"I Am Like a Lost Child": L2 Writers' Linguistic Metaphors as a Window Into Their Writer Identity.

The past two decades have witnessed a burgeoning literature on L2 writers' identities, especially their discoursal identities. In contrast, little attention is paid to the writers' felt sense of self when they write in an L2, which is an integral dimension of their autobiographical self. In this article, we provide empirical evidence of the nature of this aspect of L2 writer identity. To illustrate, we analyzed linguistic metaphors elicited from three groups of L2 writers (N = 83), majoring respectively in Thai, Japanese, and English in a Chinese university. Descriptive analysis shows that, due to challenges in content, language, organization, and cultural differences, a majority of L2 writers, especial Thai and Japanese L2 writers, experience a diminishing sense of self when they write in L2. In contrast, some L2 writers, especially English L2 writers, find writing in an L2 liberating, revealing the impact of their individual learning trajectories and pedagogical practices on L2 writers' felt sense of self. Findings suggest that L2 writers' identity work is both complex and dynamic. L2 writing teachers can utilize the metaphor questionnaire as a tool to facilitate their learner needs analysis and to raise L2 writers' metacognition.

CircCDKN2B-AS1 interacts with IMP3 to stabilize hexokinase 2 mRNA and facilitate cervical squamous cell carcinoma aerobic glycolysis progression.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been reported to play key roles in the development of various cancers. However, the biological functions and clinical significance of most circRNAs are still elusive. The purpose of this study was to explore the function and mechanism of a certain circRNA named circCDKN2B-AS1 in cervical cancer development and its potential value in the clinic. METHODS: qRT-PCR was used to verify the expression level of circCDKN2B-AS1. CCK-8, Transwell, and flow cytometry (FCM) assays were performed to detect cellular proliferation, migration, and apoptosis, respectively. A Seahorse XFe96 Analyzer was used to measure glycolysis metabolism level. RNA pull-down, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), actinomycin-D addition assays and Western blotting were used to screen and elucidate the potential mechanisms involved. BALB/c nude mice and zebrafish embryos (AB, WT) were used as animal models to investigate tumorigenesis capability. 18FDG-microPET/CT imaging and lactic acid (LA) and pyruvic acid (PA) content detection assays were used to detect the level of glucose metabolism in subcutaneous tumors from nude mice. RESULTS: CircCDKN2B-AS1, a circular isoform of the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) CDKN2B-AS1, was upregulated in cervical cancer and precancerous tissues. We found that circCDKN2B-AS1 associated with the IMP3 protein depending on a specific binding site and regulated the stability of Hexokinase 2 (HK2) mRNA, the rate-limiting enzyme of the aerobic glycolysis pathway. The expression level of circCDKN2B-AS1 fated the binding of IMP3 to the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of HK2 mRNA, consequently affecting the malignant cell phenotype and aerobic glycolysis in cervical cancer in vitro and in vivo. Mutant circCDKN2B-AS1, lacking the IMP3 binding site, did not have such effects. Utilization of an inhibitory peptide to block the interaction between circCDKN2B-AS1 and the IMP3 protein impeded the binding of IMP3 to the 3'UTR of HK2 mRNA and suppressed aerobic glycolysis in cervical cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that circCDKN2B-AS1 facilitates aerobic glycolysis by sponging the IMP3 protein to stabilize HK2 mRNA, consequently promoting the malignant phenotype in cervical cancer, which may provide a potential approach for cervical cancer therapeutics.

Transcriptome sequencing profiles of cervical cancer tissues and SiHa cells.

High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is a causal factor for cervical cancer, of which HPV16 is the predominant genotype, but the detailed mechanism remains to be elucidated. In this study, we performed transcriptome sequencing in cervical cancer tissues with HPV16-positive and normal tissues with HPV16-negative, and SiHa cells with or without HPV16 E6/E7 knockdown, and identified 140 differential expressed genes (DEGs) in two data sets. We carried out a series of bioinformatic analyses to learn more about the 140 DEGs, and found that 140 DEGs were mostly enriched in cell cycle and DNA repair through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment, Gene Ontology annotation, and gene set enrichment analysis. A total of 20 genes including RMI1, MKI67, FANCB, KIF14, CENPI, RACGAP1, EXO1, KIF4A, FOXM1, C19orf57, PSRC1, NUSAP1, CIT, NDC80, MCM7, GINS2, MCM6, ORC1, TLX2, and UHRF1 were screened by co-expression analysis; of those, the expressions of 6 (CENPI, FANCB, KIF14, ORC1, RACGAP1, and RMI1) were verified by qRT-PCR. Further, we found that E2F family, NF-Y, AhR:Arnt, and KROX family may be involved in modulating DEGs by TransFind prediction. TF2DNA database and co-expression analysis suggested that 12 TFs (ZNF367, TLX2, DEPDC1B, E2F8, ZNF541, EGR2, ZMAT3, HES6, CEBPA, MYBL2, FOXM1, and RAD51) were upstream modulators of DEGs. Our findings may provide a new understanding for effects of HPV oncogenes in the maintenance of cancerous state at the transcriptional level.

High-Risk Human Papillomavirus E7 Maintains Stemness Via APH1B In Cervical Cancer Stem-Cell Like Cells.

PURPOSE: To determine whether early proteins from high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) have the capacity to maintain cellular stemness. PATIENTS AND METHODS: First, we isolated cancer stem cell like cells from two cervical cancer cell lines, SiHa and CaSki, using non-adhesive culture with serum-free medium. Second, we knocked down HPV16 E7 in SiHa sphere cells and overexpressed HPV16 E7 in U2OS sphere cells. Third, we used RNA-seq analysis and Western blotting to screen and identify the expression of differentially expressed genes in SiHa cells with HPV16 E7 knockdown. RESULTS: We found that both SiHa and CaSki cells grew as cell spheres (oncospheres) and shared the properties of cancer stem cells, including high expression of stem cell marker OCT4 and SOX2, self-renew, and resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. The stem-like properties were deprived when HPV16 E7 was knocked down in SiHa sphere cells and maintained when HPV16 E7 was over-expressed in U2OS sphere cells. APH1B was up-regulated, among differential expression genes, in SiHa cells with HPV16 E7 knockdown and modulated cellular stemness and SiHa sphere cells with APH1B knockdown regained the stem-like properties deprived by E7 inhibition. CONCLUSION: HPV16 E7 possesses the capacity to maintain cellular stemness and APH1B may participate in this process in cervical cancer sphere cells.

Variants in human papillomavirus receptor and associated genes are associated with type-specific HPV infection and lesion progression of the cervix.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infects cervical epithelial cells through cellular membrane receptors, and then induces the initiation and progression of cervical cancer. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may impact the susceptibility and outcome of diseases, but it's still unknown whether variant in HPV receptor and associated genes is associated with type-specific HPV infection and cervical lesion progression. We examined 96 SNPs in 8 genes which may participate in the HPV infection process in 875 samples with HPV negative or single HPV16, 18, 52, 58 positive from 3299 cervical exfoliated cell samples, by Illumina BeadXpress VeraCode platform, and analyzed the correlation between the SNPs and type-specific HPV infection and cervical lesions progression. We found rs28384376 in EGFR and rs12034979 in HSPG2 significantly correlated to HPV16 infection; rs2575738, rs2575712, rs2575735 in SDC2 and rs6697265 in HSPG2 significantly correlated to HPV18 infection; rs10510097 in FGFR2, rs12718946 in EGFR significantly correlated to HPV52 infection; rs4947972 in EGFR, rs2981451 in FGFR2, rs2575735 in SDC2 significantly correlated to HPV58 infection. And rs3135772, rs1047057 and rs2556537 in FGFR2, rs12034979 in HSPG2, rs16894821 in SDC2 significantly correlated to cervical lesion progression induced by HPV16 infection; rs6697265 and rs6680566 in HSPG2, rs16860426 in ITGA6 by HPV18 infection; rs878949 in HSPG2, rs12718946 and rs12668175 in EGFR by HPV52 infection; no SNP by HPV58 infection. Our findings suggest that HPV receptor and associated gene variants may influence the susceptibilities to HPV type-specific infection and cervical lesion progression, which might have a potential application value in cervical cancer screening and therapy.

Elevated levels of preoperative circulating CD44⁺ lymphocytes and neutrophils predict poor survival for non-small cell lung cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Certain circulating cells have been shown to predict the clinical outcome of several cancers. The objective of this study was to identify clinical, hematological and immunological predictors of prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. METHODS: A retrospective study on a prevalent cohort of 225 NSCLC patients hospitalized at the Zhejiang Province Cancer Hospital (ZPCH) was conducted from August 1, 2006 to April 15, 2008. Circulating lymphocytes were measured by flow cytometry. WBC count and classification in peripheral blood were measured with a Coulter counter. We calculated the proportion of patients surviving after first hospital admission and hazard ratios (HR) using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Elevated levels of preoperative circulating CD44(+) lymphocytes, WBCs and neutrophils indicated low cumulative survival. Clinical stage (HR: 2.292; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.34-3.91, P=0.002), neutrophils (HR: 1.877; 95% CI: 1.34-2.62, P<0.001) and CD44(+) lymphocytes (HR: 1.018; 95% CI: 1.00-1.03, P=0.002) are independent predictors of survival in NSCLC patients, respectively. Elevated levels of CD44(+) lymphocytes and neutrophils correlated with distant metastasis and prognosis in NSCLC patients with stage III/IV, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: CD44(+) lymphocytes along with neutrophils could serve as an independent prognostic marker for NSCLC patients.

SeMet mediates anti-inflammation in LPS-induced U937 cells targeting NF-κB signaling pathway.

In previous studies, selenium (Se) was reported to play critical roles in anti-inflammatory activities. Nevertheless, limited information could be obtained during inflammation about selenomethionine (SeMet) in U937 human macrophage cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of SeMet on the inflammatory responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced U937 macrophage cells and the signaling pathways targeted. U937 cells were pretreated with SeMet (1 µM) and subsequently induced with LPS (1 µg/ml) for 24 h. In the cell counting kit-8 assay (CCK-8), SeMet significantly inhibits the proliferation of U937 cells. SeMet also inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) stimulated by LPS. In the Western blot assay and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), SeMet significantly reduced protein expression and production of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and COX-2 in U937 cells. Furthermore, SeMet markedly suppressed the LPS-mediated activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) by blocking the degradation of inhibitor-κB proteins (IκBα) and lessening the translocations of P50 subunit content of NF-κB in the nucleus. These findings suggested the anti-inflammatory activity of SeMet in U937 cells; indicating that SeMet might be a potential treatment for inflammation therapy.

Engineering scaffolds integrated with calcium sulfate and oyster shell for enhanced bone tissue regeneration.

Engineering scaffolds combinging natural biomineral and artificially synthesized material hold promising potential for bone tissue regeneration. In this study, novel bioactive calcium sulfate/oyster shell (CS/OS) composites were prepared. Comparing to CS scaffold, the CS/OS composites with a controllable degradation rate displayed enhanced mineral nodule formation, higher alkaline phosphate (ALP) activity and increased proliferation rate while treated osteocytes. In CS/OS composites group, elevated mRNA levels of key osteogenic genes including bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), osterix (Osx), and osteocalcin (OCN) were observed. Furthermore, The up-regulation of BMP-2 and type I collagen (COL-I) was observed for CS/OS composites relative to a CS group. Scaffolds were implanted into critical-sized femur cavity defects in rabbits to investigate the osteogenic capacity of the composites in vivo. The CS/OS scaffolds with proper suitable times and mechanical strength strongly promoted osteogenic tissue regeneration relative to the regeneration capacity of CS scaffolds, as indicated by the results of histological staining. These results suggest that the OS-modified CS engineering scaffolds with improved mechanical properties and bioactivity would facilitate the development of a new strategy for clinic bone defect regeneration.

Dose-dependent effects of nicotine on proliferation and differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells and the antagonistic action of vitamin C.

A range of biological and molecular effects caused by nicotine are considered to effect bone metabolism. Vitamin C functions as a biological antioxidant. This study was to evaluate the in vitro effects of nicotine on human bone marrow stromal cells and whether Vitamin C supplementation show the antagonism action to high concentration nicotine. We used CCK-8, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay, Von Kossa staining, real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western Blot to evaluate the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. The results indicated that the proliferation of BMSCs increased at the concentration of 50, 100 ng/ml, got inhibited at 1,000 ng/ml. When Vitamin C was added, the OD for proliferation increased. For ALP staining, we found that BMSCs treated with 50 and 100 ng/ml nicotine showed a higher activity compared with the control, and decreased at the 1,000 ng/ml. Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) expression and the calcium depositions decreased at 100 and 1,000 ng/ml nicotine, while the addition of Vitamin C reversed the down regulation. By real-time PCR, we detected that the mRNA expression of collagen type I (COL-I) and ALP were also increased in 50 and 100 ng/ml nicotine groups (P < 0.05), while reduced at 1,000 ng/ml (P < 0.05). When it came to osteocalcin (OCN), the changes were similar. Taken all together, it is found that nicotine has a two-phase effect on human BMSCs, showing that low level of nicotine could promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation while the high level display the opposite effect. Vitamin C could antagonize the inhibitory effect of higher concentration of nicotine partly.

Antitumor and anti-angiogenesis effects of thymoquinone on osteosarcoma through the NF-κB pathway.

Thymoquinone (TQ), the predominant bioactive constituent derived from the medicinal spice Nigella sativa (also known as black cumin), has been applied for medical purposes for more than 2,000 years. Recent studies reported that thymoquinone exhibited inhibitory effects on the cell proliferation of several cancer cell lines. This study was performed to investigate the antitumor and anti-angiogenic effects of thymoquinone on osteosarcoma in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that thymoquinone induced a higher percentage of growth inhibition and apoptosis in the human osteosarcoma cell line SaOS-2 compared to that of control, and thymoquinone significantly blocked human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) tube formation in a dose-dependent manner. To investigate the possible mechanisms involved in these events, we performed electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and western blot analysis, and found that thymoquinone significantly downregulated NF-κB DNA-binding activity, XIAP, survivin and VEGF in SaOS-2 cells. Moreover, the expression of cleaved caspase-3 and Smac were upregulated in SaOS-2 cells after treatment with thymoquinone. In addition to these in vitro results, we also found that thymoquinone inhibits tumor angiogenesis and tumor growth through suppressing NF-κB and its regulated molecules. Collectively, our results demonstrate that thymoquinone effectively inhibits tumor growth and angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, inhibition of NF-κB and downstream effector molecules is a possible underlying mechanism of the antitumor and anti-angiogenic activity of thymoquinone in osteosarcoma.