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Representative immunohistochemical staining of high, medium and low FSTL1 in non-neoplastic squamous epithelium (non-tumor) and poorly differentiated ESCC tissue from 6 different patients.

FSTL1(+) cells in ESCC clinical samples that received (with treatment, n = 22) or did not receive (without treatment, n = 15) chemotherapy treatment prior to resection, as detected by IHC analyses.

Quantification of number of cells that migrated through a membrane, invaded through a Matrigel-coated membrane, formed spheroids or formed colonies in (A) KYSE150-Luc cells co-cultured with conditioned medium collected from EV or FSTL1 OE cells; or (B) KYSE150-Luc cells treated with control or recombinant FSTL1, in the presence or absence of IMD-0354.

Quantification of number of cells that migrated through a membrane, invaded through a Matrigel-coated membrane, formed spheroids or formed colonies in (A) KYSE150-Luc cells co-cultured with conditioned medium collected from EV or FSTL1 OE cells; or (B) KYSE150-Luc cells treated with control or recombinant FSTL1, in the presence or absence of C34.

Representative images and quantification of number of cells that migrated or invaded in EC109 cells with or without FSTL1 suppressed and KYSE150-Luc cells with or without FSTL1 overexpressed, in the presence of mitomycin C.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has a generally poor prognosis, and molecular markers to improve early detection and predict outcomes are greatly needed. Here, we report that the BMP-binding follistatin-like protein FSTL1 is overexpressed in ESCCs, where it correlates with poor overall survival. Genetic amplification of FSTL1 or chromosome 3q, where it is located, occurred frequently in ESCC, where FSTL1 copy number correlated positively with higher FSTL1 protein expression. Elevating FSTL1 levels by various means was sufficient to drive ESCC cell proliferation, clonogenicity, migration, invasion, self-renewal, and cisplatin resistance in vitro and tumorigenicity and distant metastasis in vivo. Conversely, FSTL1 attenuation by shRNA or neutralizing antibody elicited the opposite effects in ESCC cells. mRNA profiling analyses suggested that FSTL1 drives ESCC oncogenesis and metastasis through various pathways, with deregulation of NFκB and BMP signaling figuring prominently. Cross-talk between the NFκB and BMP pathways was evidenced by functional rescue experiments using inhibitors of NFκB and TLR4. Our results establish the significance of FSTL1 in driving oncogenesis and metastasis in ESCC by coordinating NFκB and BMP pathway control, with implications for its potential use as a diagnostic or prognostic biomarker and as a candidate therapeutic target in this disease setting. Cancer Res; 77(21); 5886–99. ©2017 AACR.

Suppl Figure Legends 1-5 and Tables showing clinico-pathological correlation of endogenous and secretory FSTL1 as well as pathway analysis of ESCC cells with or without FSTL1 overexpressed.

In Hong Kong, the hostility, stigma and discrimination against sexual minorities is prevalent. HEvolution are a community initiative founded in 2017, aiming to promote physical, mental, social and ...

Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS) is a rare congenital birth disorder (1 in 50,000 live births) characterized by severe craniofacial defects. Recently, the authors' group unfolded the pathogenesis of polr1c Type 3 TCS by using the zebrafish model. Facial development depends on the neural crest cells, in which polr1c plays a role in regulating their expression. In this study, the authors aimed to identify the functional time window of polr1c in TCS by the use of photo-morpholino to restore the polr1c expression at different time points. Results suggested that the restoration of polr1c at 8 hours after fertilization could rescue the TCS facial malformation phenotype by correcting the neural crest cell expression, reducing the cell death, and normalizing the p53 mRNA expression level in the rescued morphants. However, such recovery could not be reproduced if the polr1c is restored after 30 hours after fertilization.

Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS) is a rare congenital birth disorder (1 in 50,000 live births) characterized by severe craniofacial defects, including the downward slanting palpebral fissures, hypoplasia of the facial bones, and cleft palate (CP). Over 90% of patients with TCS have a mutation in the TCOF1 gene. However, some patients exhibit mutations in two new causative genes, POLR1C and POLR1D, which encode subunits of RNA polymerases I and III, that affect ribosome biogenesis. In this study, we examine the role of POLR1C in TCS using zebrafish as a model system. Our data confirmed that polr1c is highly expressed in the facial region, and dysfunction of this gene by knockdown or knock-out resulted in mis-expression of neural crest cells during early development that leads to TCS phenotype. Next generation sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of the polr1c mutants further demonstrated the up-regulated p53 pathway and predicted skeletal disorders. Lastly, we partially rescued the TCS facial phenotype in the background of p53 mutants, which supported the hypothesis that POLR1C-dependent type 3 TCS is associated with the p53 pathway.

3D-image technologies produce RGBD images use 2D RGB image combing with depth image. The most popular depth imaging methods including structure light, time-of-flight, and stereoscopic image. Since no point cloud detection method can prevent depth information loss, the complement methods is therefore important. Therefore, we proposed depth information complement method, which use a novel iterative low-pass pervasion method to apply depth image pervasion. We make two experiments to demonstrate the idea. The first experiment induces strong IR noise to destroy parts of the depth image. Then we successfully complement the depth image by the proposed method. The second experiment demonstrates the complement performance of iterative low-pass pervasion method and shows good Accuracy and Precision.

This paper presents a new pattern design for encoding structured light for scanning 3D surface and the decoding process. The basic unit of the pattern is a code-block that contains one central label and eight square-shaped primitives that provide two functions: code-block indexing and point-positions for triangulating. The square-shaped primitive has one notch in a different position to represent 8 digit numbers, which are easily to convert label to number for indexing codeblock. One primitive also contributes five point-positions, centroid and four extreme, for triangulating and estimating 3D information. The design of code-block has eight 8-bit numbers allowing a higher error-tolerant and providing better resolution in 3D reconstruction. Experiment shows that the proposed pattern is suitable for indoor mapping and large scene scanning.

Osmoregulation is an essential mechanism for euryhaline fish. Gill cells undergo rapid mechanism to maintain the cellular homeostasis during osmotic stress. Reports have suggested that gill cells may be able to migrate between primary filament and secondary lamella during seawater acclimination. However, the factor that can trigger such process is not well-known. Previously, we identified the osmotic stress transcription factor 1b (Ostf1b) in medaka and found that it is an early hypertonic responsive gene and can activate the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway. In this report, we aim to know if Ostf1b plays the role in the migration. Ostf1b was ectopic expressed in the human embryonic kidney cell line (HEK293) to understand the Ostf1b function. Results clearly demonstrated that Ostf1b could constitutively activate the Rho kinase 1 (ROCK1) and myosin light chain 2 (MLC2) signalling pathway that promotes cell migration, epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cytoskeletal dynamics through stress fibre formation. The study supports the notion of cell migration and cytoskeleton rearrangement theories in osmoregulation.

Landslide mapping is essential for effective watershed management. In Taiwan, a typhoon or earthquake event can trigger hundreds, even thousands, of shallow landslides in mountainous watersheds. Thus, improving the efficiency of landslide mapping by means of remote sensing techniques is an important issue. This study proposes a new method that uses concurrent aerial laser scanning (ALS) data and color ortho-imagery as input data: the topographic indices of slope, surface roughness, and object height model can be derived from the ALS data and the Green–Red Vegetation Index from the ortho-images. The method first uses these topographic and spectral indices in a global, semi-automatic algorithm to separate landslide from non-landslide pixels. It then offers a region growing tool and a 3D Eraser/Painter to edit detected landslides locally. These global and local operations are designed with a user interface, which is intuitive and user-friendly. Results from four test sites in a mountainous watershed prove that the method is easy, accurate, and suitable for landslide mapping in Taiwan.

In this study, sea urchins Anthocidaris crassispina, Diadema setosum and Salmacis sphaeroides inhabiting the coastal area of Hong Kong were collected and their gonadal biochemical compositions determined and compared for the first time. The proximate nutritional composition of all species exhibited an order of lipid > protein > carbohydrate. Neutral lipid was the major lipid constituent, accounting for over 80% of the total lipid. The major fatty acids in neutral lipid fraction of the three urchins were C14:0, C16:0, Cl 6:1 (n-7), C18:1 (n-7) and C20:5 (n-3), whereas those in the polar lipid fraction were C16:0, C16:4 (n-4), C20:4 (n-6) and C20:5 (n-3). The dominant carotenoid was echinenone, which accounted for 81.7%. 56.7% and 68.5% of the total carotenoids in A. crassispina, D. setosum and S. sphaeroides, respectively. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

When hydraulic design decisions are made in a watershed, engineers rely on estimation of the design discharge. Historically, they have applied empirical methods to do this, but empirical methods can only describe the hydrologic characteristics of the watersheds from which they were derived. Although more advanced methods now exist, engineers find them challenging to use because of the abundant data needed and intensive data analyses. In this study, we make the more advanced hydrological analysis methods simpler to use by linking them with DEM terrain analyses in a GIS platform. The system provides hydrologic and geomorphic information needed to create a design discharge at any location in a watershed. Since the system allows users to test several locations of subwatershed outlets, it is convenient for them to examine different aspects for engineering alternatives.

Assessment and inventory of natural hazards such as landslides are essential for effective watershed management and sustainable development. In Taiwan, a typhoon (tropical cyclone) or earthquake event can trigger hundreds to thousands of shallow landslides in mountainous areas with steep slopes and rapid streams. Therefore, how to improve the efficiency and accuracy of landslide mapping by means of GIS (geographic information system) and remote sensing techniques is an important research issue. This study proposes a novel, semiautomatic method for mapping and editing landslides at a watershed level. Data sources include airborne laser scanner (ALS) data and color/near infrared ortho-imagery: the ALS data provide topographic features such as elevation, slope, surface roughness, and object height, and the ortho-imagery furnishes the radiometric characteristic of land cover such as greenness index or NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) for identifying bare grounds. Based on the derived topographic and radiometric parameters, the method first uses a global, automatic algorithm to interpret and delineate landslides. Then it uses a local region growing algorithm and a 3D eraser to edit and compile landslide maps. To explore the causes of mass movement, these landslide maps can also be registered with other geospatial data in a GIS for data visualization and analysis. Experimental results indicate that the method is highly efficient and accurate compared with results of human interpretation from the stereo pairs of aerial photographs. Because Taiwan experiences an average of four or five typhoons every year, this new, semiautomatic method is expected to provide a useful tool for watershed management.

Image fusion is an important technique to integrate high resolution panchromatic image and low resolution multispectral image. The fused image enhances the capability for image interpretation. EMD (Empirical Mode Decomposition) is an effective method to decompose the linear or nonlinear signals into a set of IMFs (Intrinsic Mode Functions). The characteristics of EMD may apply to image fusion technique. The objective of this investigation is to establish a novel image fusion method using a 2-D EMD. The idea of image fusion based on EMD is to decompose the panchromatic and multispectral images into their IMFs. Then, we replace the high frequency IMF of multispectral image by high frequency IMF of panchromatic image. Finally, the image fusion is performed by reconstructing the mixed IMFs. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method may produce a fused image that preserves spatial and spectral information.

For understanding the distribution of slope angles, OHM and roughness of the rainfall-induced landslides in Alishan Area of Central Taiwan, a survey was carried out with airborne Lidar and aerial digital camera to obtain DEM and DSM of 1 m grid and color orthophotos of 50 cm grid. DEM, DSM and orthophotos are georeferenced and co-registered. The 106 landslide polygons derived from photo-interpretation are used for extracting slopes, OHM and roughness. Results show that the average slope angle of landslides is 41 degrees with a standard deviation of 14 degrees; average OHM is 4.4 m with a standard deviation of 6.3 m; average roughness is 2.05 m with a standard deviation of 2.56 m. It is also observed that scale effects are obvious for roughness but not for slope and OHM when the grid is larger than 40 m, which is the average dimension of landslides. These morphometric parameters can be further applied in the automation of landslide inventory.

Image fusion is a fundamental technique for integrating high-resolution panchromatic images and low-resolution multispectral (MS) images. Fused images may enhance image interpretation. Empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is an effective method of decomposing non-stationary signals into a set of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). Hence, the characteristics of EMD may apply to image fusion techniques. This study proposes a novel image fusion method using a pyramid-based EMD. To improve computational time, the pyramid-based EMD extracts the IMF from the reduced layer. Next, EMD-based image fusion decomposes the panchromatic and MS images into IMFs. The high-frequency IMF of the MS image is subsequently replaced by the high-frequency IMF of the panchromatic image. Finally, the fused image is reconstructed from the mixed IMFs. Two experiments with different sensors were conducted to validate the fused results of the proposed method. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method is effective and promising regarding both visual effects and quantitative analysis.