Diminished hedonic capacity in social activities as a mediator of the link between dysfunctional behavioral activation system and depressive symptoms.

Background: Adolescence is a crucial period for the development of depression, and previous studies have suggested that the Behavioral Activation System (BAS) plays a significant role. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. This study aimed to explore the mediating role of anhedonia in the relationship between BAS and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents. Method: A total of 1,023 high-school students aged 15-18 years participated in the study, with 916 continuing their participation three months later. All participants completed the Behavioral Inhibition System/Activation System (BIS/BAS) scale, Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS), Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S/T). Pathway model analysis was performed to examine the concurrent and prospective mediating effects of anhedonia and the potential moderating effect of sex. Result: Anhedonia in the domains of social activities, hobbies and sensory experiences significantly mediated the cross-sectional relationship between BAS and depressive level three months later. Furthermore, the beta-value of the mediating effect of social activities was significantly higher than that of the other domains of hedonic capacity cross-sectionally and longitudinally. However, sex showed no significant moderating effect. Conclusion: Our findings underscore the importance of hedonic capacity, especially within the social domain, in the development of depressive symptoms. These findings contribute to the early diagnosis and prevention of depressive disorders.

An optimal Fe-C coordination ensemble for hydrocarbon chain growth: a full Fischer-Tropsch synthesis mechanism from machine learning.

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS, CO + H2 → long-chain hydrocarbons) because of its great significance in industry has attracted huge attention since its discovery. For Fe-based catalysts, after decades of efforts, even the product distribution remains poorly understood due to the lack of information on the active site and the chain growth mechanism. Herein powered by a newly developed machine-learning-based transition state (ML-TS) exploration method to treat properly reaction-induced surface reconstruction, we are able to resolve where and how long-chain hydrocarbons grow on complex in situ-formed Fe-carbide (FeCx) surfaces from thousands of pathway candidates. Microkinetics simulations based on first-principles kinetics data further determine the rate-determining and the selectivity-controlling steps, and reveal the fine details of the product distribution in obeying and deviating from the Anderson-Schulz-Flory law. By showing that all FeCx phases can grow coherently upon each other, we demonstrate that the FTS active site, namely the A-P5 site present on reconstructed Fe3C(031), Fe5C2(510), Fe5C2(021), and Fe7C3(071) terrace surfaces, is not necessarily connected to any particular FeCx phase, rationalizing long-standing structure-activity puzzles. The optimal Fe-C coordination ensemble of the A-P5 site exhibits both Fe-carbide (Fe4C square) and metal Fe (Fe3 trimer) features.

Integrated oxidative stress score for predicting prognosis in stage III gastric cancer undergoing surgery.

Objective: This study aimed to develop a novel scoring system, named the integrated oxidative stress score (IOSS), based on oxidative stress indices to predict the prognosis in stage III gastric cancer. Methods: Retrospective analysis of stage III gastric cancer patients who were operated on between January 2014 and December 2016 were enrolled into this research. IOSS is a comprehensive index based on an achievable oxidative stress index, comprising albumin, blood urea nitrogen, and direct bilirubin. The patients were divided according to receiver operating characteristic curve into two groups of low IOSS (IOSS ≤ 2.00) and high IOSS (IOSS > 2.00). The grouping variable was performed by Chi-square test or Fisher's precision probability test. The continuous variables were evaluated by t-test. The disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were performed by Kaplan-Meier and Log-Rank tests. Univariate Cox proportional hazards regression models and stepwise multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were determined to appraise the potential prognostic factors for DFS and OS. A nomogram of the potential prognostic factors by the multivariate analysis for DFS and OS was established with R software. In order to assess the accuracy of the nomogram in forecasting prognosis, the calibration curve and decision curve analysis were produced, contrasting the observed outcomes with the predicted outcomes. Results: The IOSS was significantly correlated with the DFS and OS, and was a potential prognostic factor in patients with stage III gastric cancer. Patients with low IOSS had longer survival (DFS: χ2 = 6.632, p = 0.010; OS: χ2 = 6.519, p = 0.011), and higher survival rates. According to the univariate and multivariate analyses, the IOSS was a potential prognostic factor. The nomograms were conducted on the potential prognostic factors to improve the correctness of survival prediction and evaluate the prognosis in stage III gastric cancer patients. The calibration curve indicated a good agreement in 1-, 3-, 5-year lifetime rates. The decision curve analysis indicated that the nomogram's predictive clinical utility for clinical decision was better than IOSS. Conclusion: IOSS is a nonspecific tumor predictor based on available oxidative stress index, and low IOSS is found to be a vigorous factor of better prognosis in stage III gastric cancer.

[Effects of Pearl Hydrolysate on Hepatic Sinusoidal Endothelial Cell Viability and Capillarization in Liver Fibrosis].

Objective To study the effect and mechanism of pearl hydrolysate on hepatic sinusoidal capillarization in liver fibrosis. Methods Hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (HSEC) and hepatic stellate cells (HSC-LX2) were incubated with Hepu pearl hydrolysate.The proliferation of HSEC and HSC-LX2 was examined by MTT colorimetry.The cell cycle and apoptosis of HSC-LX2 were measured by flow cytometry.The changes of the microstructures such as fenestra and basement membrane of HSEC were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Results The intervention with leptin increased the viability of HSC-LX2 (P=0.041),decreased the viability of HSEC (P=0.004),and caused capillarization signs such as decreased number and diameter of fenestrae and formation of continuous basement membrane.The treatment with pearl hydrolysate at different doses increased and expanded the fenestrae of HSEC (low dose:P=0.020;medium dose:P=0.028;high dose:P=0.032),disintegrated the extracellular basement membrane of HSEC (low dose:P=0.020;medium dose:P=0.028;high dose:P=0.032),decreased the viability of HSC-LX2 (low dose:P=0.018;medium dose:P=0.013;high dose:P=0.009),and induced the apoptosis of HSC-LX2 (low dose:P=0.012;medium dose:P=0.006;high dose:P=0.005).Pearl hydrolysate exerted therapeutic effect on capillarization in a dose-dependent manner (low dose:P=0.020;medium dose:P=0.028;high dose:P=0.032).Moreover,high-dose pearl hydrolysate showed stronger effect on capillarization of hepatic sinuses than colchicine (P=0.034) and salvianolic acid B (P=0.038). Conclusion Hepu pearl hydrolysate can increase the viability of HSEC,restore the area of fenestrae,disintegrate the basement membrane,and decrease the viability and induce the apoptosis of HSC-LX2,demonstrating significant pharmacological effects on the capillarization of HSEC and HSC-LX2.

[Responses of taxonomic and functional diversity of soil mites to altitudinal changes in forest ecosystems of Lyuliang Mountains, Shanxi, China]. / å•æ¢å±±æ£®æž—ç”Ÿæ€ç³»ç»ŸåœŸå£¤èž¨ç±»ç‰©ç§å¤šæ ·æ€§å’ŒåŠŸèƒ½å¤šæ ·æ€§å¯¹æµ·æ‹”æ¢¯åº¦çš„å“åº”.

The altitudinal gradient pattern of mountain biodiversity and its formation mechanism are hot topics in ecological research. The altitudinal variations of belowground invertebrates are less understood than aboveground plants and animals. With soil mites as the model soil animals, we investigated their distribution patterns from 1318 m to 2500 m above sea level in three mountains of Lyuliang Mountains based on species diversity and functional diversity. We used soil pH, total N, total P, total K, and organic matter content to identify potential drivers of soil mite communities and diversity along the altitudinal gradient. A total of 715 soil mites were collected, belonging to 3 orders, 27 families, 28 genera, and 29 species. Phthiracarus clemens, Geolaelaps praesternalis and Diapterobates humeralis were dominant mites. Non-metric multidimensional scaling showed that soil mites community composition varied significantly among different altitudes due to Epilohmannia ovata predominated in high altitude and P. clemens predominated in middle altitude. There were significant differences in individual density of soil mites among different altitudes. The Margalef, Shannon, and Simpson indices followed a unimodal distribution pattern along the altitudinal gradient. Functional richness and functional evenness showed a unimodal distribution pattern along the altitudinal gradient, while other functional diversity indices changed little with altitude. The RDA results indicated that total K and soil pH were the major drivers for the variations in soil mite communities. The Pielou index of soil mites was significantly positively correlated with soil pH, while functional evenness was negatively correlated with altitude. Individual density, species number, Margalef, Simpson and Shannon indices were significantly positively correlated with functional richness index. Species diversity and functional diversity of soil mites varied differently with altitude. In the future, we should strengthen long-term monitoring and dynamic functional properties of soil mites and the community assembly to deeply understand the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functions.

Metal Ion Cutting-Assisted Synthesis of Defect-Rich MoS2 Nanosheets for High-Rate and Ultrastable Li2S Catalytic Deposition.

Active metal ions often show a strong cutting effect on the chemical bonds during high-temperature thermal processes. Herein, a one-pot metal ion cutting-assisted method was adopted to design defect-rich MoS2-x nanosheet (NS)/ZnS nanoparticle (NP) heterojunction composites on carbon nanofiber skeletons (CNF@MoS2-x/ZnS) via a simple Ar-ambience annealing. Results show that Zn2+ ions capture S2- ions from MoS2 and form into ZnS NPs, and the MoS2 NSs lose S2- ions and become MoS2-x ones. As sulfur hosts for lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs), the CNF@MoS2-x/ZnS-S cathodes deliver a high reversible capacity of 1233 mA h g-1 at 0.1 C and keep 944 mA h g-1 at 3 C. Moreover, the cathodes also show an extremely low decay rate of 0.012% for 900 cycles at 2 C. Series of analysis indicate that the MoS2-x NSs significantly improve the chemisorption and catalyze the kinetic process of redox reactions of lithium polysulfides, and the heterojunctions between MoS2-x NSs and ZnS NPs further accelerate the transport of electrons and the diffusion of Li+ ions. Besides, the CNF@MoS2-x/ZnS-S LSBs also show an ultralow self-discharge rate of 1.1% in voltage. This research would give some new insights for the design of defect-rich electrode materials for high-performance energy storage devices.

In Situ Active Site for Fe-Catalyzed Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis: Recent Progress and Future Challenges.

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) that converts syngas into long-chain hydrocarbons is a key technology in the chemical industry. As one of the best catalysts for FTS, the Fe-based composite develops rich solid phases (metal, oxides, and carbides) in the catalytic reaction, which triggered the quest for the true active site in catalysis in the past century. Recent years have seen great advances in probing the active-site structure using modern experimental and theoretical tools. This Perspective serves to highlight these latest achievements, focusing on the geometrical structure and thermodynamic stability of Fe carbide bulk phases, the exposed surfaces, and their relationship to FTS activity. The current reaction mechanisms on CO activation and carbon chain growth are also discussed, in the context of theoretical models and experimental evidence. We also present the outlook regarding the current challenges in Fe-based FTS.

Effects of silencing neuropilin-2 on proliferation, migration, and invasion of colorectal cancer HT-29.

To investigate the effects of silencing neuropilin-2(NRP-2) on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of colorectal cancer(CRC) HT-29. Lipofectamine 2000 was used to transfect specific siRNA for NRP-2 and nonspecific control siRNA into human colorectal cancer HT-29 as the transfection group and meaningless sequence group. HT-29 cultured in a medium was used as the blank control group. The expression levels of NRP-2 mRNA in the cells were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. The expressions of proliferation-associated protein Ki-67 in the cells were detected by immunochemical staining. Migration ability was assessed by a monolayer cell scratch wound damage and repair experiment. The Transwell chamber invasion experiment was adopted to determine invasive ability by measuring the number of tumor cells crossing the chamber membrane. Compared with the meaningless sequence group and blank control group, real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR showed that the relative expression level of NRP-2 mRNA in the transfection group was significantly decreased(P < 0.05). Results of immunochemical staining revealed that the expression of Ki-67 protein in the transfected cells was significantly reduced, and the proliferation ability was decreased(P < 0.05). The results further showed that the scratch healing rate of the transfected cells decreased after 24 h of healing(P < 0.05). Results of Transwell invasion assay showed that the number of cells passing through the stromal membrane of the upper chamber to the back of the chamber was significantly reduced in the transfection group(p < 0.05). Silencing NRP-2 could inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of colorectal cancer HT-29.

Construction of all-carbon micro/nanoscale interconnected sulfur host for high-rate and ultra-stable lithium-sulfur batteries: Role of oxygen-containing functional groups.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are often used to settle down the sluggish reaction kinetics in lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). However, the self-aggregation of CNTs often makes them fail to effectively inhibit the shuttling effect of soluble lithium polysulfide (LiPS) intermediates. Herein, a type of ultra-stable carbon micro/nano-scale interconnected "carbon cages" has been designed by incorporating polar acid-treated carbon fibers (ACF) into three-dimensional (3D) CNT frameworks during vacuum filtration processes. Results show that the ACF-CNT composite frameworks possess a reinforced-concrete-like structure, in which the ACFs can well work as the main mechanical supporting frames for the composite electrodes, and the oxygen-containing functional groups (OFGs) formed on them as cross linker between ACFs and CNTs. Benefitted from this design, the ACF-CNT/S cathodes deliver an excellent rate capability (retain 72.6% at 4C). More impressively, the ACF-CNT/S cathodes also show an ultrahigh cycling stability (capacity decay rate of 0.001% per cycle over 350 cycles at 2C). And further optimization suggests that the suitable treatment on CFs could balance the chemical adsorption (OFGs) and physical confinement (carbon cages), leading to fast and durable electrochemical reaction dynamics. In addition, the assembled soft-pack LSBs further show a high dynamic bending stability.

In Situ Active Site for CO Activation in Fe-Catalyzed Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis from Machine Learning.

In situ-formed iron carbides (FeCx) are the key components responsible for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS, CO + H2 → long-chain hydrocarbons) on Fe-based catalysts in industry. The true active site is, however, highly controversial despite more than a century of study, which is largely due to the combined complexity in both FeCx structures and mechanism of CO hydrogenation. Herein powered by machine learning simulation, millions of structure candidates for FeCx bulk and surfaces are explored under FTS conditions, which leads to resolving the active site for CO activation. This is achieved without a priori input from experiment by first constructing the thermodynamics convex hull of bulk phases, followed by identifying the low surface energy surfaces and evaluating the adsorption ability of CO and H, and finally determining the lowest energy reaction pathway of CO activation. Rich information on FeCx structures and CO hydrogenation pathways is gleaned: (i) Fe5C2, Fe7C3, and Fe2C are the three stable bulk phases under FTS in producing olefins, where Fe7C3 and Fe2C have multiple energetically nearly degenerate bulk crystal phases; (ii) only three low surface energy surfaces of these bulk phases, namely, χ-Fe5C2(510), χ-Fe5C2(111), and η-Fe2C(111), expose the Fe sites that can adsorb H atoms exothermically, where the surface Fe:C ratio is 2, 1.75, and 2, respectively; (iii) CO activation via direct dissociation can occur at the surface C vacancies (e.g., with a barrier of 1.1 eV) that are created dynamically via hydrogenation. These atomic-level understandings facilitate the building of the structure-activity correlation and designing better FT catalysts.

[Analysis and Enlightenment of Foreign Open Breast Image Datasets].

With the upsurge of medical artificial intelligence,the use of computer vision technology to study medical images,which can effectively help doctors to identify and screen diseases,has become a focus of researchers.This paper summarizes the basic situation,specific information,related research,and data sharing and utilizing ways of foreign breast image datasets.This review provides inspirations for the opening of Chinese medical and health data.

Human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma in tumour-bearing mice.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of the cancer-related death in the world. Human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) have been characterized with a pluripotency, low immunogenicity and no tumorigenicity. Especially, the immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effects of hAMSCs make them suitable for treating HCC. Here, we reported that hAMSCs administrated by intravenous injection significantly inhibited HCC through suppressing cell proliferation and inducing cell apoptosis in tumour-bearing mice with Hepg2 cells. Cell tracking experiments with GFP-labelled hAMSCs showed that the stem cells possessed the ability of migrating to the tumorigenic sites for suppressing tumour growth. Importantly, both hAMSCs and the conditional media (hAMSC-CM) have the similar antitumour effects in vitro, suggesting that hAMSCs-derived cytokines might be involved in their antitumour effects. Antibody array assay showed that hAMSCs highly expressed dickkopf-3 (DKK-3), dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3). Furthermore, the antitumour effects of hAMSCs were further confirmed by applications of the antibodies or the specific siRNAs of DKK-3, DKK-1 and IGFBP-3 in vitro. Mechanically, hAMSCs-derived DKK-3, DKK-1 and IGFBP-3 markedly inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis of Hepg2 cells through suppressing the Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway and IGF-1R-mediated PI3K/AKT signalling pathway, respectively. Taken together, our study demonstrated that hAMSCs possess significant antitumour effects in vivo and in vitro and might provide a novel strategy for HCC treatment clinically.

Pathogenicity and immunogenicity of a new strain of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus containing a novel deletion in the N gene.

Since late 2010, highly virulent PEDV G2-genotype strains have emerged globally extracting heavy losses on the pork industries of numerous countries. We investigated the characteristics of a field strain of PEDV (PEDV strain SH) isolated from a piglet with severe diarrhea on a farm in Shanghai China. Whole genome sequencing and analysis revealed that the SH strain belonged to subtype G2b and has a unique 12-aa deletion (aa 399-410) including the antigenic epitope NEP-1C9 (aa 398-406) of the N protein. PEDV SH strain is highly pathogenic to challenged newborn piglets, resulting in 100 % morbidity and mortality. Pathological examination revealed significant villus atrophy in the jejuna of infected piglets. Mice inoculated with inactivated PEDV SH produced antibodies against the N protein, but no antibodies against the deletions. These results illustrated that deletion of the NEP-1C9 epitope had no effect on the immunogenicity or pathogenicity of PEDV, providing evidence of the necessity to monitor the genetic diversity of the virus. Our study also contributes to development of candidate for vaccines and diagnostics that could differentiate pigs seropositive due to vaccination by conventional strains from wild virus infection.

Human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells and their paracrine factors promote wound healing by inhibiting heat stress-induced skin cell apoptosis and enhancing their proliferation through activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence has shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) yield a favorable therapeutic benefit for thermal burn skin wounds. Human amniotic MSCs (hAMSCs) derived from amniotic membrane have multilineage differentiation, immunosuppressive, and anti-inflammatory potential which makes them suitable for treating skin wounds. However, the exact effects of hAMSCs on the healing of thermal burn skin wounds and their potential mechanisms are not explored. METHODS: hAMSCs were isolated from amniotic membrane and characterized by RT-PCR, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, and tumorigenicity test. We assessed the effects of hAMSCs and hAMSC conditional medium (CM) on wound healing in a deep second-degree burn injury model of mice. We then investigated the biological effects of hAMSCs and hAMSC-CM on the apoptosis and proliferation of heat stress-injured human keratinocytes HaCAT and dermal fibroblasts (DFL) both in vivo and in vitro. Next, we explored the underlying mechanisms by assessing PI3K/AKT and GSK3ß/ß-catenin signaling pathways in heat injured HaCAT and DFL cells after hAMSCs and hAMSC-CM treatments using PI3K inhibitor LY294002 and ß-catenin inhibitor ICG001. Antibody array assay was used to identify the cytokines secreted by hAMSCs that may activate PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. RESULTS: Our results showed that hAMSCs expressed various markers of embryonic stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells and have low immunogenicity and no tumorigenicity. hAMSC and hAMSC-CM transplantation significantly promoted thermal burn wound healing by accelerating re-epithelialization with increased expression of CK19 and PCNA in vivo. hAMSCs and hAMSC-CM markedly inhibited heat stress-induced apoptosis in HaCAT and DFL cells in vitro through activation of PI3K/AKT signaling and promoted their proliferation by activating GSK3ß/ß-catenin signaling. Furthermore, we demonstrated that hAMSC-mediated activation of GSK3ß/ß-catenin signaling was dependent on PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Antibody array assay showed that a panel of cytokines including PAI-1, C-GSF, periostin, and TIMP-1 delivered from hAMSCs may contribute to the improvement of the wound healing through activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that hAMSCs and hAMSC-CM efficiently cure heat stress-induced skin injury by inhibiting apoptosis of skin cells and promoting their proliferation through activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, suggesting that hAMSCs and hAMSC-CM may provide an alternative therapeutic approach for the treatment of skin injury.

Human Menstrual Blood-Derived Stem Cells Inhibit the Proliferation of HeLa Cells via TGF-ß1-Mediated JNK/P21 Signaling Pathways.

Human menstrual blood-derived stem cells (hMBSCs) are a novel type of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that have a high proliferative rate, multilineage differentiation potential, low immunogenicity, and low oncogenicity, making them suitable candidates for regenerative medicine. The therapeutic efficacy of hMBSCs has been demonstrated in some diseases; however, their effects on cervical cancer remain unclear. In the present study, we investigated whether hMBSCs have anticancer properties on cervical cancer cells in vivo and in vitro, which has not yet been reported. In vitro, transwell coculturing experiments revealed that hMBSCs suppress the proliferation and invasion of HeLa cervical cancer cells by inducing G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. In vivo, we established a xenografted BALB/c nude mouse model by subcutaneously coinjecting HeLa cells with hMBSCs for 21 days. We found that hMBSCs significantly decrease the average volume and average weight of xenografted tumors. ELISA, TGF-ß1 antibody, and recombinant human TGF-ß1 (rhTGF-ß1) were used to analyze whether TGF-ß1 contributed to cell cycle arrest. We found that hMBSC-secreted TGF-ß1 and rhTGF-ß1 induced cell cycle arrest and increased the expression of phospho-JNK and phospho-P21 in HeLa cells, which was mostly reversed by TGF-ß1 antibody. These results indicate that hMBSCs have antitumor properties on cervical cancer in vitro and in vivo, mediated by the TGF-ß1/JNK/p21 signaling pathway. In conclusion, this study suggests that hMBSC-based therapy is promising for the treatment of cervical cancer.

Therapeutic efficiency of human amniotic epithelial stem cell-derived functional hepatocyte-like cells in mice with acute hepatic failure.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocyte transplantation has been proposed as an effective treatment for patients with acute liver failure (ALF), but its application is limited by a severe shortage of donor livers. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have emerged as a potential cell source for regenerative medicine. Human amniotic epithelial stem cells (hAESCs) derived from amniotic membrane have multilineage differentiation potential which makes them suitable for possible application in hepatocyte regeneration and ALF treatment. METHODS: The pluripotent characteristics, immunogenicity, and tumorigenicity of hAESCs were studied by various methods. hAESCs were differentiated to hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) using a non-transgenic and three-step induction protocol. ALB secretion, urea production, periodic acid-Schiff staining, and ICG uptake were performed to investigate the function of HLCs. The HLCs were transplanted into ALF NOD-SCID (nonobese diabetic severe combined immunodeficient) mouse, and the therapeutic effects were determined via liver function test, histopathology, and survival rate analysis. The ability of HLCs to engraft the damaged liver was evaluated by detecting the presence of GFP-positive cells. RESULTS: hAESCs expressed various markers of embryonic stem cells, epithelial stem cells, and mesenchymal stem cells and have low immunogenicity and no tumorigenicity. hAESC-derived hepatocytes possess the similar functions of human primary hepatocytes (hPH) such as producing urea, secreting ALB, uptaking ICG, storing glycogen, and expressing CYP enzymes. HLC transplantation via the tail vein could engraft in live parenchymal, improve the liver function, and protect hepatic injury from CCl4-induced ALF in mice. More importantly, HLC transplantation was able to significantly prolong the survival of ALF mouse. CONCLUSION: We have established a rapid and efficient differentiation protocol that is able to successfully generate ample functional HLCs from hAESCs, in which the liver injuries and death rate of CCl4-induced ALF mouse can be significantly rescued by HLC transplantation. Therefore, our results may offer a superior approach for treating ALF.

Exogenous GA3 application altered morphology, anatomic and transcriptional regulatory networks of hormones in Eucalyptus grandis.

Gibberellins (GAs) play a key role in plant growth and development including cell elongation, cell expansion, and xylem differentiation. Eucalyptus are the world's most widely planted hardwood trees providing fiber and energy. However, the roles of GAs in Eucalyptus remain unclear and their effects on xylem development remain to be determined. In this study, E. grandis plants were treated with 0.10 mg L-1 GA3 and/or paclobutrazol (PAC, a GA inhibitor). The growth of shoot and root were recorded, transverse sections of roots and stems were stained using toluidine blue, and expression levels of genes related to hormone response and secondary cell wall biosynthesis were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that GA3 dramatically promoted the length of shoot and root, but decreased the diameter of root and stem. Exogenous GA3 application also significantly promoted xylem development in both stem and root. Expression analysis revealed that exogenous GA3 application altered the transcript levels of genes related to the GA biosynthetic pathway and GA signaling, as well as genes related to auxin, cytokinin, and secondary cell wall. These findings suggest that GAs may interact with other hormones (such as auxin and cytokinin) to regulate the expression of secondary cell wall biosynthesis genes and trigger xylogenesis in Eucalyptus plants.

Vimentin modulates infectious porcine circovirus type 2 in PK-15 cells.

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the pathogen that causes postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome, which leads to significant economic losses for swine farms worldwide. However, the infection mechanism of PCV2 is not completely understood yet. Vimentin is a part of the cytoskeleton network and plays an important role in several virus infections. It is not clear whether vimentin has a role in PCV2 infection nor how it affects PCV2 infection. In this study, the function of vimentin in PK-15 cells infected with PCV2 has been elucidated. We found that vimentin had a restrictive effect on the replication of PCV2 in PK-15 cells. Overexpression of vimentin by transferred pCAGGS-vimentin and down-regulation by the respective scrambled small interfering RNA showed that vimentin restricted the replication and virion production of PCV2. A special interaction between vimentin and PCV2 Cap protein was observed using laser confocal microscopy and immunoprecipitation assay. Moreover, overexpression of vimentin could decrease NF-κB activity and increase PCV2-induced caspase-3 activity in PK-15 cells. These data suggest that vimentin is involved in the replication of PCV2 and has a restrictive effect on it, which is helpful in the study of the replication mechanism of PCV2.

Garcinone E induces apoptosis and inhibits migration and invasion in ovarian cancer cells.

Ovarian cancer remains the most lethal gynecological malignant tumor. In this study, 24 xanthones were isolated and identified from the pericarps of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), and their anti-proliferative activities were tested in ovarian cancer cells. Garcinone E (GE) was found to exhibit excellent anti-proliferative effects among the tested xanthones. It significantly inhibited the proliferation in HEY, A2780, and A2780/Taxol cells as evidenced by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay, Hoechst 33342 staining, annexin V/PI staining, and JC-1 staining. It induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and activated the protective inositol-requiring kinase (IRE)-1α pathway. Knocking down IRE-1α further activated the caspase cascade and caused an increase in cell death. Moreover, GE eliminated the migratory ability of HEY cells by reducing the expression of RhoA and Rac. It also blocked the invasion, which might be related to downregulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), i.e., MMP-9 and MMP-2, and upregulation of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP) -1 and TIMP-2. In summary, GE exerts anticancer activities by inducing apoptosis and suppressing migration and invasion in ovarian cancer cells, which indicates its therapeutic potential for ovarian cancer.

Norditerpenoids and Dinorditerpenoids from the Seeds of Podocarpus nagi as Cytotoxic Agents and Autophagy Inducers.

Nine new norditerpenoids and dinorditerpenoids, 2-oxonagilactone A (1), 7ß-hydroxynagilactone D (2), nagilactones K and L (3 and 4), 3ß-hydroxynagilactone L (5), 2ß-hydroxynagilactone L (6), 3-epi-15-hydroxynagilactone D (7), 1α-chloro-2ß,3ß,15-trihydroxynagilactone L (8), and 15-hydroxynagilactone L (9), were isolated from the seeds of Podocarpus nagi, along with eight known analogues. The structures of the new compounds were established based on detailed NMR and HRESIMS analysis, as well as from their ECD spectra. The absolute configuration of the known compound 1-deoxy-2α-hydroxynagilactone A (16) was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. All of the isolates were tested for their cytotoxic activities against cancer cells. The results indicated that compounds 4 and 6, as well as several known compounds, displayed cytotoxicity against A2780 and HEY cancer cells. Among the new compounds, 2ß-hydroxynagilactone L (6) showed IC50 values of less than 2.5 µM against the two cell lines used. Furthermore, compound 6 induced autophagic flux in A2780 cells, as evidenced by an enhanced expression level of the autophagy marker phosphatidylethanolamine-modified microtubule-associated protein light-chain 3 (LC3-II) and increased mRFP-GFP-LC3 puncta. Also, compound 6 activated the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway, while pretreatment with the JNK inhibitor SP600125 decreased compound 6-induced autophagy.