induction was evaluated by alkaline phosphatase (ALP)­positive cell staining and mineralized nodule formation assay. Dentin matrix acidic phosphoprotein (DMP)1, dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)2 and runt­related transcription factor (RUNX)2 mRNA and protein expression were evaluated by reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT­qPCR) analysis and western blotting. The flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining and immunohistochemical staining results indicated that the cultured cells were GMSCs. The MTT assay results revealed that the third­generation gingival stem cells exhibited the highest proliferative capacity, and the CCK­8 results indicated that 10% CGF achieved the most prominent promotion of GMSC proliferation. ALP activity analysis and mineralized nodule assay demonstrated that CGF may successfully induce osteogenic differentiation of GMSCs, whereas RT­qPCR and western blot analyses demonstrated that CGF is involved in the differentiation of GMSCs by regulating the expression of DMP1, DSPP, BMP2 and RUNX2 (P<0.05). In conclusion, CGF were demonstrated to promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of GMSCs. Therefore, CGF may be applied in tissue engineering for tooth regeneration and repair.

Identification of key genes, pathways and potential therapeutic agents for liver fibrosis using an integrated bioinformatics analysis.

BACKGROUND: Liver fibrosis is often a consequence of chronic liver injury, and has the potential to progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Despite being an important human disease, there are currently no approved anti-fibrotic drugs. In this study, we aim to identify the key genes and pathways governing the pathophysiological processes of liver fibrosis, and to screen therapeutic anti-fibrotic agents. METHODS: Expression profiles were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by R packages (Affy and limma). Gene functional enrichments of each dataset were performed on the DAVID database. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by STRING database and visualized in Cytoscape software. The hub genes were explored by the CytoHubba plugin app and validated in another GEO dataset and in a liver fibrosis cell model by quantitative real-time PCR assay. The Connectivity Map L1000 platform was used to identify potential anti-fibrotic agents. RESULTS: We integrated three fibrosis datasets of different disease etiologies, incorporating a total of 70 severe (F3-F4) and 116 mild (F0-F1) fibrotic tissue samples. Gene functional enrichment analyses revealed that cell cycle was a pathway uniquely enriched in a dataset from those patients infected by hepatitis B virus (HBV), while the immune-inflammatory response was enriched in both the HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) datasets, but not in the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) dataset. There was overlap between these three datasets; 185 total shared DEGs that were enriched for pathways associated with extracellular matrix constitution, platelet-derived growth-factor binding, protein digestion and absorption, focal adhesion, and PI3K-Akt signaling. In the PPI network, 25 hub genes were extracted and deemed to be essential genes for fibrogenesis, and the expression trends were consistent with GSE14323 (an additional dataset) and liver fibrosis cell model, confirming the relevance of our findings. Among the 10 best matching anti-fibrotic agents, Zosuquidar and its corresponding gene target ABCB1 might be a novel anti-fibrotic agent or therapeutic target, but further work will be needed to verify its utility. CONCLUSIONS: Through this bioinformatics analysis, we identified that cell cycle is a pathway uniquely enriched in HBV related dataset and immune-inflammatory response is clearly enriched in the virus-related datasets. Zosuquidar and ABCB1 might be a novel anti-fibrotic agent or target.

Characterization of different biodegradable scaffolds in tissue engineering.

The aim of the present study was to compare the characteristics of acellular dermal matrix (ADM), small intestinal submucosa (SIS) and Bio­Gide scaffolds with acellular vascular matrix (ACVM)­0.25% human­like collagen I (HLC­I) scaffold in tissue engineering blood vessels. The ACVM­0.25% HLC­I scaffold was prepared and compared with ADM, SIS and Bio­Gide scaffolds via hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, Masson staining and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations. Primary human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) were cultured and identified. Then, the experiment was established via the seeding of HGFs on different scaffolds for 1, 4 and 7 days. The compatibility of four different scaffolds with HGFs was evaluated by H&E staining, SEM observation and Cell Counting Kit­8 assay. Then, a series of experiments were conducted to evaluate water absorption capacities, mechanical abilities, the ultra­microstructure and the cytotoxicity of the four scaffolds. The ACVM­0.25% HLC­I scaffold was revealed to exhibit the best cell proliferation and good cell architecture. ADM and Bio­Gide scaffolds exhibited good mechanical stability but cell proliferation was reduced when compared with the ACVM­0.25% HLC­I scaffold. In addition, SIS scaffolds exhibited the worst cell proliferation. The ACVM­0.25% HLC­I scaffold exhibited the best water absorption, followed by the SIS and Bio­Gide scaffolds, and then the ADM scaffold. In conclusion, the ACVM­0.25% HLC­I scaffold has good mechanical properties as a tissue engineering scaffold and the present results suggest that it has better biological characterization when compared with other scaffold types.