Comparing adverse events of tenecteplase and alteplase: a real-world analysis of the FDA adverse event reporting system (FAERS).

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to monitor, identify, and compare the adverse events (AEs) related to tenecteplase and alteplase, with the objective of exploring the potential safety of tenecteplase for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and guiding its use to enhance patient safety. METHODS: In order to evaluate the disproportionality of AEs associated with tenecteplase and alteplase in real-world data, four algorithms (ROR, PRR, BCPNN, EBGM) were utilized as measures to detect signals of AEs related to both drugs. Subsequently, Breslow-Day statistical analysis was applied to compare the RORs of the main system organ classes (SOCs) and key preferred terms (PTs) between tenecteplase and alteplase. RESULTS: A statistical analysis was performed utilizing data gleaned from the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database, encompassing 19,514,140 case reports from 2004Q1 to 2023Q1. There were 1,004 cases where tenecteplase was reported as the primary suspected (PS) and 2,363 tenecteplase-related adverse drug reactions (ADRs) at the PTs level were identified, the two data of alteplase were 10,945 and 25,266, respectively. The occurrence of drug-induced ADRs was analyzed across 27 organ systems, The analysis revealed several expected ADRs, such as Haemorrhage, Hypersensitivity which were consistent with the two drug-labels. It is of note that the signal strengths of 'death,' 'ventricular fibrillation,' 'cardiogenic shock' and 'pneumonia aspiration' at the PT level were markedly higher for tenecteplase than for alteplase, whereas the signal strength of 'angioedema' at the PT level was significantly higher for alteplase in comparison to tenecteplase. Additionally, unexpected significant ADRs associated with ocular adverse reactions and pneumonia aspiration at the PT level were identified, indicating potential AEs not currently mentioned in the drug instructions. CONCLUSION: This study identified and compared signals of ADRs associated with tenecteplase and alteplase, although tenecteplase is as effective as alteplase and has advantages such as ease of use and affordability, it cannot replace alteplase in the treatment of AIS until its safety profile is fully recognized. Additionally, previously unreported ocular ADRs and pneumonia were identified, providing valuable insights into the relationship between ADRs and the use of these thrombolytic drugs. These findings underscore the importance of continuous monitoring and effective detection of AEs to ultimately enhance the safety of AIS patients undergoing thrombolytic therapy.

Development of a prognostic signature based on anoikis-related genes in hepatocellular carcinoma with the utilization of LASSO-cox method.

To develop a signature based on anoikis-related genes (ARGs) for predicting the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved. In this study, bioinformatic algorithms were applied to integrate and analyze 777 HCC RNA-seq samples from the cancer genome atlas and international cancer genome consortium repositories. A prognostic signature was developed via the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator-cox regression method. To evaluate the accuracy of the signature in predicting events, multi-type technical means, such as Kaplan-Meier plots, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, nomogram construction, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression studies were performed. We investigated the underlying molecular biological mechanisms and immune mechanisms of the signature using gene set enrichment analysis and the CIBERSORT R package, respectively. Meanwhile, immunohistochemical staining acquired from the human protein atlas was used to confirm the differential expression levels of hub genes involved in the prognostic signature. We developed an HCC prognostic signature with a collection of 5 ARGs, and the prognostic value was successfully assessed and verified in both the test and validation cohorts. The risk scores calculated by the prognostic signature were proved to be an independent negative prognostic factor for overall survival. A set of nomograms based on risk scores was established and found to be effective in predicting OS. Further investigation of the underlying molecular biological mechanisms and immune mechanisms indicated that the signature may be relevant to metabolic dysregulation and infiltration of gamma delta T cells in the tumor. The survival prognosis of HCC patients can be predicted by the anoikis-related prognostic signature, and it serves as a valuable reference for individualized HCC therapy.

Comparison of clinical characteristics of first-episode thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and TTP-like syndrome: a retrospective cohort study in a level I hematology center in China.

Comparing the characteristics of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and TTP-like syndrome patients at admission will allow early differentiation of TTP from TTP-like syndrome and help tailor initial treatment. The medical records of 78 patients with suspected TTP in the Emergency Department of Peking University People's Hospital in the past 5 years were retrospectively analyzed and divided into TTP and TTP-like syndrome groups based on ADAMTS13 activity and ADAMTS13 antibody titer. There were 25 and 53 patients in the TTP group and the TTP-like syndrome group, respectively. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (P = 0.025) was tremendously higher, and albumin (P = 0.002) was lower in the TTP-like syndrome group, indicating a more severe inflammation. Compared with the TTP-like syndrome group, the TTP group had an approximately two-fold to three-fold higher prevalence of central nervous system dysfunction (P < 0.001). Also, hemolysis was more substantial in the TTP group as evidenced by higher schistocytes (P < 0.001), reticulocyte (P < 0.001), total bilirubin (P = 0.002), indirect bilirubin (P < 0.001), lactate dehydrogenase (P = 0.007) and cell-free hemoglobin (P < 0.001), simultaneously lower platelet (P < 0.001), haptoglobin (P = 0.044), and ADAMTS13 activity (P < 0.001). The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the TTP group significantly predicted poor prognosis (log-rank test: X2 = 5.368, P = 0.021). TTP and TTP-like syndrome are two kinds of distinct phenotypes with different hemolysis statuses and illustrated differentiated inflammatory reactions, target organ damage (TOD), and the clinical outcome.

Campylobacter jejuni-Associated Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis and Guillain-Barre Syndrome: A Case Report.

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni), a Gram-negative bacterium, belongs to microaerobic bacteria. We reported a 21-year-old male patient diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) due to C. jejuni infection, who presented with multiple clinical manifestations of peripheral nerve injury, such as ophthalmoplegia, facial paralysis, and urinary retention during the treatment. Electromyography showed neurogenic injury and the final diagnosis was Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). After treatment of dexamethasone combined with immunoglobulin, the patient was discharged from the hospital with partial recovery of neurological symptoms.

Serum cystatin C, kidney injury molecule-1, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, klotho and fibroblast growth factor-23 in the early prediction of acute kidney injury associated with sepsis in a Chinese emergency cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common and critical complication of sepsis, and is associated with unacceptable morbidity and mortality. Current diagnostic criteria for AKI was insensitive for early detection. Novel biomarkers including cystatin C, kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), klotho and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) can predict AKI earlier and allow immediate interventions. We aimed to determine the diagnostic performance of these biomarkers for detecting AKI in sepsis patients. METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted between May 2018 and November 2020, enrolling 162 sepsis patients eventually. The AKI was defined in accordance with 2012 KDIGO criteria and we divided patients into non-AKI (n = 102) and AKI (n = 60) groups. Serum levels of several AKI biomarkers were detected by ELISA. The relationship between biomarker levels on admission of AKI was analyzed and discrimination performances comparison were performed. RESULTS: AKI incidence was up to 37.0% (60/162) during hospitalization. Compared with non-AKI group, both serum cystatin C, KIM-1, NGAL and FGF-23 were significantly elevated at admission in septic AKI patients. The areas under the receiver operating curves demonstrated that serum cystatin C had modest discriminative powers for predicting AKI after sepsis, and cystatin C combined with serum creatinine in the prediction of septic AKI increased the diagnostic sensitivity prominently. CONCLUSION: Serum cystatin C, KIM-1, NGAL and FGF-23 levels were both increased in septic AKI patients. Our study provided reliable evidence that cystatin C solely and combined with serum creatinine may accurately and sensitively predict septic AKI of patients on admission.

Effect of emergency heart failure units on readmission and mortality within 6 months after discharge in patients with acute heart failure / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective:At present, emergency acute heart failure unit has been gradually carried out in China. This study is to analyze the impact of acute heart failure unit on the mortality and readmission rate of acute heart failure (AHF) within 6 months after discharge.Methods:Patients with AHF admitted to Emergency Department and Department of Cardiology, Peking University People's Hospital between December 2019 and December 2020, were prospectively collected. Patients with complicated malignant tumor, stage 4-5 chronic kidney disease, automatic discharge, and incomplete medical history were excluded. The baseline data, past medical history, admission condition, and auxiliary examination were collected. After discharge, the information of oral drugs, hospital readmission and death were collected through outpatient medical records in clinical data center or telephone consultation. Patients were divided into the emergency acute heart failure unit treatment group (emergency AHFU group), emergency routine treatment group (outside AHFU group) and cardiology treatment group according to the different treatment locations. SPSS 25.0 software was used for comparison between groups, and a P<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. ResuIts:A total of 238 patients with AHF were enrolled, 28 patients died in hospital, and 210 patients were followed up. Four cases were excluded from malignant tumor during follow-up, and 6 cases were lost to follow-up. There were 40 cases in the emergency AHFU group, 67 cases in the outside AHFU group, and 93 cases in the cardiology treatment group. According to the prognosis, the patients were divided into the poor prognosis group ( n=83) and good prognosis group ( n=145). The age, sex, vital signs and cardiac function of patients in the emergency AHFU group were basically the same as those in the outside AHFU group at admission, and the proportion of patients in the emergency AHFU group using non-invasive positive pressure ventilation was higher (52.5% vs. 32.8%, P<0.05). The utilization rate of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers/angiotensin receptor enkephalinase inhibitors, β-blockers, diuretics and other oral drugs was higher in the emergency AHFU group after discharge, and patients also had more regular follow-up (95% vs. 79.1%, P<0.05). The 6-month readmission rate (15.0% vs. 40.3%, P<0.05) and the 6-month readmission and mortality composite results of patients in the emergency AHFU group (17.5% vs. 43.3%, P<0.05) were significantly lower than those in the outside AHFU group. COX regression analysis showed that the readmission rate of patients in the emergency AHFU group was lower than that in the outside AHFU group ( OR=2.882, 95% CI:1.267~6.611, P=0.12). Compared with the cardiology treatment group, the AHFU group had higher systolic blood pressure, faster heart rate, NT-probNP level, higher proportion of NYHA grade Ⅳ and Killip grade Ⅲ cardiac function (all P<0.05). The proportion of non-invasive mechanical ventilation in the AHFU group was significantly higher than that in the cardiology treatment group (52.5% vs. 30.1%, P<0.05). After discharge, there were no significant differences between angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker/angiotensin receptor enkephalinase inhibitors and β-blockers. There were also no significant differences in readmission and mortality rate 6 months after discharge. Binary logistics regression analysis found that the independent risk factors of AHF were routine emergency treatment, age, female sex, coronary heart disease, and BUN peak. Conclusions:The emergency acute heart failure unit is an independent protective factor for acute heart failure and reduced readmission rates within 6 months and readmission and mortality composite outcomes. Older age, female sex, coronary heart disease and elevated BUN peak are independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of AHF, which should be identified and preventive measures should be taken early.

Acute pancreatitis caused by tigecycline: A case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: There is evidence that tigecycline has broad-spectrum antibiotic activity against a variety of complicated infections. However, adverse effects are inevitable, including gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; in 2006, acute pancreatitis was also brought into the side-effect list after postmarketing surveillance. Here, we present a case of tigecycline-induced acute pancreatitis. PATIENT CONCERNS: An 87-year-old female patient with urinary tract infection received an intravenous drip of tigecycline for 6 days, after which she developed abdominal distension, vomiting, abdominal pain, and abdominal rigidity. DIAGNOSIS: The patient was suspected to have tigecycline-induced acute pancreatitis. INTERVENTIONS: Tigecycline was discontinued immediately, and the patient received a series of immediate treatments including an indwelling gastric tube for continuous gastrointestinal decompression and inhibition of gastric acid and pancreatic enzyme secretion. OUTCOMES: Following initial interventions, we observed that the patient's symptoms improved significantly, and abdominal distension, vomiting, abdominal pain, and abdominal rigidity were slightly relieved. After 5 days of follow-up, blood lipase and amylase levels decreased to normal levels. Unfortunately, the patient developed convulsions during the use of multiple antibiotics after 1 week and then died of septic shock and acute liver failure. LESSONS: Acute pancreatitis caused by tigecycline is rare. However, in the application of antibiotics, the possibility of adverse effects must be considered, and antibiotics should be used reasonably. If the patient has relevant symptoms, it is necessary to stop using tigecycline immediately, carry out symptomatic treatment, and change to other types of antibiotics for antibacterial treatment.

Epistemic justifications for belief in the unobservable: The impact of minority status.

Children hold beliefs about religious and scientific entities, such as angels or germs, that they cannot directly observe or interact with. Given their limited opportunities for first-hand observation, children's beliefs in these entities are a clear example of cultural learning and are likely to vary based on cultural factors. In the present study, we investigated variation in the epistemic stance of 4-11-year-old children growing up in a religious minority in China (N = 47), a religious majority in Iran (N = 85), and a religious majority in the U.S. (N = 74). To assess the role of community status as a domain-specific, as opposed to a domain-general, factor contributing to children's beliefs about unobservable entities, we compared children's beliefs about religious unobservable entities with their beliefs about scientific unobservable entities in these three communities. In all three communities, younger and older children were confident that unobservable religious and scientific entities exist. However, compared to children in Iran and the U.S., children from the religious minority group in China were more likely to justify their ontological beliefs about religious entities by appealing to the source of their beliefs. These results highlight the impact of community status on learning from testimony about unobservable entities. Additionally, the results show that under certain circumstances - notably when holding minority beliefs - tracking the source of beliefs serves as a central epistemic justification.

Genomic and Transcriptomic Landscape of Tumor Clonal Evolution in Cholangiocarcinoma.

Cholangiocarcinoma remained a severe threat to human health. Deciphering the genomic and/or transcriptomic profiles of tumor has been proved to be a promising strategy for exploring the mechanism of tumorigenesis and development, which could also provide valuable insights into Cholangiocarcinoma. However, little knowledge has been obtained regarding to how the alteration among different omics levels is connected. Here, using whole exome sequencing and transcriptome sequencing, we performed a thorough evaluation for the landscape of genome and transcriptome in cholangiocarcinoma and illustrate the alteration of tumor on different biological levels. Meanwhile, we also identified the clonal structure of each included tumor sample and discovered different clonal evolution patterns related to patients' survival. Furthermore, we extracted subnetworks that were greatly influenced by tumor clonal/subclonal mutations or transcriptome change. The topology relationship between genes affected by genomic/transcriptomic changes in biological interaction networks revealed that alteration of genome and transcriptome was highly correlated, and somatic mutations located on important genes might affect the expression of numerous genes in close range.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the gonadotoxic effects of cyclophosphamide and benefits of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) in women of child-bearing age with autoimmune rheumatic disease.

Objectives: To systematically review risk of sustained amenorrhea with intravenous (IV) cyclophosphamide in autoimmune rheumatic disease (ARD), and evaluate efficacy of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) to reduce this risk.Methods: Systematic search for papers reporting incidence of sustained amenorrhea ≥12 months in ARD following: IV cyclophosphamide; or GnRHa and IV cyclophosphamide compared to IV cyclophosphamide alone.Results: From 31 articles and 1388 patients (mean age 27.7 years) sustained amenorrhea occurred in 273 patients (19.7%). Of 56 patients (mean age range 23.9-25.6 years) receiving GnRHa and IV cyclophosphamide, and 37 controls (mean age range 25-30.1 years) given IV cyclophosphamide only, sustained amenorrhea occurred in 2/56 (3.6%) patients treated with GnRHa, compared to 15/37 (40.5%) controls. Pooled odds ratio of sustained amenorrhea with GnRHa and cyclophosphamide versus cyclophosphamide alone was 0.054 (95% CI 0.0115-0.2576 p < 0.001), corresponding to a number needed to treat of 2.7 (95% CI 1.955-4.388) and absolute risk reduction of 36.95% (95% CI 35.6-38.4%).Conclusion: Sustained amenorrhea with IV cyclophosphamide was observed in patients with ARD, especially with increasing age and cumulative doses >5 g. GnRHa reduced this risk and should be considered with IV cyclophosphamide in women of childbearing age with ARD.

MEIS2C and MEIS2D promote tumor progression via Wnt/ß-catenin and hippo/YAP signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: MEIS2 has been identified as one of the key transcription factors in the gene regulatory network in the development and pathogenesis of human cancers. Our study aims to identify the regulatory mechanisms of MEIS2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which could be targeted to develop new therapeutic strategies. METHODS: The variation of MEIS2 levels were assayed in a cohort of HCC patients. The proliferation, clone-formation, migration, and invasion abilities of HCC cells were measured to analyze the effects of MEIS2C and MEIS2D (MEIS2C/D) knockdown with small hairpin RNAs in vitro and in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) was performed to identify MEIS2 binding site. Immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assays were employed to detect proteins regulated by MEIS2. RESULTS: The expression of MEIS2C/D was increased in the HCC specimens when compared with the adjacent noncancerous liver (ANL) tissues. Moreover, MEIS2C/D expression negatively correlated with the prognosis of HCC patients. On the other hand, knockdown of MEIS2C/D could inhibit proliferation and diminish migration and invasion of hepatoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, MESI2C activated Wnt/ß-catenin pathway in cooperation with Parafibromin (CDC73), while MEIS2D suppressed Hippo pathway by promoting YAP nuclear translocation via miR-1307-3p/LATS1 axis. Notably, CDC73 could directly either interact with MEIS2C/ß-catenin or MEIS2D/YAP complex, depending on its tyrosine-phosphorylation status. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies indicate that MEISC/D promote HCC development via Wnt/ß-catenin and Hippo/YAP signaling pathways, highlighting the complex molecular network of MEIS2C/D in HCC pathogenesis. These results suggest that MEISC/D may serve as a potential novel therapeutic target for HCC.

The Influence of Annealing on the Structural and Soft Magnetic Properties of (Fe0.4Co0.6)79Nb3B18 Nanocrystalline Alloys.

The soft magnetic properties of Fe-based nanocrystalline alloys are determined by their grain size. In the present article, the (Fe0.4Co0.6)79Nb3B18 nanocrystalline alloys have been successfully prepared by isothermal annealing. The variation of soft magnetic properties as a function of annealing temperature and incubation time is investigated in detail. Two distinct crystallization behaviors were found for the (Fe0.4Co0.6)79Nb3B18 alloys. The initial nanocrystallization products comprise a mixture of α-Fe(Co), Fe2B, and Fe23B6-type crystalline metastable phases, and the final crystallization products are composed of α-Fe(Co), Fe2B, and Fe3B crystalline phases. The grain size decreases first and then increases with the increasing annealing temperature in the range of 764⁻1151 K, and a fine grain size with mean grain size of 12.7 nm can be achieved for alloys annealed at 880 K. As the annealing temperature increases from 764 K to 1151 K, the saturation magnetization increases first and then decreases without a significant increase of the coercivity. The alloys annealed at 880 K exhibit the optimized soft magnetic properties with high Ms of 145 emu g-1 and low Hc of 0.04 Oe.

Identifying key regulating miRNAs in hepatocellular carcinomas by an omics' method.

The miRNAs play important regulating roles in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To uncover key regulating miRNAs in HCC that were neglected by traditional analyzing methods of transcriptomics data, we proposed a novel molecular-network-based omics' (MNBO) method. With this method, we predicted HCC-regulating miRNAs, and confirmed the role of a novel miR-590-3P/EED axis by a clinical study and in vitro, in vivo wet-experiments. The miR-590-3P is significantly down-regulated in HCC patients. And low level of miR-590-3P in HCC is associated with poor prognosis of patients. In HCC cell lines, the miR-590-3P suppressed cell proliferation by inhibiting the transformation G1 phase to S phases of the cell cycle. Moreover, the miR-590-3P inhibited migration and invasion of HCC cells. Further investigations indicated that miR-590-3P play its roles by inhibiting polycomb protein EED. The experiments in animal model implied miR-590-3P could be a potential therapeutic agent for HCC in the future. In conclusion, the discovery of miR-590-3P revealed the MNBO would be a useful strategy to uncover key regulating miRNAs in HCC.

Melatonin prevents sleep deprivation-associated anxiety-like behavior in rats: role of oxidative stress and balance between GABAergic and glutamatergic transmission.

Sleep deprivation (SD) has been shown to induce anxiety-like behavior. Melatonin, an endogenous potent antioxidant, protects neurons from oxidative stress in many disease models. Here we investigated the effect of melatonin against SD-induced anxiety-like behavior and attempted to define the possible mechanisms involved. SD was induced in rats using modified multiple platform model. Melatonin (15 mg/kg) was administered to the rats via intraperitoneal injection. The elevated plus maze test, open field test and light-dark exploration were used to evaluate anxiety-like behavior. Serum corticosterone was measured to determine stress level. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity of amygdala and serum were performed to determine the level of oxidative stress. Levels of protein were detected by means of Western blot. The results showed that SD induces anxiety-like behavior, while melatonin treatment prevented these changes. Serum corticosterone also increased with SD but its levels were normalized by melatonin. In addition, melatonin reversed SD-induced changes in MDA and SOD in both of amygdala and serum. The results of Western blot showed that melatonin attenuated the up-regulation of NR2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, GluR1 subunit of the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor as well as phosphorylation of GluR1 at Ser831, and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II-alpha in SD rats. Meanwhile, melatonin blocked the down-regulation of γ-aminobutyric acid A-alpha-2 receptor. In conclusion, our results suggest that melatonin prevents anxiety-like behavior induced by SD. The possible mechanism may be attributed to its ability to reduce oxidative stress and maintain balance between GABAergic and glutamatergic transmission.

A randomised trial of peri-operative positive airway pressure for postoperative delirium in patients at risk for obstructive sleep apnoea after regional anaesthesia with sedation or general anaesthesia for joint arthroplasty.

Previous pilot work has established an association between obstructive sleep apnoea and the development of acute postoperative delirium , but it remains unclear to what extent this risk factor is modifiable in the 'real world' peri-operative setting. In a single-blind randomised controlled trial, 135 elderly surgical patients at risk for obstructive sleep apnoea were randomly assigned to receive peri-operative continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or routine care. Of the 114 patients who completed the study, 21 (18.4%) experienced delirium. Delirium was equally common in both groups: 21% (12 of 58 subjects) in the CPAP group and 16% (9 of 56 subjects) in the routine care group (OR = 1.36 [95%CI 0.52-3.54], p = 0.53). Delirious subjects were slightly older - mean (SD) age 68.9 (10.7) vs. 64.9 (8.2), p = 0.07 - but had nearly identical pre-operative STOP-Bang scores (4.19 (1.1) versus 4.27 (1.3), p = 0.79). Subjects in the CPAP group used their devices for a median (IQR [range]) of 3 (0.25-5 [0-12]) nights pre-operatively (2.9 (0.1-4.8 [0.0-12.7]) hours per night) and 1 (0-2 [0-2]) nights postoperatively (1.4 (0.0-5.1 [0.0-11.6]) hours per night). Among the CPAP subjects, the residual pre-operative apnoea-hypopnea index had a significant effect on delirium severity (p = 0.0002). Although we confirm that apnoea is associated with postoperative delirium, we did not find that providing a short-course of auto-titrating CPAP affected its likelihood or severity. Voluntary adherence to CPAP is particularly poor during the initiation of therapy.

Investigation on maternal lineage of a Neolithic group from northern Shaanxi based on ancient DNA.

A magnetic bead purification method was successfully used to extract ancient DNA from the skeletal remains of 10 specimens excavated from Wuzhuangguoliang (Wzhgl) site, which was located in northern Shaanxi. The multidimensional scaling (MDS) and analysis of molecular variance approach (AMOVA) revealed that ancient Wzhgl people bored a very high similarity to southern Han Chinese. By constructing the MJ-network of various modern people including Han Chinese and Japanese, the phylogenetic analysis indicated that the Wzhgl population had close maternal distance with ancient Shandong and Xinjiang people. These findings indicated that Wzhgl contributed to the gene pool of Han Chinese and modern Japanese. In addition, population migration and interflow between Wzhgl people and ancient Shandong or Xinjiang probably occurred in Neolithic period.

CTNNA3 is a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinomas and is inhibited by miR-425.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common and leading cause of death worldwide. Here, we identified that a cell-cell adhesion gene, CTNNA3, is a tumor suppressor in HCC. CTNNA3 inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cell lines. In these cells, CTNNA3 inhibited Akt signal, and in turn decreased the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and the matrix metallopeptidase MMP-9, and increased the cell cycle inhibitor p21(Cip1/Waf1). Meanwhile, CTNNA3 is inhibited by miR-425 in HCC. The miR-425 directly bound to the 3'UTR of CTNNA3 and inhibited its expression. The tumor suppressor function of CTNNA3 and the oncogenic function of miR-425 were further confirmed in HCC cell xenograft in nude mice. The miR-425/CTNNA3 axis may provide insights into the mechanisms underlying HCC, and contribute to potential therapeutic strategy of HCC.

The current situation and development tendency of medical functional virtual experiments teaching / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Virtual experiments teaching has been characterized by openness, interactivity and re-source sharing. It efficiently improves the experiments teaching effects and promotes the teaching reform. At present the virtual experiment systems used by domestic universities can realize simulation of the ex-perimental principle, apparatus, object, operation and data. In the virtual experiment system students deepen the understanding of the experiments through foregrounding and the networked virtual experiment manage-ment effectively improves the effects of experiments teaching through behind-the-scenes action.

Loss of CD155 expression predicts poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIMS: CD155 is an important ligand in triggering tumour rejection by immune cells. However, the expression of CD155 and its clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined the expression level of CD155 in 174 HCC tissue samples by immunohistochemical staining and in HCC cell lines by flow cytometry; 63.8% (111 of 174) of HCC tissue samples showed negative CD155 expression. When compared with adjacent peritumour tissues, HCC tissues exhibited a significantly lower expression of CD155 (P < 0.001). Flow cytometry analysis indicated that HCC cell lines had low levels of CD155 expression. Moreover, negative CD155 expression was associated significantly with higher serum α-fetoprotein level (P = 0.016) and a higher incidence of portal vein tumour thrombus (P = 0.050). Importantly, patients with positive CD155 expression had better overall survival after surgery than those with negative CD155 expression (P = 0.005). Furthermore, Cox regression analyses showed that CD155 expression was an independent prognostic factor for HCC (P = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that loss of CD155 expression may play an important role in the immune escape of HCC cells and thus CD155 may serve as a prognostic marker as well as a potential therapeutic target for HCC.

Melatonin Attenuates Noise Stress-induced Gastrointestinal Motility Disorder and Gastric Stress Ulcer: Role of Gastrointestinal Hormones and Oxidative Stress in Rats.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There are increasing evidences for gastrointestinal motility disorder (GIMD) and gastric stress ulcer induced by noise stress. The present study was to investigate the reversed effect of melatonin on GIMD and gastric stress ulcer induced by noise stress and potential mechanism. METHODS: Noise stress was induced on rats, and melatonin (15 mg/kg) was administered to rats by intraperitoneal injection. Differences were assessed in gastric residual rate (GRR), small intestine propulsion rate (SPR), Guth injury score, cortisol, gastrointestinal hormones (calcitonin-gene-related peptide and motilin) and oxidative stress markers (superoxide dismutase and malondialde hyde) in blood plasma as well as gastric mucosa homogenate with or without melatonin. The pathological examination of gastric mucosa was also performed. RESULTS: The GRR and SPR were improved by noise stress compared with control (P < 0.05). The pathological examination and Guth injury score revealed gastric stress ulcer. Moreover, the levels of cortisol, motilin and malondialdehyde in blood plasma and ma-londialdehyde in gastric mucosa homogenate were increased by noise stress (P < 0.05). CGRP and superoxide dismutase activ-ity in both of blood plasma and gastric mucosa homogenate were significantly decreased (P< 0.05). Furthermore, melatonin reversed changes in GRR, SPR, pathological examination, Guth injury score, cortisol, motilin, CGRP, superoxide dismutase activity and malondialdehyde (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Melatonin is effective in reversing the GIMD and gastric stress ulcer induced by noise stress. The underlying mechanism may be involved in oxidative stress and gastrointestinal hormones.