11,446 research outputs found
Extracts From New Zealand Undaria Pinnatifida Containing Fucoxanthin As Potential Functional Biomaterials Against Cancer in Vitro
This study tested extracts from New Zealand seaweed Undaria pinnatifida containing fucoxanthin, in parallel with pure fucoxanthin, in nine human cancer cell lines, for anticancer activity. Growth inhibition effects of extracts from Undaria pinnatifida were found in all types of cancer cell lines in dose- and time- dependent manners. Cytotoxicity of fucoxanthin in three human non-cancer cell lines was also tested. Compared with pure fucoxanthin, our extracts containing low level of fucoxanthin were found to be more effective in inhibiting the growth of lung carcinoma, colon adenocarcinoma and neuroblastoma. Our results suggest that fucoxanthin is a functional biomaterial that may be used as a chemopreventive phytochemical or in combination chemotherapy. Furthermore, we show for the first time that some unknown compounds with potential selective anti-cancer effects may exist in extracts of New Zealand Undaria pinnatifida, and New Zealand Undaria pinnatifida could be used as a source for either functional biomaterial extraction or production of functional food
The role of c-Myc in phagocytosis of mycobacteria in human macrophages
Poster Presentation (Doctor’s Session)This journal issue contain proceedings of the CongressMycobacterium tuberculosis is an intracellular pathogen and the causative agent of the disease tuberculosis. Macrophages are the major immunocytes to initiate host immunity against mycobacteria. Among the multiple strategies employ by macrophages to defence against mycobacteria, phagocytosis is the first step. Throughphagocytosis, macrophages could not only clear the pathogens from infection sites, but also present antigens derived from the engulfed bacteria to lymphoid cells. c-Myc is a transcription factor that regulates a variety of target genes. It can form a complex with Max and bind to the enhancer box sequences of the promoter to mediate the transcription. Recently, our group revealed that c-Myc has a potential role in regulating the antimicrobial responses in macrophages. Here, we further revealed that c-Myc may play a positive role in phagocytosis and contribute to host defense to mycobacteria. Pretreatment of c-Myc inhibitor, 10058-F4, could significantly reduce the amount of mycobacteria internalised by macrophages. The acidification of phagolysosome in mycobacteria infected macrophages was also inhibited by 10058-F4. Further investigation showed that macrophages phagocytose mycobacteria in a PI3K/Akt independent pathway. And the action of c-Myc inhibitor does not affect the expression levels of Rho family GTPases. However, we found that 10058-F4 could significantly inhibit phorsphorylation of ERK1/2 kinase, which has been indicated to play a role in FcR mediated phagocytosis in macrophage. In conclusion, c-Myc may play a role in phagocytosis of mycobacteria through regulating phorsphorylation of ERK1/2.published_or_final_versio
The role of oncogene in mycobacteria-induced antophagy in human macrophages
Poster PresentationMacrophages are the major immunocytes to initiate
both innate and adaptive immune responses against
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), a causative agent of
tuberculosis. Upon mycoabcteria infection, macrophages
could eliminate the intracellular bacteria through different
cell death pathways, including apoptosis and autophagy.
c-Myc is a transcription factor that regulates a variety
of target genes and control different cellular functions such
as proliferation and immune resposnse. Recently, our group
revealed that c-Myc has a potential role in regulating the
antimicrobial responses in macrophages.
Here we use BCG, a live attenuated strain of
Mycobacterium bovis, which is similar to Mtb in antigenic
composition, as a model to study the role of c-Myc in
regulating mycobacteria-induced autophagy. We first
investigated the role of c-Myc in BCG-induced LC3BII
levels. Knocking down c-Myc by siRNA could decrease
BCG-induced LC3BII levels. We found that BCG-induced
autophagy is dependent on JNK and p38 and independent
on PI3K or ERK pathways. And knocking down of c-Myc
could significantly inhibit phosphorylation of p38.
In conclusion, c-Myc may play a positive role in
mycobacteria-induced autophagy in human macrophages.published_or_final_versio
Investigating the role of interleukin-17A on cytokines production by macrophages in response to bacterial infections
Poster PresentationInterleukin-17A (IL-17A) has been shown to associate
with a variety of infection diseases. In this study, we
investigate whether IL-17A affects cytokines production
of human peripheral blood-derived macrophages during
Mycobacteriun bovis BCG or Klebsiella pneumoniae
infection. We observed that IL-17A-treated macrophages
exhibited suppressed productions of TNF-α and IL-6 in response to BCG infection. The reduction of cytokines
production was not associated with cell death. On the other
hand, IL-17A promoted TNF-α and IL-6 production by
macrophages during K. pneumoniae infection. Furthermore,
IL-17A did not affect TNF-α production induced by LPS
and Pam3
Cys, which are TLR4 and TLR2 agonists,
respectively. The data suggest that the differential regulation
of cytokines production by IL-17A requires whole
bacterium infection.published_or_final_versio
Design of a high-speed superconducting bearingless machine for flywheel energy storage systems
published_or_final_versio
Cultural-based visual expression: Emotional analysis of human face via Peking Opera Painted Faces (POPF)
© 2015 The Author(s) Peking Opera as a branch of Chinese traditional cultures and arts has a very distinct colourful facial make-up for all actors in the stage performance. Such make-up is stylised in nonverbal symbolic semantics which all combined together to form the painted faces to describe and symbolise the background, the characteristic and the emotional status of specific roles. A study of Peking Opera Painted Faces (POPF) was taken as an example to see how information and meanings can be effectively expressed through the change of facial expressions based on the facial motion within natural and emotional aspects. The study found that POPF provides exaggerated features of facial motion through images, and the symbolic semantics of POPF provides a high-level expression of human facial information. The study has presented and proved a creative structure of information analysis and expression based on POPF to improve the understanding of human facial motion and emotion
Robust optimization in HTS cable based on DEPSO and design for six sigma
The non-uniform AC current distribution among the multi-layer conductors in a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) cable reduces the current capacity and increases the AC loss. In this paper, Particle swarm optimization coupled with differential evolution operator (DEPSO) has been applied in structural optimization of HTS cables. While the existence of fluctuation in design variables or operation conditions has a great influence on the cable quality, in order to eliminate the effects of parameter perturbations in design and improve the design efficiency, a robust design method based on design for six sigma (DFSS) is applied in this paper. The optimization solutions show that the proposed optimization procedure can not only achieve a uniform current distribution, but also improve significantly the reliability and robustness of the HTS cable quality. © 2008 IEEE
On the architecture of H.264 to H.264 homogeneous transcoding platform
2007-2008 > Academic research: refereed > Invited conference paperVersion of RecordPublishe
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