Search

We demonstrate ViDA-MAN, a digital-human agent for multi-modal interaction, which offers realtime audio-visual responses to instant speech inquiries. Compared to traditional text or voice-based system, ViDA-MAN offers human-like interactions (e.g, vivid voice, natural facial expression and body gestures). Given a speech request, the demonstration is able to response with high quality videos in sub-second latency. To deliver immersive user experience, ViDA-MAN seamlessly integrates multi-modal techniques including Acoustic Speech Recognition (ASR), multi-turn dialog, Text To Speech (TTS), talking heads video generation. Backed with large knowledge base, ViDA-MAN is able to chat with users on a number of topics including chit-chat, weather, device control, News recommendations, booking hotels, as well as answering questions via structured knowledge.

Jibo Han,* Xiaowen Shi,* Zhanxiong Zheng, Bin Zhang, Fengjie Shi, Liqin Jiang, Jianjiang Xu Department of Cardiology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, Zhejiang 314000, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Introduction: Schisandrin B (SchB), the main active constituent in Schisandra chinensis, has antioxidant activities. Endothelial dysfunction leads to various cardiovascular diseases. Oxidative stress is a crucial pathophysiological mechanism underpinning endothelial dysfunction.Methods: We elucidated the role and underlying mechanisms of SchB in angiotensin II-induced rat aortic endothelial-cell deficits and explored targets of SchB through siRNA analysis and molecular docking. We measured apoptosis by TUNEL and oxidative stress by dihydroethidium (DHE) and 2’,7’ –dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCF) staining.Results: Our results demonstrated that SchB significantly ameliorated oxidative stress, mitochondrial membrane-potential depolarization and apoptosis in angiotensin II-challenged rat aortic endothelial cells. We further discovered that these antioxidative effects of SchB were mediated through induction of Nrf2. Importantly, using molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation, we identified that Keap1, an adaptor for the degradation of Nrf2, was a target of SchB.Conclusion: These findings support the potential use of SchB as a Keap1 inhibitor for attenuating oxidative stress, and Keap1 might serve as a therapeutic target in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Keywords: schisandrin B, Keap1, oxidative stress, angiotensin II, rat aortic endothelial cell

Liqin Jiang,1 Xuemin Li,1 Lingrong Liu,1 Qiqing Zhang1,21Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, People's Republic of China; 2Research Center of Biomedical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People's Republic of ChinaAbstract: The cellular uptake mechanism and intracellular fate of self-assembled nanoparticles (NPs) of cholesterol-modified pullulan (CHSP) by human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells were investigated. Covalent conjugation with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) yielded stably labeled CHSP (FITC-CHSP), which was successfully formulated into NPs (mean particle size 63.0 ± 1.9 nm) by dialysis. A cytotoxicity assay clearly indicated that the CHSP NPs did not show significant toxicity in HepG2 cells. The effects of NP concentration, incubation time, and temperature on the cellular uptake of the NPs were systematically evaluated by fluorometry, and the results suggested that cellular uptake of the NPs was concentration-, time-, and temperature-dependent. In vitro experiments with endocytic inhibitors revealed that clathrin-mediated endocytosis and macropinocytosis were involved in the internalization of CHSP NPs. The intracellular trafficking study demonstrated that CHSP NPs were entrapped in the lysosomes at 1 hour after incubation; colocalization of NPs with either the Golgi apparatus or the endoplasmic reticula was not observed during the entire course of the study. These results suggested that the CHSP NPs may serve as a versatile carrier for intracellular delivery of therapeutic agents.Keywords: cholesterol-modified pullulan, self-assembled nanoparticles, FITC, endocytosis, intracellular trafficking

Liqin Jiang,1 Xuemin Li,1 Lingrong Liu,1 Qiqing Zhang1,21Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, People's Republic of China; 2Research Center of Biomedical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People's Republic of ChinaAbstract: The cellular uptake mechanism and intracellular fate of self-assembled nanoparticles (NPs) of cholesterol-modified pullulan (CHSP) by human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells were investigated. Covalent conjugation with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) yielded stably labeled CHSP (FITC-CHSP), which was successfully formulated into NPs (mean particle size 63.0 ± 1.9 nm) by dialysis. A cytotoxicity assay clearly indicated that the CHSP NPs did not show significant toxicity in HepG2 cells. The effects of NP concentration, incubation time, and temperature on the cellular uptake of the NPs were systematically evaluated by fluorometry, and the results suggested that cellular uptake of the NPs was concentration-, time-, and temperature-dependent. In vitro experiments with endocytic inhibitors revealed that clathrin-mediated endocytosis and macropinocytosis were involved in the internalization of CHSP NPs. The intracellular trafficking study demonstrated that CHSP NPs were entrapped in the lysosomes at 1 hour after incubation; colocalization of NPs with either the Golgi apparatus or the endoplasmic reticula was not observed during the entire course of the study. These results suggested that the CHSP NPs may serve as a versatile carrier for intracellular delivery of therapeutic agents.Keywords: cholesterol-modified pullulan, self-assembled nanoparticles, FITC, endocytosis, intracellular trafficking

Yuandong Ma1,2*, Yi Zheng1,2*, Xiaowei Zeng1-3*, Liqin Jiang4, Hongbo Chen1,2, Ranyi Liu5, Laiqiang Huang1,2, Lin Mei1,21School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 2Division of Life and Health Sciences, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 3Materials and Environment Experimental Center, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Qinhuangdao Branch, Northeastern University, Qinhuangdao, 4Insitute of Biomedical Engineering, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tianjin, 5State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this workBackground: The formulation of docetaxel available for clinical use (Taxotere®) contains a high concentration of polysorbate 80 (Tween 80). After incorporation of Tween 80 into poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL)-Tween 80 copolymer, the relative amount of Tween 80 should be decreased and the advantages of PCL and Tween 80 should be combined.Methods: A novel PCL-Tween 80 copolymer was synthesized from ε-caprolactone and Tween 80 in the presence of stannous octoate as a catalyst via ring opening polymerization. Two types of nanoparticle formulation were made from commercial PCL and a self-synthesized PCL-Tween 80 copolymer using a modified solvent extraction/evaporation method.Results: The nanoparticles were found by field emission scanning electron microscopy to have a spherical shape and be 200 nm in diameter. The copolymers could encapsulate 10% of the drug in the nanoparticles and release 34.9% of the encapsulated drug over 28 days. PCL-Tween 80 nanoparticles could be internalized into the cells and had higher cellular uptake than the PCL nanoparticles. The drug-loaded PCL-Tween 80 nanoparticles showed better in vitro cytotoxicity towards C6 cancer cells than commercial Taxotere at the same drug concentration.Conclusion

On July 26–29, 2010 the 13th International Myopia Conference was held in Tübingen, Germany and included 17 separate symposia, each with 3–5 presentations. Here, in a single paper, the chairs of those Symposia describe the scientific advances noted at the conference and include the full abstracts of the individual myopia papers presented in each symposium along with the authors and their institutions. The 17 Symposia covered 7 topics: Why Study the Mechanisms of Myopia?; Novel Approaches to Risk Factors; Signaling Eye Growth- How Could Basic Biology Be Translated into Clinical Insights?; Where Are Genetic and Proteomic Approaches Leading?; How Does Visual Function Contribute to and Interact with Ametropia?; Does Eye Shape Matter?; Why Ametropia at All?

Yuandong Ma1,2*, Yi Zheng1,2*, Xiaowei Zeng1-3*, Liqin Jiang4, Hongbo Chen1,2, Ranyi Liu5, Laiqiang Huang1,2, Lin Mei1,21School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 2Division of Life and Health Sciences, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 3Materials and Environment Experimental Center, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Qinhuangdao Branch, Northeastern University, Qinhuangdao, 4Insitute of Biomedical Engineering, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tianjin, 5State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this workBackground: The formulation of docetaxel available for clinical use (Taxotere®) contains a high concentration of polysorbate 80 (Tween 80). After incorporation of Tween 80 into poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL)-Tween 80 copolymer, the relative amount of Tween 80 should be decreased and the advantages of PCL and Tween 80 should be combined.Methods: A novel PCL-Tween 80 copolymer was synthesized from ε-caprolactone and Tween 80 in the presence of stannous octoate as a catalyst via ring opening polymerization. Two types of nanoparticle formulation were made from commercial PCL and a self-synthesized PCL-Tween 80 copolymer using a modified solvent extraction/evaporation method.Results: The nanoparticles were found by field emission scanning electron microscopy to have a spherical shape and be 200 nm in diameter. The copolymers could encapsulate 10% of the drug in the nanoparticles and release 34.9% of the encapsulated drug over 28 days. PCL-Tween 80 nanoparticles could be internalized into the cells and had higher cellular uptake than the PCL nanoparticles. The drug-loaded PCL-Tween 80 nanoparticles showed better in vitro cytotoxicity towards C6 cancer cells than commercial Taxotere at the same drug concentration.Conclusion