Quantifying species biases among multidata sources on illegal wildlife trade and its implications for conservation.

Unsustainable wildlife consumption and illegal wildlife trade (IWT) threaten biodiversity worldwide. Although publicly accessible data sets are increasingly used to generate insights into IWT, little is known about their potential bias. We compared three typical and temporally corresponding data sets (4204 court verdicts, 926 seizure news reports, and 219 bird market surveys) on traded birds native to China and evaluated their possible species biases. Specifically, we evaluated bias and completeness of sampling for species richness, phylogeny, conservation status, spatial distribution, and life-history characteristics among the three data sets when determining patterns of illegal trade. Court verdicts contained the largest species richness. In bird market surveys and seizure news reports, phylogenetic clustering was greater than that in court verdicts, where songbird species (i.e., Passeriformes) were detected in higher proportions in market surveys. The seizure news data set contained the highest proportion of species of high conservation priority but the lowest species coverage. Across the country, all data sets consistently reported relatively high species richness in south and southwest regions, but markets revealed a northern geographic bias. The species composition in court verdicts and markets also exhibited distinct geographical patterns. There was significant ecological trait bias when we modeled whether a bird species is traded in the market. Our regression model suggested that species with small body masses, large geographical ranges, and a preference for anthropogenic habitats and those that are not nationally protected were more likely to be traded illegally. The species biases we found emphasize the need to know the constraints of each data set so that they can optimally inform strategies to combat IWT.

Cuantificación del sesgo por especies entre fuentes de datos múltiples para el mercado ilegal de fauna y lo que implica para la conservación Resumen El consumo insostenible y el comercio ilegal de fauna y flora silvestres amenazan la biodiversidad en todo el mundo. Aunque los conjuntos de datos de acceso público se utilizan cada vez más para obtener información sobre el mercado ilegal de especies silvestres, se sabe poco sobre su posible sesgo. Comparamos tres conjuntos de datos típicos con correspondencia temporal (4,204 sentencias judiciales, 926 informes de noticias sobre incautaciones y 219 encuestas sobre mercados de aves) de aves autóctonas de China objeto de comercio y evaluamos sus posibles sesgos por especie. En concreto, evaluamos el sesgo y la exhaustividad del muestreo de la riqueza de especies, la filogenia, el estado de conservación, la distribución espacial y las características del ciclo vital entre los tres conjuntos de datos a la hora de determinar los patrones del mercado ilegal. Las sentencias judiciales contenían la mayor riqueza de especies. En los estudios de mercado de aves y en los informes de noticias sobre incautaciones, la agrupación filogenética fue mayor que en las sentencias judiciales, donde las especies de aves canoras (Passeriformes) se detectaron en mayor proporción en los estudios de mercado. El conjunto de datos de noticias sobre decomisos contenía la mayor proporción de especies de alta prioridad para la conservación, pero la menor cobertura de especies. En todo el país, todos los conjuntos de datos informaron sistemáticamente de una riqueza de especies relativamente alta en las regiones sur y suroeste, pero los mercados revelaron un sesgo geográfico septentrional. La composición por especies en los veredictos judiciales y en los mercados también mostró patrones geográficos distintos. Hubo un sesgo significativo de rasgos ecológicos cuando modelamos si una especie de ave se comercializa en el mercado. Nuestro modelo de regresión sugería que las especies con masas corporales pequeñas, grandes áreas de distribución geográfica y preferencia por los hábitats antropogénicos y las especies que no están protegidas a nivel nacional tenían más probabilidades de ser objeto de comercio ilegal. Los sesgos de las especies que hallamos resaltan la necesidad de conocer las limitaciones de cada conjunto de datos para poder informar de manera óptima las estrategias de lucha contra el comercio ilegal de especies silvestres.

Depiction of the Genetic Alterations and Molecular Landscapes of Thymic Epithelial Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs), consisting of thymomas, thymic carcinomas (TCs), and thymic neuroendocrine tumors, are rare diseases. Surgery remains the prime option in resectable and early-stage TETs, while chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy are also potential treatment modalities. However, the inadequate comprehension of the molecular landscape of TETs impedes the exploitation of such therapies. Hence, we conducted a meta-analysis which includes 21 studies reporting on genomic alterations in TETs and 14 studies reporting on PD-L1 expression levels, respectively. The pooled estimated rates of the most frequently mutated genes and PD-L1 expression levels were analyzed using the R software. We uncovered that the pooled estimated overall mutation rate is 0.65 ([0.49; 0.81]), and the top three genes with highest mutation frequency in thymomas and TCs are GTF2I (0.4263 [0.3590; 0.4936]), TP53 (0.1101 [0.0000; 0.2586]), and RAS (0.0341 [0.0104; 0.0710]), and TP53 (0.1797 [0.0732; 0.3203]), CDKN2A (0.0608 [0.0139; 0.1378]), and TET2 (0.0318 [0.0087; 0.0639]), respectively. A uniform GTF2I mutational rate in thymomas and TP53 mutational rate in thymic squamous cell carcinomas (TSCCs) are also observed. The pooled estimated expression level of PD-L1 is 0.71 ([0.59-0.81]). This systematic review provides an overview of the gene alteration landscape and PD-L1 expression levels in TETs, discovers several potential confounding factors that may contribute to the high heterogeneity, and facilitates deeper investigations into the elucidation of the molecular landscape of TETs.

LcMPK3 and LcMPK6 positively regulate fruitlet abscission in litchi.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades have been discovered to play a fundamental role in regulating organ abscission. However, the identity of protein substrates targeted by MAPK cascades, as well as whether the role of MAPK protein cascades in the abscission process is conserved across different plant species, remain unknown. Here, the role of homologs of MPK3 and MPK6 in regulating fruit abscission were characterized in litchi. Ectopic expression of LcMPK3 or LcMPK6 in Arabidopsis mpk3 mpk6 mutant rescued the deficiency in floral organ abscission, while silencing of LcMPK3 or LcMPK6 in litchi significantly decreased fruitlet abscission. Importantly, a total of 49 proteins interacting with LcMPK3 were identified through yeast two-hybrid screening, including two components of the MAPK signaling cascade, five transcription factors, and two aquaporins. Furthermore, the interaction between LcMPK3/6 with LcBZR1/2, core components in brassinosteroids signaling that suppress litchi fruitlet abscission, was confirmed using in vitro and in vivo assays. Moreover, phos-tag assays demonstrated that LcMPK3/6 could phosphorylate LcBZR1/2, with several phosphorylation residues identified. Together, our findings suggest that LcMPK3 and LcMPK6 play a positive regulatory role in fruitlet abscission in litchi, and offer crucial information for the investigation of mechanisms underlying MPK3/6-mediated organ abscission in plants.

Modulating the Electronic Structure of Cobalt-Vanadium Bimetal Catalysts for High-Stable Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer.

Modulating the electronic structure of catalysts to effectively couple the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is essential for developing high-efficiency anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer (AEMWE). Herein, a coral-like nanoarray composed of nanosheets through the synergistic layering effect of cobalt and the 1D guiding of vanadium is synthesized, which promotes extensive contact between the active sites and electrolyte. The HER and OER activities can be enhanced by modulating the electronic structure through nitridation and phosphorization, respectively, enhancing the strength of metal-H bond to optimize hydrogen adsorption and facilitating the proton transfer to improve the transformation of oxygen-containing intermediates. Resultantly, the AEMWE achieves a current density of 500 mA cm-2 at 1.76 V for 1000 h in 1.0 M KOH at 70 °C. The energy consumption is 4.21 kWh Nm-3 with the producing hydrogen cost of $0.93 per kg H2. Operando synchrotron radiation and Bode phase angle analyses reveal that during the high-energy consumed OER, the dissolution of vanadium species transforms distorted Co-O octahedral into regular octahedral structures, accompanied by a shortening of the Co-Co bond length. This structural evolution facilitates the formation of oxygen intermediates, thus accelerating the reaction kinetics.

The expression profile of brain-derived exosomal miRNAs reveals the key molecules responsible for spontaneous motor function recovery in a rat model with permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion.

The analysis of alterations in the expression and functionality of brain-derived exosomal miRNAs within ischemic stroke lesions provides significant insights into the mechanisms that contribute to disease recovery. We assessed spontaneous motor function in a rat model of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) using motor function scores and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Brain-derived exosomes from the infarcted brain tissue of the animal model were extracted and high-throughput sequencing of them was performed followed by bioinformatics analysis for differentially expressed miRNAs target genes. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to measure expression levels of differentially expressed miRNAs at various time points. The oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model was established to investigate gene function through the assessment of cell proliferation and apoptosis using EdU proliferation and JC-1 apoptosis assay. The rat model demonstrated a spontaneous recovery of motor function and a reduction in cerebral infarction area from day 1 to day 14 post-operation. Over the course of the recovery period, miR-24-3p, miR-129-1-3p, and miR-212-5p maintained consistent expression levels, reaching their peak on the initial day following surgery. In the cell model, EdU detection indicated that miR-129-1-3p promoted cellular proliferation, while JC-1 detection revealed its suppressive impact on cellular apoptosis. The current research findings indicated the presence of spontaneous motor function restoration in a rat model of ischemic stroke. MiR-24-3p, miR-129-1-3p, and miR-212-5p were identified as pivotal genes in this recovery process, with miR-129-1-3p potentially influencing the restoration of spontaneous motor function in ischemic stroke through the regulation of neuronal proliferation and apoptosis.

Identifying the regulatory network of microRNAs and mRNAs to clarify molecular mechanisms in stroke by bioinformatics analysis.

BACKGROUND: Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide. OBJECTIVE: To identify the regulatory network of microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs to clarify molecular mechanisms in stroke. METHODS: Four miRNA datasets and two mRNA datasets of stroke were downloaded from the GEO database. R-Studio was utilized to analyze differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) and mRNAs (DEmRNAs) in the blood of stroke and control patients. FunRich software was utilized to conduct GO and biological pathway analysis on DEmiRNAs, and to search for transcription factors (TFs) of DEmiRNAs. Subsequently, we used miRDB, miRTarBase, and TargetScan to identify DEmiRNAs target genes and intersected with DEmRNAs to find common target genes. The miRNA-mRNA regulatory network of common target genes was constructed by using the Cytoscape. The biological and functional roles of target genes in the regulatory network were predicted using GO and KEGG pathway analyses. RESULTS: 464 DEmiRNAs and 329 DEmRNAs were screened. The top ten TFs (SP1, SP4, EGR1, TCF3, NKX6-1, ZFP161, RREB1, MEF2A, NFIC, POU2F1) were visualized. 16747 target genes of DEmiRNAs were predicted. Target genes were intersected with DEmRNAs, 107 common target genes and 162 DEmiRNAs regulating these common genes were obtained, and then a regulatory network was constructed. Target genes of the regulatory network were primarily enriched in VEGF signaling pathway, lipid and atherosclerosis, T cell receptor signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: This study found that VEGF signaling pathway, lipid and atherosclerosis, T cell receptor signaling pathway are implicated in the biological process of stroke by constructing the regulatory network of miRNAs-mRNAs, which may have guide significance for the pathogenesis and treatment of stroke.

Identification and diagnostic potential of hsa_circ_101303 in colorectal cancer: unraveling a regulatory network.

BACKGROUND: The role of novel circular RNAs (circRNAs) in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains to be determined. This study aimed to identify a novel circRNA involved in CRC pathogenesis, assess its diagnostic value, and construct a regulatory network. METHODS: Differential expression analysis was conducted using circRNA datasets to screen for differentially expressed circRNAs. The expression of selected circRNAs was validated in external datasets and clinical samples. Diagnostic value of plasma circRNA levels in CRC was assessed. A competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was constructed for the circRNA using TCGA dataset. RESULTS: Analysis of datasets revealed that hsa_circ_101303 was significantly overexpressed in CRC tissues compared to normal tissues. The upregulation of hsa_circ_101303 in CRC tissues was further confirmed through the GSE138589 dataset and clinical samples. High expression of hsa_circ_101303 was associated with advanced N stage, M stage, and tumor stage in CRC. Plasma levels of hsa_circ_101303 were markedly elevated in CRC patients and exhibited moderate diagnostic ability for CRC (AUC = 0.738). The host gene of hsa_circ_101303 was also found to be related to the TNM stage of CRC. Nine miRNAs were identified as target miRNAs for hsa_circ_101303, and 27 genes were identified as targets of these miRNAs. Subsequently, a ceRNA network for hsa_circ_101303 was constructed to illustrate the interactions between the nine miRNAs and 27 genes. CONCLUSIONS: The study identifies hsa_circ_101303 as a highly expressed circRNA in CRC, which is associated with the progression of the disease. Plasma levels of hsa_circ_101303 show promising diagnostic potential for CRC. The ceRNA network for hsa_circ_101303 provides valuable insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying CRC.

Nationwide law enforcement impact on the pet bird trade in China.

Conservation enforcement is a direct strategy to combat illegal wildlife trade in open markets. Yet, its large-scale effectiveness has not been widely assessed due to the lack of extensive market data. Between August 2016 and June 2017, a national coordinated enforcement campaign led by the leading Chinese authority to combat illegal migratory bird trade coincided with the largest-ever pet bird market survey across China by voluntary birdwatchers before and after the enforcement, which served as a unique natural experiment. Across 73 markets from 22 Chinese provinces, the dataset contains 140,723 birds of 346 species from 48 families and recorded a drastic decline in bird abundance traded after enforcement. Notably, species protected under China's Wildlife Protection Law declined significantly, while commercially bred species increased, although responses to enforcement were spatially heterogeneous. Our model showed that the national protection level was the best predictor for the trend of traded species, even after accounting for confounding factors such as regional baseline enforcement pressure and wild native bird populations. However, the widely traded native songbirds were not offered adequate national protection. Future policies should consider the pet bird trade patterns, target key areas of trade, and develop a more systematic market survey design to monitor trade.

Chronic myeloid leukaemia: Biology and therapy.

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is caused by BCR::ABL1. Tyrosine kinase-inhibitors (TKIs) are the initial therapy. Several organizations have reported milestones to evaluate response to initial TKI-therapy and suggest when a change of TKI should be considered. Achieving treatment-free remission (TFR) is increasingly recognized as the optimal therapy goal. Which TKI is the best initial therapy for which persons and what depth and duration of molecular remission is needed to achieve TFR are controversial. In this review we discuss these issues and suggest future research directions.

The transcriptional control of LcIDL1-LcHSL2 complex by LcARF5 integrates auxin and ethylene signaling for litchi fruitlet abscission.

At the physiological level, the interplay between auxin and ethylene has long been recognized as crucial for the regulation of organ abscission in plants. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we identified transcription factors involved in indoleacetic acid (IAA) and ethylene (ET) signaling that directly regulate the expression of INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION (IDA) and its receptor HAESA (HAE), which are key components initiating abscission. Specifically, litchi IDA-like 1 (LcIDL1) interacts with the receptor HAESA-like 2 (LcHSL2). Through in vitro and in vivo experiments, we determined that the auxin response factor LcARF5 directly binds and activates both LcIDL1 and LcHSL2. Furthermore, we found that the ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 3-like transcription factor LcEIL3 directly binds and activates LcIDL1. The expression of IDA and HSL2 homologs was enhanced in LcARF5 and LcEIL3 transgenic Arabidopsis plants, but reduced in ein3 eil1 mutants. Consistently, the expressions of LcIDL1 and LcHSL2 were significantly decreased in LcARF5- and LcEIL3-silenced fruitlet abscission zones (FAZ), which correlated with a lower rate of fruitlet abscission. Depletion of auxin led to an increase in 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (the precursor of ethylene) levels in the litchi FAZ, followed by abscission activation. Throughout this process, LcARF5 and LcEIL3 were induced in the FAZ. Collectively, our findings suggest that the molecular interactions between litchi AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 5 (LcARF5)-LcIDL1/LcHSL2 and LcEIL3-LcIDL1 signaling modules play a role in regulating fruitlet abscission in litchi and provide a long-sought mechanistic explanation for how the interplay between auxin and ethylene is translated into the molecular events that initiate abscission.

Risk Factors and Prognosis of Early Neurological Deterioration after Bridging Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Early neurological deterioration (END) after bridging therapy (BT) of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients is associated with poor outcomes. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to study the incidence, risk factors and prognosis of END after BT. METHODS: From January to December 2021, the clinical data of AIS patients treated by BT (intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase prior to mechanical thrombectomy) from three comprehensive stroke centers were analyzed. Patients were divided into non-END group and END group according to whether they developed END within 72 hours of symptom onset. Modified Rankin scale (mRS) was used to assess the patient's prognosis at 90 days, and favorable outcomes were defined as mRS≤2. The incidence of END was investigated, and binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore its associated factors. RESULTS: The incidence of END after BT was 33.67%. The eligible 90 patients included 29 cases in the END group and 61 cases in the non-END group. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that increase of systolic blood pressure (SBP) (OR=1.026, 95%CI:1.001-1.051, p =0.043), higher level of blood glucose at admission (OR=1.389, 95%CI:1.092-1.176, p =0.007) and large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) subtype (OR=8.009, 95%CI:2.357-27.223, p =0.001) were independent risk factors of END. Compared with the non-END group, the END group had significantly lower rates of good outcomes (6.90% versus 65.57%, p =0.001) while higher rates of mortality (44.83% versus 4.92%, p =0.001). CONCLUSION: It was found that the incidence of END after BT in AIS patients was 33.67%. An increase in SBP, higher glucose levels at admission, and LAA were independent risk factors of END that predicted a poor prognosis.

Structure-based design and synthesis of anti-fibrotic compounds derived from para-positioned 3,4,5-trisubstituted benzene.

Liver fibrosis is an abnormal wound-healing response to liver injuries. It can lead to liver cirrhosis, and even liver cancer and liver failure. There is a lack of treatment for liver fibrosis and it is of great importance to develop anti-fibrotic drugs. A pivotal event in the process of developing liver fibrosis is the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), in which the nuclear receptor Nur77 plays a crucial role. This study aimed to develop novel anti-fibrotic agents with Nur77 as the drug target by modifying the structure of THPN, a Nur77-binding and anti-melanoma compound. Specifically, a series of para-positioned 3,4,5-trisubstituted benzene ring compounds with long-chain backbone were generated and tested for anti-fibrotic activity. Among these compounds, compound A8 was with the most potent and Nur77-dependent inhibitory activity against TGF-ß1-induced activation of HSCs. In a crystal structure analysis, compound A8 bound Nur77 in a peg-in-hole mode as THPN did but adopted a different conformation that could interfere the Nur77 interaction with AKT, which was previous shown to be important for an anti-fibrotic activity. In a cell-based assay, compound A8 indeed impeded the interaction between Nur77 and AKT leading to the stabilization of Nur77 without the activation of AKT. In a mouse model, compound A8 effectively suppressed the activation of AKT signaling pathway and up-regulated the cellular level of Nur77 to attenuate the HSCs activation and ameliorate liver fibrosis with no significant toxic side effects. Collectively, this work demonstrated that Nur77-targeting compound A8 is a promising anti-fibrotic drug candidate.

Frequency specific alterations of the degree centrality in patients with acute basal ganglia ischemic stroke: a resting-state fMRI study.

This study intended to investigate the frequency specific brain oscillation activity in patients with acute basal ganglia ischemic stroke (BGIS) by using the degree centrality (DC) method. A total of 34 acute BGIS patients and 44 healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scanning. The DC values in three frequency bands (conventional band: 0.01-0.08 Hz, slow­4 band: 0.027-0.073 Hz, slow­5 band: 0.01-0.027 Hz) were calculated. A two-sample t-test was used to explore the between-group differences in the conventional frequency band. A two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the DC differences between groups (BGIS patients, HCs) and bands (slow­4, slow­5). Moreover, correlations between DC values and clinical indicators were performed. In conventional band, the DC value in the right middle temporal gyrus was decreased in BGIS patients compared with HCs. Significant differences of DC were observed between the two bands mainly in the bilateral cortical brain regions. Compared with the HCs, the BGIS patients showed increased DC in the right superior temporal gyrus and the left precuneus, but decreased mainly in the right inferior temporal gyrus, right inferior occipital gyrus, right precentral, and right supplementary motor area. Furthermore, the decreased DC in the right rolandic operculum in slow-4 band and the right superior temporal gyrus in slow-5 band were found by post hoc two-sample t-test of main effect of group. There was no significant correlation between DC values and clinical scales after Bonferroni correction. Our findings showed that the DC changes in BGIS patients were frequency specific. Functional abnormalities in local brain regions may help us to understand the underlying pathogenesis mechanism of brain functional reorganization of BGIS patients.

Learning of a Classmate's Suicide Ideation Affects Emotions When Advising the Classmate and the Helpfulness of the Advice Provided.

OBJECTIVE: Suicide ideation (SI) is prevalent among college students, and suicide disclosure (SD) is critical for crisis intervention. However, students with SI may worry about stigmatizing responses to their disclosure. To better understand the mechanism of stigmatizing responses to SD, we investigated the effects of a hypothetical classmate's SD on college students' emotions and reasoning when providing advice to a distressed classmate. METHOD: In a randomized controlled experiment, students wrote advice to a hypothetical classmate who recently failed in his pursuit of a romantic relationship with a peer. The experimental/control group also learned he wanted to either commit suicide/quit school. When typing the advice, participants' facial expressions were recorded and analyzed by Facereader7.1. After advising, participants reported their sadness, joy, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust when advising. Finally, trained coders coded the common themes of their advice and rated the wise reasoning involved. Additionally, two experts in suicide prevention rated the helpfulness of their advice for the classmate. RESULTS: The experimental group showed significantly fewer facial expressions of happiness, reported higher sadness and fear, provided less helpful advice, and mentioned "confronting reality" less during advising. The difference in disgust and wise reasoning was nonsignificant. CONCLUSION: Learning of a classmate's SI may increase fear and sadness among recipients and reduce the helpfulness of their advice. Increased psychoeducation for students that focuses on improving emotional regulation (especially facial expressions) during SI may reduce the stigma surrounding SI and prevent perceived burdensomeness among individuals with SI after SD.

Hearing a peer's SI reduced listeners' happiness and increased sadness and fear.Listeners' disgust did not change significantly after learning of a classmate's SI.Learning of a classmate's SI reduced the helpfulness of listeners' advice.

Glycine Decarboxylase (GLDC) Plays a Crucial Role in Regulating Energy Metabolism, Invasion, Metastasis and Immune Escape for Prostate Cancer.

Glycine decarboxylase (GLDC) is one of the core enzymes for glycine metabolism, and its biological roles in prostate cancer (PCa) are unclear. First, we found that GLDC plays a central role in glycolysis in 540 TCGA PCa patients. Subsequently, a metabolomic microarray showed that GLDC enhanced aerobic glycolysis in PCa cells, and GLDC and its enzyme activity enhanced glucose uptake, lactate production and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in PCa cells. Next, we found that GLDC was highly expressed in PCa, was directly regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF1-α) and regulated downstream LDHA expression. In addition, GLDC and its enzyme activity showed a strong ability to promote the migration and invasion of PCa both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, we found that the GLDC-high group had a higher TP53 mutation frequency, lower CD8+ T-cell infiltration, higher immune checkpoint expression, and higher immune exclusion scores than the GLDC-low group. Finally, the GLDC-based prognostic risk model by applying LASSO Cox regression also showed good predictive power for the clinical characteristics and survival in PCa patients. This evidence indicates that GLDC plays crucial roles in glycolytic metabolism, invasion and metastasis, and immune escape in PCa, and it is a potential therapeutic target for prostate cancer.

Survival analysis of surgical versus nonsurgical treatment in stage I to III small cell lung cancer in the last 20 years: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

More and more patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) have received surgical treatment in the last 20 years. This meta-analysis compared whether surgical treatment can bring greater survival benefits to patients with stage I-III SCLC compared with chemotherapy, radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy. Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane library database, and ClinicalTrials were searched for relevant articles. The main outcomes were overall survival (OS), reported as hazard ratios (HRs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 19 articles containing 30 185 patients (3940 patients receiving surgical treatment and 26 245 patients receiving nonsurgical treatment) were included in this study. Surgical resection significantly improved OS when compared to nonsurgical treatment in retrospective studies (HR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.47-0.64, p < 0.01). In the subgroup analysis for retrospective studies, surgical resection was associated with superior OS in stage I (HR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.24-0.71, p < 0.01), stage II (HR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.52-0.73, p < 0.01), and stage III diseases (HR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.51-0.86, p < 0.01). Sublobar resection resulted in worse OS than a lobectomy (HR: 0.78,95% CI: 0.60-1.00, p < 0.01) for patients undergoing surgical resection. Compared with nonsurgical treatment, surgical treatment can indeed bring more significant survival benefits to patients with stage I-III SCLC, and lobectomy can bring longer survival compared with sublobectomy. More prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Safety and efficacy of intravenous thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke taking direct oral anticoagulants prior to stroke: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To assess the safety and efficacy of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) taking direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) prior to stroke. METHODS: Literature was searched in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase until March 13, 2023. The primary outcome was symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH). Secondary outcomes included excellent outcome (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] 0-1), functional independence (mRS 0-2), and mortality. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Five non-randomized studies included 239,879 patients with AIS treated with IVT, with 3400 (1.42%) taking DOACs prior to stroke. The rates of sICH did not differ statistically between patients taking DOACs and those not taking anticoagulants (unadjusted OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.67-1.44; P = 0.92; adjusted OR 0.81; 95% CI 0.64-1.03; P = 0.09). Patients taking DOACs had significantly higher adjusted rates of excellent outcome (adjusted OR 1.22; 95% CI 1.06-1.40; P < 0.01) and functional independence (adjusted OR 1.25; 95% CI 1.10-1.42; P < 0.01) at discharge than those not taking anticoagulants. No significant difference was observed in mortality and other efficacy outcomes between groups after adjustment. CONCLUSION: The meta-analysis indicated that taking DOACs prior to stroke does not significantly increase the risk of sICH in selected patients with AIS treated with IVT. Furthermore, the benefits of IVT in selected patients taking DOACs appear to be comparable to those not taking anticoagulants. Further research is warranted to confirm the findings.

Altered Spontaneous Brain Activity in Cirrhotic Patients with Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy: A Meta-Analysis of Resting-State Functional Imaging.

(1) Background: Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is an important complication of decompensated cirrhosis. Previous studies have demonstrated spontaneous brain activity alterations in cirrhotic patients with MHE. However, the reported results are inconsistent, which has limited our understanding of the potential neural mechanisms. Thus, we conducted a quantitative meta-analysis of resting-state functional imaging studies to identify the regional activity alterations consistently involved in MHE. (2) Methods: We searched six databases to include resting-state functional imaging studies and compared spontaneous brain activity patterns between MHE patients and healthy controls (HCs), and between cirrhotic patients without minimal hepatic encephalopathy (NMHE) and HCs. Then, a separate whole-brain voxel-wise meta-analysis between MHE or NMHE patients and HCs was conducted using seed-based d mapping with permutation of subject images. We further conducted the conjunction analysis to assess the distinct regional activity alterations between MHE and NMHE patients as compared to HCs. (3) Results: Thirteen studies with twenty datasets were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with HCs, MHE patients showed decreased spontaneous brain activity in the left superior frontal gyrus, left median cingulate/paracingulate gyri, and right precuneus. Compared with NMHE patients, MHE patients indicated decreased spontaneous brain activity in the left superior frontal gyrus, left median cingulate/paracingulate gyri, and right precuneus. (4) Conclusions: MHE is associated with spontaneous brain activity alterations involving the left superior frontal gyrus and median cingulate/paracingulate gyri, which may implicate primarily in spatial working memory and emotional disorders. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of the potential neural mechanisms, and guide further research.

Different doses of tenecteplase vs. alteplase for acute ischemic stroke within 4.5 hours of symptom onset: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The optimal dose of tenecteplase vs. alteplase for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has yet to be established. Therefore, we included the latest randomized controlled trials (RCT) to assess the efficacy and safety of different doses of tenecteplase vs. alteplase for AIS within 4.5 hours of symptom onset. Methods: Literature was searched in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and clinical trial registries until February 12, 2023. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% credible intervals (CrI) were estimated using Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA). Treatments were ranked based on efficacy and safety using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). Results: Eleven RCTs with 5,475 patients were included. Tenecteplase 0.25 mg/kg and alteplase 0.9 mg/kg had significantly higher rates of excellent functional outcome (tenecteplase: OR, 1.85; 95% CrI, 1.44-2.37; alteplase: OR, 1.60; 95% CrI, 1.29-1.97) and good functional outcome (tenecteplase: OR, 1.54; 95% CrI, 1.19-1.98; alteplase: OR, 1.40; 95% CrI, 1.14-1.74) than placebo, despite an increased risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. Furthermore, the NMA (OR, 1.16; 95% CrI, 1.01-1.33) and the pairwise meta-analysis (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.02-1.33; P = 0.03) indicated that tenecteplase 0.25 mg/kg was superior to alteplase 0.9 mg/kg in excellent functional outcome. Alteplase 0.9 mg/kg (OR, 2.54; 95% CrI, 1.45-8.08) significantly increased the risk of any intracranial hemorrhage compared with placebo. SUCRA results demonstrated that tenecteplase 0.25 mg/kg ranked first and tenecteplase 0.4 mg/kg ranked last in efficacy outcomes. Conclusions: The NMA indicated that tenecteplase 0.25 mg/kg and alteplase 0.9 mg/kg are safe and significantly improve clinical outcomes in patients with AIS within 4.5 h of symptom onset. Furthermore, tenecteplase 0.25 mg/kg provides more benefit and has the potential to replace alteplase 0.9 mg/kg in AIS treatment. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/index.php, identifier: CRD42022343948.

Characteristics of Poor Prognosis in Patients with Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Purpose: The present study aimed to identify the characteristics, predictors, and imaging features of poor recovery in cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). Patients and Methods: A total of 290 consecutive adult patients with CVST were enrolled from January 2017 to December 2021 from five hospitals in Nanning, Guangxi. According to the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score at hospital discharge, the patients were classified into good prognosis (GP, mRS ≤2) groups and poor prognosis (PP, mRS>2) groups. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with clinical outcomes. Results: Of the 290 patients, 35 were assigned to the PP group and 255 to the GP group. No significant difference in sex was observed between the two groups. Headache (76.21%) was the most frequent symptom of CVST, and local head and neck infection was the major comorbidity (26.21%). Approximately half of the patients (48.62%) had brain injury lesions <1 cm, and the most commonly affected sinus was the lateral sinus (81.03%). Less-common headaches (odds ratio [OR]: 2.769, p=0.046), altered mental status (OR: 0.122, p<0.001), hematologic disorder (OR: 0.191, p=0.045), and injury to multiple lobes (OR: 0.166, p=0.041) were associated with poor clinical outcomes. Conclusion: Headache was the most common and protective manifestation of CVST, and disturbances in consciousness were an important indication of poor clinical prognosis. Patients with hematologic diseases also tended to have poor outcomes. No significant correlation was found between the number and location of venous sinus thromboses and clinical prognosis; however, intracranial injury involving multiple lobes was often associated with poor prognosis.