Childcare policies and services in Hong Kong after the handover: Beyond a feminist critique

Lily L. L. Xia,Joyce L. C. Ma 한국사회복지학회 2019 Asian Social Work and Policy Review Vol.13 No.3

This article reviews the development of childcare policies and services in Hong Kong after the handover, gauging it with two standards: promoting the equal development of children and gender equality in our society. Statistics derived from data taken from multiple sources show that the government has been sticking to a “positive non-in-tervention approach” to welfare development and that the male breadwinner/female carer model prevalent in this region was shaped and strengthened by current child-care policies and services. The current provision of childcare services is insufficient to guarantee the equal use of childcare among children of different socioeconomic backgrounds, or to ease the tension between the needs of childcare and job require-ments in a family, or to emancipate married women from the domestic sphere. A “generative welfare approach” that collects fiscal resources and redistributes them strategically with a systemic mind-set has been suggested for social policy and ser-vice planning, including spending the money in the right place, launching smart and practical policies that can achieve both pragmatic effects and ideological improve-ment in the area of gender equality, providing financial support or subsidies to a company for the provision of parental leave, and increasing the provision of quality childcare services.

Abnormal Vacuolization of the Tapetum During the Tetrad Stage is Associated with Male Sterility in the Recessive Genic Male Sterile Brassica napus L. Line 9012A

Lili Wan,Xiuyun Xia,Dengfeng Hong,Ji Li,Guangsheng Yang 한국식물학회 2010 Journal of Plant Biology Vol.53 No.2

In the recessive genic male sterile line 9012A of Brassica napus, pollen development is affected during the tetrad stage. According to the light and electron microscopy analysis of tapetal cells and tetrads, the sterile tapetal cells swelled with expanded vacuoles at the early tetrad stage and finally filled the center of the locules where a majority of tetrads encased with the thick callose wall collapsed and degraded. We suggested that an absence of callase, which is a wall-degrading enzyme stored in the vacuoles of tapetal cells before secretion, resulted in the failure of tetrad separation. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that the secretory tapetal cells were not observed in sterile anthers, which indicated that the transition of the tapetum from the parietal type to the secretory type was probably aberrant. In plants, degeneration of the tapetum is thought to be the result of programmed cell death (PCD). PCD of tapetal cells was investigated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferasemediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay and signals indicative of deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation were detected much earlier in sterile anther than in fertile anther. This suggests that tapetal breakdown does not occur by the normal procession of PCD and might be following an alternative mechanism of unscheduled apoptosis in line 9012A. This research supports the hypothesis that premature PCD is associated with male sterility in B. napus.

Effects of Trehalose and Sucrose on DNA Integrity of Evaporatively Dried Boar Spermatozoa and Embryo Development After ICSI

Li, Xiao Xia,Yi, Young Joo,Lee, Ji Hey,Kim, Keun Jung,Kim, Eun Young,Zhuang, Lili,Chun, Ju Lan,Lee, Kyung-Bon,Gotoh, Takafumi,Kim, Min Kyu FACULTY OF AGRIC PUBLICATIONS-KYUSHU UNIV 2015 Journal of the Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu Univ Vol. No.

SURF4 maintains stem-like properties via BIRC3 in ovarian cancer cells

Yongfang Yue,Lili Xia,Shanshan Xu,Conghui Wang,Xinyu Wang,Weiguo Lu,Xing Xie 대한부인종양학회 2020 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.31 No.4

Objective: As cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered as the origin of tumor development,recurrence, and drug resistance, we aimed to explore the mechanism related to modulatingstemness in CSCs, thus facilitating to search for new therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer. Methods: In this study, ovarian cancer stem cells (OCSCs) induced from cell line 3AOand A2780 were enriched in serum-free medium (SFM). The effect of SURF4 on CSC-likeproperties was evaluated by sphere-forming assays, re-differentiation assays, quantitativereal-time polymerase chain reaction, flow cytometry, Western blotting, cell viability assaysand in vivo xenograft experiments. The downstream molecule participating in SURF4maintaining stemness was screened by RNA-sequencing and identified by the experiments ofgene function. Results: SURF4 was upregulated expressed in OCSCs. Knockdown of SURF4 reduced theexpression of the related stem markers (SOX2 and c-MYC), inhibited self-renewal ability,and improved the sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs (paclitaxel and cisplatin) in OCSCs. SURF4 knockdown also inhibited tumorigenesis in nonobese diabetic/severe combinedimmunodeficiency mice. BIRC3 expression was controlled by SURF4, and BIRC3 showedthe similar effect as SURF4 did, and BIRC3 overexpression partially recovered stem-likeproperties abolished by SURF4 knockdown. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that SURF4 possesses the ability to maintain stemness ofOCSCs via BIRC3, and may serve as a potential target in stem cell-targeted therapy forovarian cancer.

TNF-α-Induced SOX5 Upregulation Is Involved in the Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Through KLF4 Signal Pathway

Lijun Xu,Lili Zheng,Zhifang Wang,Chong Li,Shan Li,Xuedi Xia,Pengyan Zhang,Li Li,Lixia Zhang 한국분자세포생물학회 2018 Molecules and cells Vol.41 No.6

Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) is a common sys-temic skeletal disease characterized by reduced bone mass and microarchitecture deterioration. Although differentially expressed SOX5 has been found in bone marrow from ovariectomized mice, its role in osteogenic differentiation in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) from bone marrow in PMOP remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the biological function of SOX5 and explore its molecular mechanism in hMSCs from patients with PMOP. Our findings showed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of SOX5 were upregulated in hMSCs isolated from bone marrow samples of PMOP patients. We also found that SOX5 overexpression decreased the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and the gene expression of osteoblast markers including Collagen I, Runx2 and Osterix, which were increased by SOX5 knockdown using RNA interference. Furthermore, TNF- notably upregulated the SOX5 mRNA expression level, and SOX5 knockdown reversed the effect of TNF- on osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs. In addition, SOX5 overexpression increased Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) gene expression, which was decreased by SOX5 silencing. KLF4 knockdown abrogated the suppressive effect of SOX5 overexpression on osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs. Taken together, our results indicated that TNF--induced SOX5 upregulation inhibited osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs through KLF4 signal pathway, suggesting that SOX5 might be a novel therapeutic target for PMOP treatment.

Acupuncture for Osteoporosis: a Review of Its Clinical and Preclinical Studies

Tian Yimiao,Wang Lili,Xu Tianshu,Li Rui,Zhu Ruyuan,Chen Beibei,Zhang Hao,Xia Bingke,Che Yiwen,Zhao Dandan,Zhang Dongwei 사단법인약침학회 2022 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.15 No.5

Acupuncture has gained growing attention in the management of osteoporosis (OP). However, a comprehensive review has not yet been conducted on the efficacy and challenges of acupuncture in preliminary research and clinical trials. Therefore, an extensive literature search was conducted using electronic databases, including PubMed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed), CNKI (www.cnki.net), and Web of Science, for studies published from the beginning of 2000 to the end of May 2022. Combinations of synonyms for OP, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, clinical trial, preclinical study, and animal experiments were searched. A total of 290 papers were consulted, including 115 reviews, 109 clinical observations, and 66 preclinical studies. There is accumulating evidence to support the beneficial role of acupuncture in preserving bone quality and relieving clinical symptoms based on clinical and preclinical investigations. The top ten most commonly used acupoints are BL23, ST36, BL20, BL11, CV4, GV4, SP 6, KI3, BL18, and GB39. The underlying mechanisms behind the benefits of acupuncture may be linked with the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (adrenal) axis and activation of the Wnt/β-catenin and OPG/RANKL/RANK signaling pathways. In summary, strong evidence may still come from prospective and well-designed clinical trials to shed light on the potential role of acupuncture in preserving bone loss. Future investigations are needed to explore the potential underlying mechanisms, long-term clinical efficacy, and compliance of acupuncture in OP management.

TNF-α-Induced SOX5 Upregulation Is Involved in the Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Through KLF4 Signal Pathway

Xu, Lijun,Zheng, Lili,Wang, Zhifang,Li, Chong,Li, Shan,Xia, Xuedi,Zhang, Pengyan,Li, Li,Zhang, Lixia Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology 2018 Molecules and cells Vol.41 No.6

Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) is a common systemic skeletal disease characterized by reduced bone mass and microarchitecture deterioration. Although differentially expressed SOX5 has been found in bone marrow from ovariectomized mice, its role in osteogenic differentiation in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) from bone marrow in PMOP remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the biological function of SOX5 and explore its molecular mechanism in hMSCs from patients with PMOP. Our findings showed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of SOX5 were upregulated in hMSCs isolated from bone marrow samples of PMOP patients. We also found that SOX5 overexpression decreased the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and the gene expression of osteoblast markers including Collagen I, Runx2 and Osterix, which were increased by SOX5 knockdown using RNA interference. Furthermore, $TNF-{\alpha}$ notably upregulated the SOX5 mRNA expression level, and SOX5 knockdown reversed the effect of $TNF-{\alpha}$ on osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs. In addition, SOX5 overexpression increased Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) gene expression, which was decreased by SOX5 silencing. KLF4 knockdown abrogated the suppressive effect of SOX5 overexpression on osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs. Taken together, our results indicated that $TNF-{\alpha}$-induced SOX5 upregulation inhibited osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs through KLF4 signal pathway, suggesting that SOX5 might be a novel therapeutic target for PMOP treatment.

Culture of a Whole Porcine Liver Ex Situ without Red Blood Cells

( Jing Dong ),( Lingling Xia ),( Hefang Shen ),( Congwen Bian ),( Sujin Bao ),( Ming Zhang ),( Yan Dai ),( Yanhong Xu ),( Qiru Xiong ),( Jianjian Xu ),( Lili Xu ) 대한간학회 2018 춘·추계 학술대회 (KASL) Vol.2018 No.1

Aims: Liver transplantation is an effective approach to end-stage liver disease. Shortage of donor liver and increased waiting time for liver transplantation necessitate the development of an organ culture system by which livers can be cultured and maintained ex situ for a prolonged period of time. The aim of this work is to test whether cell culture condition in vitro could be used to culture whole livers ex situ without the use of erythrocytes. Methods: Eight castrated male land race/farm young porcine livers were exposed to 30 min warm ischemia and 30 min cold perfusion. Livers were isolated and connected to an ex situ liver culture system using a standard culture medium RPMI 1640 supplied with 10% of fetal calf serum and sufficient dissolved oxygen under a normothermic condition for 6 hours. Metabolic biomarkers, bile and urea production, hepatic cell viability, and histology analysis of biopsies were performed and analyzed. Results: Dissociated porcine hepatic cells survived and grew in vitro under the standard RPMI 1640 culture medium. When the same RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% of FCS and sufficient oxygen was used to culture livers ex situ, over 98% of liver cells were viable for at least 6 hours during ex situ whole organ culture based on the results from biochemical assays. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that the liver culture system established in this work can be used to culture whole livers ex situ in the absence of erythrocytes.

Ultrasonic-assisted Solution-Phase Synthesis and Property Studies of Hierarchical Layer-by-Layer Mesoporous CeO2

Pu Su Zhao,Xiu Mei Gao,Feng Xia Zhu,Xin Ming Hu,Lili Zhang 대한화학회 2018 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.39 No.3

Hierarchical layer-by-layer quadrangle CeO2 was prepared through ultrasonic-assisted solution-phase synthesis strategy using cerium oxalate as the precursor. The as-prepared mesoporous CeO2 displayed a surface area of 98.7 m2 g−1 and pore diameters of 2.0–10.0 nm. The high-resolution TEM image revealed that the layer structures of the CeO2 were made of numerous nanocrystal particles with the crystallite size of about 13–15 nm. High energy and cavitation of ultrasonic wave assists cerium oxalate precursor in building the layer-by-layer quadrangle staking. UV–vis absorption spectrum showed that the direct allowed transition bandgap energy for the as-prepared CeO2 was 2.91 eV. Moreover, the CeO2 exhibited good photocatalytic property for degrading Rhodamine B solution under UV radiation.

Immunomodulatory effects of Clostridium butyricum on human enterocyte-like HT-29 cells

Gao Quanxin,Wang Jinbo,Qi Lili,Wu Tianxing,Xia Tingting 한국통합생물학회 2013 Animal cells and systems Vol.17 No.2

Oral administration of Clostridium butyricum as probiotics is increasingly gaining importance in the treatment of intestinal inflammations and improvement of animal performance. The mechanisms of host cell receptor recognition of C. butyricum and downstream immune signaling pathways leading to this beneficial event, however, remain unclear. In this study, C. butyricum was investigated for its capability to influence the innate immune response of HT-29 cells to explore its mechanism of action. Our data showed that C. butyricum was able to stimulate toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) production at mRNA level; however, TLR4, TLR5, TLR9, and myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 (MyD88) transcription levels remain unaltered. The nuclear factor kB (NF-kB), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) levels in response to C. butyricum were significantly increased, indicating that HT-29 cells were sensitised by C. butyricum. It is the first time that our findings have showed the specific signaling pathways in HT-29 cells stimulated by C. butyricum, which, at least in part, can help to explain the beneficial properties of C. butyricum.