Effects of baffle position in serpentine flow channel on the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

This study used a three-dimensional numerical model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell with five types of channels:a smooth channel(Case 1);eight rectangular baffles were arranged in the upstream(Case 2),midstream(Case 3),downstream(Case 4),and the entire cathode flow channel(Case 5)to study the effects of baffle position on mass transport,power density,net power,etc.Moreover,the effects of back pressure and humidity on the voltage were investigated.Results showed that compared to smooth channels,the oxygen and water transport facilitation at the diffusion layer-channel interface were added 11.53%-20.60%and 7.81%-9.80%at 1.68 A·cm^(-2)by adding baffles.The closer the baffles were to upstream,the higher the total oxygen flux,but the lower the flux uniformity the worse the water removal.The oxygen flux of upstream baffles was 8.14%higher than that of downstream baffles,but oxygen flux uniformity decreased by 18.96%at 1.68 A·cm^(-2).The order of water removal and voltage improvement was Case 4>Case 5>Case 3>Case 2>Case 1.Net power of Case 4 was 9.87%higher than that of the smooth channel.To the Case 4,when the cell worked under low back pressure or high humidity,the voltage increments were higher.The potential increment for the back pressure of 0 atm was 0.9%higher than that of 2 atm(1 atm=101.325 kPa).The potential increment for the humidity of 100%was 7.89%higher than that of 50%.

Peripheral CD4^(+)CD8^(+) double positive T cells:A potential marker to evaluate renal impairment susceptibility during systemic lupus erythematosus

Lupus nephritis(LN) has a high incidence in systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) patients, but there is a lack of sensitive predictive markers. The purpose of the study was to investigate the association between the CD4^(+)CD8^(+)double positive T(DPT) lymphocytes and LN. The study included patients with SLE without renal impairment(SLE-NRI), LN, nephritic syndrome(NS), or nephritis. Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry. Biochemical measurements were performed with peripheral blood in accordance with the recommendations proposed by the National Center for Clinical Laboratories. The proportions of DPT cells in the LN group were significantly higher than that in the SLE-NRI group(t=4.012, P<0.001), NS group(t=3.240,P=0.001), and nephritis group(t=2.57, P=0.011). In the LN group, the risk of renal impairment increased significantly in a DPT cells proportion-dependent manner. The risk of LN was 5.136 times(95% confidence interval, 2.115–12.473) higher in cases with a high proportion of DPT cells than those whose proportion of DPT cells within the normal range. These findings indicated that the proportion of DPT cells could be a potential marker to evaluate LN susceptibility, and the interference of NS and nephritis could be effectively excluded when assessing the risk of renal impairment during SLE with DPT cell proportion.

Subgroups of peripheral immune effector cells in cervical cancer patients are more sensitive to radiation therapy than chemotherapy

Background:CD8 positive T lymphocytes and natural killer(NK)cells in the peripheral blood of cervical cancer patients exhibit varying sensitivities to radiotherapy and chemotherapy.Methods:A total of 50 healthy peoples and 60 cervical cancer patients were recruited.The patients with cervical cancer were separated into two groups:radiation and chemotherapy,and blood sample were collected before and after treatment.Data on the proportion of CD8 positive T lymphocytes and NK cells were gathered for analytical evaluation.Results:Compared to healthy individuals,patients with cervical cancer exhibit a reduced proportion of CD8 positive T cells within their peripheral blood.And for patients with cervical cancer,radiation therapy has been found to be more effective than chemotherapy in increasing the proportion of CD8 positive T lymphocytes and NK cells.Conclusions:These results suggest that radiation therapy increases the levels of CD8 positive T lymphocytes and NK cells within the peripheral blood of patients with cervical cancer.The study hypothesis that the changes in the percentage of CD8 positive T lymphocytes may serve as a potential indicator for predicting treatment efficacy.

Different distributions of interstitial cells of Cajal and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α positive cells in colonic smooth muscle cell/interstitial cell of Cajal/plateletderived growth factor receptor-α positive cell syncytium in mice

AIM To investigate the distribution and function of interstitialcells of Cajal(ICCs) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α positive(PDGFRα+) cells in the proximal and distal colon.METHODS The comparison of colonic transit in the proximal and distal ends was performed by colonic migrating motor complexes(CMMCs). The tension of the colonic smooth muscle was examined by smooth muscle spontaneous contractile experiments with both ends of the smooth muscle strip tied with a silk thread. Intracellular recordings were used to assess electrical field stimulation(EFS)-induced inhibitory junction potentials(IJP) on the colonic smooth muscle. Western blot analysis was used to examine the expression levels of ICCs and PDGFRα in the colonic smooth muscle.RESULTS Treatment with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride(L-NAME) significantly increased the CMMC frequency and spontaneous contractions, especially in the proximal colon, while treatment with MRS2500 increased only distal CMMC activity and smooth muscle contractions. Both CMMCs and spontaneous contractions were markedly inhibited by NPPB, especially in the proximal colon. Accordingly, CyPPA sharply inhibited the distal contraction of both CMMCs and spontaneous contractions. Additionally, the amplitude of stimulationinduced nitric oxide(NO)/ICC-dependent slow IJPs(sIJPs) by intracellular recordings from the smooth muscles in the proximal colon was larger than that in the distal colon, while the amplitude of electric field stimulationinduced purinergic/PDGFRα-dependent fast IJPs(fIJPs) in the distal colon was larger than that in the proximal colon. Consistently, protein expression levels of c-Kit and anoctamin-1(ANO1) in the proximal colon were much higher, while protein expression levels of PDGFRα and small conductance calcium-activated potassium channel 3(SK3) in the distal colon were much higher.CONCLUSION The ICCs are mainly distributed in the proximal colon and there are more PDGFRα+ cells are in the distal colon, which generates a pressure gradient between the two ends of the colon to propel the feces to the anus.

c-Fos enhances the survival of thymocytes during positive selection by upregulating Bcl-2

T cells are derived from progenitor thymocytes, of which only a minority receive the appropriate TCR signal, undergo positive selection and mature. Owing to the very short lifespan of thymocytes, the prerequisite for posi- tive selection is survival. TCR signal-induced Bcl-2 expression is believed to play a dominant role in the survival of positively selecting thymocytes, but how Bcl-2 is directly regulated is unknown. Here we report that the immediate early gene （IEG） c-Fos can stimulate the expression of Bcl-2, depending on a specific AP-l-binding site in the Bcl-2 promoter. In c-Fos transgenic （Fos-Tg） mice, c-Fos binds to this site and promotes the expression of Bcl-2. As a result, Fos-Tg thymocytes exhibited enhanced survival, and more mature single-positive （SP） thymocytes were generated, even on a unique TCR background. The TCR repertoire remained normal in Fos-Tg mice. Our results identified c-Fos as the mediator of the stimulatory effect of TCR signaling on Bcl-2 expression. Therefore, c-Fos, as an IEG, because of its early response ability, can quickly rescue the survival of short-lived thymocytes during positive selection. Our results provide novel insight into the mechanism regulating the survival of positively selecting thymocytes.

Separation of CD34 Positive Cells and Determination of Surface Homing Antigen

To study the differences in homing potential between bone marrow cells and umbilical blood cells, CD34 positive cells were obtained from bone marrow (BM) and umbilical blood (UB) by the direct cell separation with domestic immunomagnetic beads. The expression of the two adhesion molecules CD11a/CD18 and CD44 were examined. After separation, CD34 positive cells accounted for 51 %-82 % of the harvested cells and dye-resistance rate was 82 %-88 %. The expression of CD11a/CD18 and CD44 on the surfaces of UB cells was 49. 6 % 1 10. 2 % and 37. 7 % ± 10. 3 % respectively. On BM cells they were 50. 2 % ± 6. 2 % and 34 % ± 13. 3 % respectively. There were no significant differences in the expression of these two molecules. It was concluded .that the cell separation method with domestic immunomagnetic beads was effective and the stem cells from UB could serve as an alternative source for transplantation.

Immunohistochemical Studies of Macrophages and MHC Class Ⅱ -positive Cells in the Iris and Ciliary Body of Lewis Rats

Purpose:To investigate the density, distribution and morphology of macrophages and MHC class II -positive dendritic cells in the iris and ciliary body of lewis rats. Methods:Immunohistochemistry was performed using monoclonal antibodies specific to monocytes and macrophages (ED1,ED2) and MHC class II -positive cells (OX6) on wholemounts of the iris-ciliary body complex isolated form normal lewis rats.Results:A well developed network of macrophages was present in the iris and ciliary body of normal lewis rats. These cells, morphologically displaying dendriti-form or pleiomorphic appearance, were more densely arranged in mid-iris (950 + 189 cells/mm2) than in iris base (482 ± 78 cells/mm2) and pupil margin (595 ± 92 cells/mm2). A similar network of MHC class II -positive cells with a cell density 452 ± 78 cells/mm2 was almost uniformly distributed in the iris of normal lewis rats.Conclusions : A network of macrophages and MHC class II -positive cells was established in the iris and ciliary body of

3-53 Genistein Suppresses Radiaiton-induced Metastatic Potential of DNA-PKcs Positive Cells

The DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) plays a major role in DNA damage signaling and repair, and is also frequently over-expressed in tumor metastasis. We used isogenic cell lines expressing different levels of DNA-PKcs to investigate the role of DNA-PKcs in metastatic development. Interestingly, our results showed that X-ray irradiation induced the metastasis of DNA-PKcs positive (M059K) but not negative (M059J)cells; however, genistein could suppress the radiation-induced metastatic potential of M059K cells (Fig. 1). The concrete mechanisms underlying this phenomenon will be investigated next year.

Phosphatidylserine-positive particles in the apical domain of sensory hair cells

Apical membrane recycling has been proposed to be important for normal hair cell function. The current study reports an in vitro work that demonstrates the presence of phosphatidylserine (PS) and PS-positive vesicles labeled by Annexin V in the apical portion of hair cells. The following characteristics of the PS-positive vesicles were noticed using scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy:(1) variable sizes around 200 nm; (2) variable distribution patterns (either uniformly along individual stereocilia in the hair bundle or irregular) in the stereocilia from cell to cell; (3) variable sizes and numbers at locations along the border of the cuticular plate (CP), with a large number of them located at the vestigal kinocilial location; (4) motility with some of the vesicles during the observation period; (5) increase in PS labeling and the number of PS-positive vesicles after loud sound stimulation; and (6) decreased PS labeling and PS-positive vesicle numbers following treatment with LY-294002, a PI3 -kinase inhibitor. These results suggest that the presence of PS-positive vesicles at the apical area of hair cells may be indicative of vesicle shedding or transportation of a protein or rafts.

Expressions of oncogenes c-fos and c-myc in skin lesion of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Objective:To explore the expressions of c-fos and c-myc in skin lesion of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma(CSCC).Methods:Using retrospective analysis.73 cases of CSCC were selected from Department of Dermatology,the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University.which were removed between January 2000 and January 2012.It was considered as experimental group.Meanwhile.11 cases of normal skin specimens of non tumor patients were selected as control group.The expression level of c-fos and c-myc was compared in the two groups.Results:The expressions of c-fos[72.60%(53/73)]and c-myc[83.56%(61/73)]in experimental group were statistically significant(P≤0.05)compared with control group(0%).Expression of c-myc protein was negatively related to differentiation of CSCC.The difference was statistically significant(X^2=7.26.P=0.001<0.05).While expression of c-fos protein was positively related to differentiation of CSCC.which was statistically significant(X^2=7.47,P=0.0012<0.025).Conclusions:The expression level of c-fos and c-myc can be used as an importan indicator of CSCC differentiation,and it has closely connection with the differentiated degree,which can guide clinical prognosis.

Development and validation of prognostic nomogram based on log odds of positive lymph nodes for patients with gastric signet ring cell carcinoma

Objective: Our aims were to establish novel nomogram models, which directly targeted patients with signet ring cell carcinoma(SRC), for individualized prediction of overall survival(OS) rate and cancer-specific survival(CSS).Methods: We selected 1,365 SRC patients diagnosed from 2010 to 2015 from Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results(SEER) database, and then randomly partitioned them into a training cohort and a validation cohort.Independent predicted indicators, which were identified by using univariate testing and multivariate analyses, were used to construct our prognostic nomogram models. Three methods, Harrell concordance index(C-index), receiver operating characteristics(ROC) curve and calibration curve, were used to assess the ability of discrimination and predictive accuracy. Integrated discrimination improvement(IDI), net reclassification improvement(NRI) and decision curve analysis(DCA) were used to assess clinical utility of our nomogram models.Results: Six independent predicted indicators, age, race, log odds of positive lymph nodes(LODDS), T stage, M stage and tumor size, were associated with OS rate. Nevertheless, only five independent predicted indicators were associated with CSS except race. The developed nomograms based on those independent predicted factors showed reliable discrimination. C-index of our nomogram for OS and CSS was 0.760 and 0.763, which were higher than American Joint Committee on Cancer(AJCC) 8 th edition tumor-node-metastasis(TNM) staging system(0.734 and 0.741, respectively). C-index of validation cohort for OS was 0.757 and for CSS was 0.773. The calibration curves also performed good consistency. IDI, NRI and DCA showed the nomograms for both OS and CSS had a comparable clinical utility than the TNM staging system.Conclusions: The novel nomogram models based on LODDS provided satisfying predictive ability of SRC both in OS and CSS than AJCC 8 th edition TNM staging system alone.

Log odds of positive lymph nodes is a better prognostic factor for oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma than N stage

BACKGROUND Signet ring cell carcinoma is a rare type of oesophageal cancer,and we hypothesized that log odds of positive lymph nodes(LODDS)is a better prognostic factor for oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma.AIM To explore a novel prognostic factor for oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma by comparing two lymph node-related prognostic factors,log odds of positive LODDS and N stage.METHODS A total of 259 cases of oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma after oesophagectomy were obtained from the Surveillance,Epidemiology,and End Results database between 2006 and 2016.The prognostic value of LODDS and N stage for oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses.The Akaike information criterion and Harrell’s C-index were used to assess the value of two prediction models based on lymph nodes.External validation was performed to further confirm the conclusion.RESULTS The 5-year cancer-specific survival(CSS)and 5-year overall survival(OS)rates of all the cases were 41.3%and 27.0%,respectively.The Kaplan-Meier method showed that LODDS had a higher score of log rank chi-squared(OS:46.162,CSS:41.178)than N stage(OS:36.215,CSS:31.583).Univariate analyses showed that insurance,race,T stage,M stage,TNM stage,radiation therapy,N stage,and LODDS were potential prognostic factors for OS(P<0.1).The multivariate Cox regression model showed that LODDS was an significant independent prognostic factor for oesophageal signet ring carcinoma patients after surgical resection(P<0.05),while N stage was not considered to be a significant prognostic factor(P=0.122).Model 2(LODDS)had a higher degree of discrimination and fit than Model 1(N stage)(LODDS vs N stage,Harell’s C-index 0.673 vs 0.656,P<0.001;Akaike information criterion 1688.824 vs 1697.519,P<0.001).The results of external validation were consistent with those in the study cohort.CONCLUSION LODDS is a superior prognostic factor to N stage for patients with oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma after oesophagectomy.

The Effects of the Geometry of a Current Collector with an Equal Open Ratio on Output Power of a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

The open ratio of a current collector has a great impact on direct methanol fuel cell(DMFC)performance.Although a number of studies have investigated the influence of the open ratio of DMFC current collectors,far too little attention has been given to how geometry(including the shape and feature size of the flow field)affects a current collector with an equal open ratio.In this paper,perforated and parallel current collectors with an equal open ratio of 50%and different feature sizes are designed,and the corresponding experimental results are shown to explain the geometry effects on the output power of the DMFC.The results indicate that the optimal feature sizes are between 2 and 2.5 mm for both perforated and parallel flow field in the current collectors with an equal open ratio of 50%.This means that for passive methanol fuel cells,to achieve the highest output power,the optimal feature size of the flow field in both anode and cathode current collectors is between 2 and 2.5 mm under the operating mode of this experiment.The effects of rib and channel position are also investigated,and the results indicate that the optimum pattern depends on the feature sizes of the flow field.

C≡N-based carbazole-arylamine hole transporting materials for perovskite solar cells: Substitution position matters

Hole transporting materials(HTMs)containing passivating groups for perovskite materials have attracted much attention for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells(PSCs).Among them,C≡N-based molecules have been proved as efficient HTMs.Herein,a series of novel C≡N functionalized carbazole-arylamine derivatives with variable C≡N substitution positions(para,meta,and ortho)on benzene-carbazole skeleton(on the adjacent benzene of carbazole)were synthesized(p-HTM,m-HTM and o-HTM).The experimental results exhibit that the substitution positions of the Ctriple bondN unit on HTMs have minor difference on the HOMO energy level and hydrophobicity.m-HTM has a relatively lower glass transition temperature compared with that of p-HTM and o-HTM.The functional theory calculations show that the C≡N located on meta position exposed very well,and the exposure direction is also the same with the methoxy.Upon applying these molecules as HTMs in PSCs,their device performance is found to sensitively depend on the substitution position of the C≡N unit on the molecule skeleton.The devices using m-HTM and o-HTM exhibit better performance than that of p-HTM.Moreover,m-HTM-based devices exhibit better light-soaking performance and long-term stability,which could be resulted from better interaction with the perovskite according to DFT results.Moreover,we further prepared a HTM with two C≡N units on the symmetrical meta position of molecular skeleton(2m-HTM).Interestingly,2m-HTM-based devices exhibit relatively inferior performance compared with that of the m-HTM,which could be resulted from weak negative electrical character of C≡N unit on 2m-HTM.The results give some new insights for designing ideal HTM for efficient and stable PSCs.

Five-Year Survivors of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients with Positive Pleural Lavage Cytology

Background: The pleural lavage cytology (PLC) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients has been reported as a significant prognostic factor. The aim of this study is to clarify the clinicopathological characteristics of 5-year survivors of patients with positive PLC. Methods: Among 401 resected NSCLC patients, 30 (7.48%) patients with positive PLC were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Only 7 of 30 patients (23.3%) survived more than 5-year. There were no differences in age, gender, histology, pT status and pN status between 5-year survivors and non-survivors. On the other hand, the serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level was significantly higher in non-survivors. Among these 5-year survivors, 4 of 7 patients died of NSCLC recurrences more than 5 years after surgery. Remaining 3 patients survived without cancer recurrences. Interestingly these 3 survivors had not received any adjuvant therapies after surgery. Conclusion: None of the 5-year survivor with positive PLC had high serum CEA level. Furthermore 5-year survival did not equal to cure in NSCLC patients with positive PLC.

Fluorine substitution position effects on spiro(fluorene-9,9’-xanthene) cored hole transporting materials for high-performance planar perovskite solar cells

Fluorine substitution in molecular design has become an effective strategy for improving the overall performance of organic photovoltaics.In this study,three low-cost small molecules of spiro-linked hole transporting materials(SFX-O-2 F,SFX-m-2 F,and SFX-p-2 F) endowed with two-armed t rip he ny la mine moieties were synthesized via tuning of the fluorine substitution position,and they were employed for use in highly efficient perovskite solar cells(PSCs).Despite the fluorine substitution position playing a negligible role in the optical and electrochemical properties of the resulting small molecules,the photovoltaic performance thereof was observed to vary significantly.The planar n-i-p PSCs based on SFX-m-2 F demonstrated superior performance(18.86%) when compared to that of the corresponding SFX-o-2 F(9.7%) and SFX-p-2 F(16.33%) under 100 mW cm^(-2) AM1.5 G solar illumination,which is competitive with the performance of the benchmark spiro-OMeTAD-based device(18.98%).Moreover,the SFX-m-2 Fbased PSCs were observed to be more stable than the spiro-OMeTAD-based devices under ambient conditions.The improved performance of SFX-m-2 F is primarily associated with improved morphology,more efficient hole transport,and extraction characteristics at the perovskite/HTM interface.This work demonstrated the application of fluorination engineering to the tuning of material film morphology and charge transfer properties,showing the promising potential of fluorinated SM-HTMs for the construction of low-cost,high-efficiency PSCs.

Correlation of c-fos and p16 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma with cell cycle and cell invasion

Objective:To study the correlation of c-fos and p16 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma with cell cycle and cell invasion.Methods: Patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma who underwent surgical resection in Zaozhuang Mining Group Central Hospital between June 2014 and March 2017 were selected as OSCC group of the research, and patients who received impacted tooth extraction and provided normal gingival mucosa tissue in the Zaozhuang Mining Group Central Hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. The lesion tissue and normal tissue were obtained from OSCC group and control group respectively to determine the expression of c-fos, p16, cell cycle molecules and cell invasion molecules.Results: c-fos mRNA expression in lesion tissue of OSCC group was significantly higher than that of control group, p16 mRNA expression was significantly lower than that of control group, and the c-fos mRNA expression was negatively correlated with p16 mRNA expression;Chk1 and Chk2 mRNA expression in lesion tissue of OSCC group were significantly lower than those of control group whereas NEK2, CyclinD1, MALAT1, Periostin,β-catenin and Vimentin mRNA expression were significantly higher than those of control group;Chk1 and Chk2 mRNA expression in OSCC lesion tissue with high c-fos expression were significantly lower than those in OSCC lesion tissue with low c-fos expression whereas NEK2, CyclinD1, MALAT1, Periostin,β-catenin and Vimentin mRNA expression were significantly higher than those in OSCC lesion tissue with low c-fos expression.Conclusion:The high expression of c-fos and the low expression of p16 in oral squamous cell carcinoma can accelerate cell cycle and promote cell invasion.

不同游泳运动方式下大鼠中央杏仁核c-fos蛋白表达的实验研究

目的:观察不同游泳运动方式下大鼠中央杏仁核(CeA)中c-fos蛋白表达的规律,探讨不同游泳运动方式对CeA的影响机制。方法:建立大鼠游泳运动模型(间歇运动、持续运动),采用ABC特异抗体免疫组织化学方法,观察不同游泳运动方式下大鼠CeA中c-fos蛋白表达的变化,并通过图像分析系统和统计学软件进行图像与数据分析。结果:对照组大鼠CeA中fos阳性细胞表达不明显,模型组明显增多;持续组游泳运动结束后,60 min时fos阳性细胞表达达到峰值,然后回落;间歇组峰值时刻点与持续组相同,但间歇组各时刻点c-fos蛋白表达数值均高于持续训练组,且两组峰值间具有显著性差异(P<0.05)。结论:间歇运动对于大鼠CeA中c-fos蛋白表达的影响更为显著,运动强度与c-fos蛋白表达呈正相关。

c-Fos overexpression increases the proliferation of human hepatocytes by stabilizing nuclear Cyclin D1

AIM： To investigate the effect of stable c-Fos over- expression on immortalized human hepatocyte （IHH） proliferation. METHODS： IHHs stably transfected with c-Fos （IHH- Fos） or an empty vector （IHH-C） were grown in me- dium supplemented with 1% serum or stimulated with 10% serum. Cell proliferation was assessed by cell counts, 3H-thymidine uptake and flow cytometry analyses. The levels of cell cycle regulatory proteins （Cyclin DI, E, A） cyclin dependent kinases （cdk） cdk2, cdk4, cdk6, and their inhibitors p15, p16, p21, p27, total and phosphorylated GSK-3β and epidermal growth factor receptor （EGF-R） were assayed by Western blotting. Analysis of O/c/in D1 mRNA levels was performed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and real-time polymerase chain reaction （PCR） analysis. Stability of Cyclin DI was studied by cycloheximide blockade experiments. RESULTS： Stable c-Fos overexpression increased cell proliferation under low serum conditions and resulted in a two-fold increase in [3H]-thymidine incorpora- tion following serum addition. Cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry showed that c-Fos accelerated the cell cycle kinetics. Following serum stimulation, Cyclin D1 was more abundantly expressed in c-Fos overexpress- ing cells. Cyclin D1 accumulation did not result from increased transcriptional activation, but from nuclear stabilization. Overexpression of c-Fos correlated with higher nuclear levels of inactive phosphorylated GSK- 3β, a kinase involved in Cyclin D1 degradation and higher levels of EGF-R mRNA, and EGF-R protein com- pared to IHH-C both in serum starved, and in serum stimulated cells. Abrogation of EGF-R signalling in IHH- Fos by treatment with AG1478, a specific EGF-R tyro- sine kinase inhibitor, prevented the phosphorylation of GSK-3β induced by serum stimulation and decreased Cyclin D1 stability in the nucleus. CONCLUSION： Our results clearly indicate a positive role for c-Fos in cell cycle regulation in hepatocytes. Importantly, we delineate a new mechanism by which c-Fos could contribute to hepatocarcinogenesis through stabilization of Cyclin D1 within the nucleus, evoking a new feature to c-Fos implication in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Stem/progenitor cells and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome - new insights for clinical applications

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSAS) is a widespread disorder, characterized by recurrent upper airway obstruction during sleep, mostly as a result of complete or partial pharyngeal obstruction. Due to the occurrence of frequent and regular hypoxic events, patients with OSAS are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, metabolic disorders, occupational errors, motor vehicle accidents and even death. Thus, OSAS has severe consequences and represents a significant economic burden. However, some of the consequences, as well as their costs can be reduced with appropriate detection and treatment. In this context, the recent advances that were made in stem cell biology knowledge and stem cell- based technologies hold a great promise for various medical conditions, including respiratory diseases. However, the investigation of the role of stem cells in OSAS is still recent and rather limited, requiring further studies, both in animal models and humans. The goal of this review is to summarize the current state of knowledge regarding both lung resident as well as circulating stem/progenitor cells and discuss existing controversies in the field in order to identify future research directions for clinical applications in OSAS. Also, the paper highlights the requisite for inter-institutional, multi-disciplinary research collaborations in order to achieve breakthrough results in the field.