LINC01094 accelerates the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma via the miR-26b-3p/MDM4 axis.

To elucidate the role of LINC01094 in accelerating the metastatic potential of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) via the miR-26b-3p/MDM4 axis. Differential levels of LINC01094 in clinical samples of HCC and their influence on pathological indicators of recruited HCC patients were detected. Hep3B and SK-HEP-1 cell lines with stable knockdown of LINC01094 were generated by shRNA transfection, followed by detection of migration and invasion by Transwell and wound healing assay. Bioinformatic analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assay and rescue experiments were conducted to assess the interaction between LINC01094 and the miR-26b-3p/MDM4 axis. LINC01094 was upregulated in clinical samples of HCC and its level was linked to the incidences of lymphatic and distant metastasis of HCC patients. Knockdown of LINC01094 weakened migratory and invasive abilities in Hep3B and SK-HEP-1 cells. MiR-26b-3p was the downstream target of LINC01094, which was lowly expressed in HCC tissues and negatively correlated to the LINC01094 level. Moreover, MDM4 was the target gene of miR-26b-3p, which was highly expressed in HCC tissues and negatively correlated to the miR-26b-3p level. Rescue experiments showed that the knockdown of miR-26b-3p could reverse the inhibited metastasis in Hep3B and SK-HEP-1 cells with a stable knockdown of LINC01094. LINC01094 accelerates the metastasis of HCC via the miR-26b-3p/MDM4 axis, which is a potential biomarker and therapeutic target to be utilized in clinical practice.

Stochastic Dynamics of the COVID-19 Case-Fatality Ratios in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines: Economic Implications for the Post-COVID-19 Era.

This paper analyses the stochastic dynamics of the COVID-19 Case-Fatality Ratios (CFR) in three developing economies in East Asia: Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The sample covers the daily frequency data from April 28, 2020, to June 29, 2021. For this purpose, we utilize two unit root tests, which consider one structural break and two structural breaks. The findings reveal that the CFR follows a unit root process in Indonesia and the Philippines. However, the CFR is stationary in Malaysia. This evidence indicates that the COVID-19 has a permanent effect in Indonesia and the Philippines but temporary in Malaysia. The paper also discusses the potential economic implications of these results for the post-COVID-19 era in the related developing economies.

Observation of therapeutic effect of 125I seed implantation combined with chemotherapy and antiviral therapy on HBV-related liver cancer.

PURPOSE: To investigate the therapeutic effect of 125I seed implantation combined with chemotherapy and antiviral therapy on hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver cancer. METHODS: A total of 126 patients with HBV-related liver cancer were selected and divided into observation group (n=63) and control group (n=63). The patients in the control group were treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and antiviral therapy, while those in the observation group were treated with 125I seed implantation combined with TACE and antiviral therapy. The therapeutic effect, liver function, serum HBV DNA and tumor marker levels, and changes in Child-Pugh score and Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score before and after treatment were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment in the observation group, the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), HBV DNA, alpha fetoprotein (AFP) levels and Child-Pugh score were lower than those in the control group, while the KPS score was significantly higher than in the control group (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the control rate of liver cancer after treatment between the two groups (p>0.05). The remission rate in the observation group was obviously higher than in the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: 125I seed implantation combined with chemotherapy and antiviral therapy can effectively eliminate HBV DNA, improve liver function, increase quality of life and enhance the therapeutic effect in patients with HBV-related liver cancer, so it is worthy of clinical popularization.