Charge Condensation and Lattice Coupling Drives Stripe Formation in Nickelates

Revealing the predominant driving force behind symmetry breaking in correlated materials is sometimes a formidable task due to the intertwined nature of different degrees of freedom. This is the case for La_{2-x}Sr_{x}NiO_{4+δ}, in which coupled incommensurate charge and spin stripes form at low temperatures. Here, we use resonant x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy to study the temporal stability and domain memory of the charge and spin stripes in La_{2-x}Sr_{x}NiO_{4+δ}. Although spin stripes are more spatially correlated, charge stripes maintain a better temporal stability against temperature change. More intriguingly, charge order shows robust domain memory with thermal cycling up to 250 K, far above the ordering temperature. These results demonstrate the pinning of charge stripes to the lattice and that charge condensation is the predominant factor in the formation of stripe orders in nickelates.

Distance to water source in early childhood affects growth: a cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Approximately 165 million children aged <5 years are at risk of low height-for-age. This study explored whether water quality and distance to water source affected short- and long-term growth, and the critical time windows of such effects.

STUDY DESIGN

This study used data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), which was a cohort study performed in 15 Chinese provinces.

METHODS

Data from the CHNS between 1989 and 2011 were examined. Three cohorts of children who were enrolled at 0-2 years of age in 1989, 1993, and 2000 provided sufficient data for this study. Child height was measured by physicians, and household water supply, including the water quality (safe or unsafe) and distance to the source (in-yard or out-yard), was assessed using a questionnaire when the children were 0-2, 4-6, and 11-13 years of age. Multiple regressions were performed to analyse the associations between water quality and distance to the source at various ages, and height at that age and older ages, with and without adjusting for the household water supply at previous ages. Multiple informant models were created using a generalised estimating equation and these were used to assess whether the exposure coefficients were equal across the three age periods.

RESULTS

A total of 1192 children were included. Water quality was not significantly associated with height over the three age periods. An out-yard water source at the age of 0-2 years was not associated with child height at that age, but it was inversely associated with child height at ages 4-6 and 11-13 years (β = -1.605, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.490 to -0.720, and β = -2.817, 95% CI: -4.411 to -1.224, respectively), after adjusting for sociodemographic and economic covariates and baseline child height. Distance to the water source at age 4-6 and 11-13 years was not significantly associated with height. However, significant differences were observed in the associations between distance to water source across the three age periods and height at age 4-6 and 11-13 years (p_int = 0.064 and 0.069, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Distance to the water source in early, but not later, childhood exerted a long-term effect on child height. When the water quality is good, efforts should be made to shorten the distance to the source to improve child health and growth.

Pregnancy and development of diabetes in First Nations and non-First Nations women in Alberta, Canada

AIM

To conduct a retrospective population-based study to examine the risk of developing diabetes after delivery in First Nations and non-First Nations women in Alberta.

METHODS

Delivery records (1999-2014) were linked to provincial administrative data, which allowed for a maximum follow-up of 16 years after delivery. Prevalence of pregnancy risk factors were compared by First Nations status. Hazard ratios for diabetes after delivery by First Nations status, high pre-pregnancy body weight (≥91 kg) and gestational diabetes status were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

Age-adjusted prevalence of gestational diabetes (7.9% vs 4.6%; P<0.0001), high pre-pregnancy body weight (18.8% vs 10.2%; P<0.0001) and diabetes after delivery (3.9% vs 1.1%; P<0.0001) were higher in First Nations women than in non-First Nations women. Development of diabetes after delivery was higher with First Nations status (hazard ratio 3.0, 95% CI 2.6-3.4), high pre-pregnancy body weight (hazard ratio 3.6, 95% CI 3.3-4.0) and gestational diabetes status (hazard ratio 19.2, 95% CI 17.9-20.6). The highest risk was within First Nations women with high pre-pregnancy body weight and gestational diabetes (hazard ratio 54.8, 95% CI 45.2-66.5) compared to women without these three risk factors. Reduced prenatal visits per pregnancy (8.4 vs 10.7; P<0.0001) and delayed first prenatal visit (time to delivery 23.7 vs 26.7 weeks; P<0.0001) were observed in First Nations women compared to non-First Nations women.

CONCLUSION

First Nations women are at greater risk of developing diabetes after pregnancy, with gestational diabetes being the strongest predictor. Strategies that target the specific needs of First Nations women before, during and after pregnancy are required.

Longitudinal Flow Decorrelations in Xe+Xe Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.44 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

The first measurement of longitudinal decorrelations of harmonic flow amplitudes v_{n} for n=2-4 in Xe+Xe collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.44  TeV is obtained using 3  μb^{-1} of data with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The decorrelation signal for v_{3} and v_{4} is found to be nearly independent of collision centrality and transverse momentum (p_{T}) requirements on final-state particles, but for v_{2} a strong centrality and p_{T} dependence is seen. When compared with the results from Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, the longitudinal decorrelation signal in midcentral Xe+Xe collisions is found to be larger for v_{2}, but smaller for v_{3}. Current hydrodynamic models reproduce the ratios of the v_{n} measured in Xe+Xe collisions to those in Pb+Pb collisions but fail to describe the magnitudes and trends of the ratios of longitudinal flow decorrelations between Xe+Xe and Pb+Pb. The results on the system-size dependence provide new insights and an important lever arm to separate effects of the longitudinal structure of the initial state from other early and late time effects in heavy-ion collisions.

Search for Dark Matter Produced in Association with a Dark Higgs Boson Decaying into W^{±}W^{∓} or ZZ in Fully Hadronic Final States from sqrt[s]=13 TeV pp Collisions Recorded with the ATLAS Detector

Several extensions of the Standard Model predict the production of dark matter particles at the LHC. An uncharted signature of dark matter particles produced in association with VV=W^{±}W^{∓} or ZZ pairs from a decay of a dark Higgs boson s is searched for using 139  fb^{-1} of pp collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The s→V(qq[over ¯])V(qq[over ¯]) decays are reconstructed with a novel technique aimed at resolving the dense topology from boosted VV pairs using jets in the calorimeter and tracking information. Dark Higgs scenarios with m_{s}>160  GeV are excluded.

Strong Superexchange in a d^{9-δ} Nickelate Revealed by Resonant Inelastic X-Ray Scattering

The discovery of superconductivity in a d^{9-δ} nickelate has inspired disparate theoretical perspectives regarding the essential physics of this class of materials. A key issue is the magnitude of the magnetic superexchange, which relates to whether cuprate-like high-temperature nickelate superconductivity could be realized. We address this question using Ni L-edge and O K-edge spectroscopy of the reduced d^{9-1/3} trilayer nickelates R_{4}Ni_{3}O_{8} (where R=La, Pr) and associated theoretical modeling. A magnon energy scale of ∼80  meV resulting from a nearest-neighbor magnetic exchange of J=69(4)  meV is observed, proving that d^{9-δ} nickelates can host a large superexchange. This value, along with that of the Ni-O hybridization estimated from our O K-edge data, implies that trilayer nickelates represent an intermediate case between the infinite-layer nickelates and the cuprates. Layered nickelates thus provide a route to testing the relevance of superexchange to nickelate superconductivity.

Medium-Induced Modification of Z-Tagged Charged Particle Yields in Pb+Pb Collisions at 5.02 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

The yield of charged particles opposite to a Z boson with large transverse momentum (p_{T}) is measured in 260  pb^{-1} of pp and 1.7  nb^{-1} of Pb+Pb collision data at 5.02 TeV per nucleon pair recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The Z boson tag is used to select hard-scattered partons with specific kinematics, and to observe how their showers are modified as they propagate through the quark-gluon plasma created in Pb+Pb collisions. Compared with pp collisions, charged-particle yields in Pb+Pb collisions show significant modifications as a function of charged-particle p_{T} in a way that depends on event centrality and Z boson p_{T}. The data are compared with a variety of theoretical calculations and provide new information about the medium-induced energy loss of partons in a p_{T} regime difficult to measure through other channels.

[A case of Hemolytic anemia caused by subacute lead poisoning]

Lead poisoning is characterized by nervous, digestive and blood system damage, such as neurasthenia, abdominal pain, abdominal distension, jaundice, small cell hypochromic anemia and so on. A case of severe hemolytic anemia caused by subacute lead poisoning was treated in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University. The main symptoms of the patient were abdominal colic, constipation and hemolytic anemia.

Identification and Validation of Autophagy-Related Genes in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Purpose

Autophagy plays essential roles in the development of COPD. We aim to identify and validate the potential autophagy-related genes of COPD through bioinformatics analysis and experiment validation.

Methods

The mRNA expression profile dataset GSE38974 was obtained from GEO database. The potential differentially expressed autophagy-related genes of COPD were screened by R software. Then, protein–protein interactions (PPI), correlation analysis, gene-ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were applied for the differentially expressed autophagy-related genes. Finally, RNA expression of top five differentially expressed autophagy-related genes was validated in blood samples from COPD patients and healthy controls by qRT-PCR.

Results

A total of 40 differentially expressed autophagy-related genes (14 up-regulated genes and 26 down-regulated genes) were identified between 23 COPD patients and 9 healthy controls. The PPI results demonstrated that these autophagy-related genes interacted with each other. The GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of differentially expressed autophagy-related genes indicated several enriched terms related to autophagy and mitophagy. The results of qRT-PCR showed that the expression levels of HIF1A, CDKN1A, BAG3, ERBB2 and ATG16L1 in COPD patients and healthy controls were consistent with the bioinformatics analysis results from mRNA microarray.

Conclusion

We identified 40 potential autophagy-related genes of COPD through bioinformatics analysis. HIF1A, CDKN1A, BAG3, ERBB2 and ATG16L1 may affect the development of COPD by regulating autophagy. These results may expand our understanding of COPD and might be useful in the treatment of COPD.

The Role of Baseline Sarcopenia Index in Predicting Chemotherapy-Induced Undesirable Effects and Mortality in Older People with Stage III or IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

OBJECTIVES

To assess the predictability value of Sarcopenia index( (SI, serum creatinine value/cystatin C value×100) in determining potential chemotherapy-induced undesirable reactions and eventual death of older patients diagnosed with stage III or IV of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

General information was retrieved from health records and mortality data was obtained by phone interview. Serum Cr and CysC levels were measured before chemotherapy. The endpoints recorded were chemotherapy-induced undesirable reactions and mortality from any causes. Logit regression analysis was employed for the analysis of correlation between the SI and short-term adverse reactions to chemotherapy. Cox regression analysis was employed to analyze correlation between the SI and mortality.

RESULTS

In this study, 664 NSCLC patients were enrolled. Among them, 83.13% were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma lung cancer and 16.87% with squamous cell carcinoma lung cancer. As of March 1, 2019, 486 patients died, including 361(74.28%) males and 125 (25.72%) females. After the first course of chemotherapy, the proportion of short-term adverse reactions, including bone marrow suppression, digestive reactions, all infection, liver function impairment, and other adverse reactions (non-infectious fever or rashes) was 16%, 4.7%, 7.4, %, 6.6%, and 2.11%, respectively. After adjusting for confounding factors, there was no association between the SI and adverse reactions. We found that high SI was independently associated with a lower risk of mortality after adjusting for confounding factors in females (HR=0.593,95% CI: 0.382-0.92; p=0.02). There was no marked association existed between the SI and mortality in males.

CONCLUSION

Among patients with stage III or IV non-small cell lung cancer, the SI is associated with mortality in females, but not in males.

The Relationship between Pre-Admission Waiting Time and the Surgical Outcomes after Hip Fracture Operation in the Elderly

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association between pre-admission waiting time and postoperative complications, length of stay (LOS), and costs during hospitalization.

METHOD

This was a single-center, observational study. The subjects of this study were elderly hip fracture patients who were admitted to the Department of Orthopedics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, from December 2010 to June 14, 2017, and that underwent internal fixation or joint replacement surgery. The pre-admission waiting time was treated as a categorical variable according to median and first quartile values. Outcomes included postoperative complications (pneumonia and other complications [urinary tract infection, heart failure, non-A-grade healing]), LOS, and costs during hospitalization. LOS and costs during hospitalization were converted into binary outcomes based upon median values. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to analyze correlations between pre-admission waiting time and patient outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 889 patients 60 years of age and older were enrolled in this study, of whom 65.47% were females and 34.53% were males. The proportion of patients with pre-admission waiting times less than 8 h, 8 - 24 h, and ≥ 24 h were 24.3%, 17.32%, and 58.38%, respectively. Postoperative pneumonia and other complications affected 12.04% and 6.30% of patients, respectively. Relative to patients with the pre-admission waiting times of less than 8 h, those with longer pre-admission waiting times exhibited a higher risk of postoperative pneumonia (8 - 24 h: OR = 2.72,95% CI: 1.29-5.74, p = 0.009; ≥ 24 h: OR = 2.76,95% CI: 1.48-5.14, p = 0.001). Patients with the pre-admission waiting time ≥ 24 h also exhibited a higher risk of the other complications (OR = 2.55, 95% CI: 1.53-4.26, p <0.001), a longer LOS (OR = 1.43, 95% CI:1.02-2.01, p = 0.036), and higher costs during hospitalization (OR = 1.51, 95% CI:1.05 - 2.17, p = 0.026) relative to patients with a waiting time less than 8 hours.

CONCLUSION

Pre-admission waiting time was associated with postoperative complications, LOS, and hospitalization costs among older Chinese patients undergoing surgery to treat hip fractures.

Observation and Measurement of Forward Proton Scattering in Association with Lepton Pairs Produced via the Photon Fusion Mechanism at ATLAS

The observation of forward proton scattering in association with lepton pairs (e^{+}e^{-}+p or μ^{+}μ^{-}+p) produced via photon fusion is presented. The scattered proton is detected by the ATLAS Forward Proton spectrometer, while the leptons are reconstructed by the central ATLAS detector. Proton-proton collision data recorded in 2017 at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=13  TeV are analyzed, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 14.6  fb^{-1}. A total of 57 (123) candidates in the ee+p (μμ+p) final state are selected, allowing the background-only hypothesis to be rejected with a significance exceeding 5 standard deviations in each channel. Proton-tagging techniques are introduced for cross-section measurements in the fiducial detector acceptance, corresponding to σ_{ee+p}=11.0±2.6(stat)±1.2(syst)±0.3(lumi) and σ_{μμ+p}=7.2±1.6(stat)±0.9(syst)±0.2(lumi)  fb in the dielectron and dimuon channel, respectively.

Supercomputer-Based Ensemble Docking Drug Discovery Pipeline with Application to Covid-19

We present a supercomputer-driven pipeline for in silico drug discovery using enhanced sampling molecular dynamics (MD) and ensemble docking. Ensemble docking makes use of MD results by docking compound databases into representative protein binding-site conformations, thus taking into account the dynamic properties of the binding sites. We also describe preliminary results obtained for 24 systems involving eight proteins of the proteome of SARS-CoV-2. The MD involves temperature replica exchange enhanced sampling, making use of massively parallel supercomputing to quickly sample the configurational space of protein drug targets. Using the Summit supercomputer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, more than 1 ms of enhanced sampling MD can be generated per day. We have ensemble docked repurposing databases to 10 configurations of each of the 24 SARS-CoV-2 systems using AutoDock Vina. Comparison to experiment demonstrates remarkably high hit rates for the top scoring tranches of compounds identified by our ensemble approach. We also demonstrate that, using Autodock-GPU on Summit, it is possible to perform exhaustive docking of one billion compounds in under 24 h. Finally, we discuss preliminary results and planned improvements to the pipeline, including the use of quantum mechanical (QM), machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI) methods to cluster MD trajectories and rescore docking poses.

[Long-term outcomes of Bryan artificial cervical disc replacement for degenerative cervical spondylosis]

Objective: To compare the long-term clinical effect and imaging results of Bryan artificial cervical disc replacement (ACDR) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and to explore whether ACDR can reduce the occurrence of postoperative adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) in the treatment of degenerative cervical spondylosis. Methods: It was a retrospective study. Total of 60 patients with degenerative cervical spondylosis, who had received operations by Bryan ACDR (n=27) and ACDF (n=33) in the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University between January 2005 and December 2009 were enrolled in this study. The Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores, neck disability index (NDI), visual analogue scale (VAS), Odom's scale, cervical range of motion (ROM), surgical segment ROM, heterotopic ossification (HO) and ASD were used to evaluate the clinical and radiologic results. The indices abovementioned were compared between the two groups. Results: The VAS, NDI and JOA scores at each follow-up node in both ACDR and ACDF group were all significantly improved when compared with those before operation (all P<0.05), but there was no significant differences between the two groups (all P>0.05). Of all, 88.9%(24/27) of patients in ACDR group and 84.8%(28/33) of patients in ACDF group achieved excellent or good results, however, there was no significant difference in Odom's scale between the two groups (P>0.05). At the last follow-up, the cervical ROM in ACDR group was 43.2°±8.8°, which was slightly lower than that before operation (45.7°±10.4°), the difference was not statistically significant (t=0.954, P=0.345); the surgical segment ROM in ACDR group was 5.9°±3.6°, which was significantly reduced when compared with that before operation (8.8°±3.4°, t=3.043, P<0.01). However at the last follow-up, the cervical ROM in ACDF group was 36.4°±8.4°, which was significantly reduced when compared with that before operation (43.9°±11.1°), the difference was statistically significant (t=3.095, P<0.01). Although, there was no significant difference in the cervical ROM between the two groups before operation (t=0.643, P=0.523), and the difference was statistically significant at the last follow-up (t=3.054, P<0.01). At the last follow-up, the incidence of HO in ACDR group was 92.6%, and the high-grade HO was 37.0%. The incidence of ASD in ACDR group was 39.5%, which was much lower than that in ACDF group (61.1%, χ(2)=4.462, P=0.035). Conclusion: At minimum follow-up of 10 years, Bryan ACDR achieves a satisfactory clinical effect consistent with ACDF. In terms of advantages, ACDR could maintain the ROM of cervical and retain the ROM of the surgical segment, which reduces the occurrence of ASD by preserving motion.

Search for Heavy Resonances Decaying into a Photon and a Hadronically Decaying Higgs Boson in pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter presents a search for the production of new heavy resonances decaying into a Higgs boson and a photon using proton-proton collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 139  fb^{-1}. The analysis is performed by reconstructing hadronically decaying Higgs boson (H→bb[over ¯]) candidates as single large-radius jets. A novel algorithm using information about the jet constituents in the center-of-mass frame of the jet is implemented to identify the two b quarks in the single jet. No significant excess of events is observed above the expected background. Upper limits are set on the production cross-section times branching fraction for narrow spin-1 resonances decaying into a Higgs boson and a photon in the resonance mass range from 0.7 to 4 TeV, cross-section times branching fractions are excluded between 11.6 fb and 0.11 fb at a 95% confidence level.

Silence of lncRNA XIST represses myocardial cell apoptosis in rats with acute myocardial infarction through regulating miR-449

OBJECTIVE

To study the influences of long non-coding ribonucleic acid (lncRNA) X-inactive specific transcript (XIST) on rats with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and its regulatory mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 30 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into Sham group, Model group, and lncRNA XIST small interfering RNA (XIST siRNA) group. The AMI rat model was prepared through ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. The left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular systolic diameter (LVDs), and left ventricular diastolic diameter (LVDd) of rats were determined using a color Doppler ultrasound system. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was performed to measure the expression levels of lncRNA XIST, microRNA (miR)-449, and Notch1 in rat heart tissues in each group. Pathological morphology of rat heart tissues in each group was observed via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Cell apoptosis in rat heart tissues was evaluated through terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay.

RESULTS

Compared with those in Sham group, rats in Model group had significantly increased LVEDV, LVESV, LVDs, and LVDd. After transfection with lncRNA XIST siRNA, XIST level in rat heart tissues was remarkably declined in XIST siRNA group compared with that in Model group. According to HE staining results, the pathological injuries in rat heart tissues were greatly improved in XIST siRNA group compared with those in Model group. TUNEL staining results revealed that the apoptosis rate of cells in rat heart tissues in XIST siRNA group was markedly lower than that in Model group. Higher level of miR-449 and lower level of Notch1 were observed in rats of XIST siRNA group than those of Model group.

CONCLUSIONS

Knockdown of lncRNA XIST can repress the myocardial cell apoptosis in AMI model rats by downregulating miR-449 level.

[The correlation between the degree of anxiety/depression and the improvement of subjective and objective symptoms after functional endoscopic sinus surgery in chronic sinusitis]

Objective: To explore whether the improvement of subjective symptoms and objective grades after endoscopic sinus surgery in patients with chronic sinusitis (CRS) are related to the degree of preoperative anxiety or depression and to provide reference for improving the effects of clinical treatment. Methods: The clinical data of one hundred and sixty patients with CRS treated by endoscopic sinus surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from April 2018 to August 2019 were collected prospectively. The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) scores, self-rating depression scale (SDS) scores, Lund-Kennedy scores of nasal endoscopy and the Lund-Mackay scores of CT before and 6 months after surgery were used to analyse the correlation between the scores of anxiety or depression and the subjective and objective scores of patients before and after operation by grouping and layering. One hundred and one males (63.1%) and 59 females (36.9%) with an average age of 47.3 years (18-75 years) were included. Single-sample, independent or paired t-test, one-way ANOVA and rank-sum test were used for comparison and Pearson correlation analysis was used for the correlation between groups. Results: There was no statistical difference of anxiety or depression between different groups in terms of age, gender and course in the 160 effective patients (t values were -0.151, -0.487, -0.846, all P values>0.05; t values were -0.473, -1.302, -1.069, all P values>0.05). And the degree of preoperative anxiety or depression was positively correlated with the subjective scores, including overall discomfort, nasal obstruction, runny nose and olfactory decline (r values were 0.515, 0.606, 0.424, 0.306, all P values<0.01; r values were: 0.518, 0.584, 0.448, 0.308, all P values<0.01), but not significantly correlated with objective scores of Lund-Mackay and Lund-Kennedy (all P value>0.05). Moreover, as far as the symptoms of overall discomfort, nasal obstruction, headache and runny nose, the results of one-way ANOVA showed that the improvement of symptoms in patients with serious anxiety or depression was worse than that of the normal, mild and moderate patients (all P values<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the scores of Lund-Kennedy 6 months after surgery between them (both P values>0.05). Conclusion: The state of anxiety or depression affects the improvement of symptoms after endoscopic sinus surgery for CRS patients. Compared with the patients with normal and mild to moderate anxiety or depression, the improvement of symptoms in patients with severe anxiety and depression is worse. It is necessary to evaluate the anxiety or depression of the patients with CRS who are going to undergo endoscopic sinus surgery.

Search for Higgs Boson Decays into a Z Boson and a Light Hadronically Decaying Resonance Using 13 TeV pp Collision Data from the ATLAS Detector

A search for Higgs boson decays into a Z boson and a light resonance in two-lepton plus jet events is performed, using a pp collision dataset with an integrated luminosity of 139  fb^{-1} collected at sqrt[s]=13  TeV by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN LHC. The resonance considered is a light boson with a mass below 4 GeV from a possible extended scalar sector or a charmonium state. Multivariate discriminants are used for the event selection and for evaluating the mass of the light resonance. No excess of events above the expected background is found. Observed (expected) 95% confidence-level upper limits are set on the Higgs boson production cross section times branching fraction to a Z boson and the signal resonance, with values in the range 17-340 pb (16_{-5}^{+6}-320_{-90}^{+130}  pb) for the different light spin-0 boson mass and branching fraction hypotheses, and with values of 110 and 100 pb (100_{-30}^{+40} and 100_{-30}^{+40}  pb) for the η_{c} and J/ψ hypotheses, respectively.

Epicardial adipose tissue is associated with the formation of left ventricular aneurysm after myocardial infarction

Background

Left ventricular aneurysm (LVA), a serious complication of transmural myocardial infarction, is generally related to poor cardiovascular outcomes. The formation of LVA is essentially an inflammatory remodeling process regulated by multiple systemic and local factors. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), a depot of visceral adipose tissue directly overlying the myocardium, is increasingly recognized as an important immune organ by secreting a variety of bioactive adipocytokines. However, the relation of EAT to the development of LVA is still unclear.

Purpose

In this study, we sought to investigate the association between EAT volume and the formation of LVA in subjects with previous myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods

A total of 55 subjects with previous MI and the presence of LVA, and age- and sex-matched 50 subjects with previous MI but without LVA were enrolled between October 2011 and June 2019. EAT was quantified and the presence of LVA was ascertained by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). EAT volume was indexed to body surface area.

Results

In the overall population, EAT volume index was correlated positively to log-transformed N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels (Pearson's r=0.332, P=0.002), and inversely to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; Pearson's r=−0.240, P=0.031). The indexed EAT volume was significantly higher in subjects with than without LVA (41.10±11.73 vs. 33.25/11.70 mL/m2, P=0.003). In subjects with LVA, EAT volume index was further increased in those at older age (43.59±13.09 mL/m2 vs. 37.29±8.26 mL/m2, P=0.029) or with type 2 diabetes (43.38±12.32 mL/m2 vs. 35.20±7.67 mL/m2, P=0.013). After adjusting for sex, age and the presence of diabetes in the multivariate analysis, tertiles of EAT volume index remained significantly associated with the presence of LVA (P for trend=0. 003). Strikingly, compared to the lowest tertile (≤30.80 mL/m2), the intermediate (30.80–44.13 mL/m2) and highest (&gt;44.13 mL/m2) tertiles of EAT volume index corresponded to 4.869– (95% CI 1.792–14.155, P=0.003) and 4.876– (95% CI, 1.787–14.206, P=0.003) increased risk for LVA.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that EAT volume is independently associated with the formation of LVA and reduced cardiac function after myocardial infarction.

EAT in patients with or without LVA

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): National Natural Science Foundation of China

Chromogranin B is associated with impaired coronary collateralization and heart failure in patients with stable angina and chronic total occlusion

Background

Chromogranin B (CgB) is a member of granin family that can be cleaved into a number of bioactive peptides. Previous studies showed that CgB is produced in cardiomyocytes and is increased in heart failure animals and patients in proportion to disease severity. Chronic total occlusion (CTO) of coronary artery leads to sustained myocardial ischemia which predisposes to adverse cardiovascular outcomes including heart failure.

Purpose

In this study, we sought to investigate the association between CgB and coronary collateralization formation and heart failure in patients with stable angina and CTO.

Methods

A total of 720 subjects with stable angina and CTO of at least one major coronary artery were enrolled in this study. CgB was assayed using an ELISA kit and the degree of coronary collaterals supplying the distal aspect of a total occlusion from the contralateral vessel was graded according to Rentrop classification.

Results

These was a stepwise decrease in levels of CgB with increasing Rentrop grades of coronary collateralization (P=0.001). Compared with the good collateralization (Rentrop grade 2–3) group, CgB was significantly higher in subjects with poor coronary collateralization (Rentrop grade 0–1; 1222.95 [IQR 506.24–2710.24] pg/mL vs. 776.17 [IQR 276.24–2209.39] pg/mL, P&lt;0.001). Consistent results were found across subgroups of age, sex and the presence of diagnosed diabetes. In subjects with poor collateralization, CgB was positively correlated to N-terminal–pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels (both log-transformed; Pearson's r=0.280, P=0.005). This correlation was markedly enhanced (Pearson's r=0.501, P&lt;0.001) in the poorly-collateralized heart failure subgroup with left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) &lt;50%. Consistently, an inverse correlation was present between log-transformed CgB and LVEF (Pearson's r=−0.528, P&lt;0.001) in the same subgroup. After adjusting for conventional confounding factors and LVEF, CgB remained significantly associated with impaired coronary collateralization (odds ratio: 1.314 [95% CI 1.097–1.590], P=0.004). Inclusion of CgB led to a better diagnostic accuracy as confirmed by net reclassification improvement (NRI) of 17.70% (95% CI 8.08–27.32%, P&lt;0.001) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) of 1.98% (95% CI 0.63–3.34%, P=0.004).

Conclusions

CgB is an independent predictor of poor coronary collateralization and is related to worse heart function in patients with stable angina and CTO.

Figure 1

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): National Natural Science Foundation of China

[The appropriate cut-off point of time in range (TIR) for evaluating glucose control in type 2 diabetes mellitus]

Objective: To investigate the appropriate cut-off point of time in range (TIR) for evaluating glucose control in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, and analyze the prevalence of abnormal carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in different TIR categories. Methods: A total of 2 161 subjects with T2DM (1 183 males) were enrolled from hospitalized patients at the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism of the Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University from January 2005 to February 2012. The age of the enrolled participants was (60.4±11.9) years. Each patient underwent continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for three consecutive days, then TIR (3.9-10.0 mmol/L), time above range (TAR) and time below range (TBR) were calculated. Fundus photography and carotid artery Doppler ultrasound were performed to diagnose DR and abnormal CIMT (defined as CIMT≥1.0 mm), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine the independent association of different TIR groups with CIMT and DR. Results: All subjects were divided into 4 groups according to TIR:≤40%, 41%-70%, 71%-85% and>85%. Significant linear trends in age, diabetes duration, body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol, glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), TAR and mean glucose (MG) existed among the 4 groups (all P(trend)<0.05). However, there was only a weak correlation between TIR and TBR (<3.9 mmol/L) (r=0.087, P<0.001), and no significant association was observed between TBR (<3 mmol/L) and the TIR categories (P(trend)=0.378). The overall prevalence of abnormal CIMT and DR was 12.1% and 23.8%, respectively. The prevalence of abnormal CIMT in the 4 groups with ascending levels of TIR was 16.9% (59/349), 12.9% (96/746), 11.2% (57/510) and 9.0% (50/556) (P(trend)<0.001), respectively. And the prevalence of DR was 30.7% (107/349), 29.4% (219/746), 20.8% (106/510) and 14.9% (83/556), respectively (P(trend)<0.001). In the binary logistic regression model by adjusting confounding factors, compared with TIR≤ 40%, the risk of abnormal CIMT was reduced by 33.8% (OR=0.662, 95%CI: 0.456-0.963, P=0.031), 40.8% (OR=0.592, 95%CI: 0.390-0.899, P=0.014), and 45.0% (OR=0.550, 95%CI: 0.358-0.846, P=0.006) in the other three groups, respectively. And the risk of DR was reduced by 2.9% (OR=0.971, 95%CI: 0.725-1.301, P=0.844), 33.4%(OR=0.666, 95%CI: 0.479-0.924, P=0.015) and 53.3% (OR=0.467, 95%CI: 0.331-0.657, P<0.001), respectively. Conclusion: Using 40%, 70% and 85% as cut-off point of TIR helps stratify the risk of diabetic complications, and assess the glucose control (Poor: TIR≤40%; Unsatisfactory: TIR≤70%; Satisfactory: TIR>70%; Optimal: TIR>85%) in patients with T2DM.

Profiling the effects of physicochemical indexes on the microbial diversity and its aroma substances in pit mud

Microbial diversity of pit mud (PM) plays a significant role in Baijiu's flavour. Here we explored the microbial community structures and aroma substances of Wenwang Winery with high-throughput sequencing coupling with headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We discovered that the odorant was mainly derived from 14 aroma compounds because of their OAVs ≥ 1 (OAV, the ratio of substance concentration to aroma threshold; s, on behalf of the plural), such as ethyl hexanoate (2438), ethyl octanoate (975), caproic acid (52) and etc. Moreover we also revealed that Lactobacillaceae (97·08%) was the mainly bacterial microbial community in 2-year-old PM, companied by the primarily fungi including Aspergillaceae (55·45%), Unclassified Ascomycota (11·13%) and Dipodascaceae (5·72%). Compared with the 2-year-old PM, bacterial floras in 20-year-old PM and 30-year-old PM were more abundant (i.e. Dysgonomonadaceae, Clostridium and Synerggstaceas), while no fungi were detected. Besides, the physicochemical analysis showed that the content of Lactobacillaceae was inversely associated with moisture, pH and ammonia nitrogen. By further Spearman's correlation coefficient analysis, we verified that the content of Lactobacillaceae was positively correlated with ethyl hexanoate, while negatively correlated with ethyl octanoate and caproic acid. Meanwhile, ethyl octanoate and caproic acid were positively correlated with most flora including Ruminococcaceae, Dysgonomonadaceae and Clostridiacea, which were related to physicochemical indexes. This work demonstrates promise for adjusting the physicochemical indexes of PM to affect the micro-organisms and aroma, which may provide a reference for the production of high-quality Baijiu.

Dijet Resonance Search with Weak Supervision Using sqrt[s]=13 TeV pp Collisions in the ATLAS Detector

This Letter describes a search for narrowly resonant new physics using a machine-learning anomaly detection procedure that does not rely on signal simulations for developing the analysis selection. Weakly supervised learning is used to train classifiers directly on data to enhance potential signals. The targeted topology is dijet events and the features used for machine learning are the masses of the two jets. The resulting analysis is essentially a three-dimensional search A→BC, for m_{A}∼O(TeV), m_{B},m_{C}∼O(100  GeV) and B, C are reconstructed as large-radius jets, without paying a penalty associated with a large trials factor in the scan of the masses of the two jets. The full run 2 sqrt[s]=13  TeV pp collision dataset of 139  fb^{-1} recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is used for the search. There is no significant evidence of a localized excess in the dijet invariant mass spectrum between 1.8 and 8.2 TeV. Cross-section limits for narrow-width A, B, and C particles vary with m_{A}, m_{B}, and m_{C}. For example, when m_{A}=3  TeV and m_{B}≳200  GeV, a production cross section between 1 and 5 fb is excluded at 95% confidence level, depending on m_{C}. For certain masses, these limits are up to 10 times more sensitive than those obtained by the inclusive dijet search. These results are complementary to the dedicated searches for the case that B and C are standard model bosons.

Anomalous helimagnetic domain shrinkage due to the weakening of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in CrAs

CrAs is a well-known helimagnet with the double-helix structure originating from the competition between the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) and antiferromagnetic exchange interaction J. By resonant soft-x-ray scattering, we observe the magnetic peak (0 0 q m ) that emerges at the helical transition with T S ≈ 267.5 K. Intriguingly, the helimagnetic domains significantly shrink on cooling below ~255 K, opposite to the conventional thermal effect. The weakening of DMI on cooling is found to play a critical role here. It causes the helical wave vector to vary, ordered spins to rotate, and extra helimagnetic domain boundaries to form at local defects, thus leading to the anomalous shrinkage of helimagnetic domains. Our results indicate that the size of magnetic helical domains can be controlled by tuning DMI in certain helimagnets.

Anharmonic Origin of the Giant Thermal Expansion of NaBr

All phonons in a single crystal of NaBr are measured by inelastic neutron scattering at temperatures of 10, 300, and 700 K. Even at 300 K, the phonons, especially the longitudinal-optical phonons, show large shifts in frequencies and show large broadenings in energy owing to anharmonicity. Ab initio computations are first performed with the quasiharmonic approximation (QHA) in which the phonon frequencies depend only on V and on T only insofar as it alters V by thermal expansion. This QHA is an unqualified failure for predicting the temperature dependence of phonon frequencies, even 300 K, and the thermal expansion is in error by a factor of 4. Ab initio computations that include both anharmonicity and quasiharmonicity successfully predict both the temperature dependence of phonons and the large thermal expansion of NaBr. The frequencies of longitudinal-optical phonon modes decrease significantly with temperature owing to the real part of the phonon self-energy from explicit anharmonicity originating from the cubic anharmonicity of nearest-neighbor NaBr bonds. Anharmonicity is not a correction to the QHA predictions of thermal expansion and thermal phonon shifts but dominates the behavior.

Whole-genome sequencing reveals breed-differential CNVs between Tongcheng and Large White pigs

Large phenotypic differences have been observed between Tongcheng and Large White pigs. However, little is known about their genetic basis. This study performed a genome-wide comparison of CNVs between Tongcheng and Large White pigs using genome sequencing data. By combining the advantages of three different strategies (read depth, paired-end mapping and split read), we detected in total 18 687 CNVs that covered approximately 3.5% of the pig genome length for Tongcheng and Large White pigs. We identified 1864 breed-stratified CNVs (top 10%) by performing V_ST statistics. Functional enrichment analyses for genes located in breed-stratified CNVs were found to be involved in pigmentation, behavior, immune system and reproductive processes, which coincide with phenotypic differences between the two breeds. Using a systematic analysis of the genome and transcriptome data, we further identified four novel breed-differential CNVs on the functional genes (disease-resistant, DCUN1D2 and SPARCL1; lipid metabolism, PLEKHA2 and SLCO1A2). Subsequent PCR validation confirmed their accurate breakpoint positions in 33 Tongcheng pigs and 33 Large White pigs. This study provides essential information on differential CNVs for further research on the genetic basis of phenotypic differences between Tongcheng and Large White pigs.

CP Properties of Higgs Boson Interactions with Top Quarks in the tt[over ¯]H and tH Processes Using H→γγ with the ATLAS Detector

A study of the charge conjugation and parity (CP) properties of the interaction between the Higgs boson and top quarks is presented. Higgs bosons are identified via the diphoton decay channel (H→γγ), and their production in association with a top quark pair (tt[over ¯]H) or single top quark (tH) is studied. The analysis uses 139  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=13  TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Assuming a CP-even coupling, the tt[over ¯]H process is observed with a significance of 5.2 standard deviations. The measured cross section times H→γγ branching ratio is 1.64_{-0.36}^{+0.38}(stat)_{-0.14}^{+0.17}(sys)  fb, and the measured rate for tt[over ¯]H is 1.43_{-0.31}^{+0.33}(stat)_{-0.15}^{+0.21}(sys) times the Standard Model expectation. The tH production process is not observed and an upper limit on its rate of 12 times the Standard Model expectation is set. A CP-mixing angle greater (less) than 43 (-43)° is excluded at 95% confidence level.

Methylphenidate causes cytotoxicity on photoreceptor cells via autophagy

Methylphenidate (MPH) is used as the first-line treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, there are concerns that this treatment may be associated with increased risk of retinal damage. This study was to investigate cytotoxicity of MPH on photoreceptor cells and explore its underlying mechanisms. MPH-caused cell toxicity was established in 661 W cells. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium-bromid and lactate dehydrogenase assays. Oxidative stress was measured by the markers: glutathione (GSH) reductase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activities as well as GSH, reactive oxygen species, and malondialdehyde levels. Gene and protein expression was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blot, respectively. Results showed that MPH decreased 661 W cell viability, increased caspase-3/9 activities, and induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, MPH treatment increased messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of Beclin-1 and microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3B (LC3B) protein expression in 661 W cells, suggesting autophagy was induced. MPH treatment also upregulated p-JAK1/p-STAT1 protein expression. These data demonstrated that MPH could increase oxidative stress in photoreceptor cells to cause cell toxicity via autophagy, providing the scientific rationale for the photoreceptor cell damage caused by the MPH administration.

[Simultaneous determination for metabolites of benzene compounds in urine by high performance liquid chromatography]

Objective: To describe for the determination of contents of metabolites of benzene compounds in urine sample by high performance liquid chromatography. Methods: After acidification with hydrochloric acid, metabolites in urine were first extracted by acetonitrile and isopropanol (V∶V, 9∶1) with excessive sodium chloride, then gradient separated on a C18 column and then determined by DAD detector. Results: There were good linear relationship between peak areas and injection quality in range of 2.00-100 mg/L (r>0.999). The detection limit and quantitative limit of this method were 4.15-70.7 μg/L and 13.8-235 μg/L respectively. The precision for the analysis of urine was1.78%-8.23% (n =6). The average recovery of metabolites was 85.4%-105.5% at thee spiked levels in the range of 2.00-100 mg/L. Conclusion: The accuracy and reproducibility obtained make this method useful for the biological monitoring of occupational exposure to toluene, xylene, styrene and ethylbenzene.

Search for Heavy Higgs Bosons Decaying into Two Tau Leptons with the ATLAS Detector Using pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

A search for heavy neutral Higgs bosons is performed using the LHC Run 2 data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector. The search for heavy resonances is performed over the mass range 0.2-2.5 TeV for the τ^{+}τ^{-} decay with at least one τ-lepton decaying into final states with hadrons. The data are in good agreement with the background prediction of the standard model. In the M_{h}^{125} scenario of the minimal supersymmetric standard model, values of tanβ>8 and tanβ>21 are excluded at the 95% confidence level for neutral Higgs boson masses of 1.0 and 1.5 TeV, respectively, where tanβ is the ratio of the vacuum expectation values of the two Higgs doublets.

Microbial diversity of representative traditional fermented sausages in different regions of China

AIMS

The purpose of this experiment was to study the bacterial diversity of traditional fermented sausages from four typical regions of China (Chengdu, Shenzhen, Changsha and Harbin) and to further evaluate their microbiological safety.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The diversity of the microbiota of the sausages was studied using the Illumina HiSeq platform. The results showed that compared with the highest diversity of fermented bacteria in Guangdong, the bacterial diversity of fermented sausage was the lowest in Sichuan. The percentage of dominant phylum (Firmicutes, Cyanophyta, Proteobacter) were 78·39, 13·13 and 7·14% in SC, 35·47, 30·36 and 28·04% in GD, 54·81, 28·91 and 14·00% in HN, 20·20, 58·16 and 17·31% in HB respectively. The main genus distribution of fermented sausages in different regions is varied, but lactic acid bacteria and cyanobacteria are generally the main ones. Traditional fermented sausages using natural fermentation methods have poor microbiological safety, and pathogenic and spoilage micro-organisms such as Acinetobacter, Brochothrix and Pseudomonas have been detected in all four regions.

CONCLUSIONS

The results in this paper provide a microbiota profile of four typical fermented sausages in China. There is a big difference in the microbiota of sausages in different regions, and the good flavour of traditional Chinese fermented sausage is related closely with the abundant microbial resources, however, the natural fermentation method also expose to the product security threats, including spoilage, pathogenic micro-organisms and biogenic amines, etc. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The results would offer guidance for industrial fermented sausage production with certain flavour and also improve the microbial resource utilization, and contribute to the control of harmful micro-organisms in traditional fermented sausage.

[Application of the subjective and objective evaluation in functional rhinoplasty]

Objective: To explore the subjective and objective evaluation methods in functional rhinoplasty. Methods: Sixty-four patients who underwent rhinoplasty in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were included in this study from January 2017 to October 2018. There were 32 males and 32 females, with the age ranging from 18 to 45 years old. Before and 6 months after operation, nasal ventilation function was evaluated by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE), nasal acoustic reflex and nasal resistance. Satisfaction with nasal appearance was evaluated by VAS, Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation (ROE) and facial proportions evaluation. Psychological state was assessed by Emotional Balance Scale and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale. Finally, the Pearson correlation analysis of patient satisfaction was performed. SPSS 23.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: Compared with pre-operation, nasal obstruction VAS, NOSE scores, total nasal resistance and difference ratio of nasal resistance showed significantly decline after surgery (1.62±0.85 vs 7.56±1.44, 22.62±3.54 vs 69.75±7.85, (0.16±0.08) Pa·s/ml vs (0.31±0.43) Pa·s/ml, 0.33±0.28 vs 0.71±0.32, all P<0.05). VAS of appearance and ROE scores showed an increase after surgery (11.20±3.66 vs 2.70±0.97, 17.80±2.71 vs 7.50±1.12, all P<0.05). The measurement of the external nasal subunits showed that the length of the dorsum of the nose, the angle of the face to the nose, the angle of the frontal and the angle of the alar of the nose were obviously reduced ((29.33±4.26) mm vs (33.61±5.24) mm, (135.11±3.81)° vs (139.91±6.30)°, (130.63±2.88)° vs (136.74±5.72)°, (99.71±4.02)° vs (106.27±5.60)°, all P<0.05). The scores of postoperative Emotional Balance Scale and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale increased significantly (5.88±1.54 vs 4.31±1.85, 28.31±2.64 vs 22.13±2.77, all P<0.05). The Pearson correlation analysis showed that patients' satisfaction was positively correlated with subjective score of nasal ventilation (VAS, NOSE), subjective score of nasal appearance (VAS, ROE) and emotional balance scale, while negatively correlated with nasal resistance, and not correlated with the measurement of external nasal subunit. There was a significant positive correlation between the subjective score of nasal ventilation and the measurement of nasal resistance, but there was no significant correlation between the subjective score of nasal appearance and the measurement of external nasal subunit. Conclusion: The subjective and objective evaluation of nasal ventilation function, aesthetics of nasal appearance and psychological state can evaluate the effect of functional rhinoplasty effectively.

Reduced miR-363-3p expression in non-small cell lung cancer is associated with gemcitabine resistance via targeting of CUL4A

OBJECTIVE

Accumulating evidence has suggested that aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) is associated with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) proliferation, migration, invasion and chemotherapy resistance. Cullin4A (CUL4A) has been previously reported to desensitize NSCLC cells to chemotherapy treatment. However, whether miRNAs regulate CUL4A to promote chemotherapy resistance remains unknown.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Tissues were obtained from 40 NSCLC patients who received surgery at the Yancheng City No. 1 People's Hospital. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays were applied for the detection of cell proliferation; mRNA and protein levels were determined by Real Time-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot, respectively. The interaction between mRNA 3'UTR and miRNA was predicted by TargetScan and verified by Dual-Luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

In the present study, miR-363-3p levels were revealed to be significantly decreased in tumor tissues obtained from NSCLC patients compared with adjacent normal tissues. The results of the CCK-8 assays showed that the overexpression of miR-363-3p may slightly inhibit the proliferation of A549 and H23 cells. Notably, the transfection with miR-363-3p antagonists reduced the sensitivity of A549 and H23 cells to gemcitabine treatment, whereas the overexpression of miR-363-3p markedly increased the sensitivity of A549 and H23 cells to gemcitabine treatment. Furthermore, CUL4A mRNA and protein levels were revealed to be decreased in A549 cells transfected with miR-363-3p mimics. The Dual-Luciferase reporter assay results further suggested that CUL4A represents a target gene of miR-363-3p.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicated that decreased miR-363-3p expression enhanced gemcitabine resistance in NSCLC cells via regulation of CUL4A.