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The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is involved in the development of hepatic fibrosis. Previous studies have indicated that the acquisition of certain properties by activated HSCs is highly dependent on the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. However, direct evidence showing that the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton is responsible for HSC activation is lacking. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of cytoskeletal reorganization during HSC activation and to clarify the underlying mechanism. HSC-T6 cells were treated either with the F-actin stabilizer jasplakinolide (Jas) or the depolymerizer cytochalasin D (Cyto D). The actin cytoskeleton was evaluated via assessment of stress fiber formation. Furthermore, the activation properties of HSCs, including proliferation, adhesion, migration and the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen 1, were investigated in vitro. The results showed that Jas and Cyto D affected the actin distribution in HSC-T6 cells. Treatment with Jas resulted in thick actin bundles and a patchy appearance in the cytoplasm in HSC-T6 cells. In parallel, polymerization of actin microfilaments induced by Jas upregulated the expression of α-SMA and collagen 1, and also enhanced the migration and adhesion properties of HSC-T6 cells. Furthermore, the activation of HSC-T6 cells induced by the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton was associated with the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) pathway. In conclusion, the present study suggests that the reorganization of the F-actin cytoskeleton is associated with HSC activation and that the p38 MAPK pathway is involved in this process. The inhibition of F-actin reorganization may thus be a potential key factor or molecular target for the control of liver fibrosis or cirrhosis.

Cabin placement layout is an important part of ship cabin layout design. A good cabin placement layout can improve the efficiency of the ship’s cabin arrangement. However, optimisation of the layout of cabin placement is not widely studied and more often relies on the experience of the staff. Thus, a novel methodology combining systematic layout planning and a genetic algorithm to optimise the cabin placement is presented in this paper. First key elements are converted by a systematic planning method that is often applied in factory layout, and a preliminary cabin placement layout model is established according to these key elements. Then the circulation strength and adjacency strength are taken as sub-objectives to establish a mathematical model, and an improved genetic algorithm is used to optimise the model. The result of the optimisation is compared with the initial schemes to verify the validity of the algorithm. Finally, the human factors are introduced according to the actual situation. The AHP method is used to select the layout scheme of the cabin that is most likely to be applied in the actual cabin layout.

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