Discrimination of human and dog faces and inversion responses in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris).

Although domestic dogs can respond to many facial cues displayed by other dogs and humans, it remains unclear whether they can differentiate individual dogs or humans based on facial cues alone and, if so, whether they would demonstrate the face inversion effect, a behavioural hallmark commonly used in primates to differentiate face processing from object processing. In this study, we first established the applicability of the visual paired comparison (VPC or preferential looking) procedure for dogs using a simple object discrimination task with 2D pictures. The animals demonstrated a clear looking preference for novel objects when simultaneously presented with prior-exposed familiar objects.

[Electricity generation using the short-arm air-cathode microbial fuel cell].

The short-arm air-cathode microbial fuel cell (ACMFC) was constructed using a cramp to fix the proton exchange membrane (PEM) and carbon paper with 0.5 mg/cm2 onto the short-arm side of the anode chamber. Exoelectrogens on the surface of graphite rod were enriched by a sludge microbial fuel cell from the anaerobic digestion sludge.

[Comparison of the serum proteomes of pathological stages during hepatocarcinogenesis].

Objective: To compare the 2-DE profiles for serum proteins of different pathological stages during hepatocarcinogenesis.

Methods: Sera from hepatocellular carcinoma patients, cirrhosis patients, chronic hepatitis patients and healthy controls were collected. After sonication, albumin and immunoglobulin (IgG) depletion, and desalination, sera were subjected to 2-DE, the differential protein spots were identified by MALDI-TOF-MS.

[Differentially expressed proteins in the precancerous stage of rat hepatocarcinogenesis induced by diethylnitrosamine].

Objective: To screen the differentially expressed proteins especially at the precancerous stage of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) induced hepatocarcinogenesis by comparative proteome research.

Methods: Rats were divided into normal and DEN groups and sacrificed periodically. The liver samples were stained with gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and HE to distinguish the preneoplastic lesion (pre-HCC) from the normal and HCC tissues.

Norepinephrine-induced invasion by pancreatic cancer cells is inhibited by propranolol.

Active migration and invasion by cancer cells are a prerequisite for the development of metastases. Recent studies have shown that neurotransmitters are involved in the regulation of cancer cell invasion via beta-adrenoceptors (beta-ARs). However, little is known regarding the effect of neurotransmitters on pancreatic cancer cells.

[Protein profiles of multinodular hepatocellular carcinoma with multicentric occurrence or with intrahepatic metastasis].

Objective: To analyze the protein expression profiles of multinodular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with multicentric occurrence (MO) or with intrahepatic metastasis (IM).

Methods: 5 IM and 6 MO patients were divided into groups of IM1, IM2, MO1 and MO2 according to the size of node of HCC. Two dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrum were used to analyze the protein expression profiles.

Proteome alteration of early-stage differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells into hepatocyte-like cells.

To explore the molecular basis of inducible differentiation of embryonic stem cells into hepatocyte-like cells, a proteomic strategy was utilized to examine the global protein expression alterations after early-stage differentiation of a mouse D3 embryonic stem (ES) cell line along hepatic lineage. The undifferentiated D3 cells were treated stepwise with combinations of defined chemicals and growth factors. The differentiated cells were identified by hepatocyte-like morphology, expressed liver-specific markers as well as the evidence of glycogen storage.

[Analysis of the expression of Slit/Robo genes and the methylation status of their promoters in the hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines].

Objective: To analyze the expression of genes in the Slit/Robo signaling pathway, and the methylation status of their promoters in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines.

Methods: Genomic DNA and total RNA were isolated from 9 HCC cell lines of different metastatic ability (Hep3B, HepG2, PLC/PRF/5, SMMC-7721, BEL-7402, MHCC97-H, MHCC97-L, LM3, LM6) and a control cell line L-02. The expression profiles of Slit1, Slit2, Slit3, Robo1, and Robo3 were analyzed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Regulation of HSP27 on NF-kappaB pathway activation may be involved in metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma cells apoptosis.

Background: During the process of metastasis, cells are subjected to various apoptotic stimuli. Aberrant expression of apoptotic regulators often contribute to cell metastasis. Heat shock protein 27(HSP27) is confirmed as an apoptosis regulator, but its antiapoptotic mechanism in metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells remains unclear.

Event-related potential correlates of spatiotemporal regularities in vision.

Spatiotemporal regularities in stimulus structure have been shown to influence visual target detection and discrimination. Here, we investigate whether the influence of spatiotemporal regularities is associated with the modulation of early components (P1/N1) in event-related potentials. Stimuli consisted of five horizontal bars (predictors) appearing successively towards the fovea followed by a target bar at fixation, and participants performed a key-press on target detection.

[Screening for differential methylation status by CpG island microarray in the hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines].

Objective: To profile the methylation alterations of CpG islands in hetpatocellular carcinoma cell lines.

Methods: A global analysis of DNA methylation using the Human CpG-island 12K Array (HCGI12K) from Canada University Health Network was performed on nine human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines (Hep3B, HepG2, PLC/RPF/5/RPF/5, SMMC-7721, BEL-7402, MHCC97-H, MHCC97-L, HCCLM3, HCCLM6) and a control cell line Chang's liver. Metastatic potential related alterations were also screened in MHCC97 series cell lines (MHCC97-H, MHCC97-L, HCCLM3, HCCLM6), using MHCC97-L, a cell line with low metastatic potential, as control.

Role of PKCbeta in hepatocellular carcinoma cells migration and invasion in vitro: a potential therapeutic target.

Considerable interests have recently been focused on mechanism of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis-the most fundamental characteristics of HCC and the ultimate cause of most HCC mortality, so screening more potential early prognostic marker and therapeutic target is urgent. In this study, we screened genome of three HCC cell lines with consistently increased metastatic potentials and sharing same genetic background, through DNA microarray and found consecutively up-regulated expression of PKCbeta in these cell lines compared to others PKCs, which was reconfirmed by real time RT-PCR and western blot analysis. Moreover, it was found, after efficient silence of PKCbeta by RNAi assay or inhibition of PKCbeta activity by a specific inhibitor LY317615, migration and invasion of HCC cells significantly decreased.

[Analysis of gene expression profile during malignant transformation of rat liver oval-like cells].

Objective: To investigate the changes of gene expression profile during malignant transformation of rat liver oval-like cells and to analyze the significances of these changes.

Methods: MNNG initiated WB-F344 cells were exposed to H2O2 once a week (repeated 21 times) to induce their malignant transformation. The characteristics of the transformed cells were confirmed by morphology, genetics and soft agar assay.

Left gaze bias in humans, rhesus monkeys and domestic dogs.

While viewing faces, human adults often demonstrate a natural gaze bias towards the left visual field, that is, the right side of the viewee's face is often inspected first and for longer periods. Using a preferential looking paradigm, we demonstrate that this bias is neither uniquely human nor limited to primates, and provide evidence to help elucidate its biological function within a broader social cognitive framework. We observed that 6-month-old infants showed a wider tendency for left gaze preference towards objects and faces of different species and orientation, while in adults the bias appears only towards upright human faces.

[The biological function of peroxiredoxin II on Hep3B cells and its underlying mechanism].

Objectives: To study the biological function and its possible underlying mechanism of peroxiredoxin II (PrxII) in liver cancer cell line Hep3B.

Methods: Two pairs of double-stranded small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeted on PrxII gene were transfected into Hep3B cells using LipofectamineTM 2000. After confirming the inhibited effects of these siRNAs through Quant SYBR Green polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, the biological characters of Hep3B cell were analyzed by flow cytometry analysis, MTT and colony formation assays.

Polymeric micelles anchored with TAT for delivery of antibiotics across the blood-brain barrier.

Polymeric micelles self-assembled from cholesterol-conjugated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and anchored with transcriptional activator TAT peptide (TAT-PEG-b-Col) were fabricated for delivery of antibiotics across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Ciprofloxacin, which demonstrated a high bactericidal effect, was efficiently loaded into the micelles by a membrane dialysis method. The ciprofloxacin-loaded micelles were characterized via dynamic light scattering and SEM.

Involvement of protein kinase C beta-extracellular signal-regulating kinase 1/2/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase-heat shock protein 27 activation in hepatocellular carcinoma cell motility and invasion.

To understand the molecular mechanism that underlies the role of various prominent signal pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis, a human signal transduction oligonucleotide microarray analysis was carried out in cultured HCC cell models with increasing spontaneous metastatic potential (MHCC97L, MHCC97H, and HCCLM6). The results revealed that the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is the prominently upregulated pathway in HCC metastasis. Further study showed that basal phosphorylated levels of extracellular signal-regulating kinase (ERK)(1/2) and p38 MAPK consecutively increased from MHCC97L to MHCC97H to HCCLM6 cells, but not c-Jun N-terminal kinase.

Biologically active core/shell nanoparticles self-assembled from cholesterol-terminated PEG-TAT for drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier.

Biologically active polymer core/shell nanoparticles (i.e. micelles) self-assembled from TAT-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-b-cholesterol (TAT-PEG-b-Chol) were fabricated and used as carrier for targeted blood-brain barrier delivery of antibiotics.

Identification and analysis of alpha1,6-fucosylated proteins in human normal liver tissues by a target glycoproteomic approach.

alpha1,6-Fucose residues within the N-glycan core structures were commonly observed in many glycoproteins. Our previous studies showed that aberrantly alpha1,6-fucosylated glycoproteins might be associated with metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Little is known about human normal liver tissues (HNLTs) in the literatures.

Spatio-temporal prediction and inference by V1 neurons.

In normal vision, visual scenes are predictable, as they are both spatially and temporally redundant. Evidence suggests that the visual system may use the spatio-temporal regularities of the external world, available in the retinal signal, to extract information from the visual environment and better reconstruct current and future stimuli. We studied this by recording neuronal responses of primary visual cortex (area V1) in anaesthetized and paralysed macaques during the presentation of dynamic sequences of bars, in which spatio-temporal regularities and local information were independently manipulated.

Initial fixation placement in face images is driven by top-down guidance.

The eyes are often inspected first and for longer period during face exploration. To examine whether this saliency of the eye region at the early stage of face inspection is attributed to its local structure properties or to the knowledge of its essence in facial communication, in this study we investigated the pattern of eye movements produced by rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) as they free viewed images of monkey faces. Eye positions were recorded accurately using implanted eye coils, while images of original faces, faces with scrambled eyes, and scrambled faces except for the eyes were presented on a computer screen.

Con A affinity glycoproteomics of normal human liver tissue.

In order to establish the novel high throughput, high efficiency and low cost technological platform for the research of N-glycoproteomics, to resolve the significance of characteristic expression profile of glycoprotein and to find the proteins with biological functional importance, the glycoproteins with high-mannose core and the two antennary types were purified and enriched by the Con A affinity chromatography. Con A affinity protein expression profiles of normal human liver tissue were generated by using SDS-PAGE, two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) followed by fast fluorescence staining based on multiplexed proteomics (MP) technology. 301 visible protein spots on the gel were detected and 85 of glycoproteins were further successfully identified via peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) by a matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS/MS) and annotated to IPI databases.

Prediction of chronic hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma by SELDI-based serum decision tree classification.

Purpose: To screen potential serological biomarkers and develop decision tree classifications of chronic hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), respectively, with high prediction score for improving diagnosis of liver diseases.

Methods: The total serum samples were randomly divided into three training sets (41 HBV and 35 health; 36 LC and 35 health; 39 HCC and 35 health) and three testing groups (34 HBV and 38 health; 18 LC and 52 health; 42 HCC and 47 health). Selected WCX2 protein chip capture followed by SELDI-TOF-MS analysis was applied to generate the serum protein profiles.

Analysing protein-protein interaction networks of human liver cancer cell lines with diverse metastasis potential.

Purpose: Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most mortal tumor. In a previous study, we had constructed glycoprotein expression profiles and glycoprotein databases of three human liver cancer cell lines with diverse metastasis potential. In order to discover vital glycoproteins related to pathogenesis and metastasis of HCC, in this study we analyzed previous data with bioinformatic approach.

A glycoproteome database of normal human liver tissue.

Purpose: To extensively investigate the glycoproteins of normal human liver tissue, constructing the glycoprotein profile and database of the normal human liver tissue.

Methods: The total proteins were extracted from the normal human liver tissue and then subjected to two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). Finally, 2-DE gels were stained according to the methods of multiplexed proteomics (MP) technology.