[Application value of three-dimensional reconstruction in preoperative evaluation of precise hepatectomy for complex primary liver cancer]

Objective: To explore the application value of three-dimensional reconstruction of liver based on computer software in preoperative evaluation of precise hepatectomy for complex primary liver cancer. Methods: The clinical data of patients in Peking University People's Hospital Hepatobiliary surgery with complicated primary liver cancer from September 17, 2019 to December 20, 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Preoperative enhanced CT/MR data of patients were collected, and 3D reconstruction of liver was performed in IQQA􀳏-3D Liver system. The liver volume of patients was calculated, the size and location of tumor were described, and the relationship between tumor and intrahepatic bile duct, portal vein, hepatic artery and inferior vena cava was described. Preoperative decision-making and treatment plan were made to compare the compliance of the actual operation plan with the planned operation plan under the guidance of three-dimensional reconstruction. Results: Among all 10 patients, there were 6 males and 4 females, aged 36 to 75 years. There were 6 cases of Child-Pugh grade A and 4 cases of B liver function. There were 5 cases of portal vein variation and 5 cases of hepatic artery variation. The range and M(Q₁,Q₃)of actual liver volume measured by 3D reconstruction in 10 patients was 895- 2 477 cm³ and [1 444(1 001, 1 854)] cm³;the nodule volume was 7-1 808 [133(50, 566)] cm³;the nodule volume in the liver was 0.8%-73.0% [11.0(3.3,32.7)]% and the number of suspected lesions was 1-7. In the end, 6 patients received surgical treatment;3 received chemotherapy, and 1 received conservative treatment. The preoperative three-dimensional reconstruction of liver anatomy and tumor location of the patients receiving surgical treatment were basically consistent with the intraoperative situation. There was no case of liver failure or death during perioperative period. Conclusion: In the preoperative evaluation of precise hepatectomy for complex primary liver cancer, 3D reconstruction can improve the rationality of treatment and the surgeon's understanding of the anatomical characteristics of the liver, so as to select the best treatment for patients, which has great application value.

Measurement of e^{+}e^{-} Momentum and Angular Distributions from Linearly Polarized Photon Collisions

The Breit-Wheeler process which produces matter and antimatter from photon collisions is experimentally investigated through the observation of 6085 exclusive electron-positron pairs in ultraperipheral Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. The measurements reveal a large fourth-order angular modulation of cos4Δϕ=(16.8±2.5)% and smooth invariant mass distribution absent of vector mesons (ϕ, ω, and ρ) at the experimental limit of ≤0.2% of the observed yields. The differential cross section as a function of e^{+}e^{-} pair transverse momentum P_{⊥} peaks at low value with sqrt[⟨P_{⊥}^{2}⟩]=38.1±0.9  MeV and displays a significant centrality dependence. These features are consistent with QED calculations for the collision of linearly polarized photons quantized from the extremely strong electromagnetic fields generated by the highly charged Au nuclei at ultrarelativistic speed. The experimental results have implications for vacuum birefringence and for mapping the magnetic field which is important for emergent QCD phenomena.

[Fucoxanthin induces prostate cancer PC-3 cell apoptosis by causing mitochondria dysfunction and oxidative stress]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the apoptosis- inducing effect of fucoxanthin in human prostate cancer PC-3 cells and the underlying mechanism.

OBJECTIVE

The viability and apoptosis of PC-3 cells treated with fucoxanthin were analyzed using commercial kits, and the mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial morphology and mitochondrial superoxide were detected using fluorescence probe staining. The contents of ATP, H₂O₂, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide and the total antioxidant capacity of PC-3 cells were determined. The protein expressions of Bcl-2, Bax and cytochrome c were detected with Western blotting, and the activity of caspase-9 and caspase- 3/7 was detected using corresponding kits.

OBJECTIVE

Fucoxanthin significantly inhibited the viability of PC-3 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and dose-dependently induced apoptosis of the cells (P < 0.05). Fucoxanthin-treated PC-3 cells showed significantly decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial fragmentation and increased superoxide level in the mitochondria (P < 0.05), and these effects of fucoxanthin were dose- dependent. Fucoxanthin dose-dependently decreased ATP level and the total antioxidant capacity of PC-3 cells, increased the contents of H₂O₂, MDA and superoxide (all P < 0.05), enhanced the protein expressions of Bax and cytochrome c in the cytoplasm, and lowered the protein expressions of Bcl-2 and cytochromes in the mitochondria (P < 0.05).

OBJECTIVE

Fucoxanthin induces apoptosis of PC-3 cells by triggering mitochondrial dysfunction to cause oxidative stress and by activating mitochondria-mediated apoptotic signaling pathways, suggesting its potential in prostate cancer treatment.

[Japan narrow-band imaging Expert Team type 2B colorectal cancer: consistency between endoscopic prediction and pathological diagnosis]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the potential factors that affect the accuracy of endoscopic diagnosis for Japan narrow-band imaging (NBI) Expert Team (JNET) type 2B colorectal lesions.

OBJECTIVE

The clinical data were collected from 261 patients with JNET type 2B colorectal lesions diagnosed in Nanfang Hospital between July, 2018 and July, 2021. We analyzed the macroscopic type, size, location or pit pattern classification of the lesions for their potential influence of the diagnostic accuracy of JNET type 2B lesions.

OBJECTIVE

The 261 lesions included 91 low-grade intramucosal neoplasia lesions (34.9%), 132 high-grade intramucosal neoplasia lesions (50.6%), 13 submucosal invasive cancer lesions (5.0%), and 25 deep submucosal invasive cancer lesions (9.6%). The coincidence rate between endoscopic prediction and pathological diagnosis of these lesions was 55.6% (145/ 261). The macroscopic type and size of the lesions were significantly associated with the diagnostic accuracy of JNET type 2B lesions (P < 0.001). There was a significant difference in the diagnostic accuracy among the lesions with different pit pattern types (P < 0.001).

OBJECTIVE

Both the macroscopic type and size affect the accuracy of endoscopic diagnosis of JNET type 2B colorectal lesions. JNET classification combined with pit pattern types can have better accuracy in predicting the pathological diagnosis of these lesions.

[Prognosis and related risk factors of acute respiratory distress syndrome in elder patients]

Objective: To study the risk factors associated with the hospital survival rate of elder patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in Medical/Respiratory Intensive Care Units (MICUs/RICUs) by evaluating the prognosis, and therefore to provide insight into patient treatment strategy. Methods: Twenty MICUs/RICUs of 19 general hospitals in mainland China participated in the multicenter prospective cohort study carried out from Mar 1^st, 2016 to Feb 28^th, 2018. Patients who met the criteria of Berlin ARDS and older than 65 years were recruited. Baseline data, risk factors of ARDS, ventilator setup and prognosis data were collected from all patients. Univariant and multivariant regression analysis were conducted to analyze the factors associated with the prognosis. Results: 170 elder ARDS patients (age≥65 years) met the Berlin ARDS criteria, among whom 8.8% (15/170), 42.9% (73/170) and 48.2% (82/170) patients had mild, moderate and severe ARDS, respectively. The most common predisposing factor for elder ARDS was pneumonia, which was present in 134 patients (78.8%). 37.6% (64/170) patients were treated with noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV), but 43.8% (28/64) cases experienced treatment failure. 76.5% (130/170) patients were treated with invasive mechanical ventilation. All patients 80 years or older were given invasive mechanical ventilation. 51.8% (88/170) cases had complications of non-pulmonary organ failure. 61.8% (105/170) patients deceased during hospital stay. Multivariant logistic analysis showed that the independent risk factors for hospital survival rate in elder patients with ARDS were SOFA score (P=0.030, RR=0.725, 95% CI 0.543-0.969), oxygen index after 24 hours of ARDS diagnosis (P=0.030, RR=0.196, 95% CI 0.045-0.853), accumulated fluid balance within 7 days after diagnosis of ARDS (P=0.026, RR=1.000, 95% CI 1.000-1.000) and shock (P=0.034, RR=0.140, 95% CI 0.023-0.863). Conclusion: Among 20 ICUs, the high mortality rate of elder patients with ARDS was correlated with higher 24 hour SOFA score, lower 24 hour oxygen index after ARDS diagnosis, more positive fluid balance within 7 days and concomitant shock. The conservative fluid strategy within 7 days of ARDS diagnosis may benefit the elder ARDS patients.

Does smoking cessation increase risk of knee replacement? a general population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Smoking represents a major issue for global public health. Owing to methodologic challenges, findings of an association between smoking and risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA) are inconsistent. We sought to assess the relation of onset of smoking cessation to the risk of OA sequelae, i.e., knee replacement, and to perform sub-cohort analysis according to weight change after smoking cessation.

DESIGN

Using The Health Improvement Network, we conducted a cohort study to examine the association between smoking cessation and risk of knee replacement among patients with knee OA. Participants who stopped smoking were further grouped into three sub-cohorts: weight gain (body mass index [BMI] increased>1.14 kg/m²), no substantial weight change (absolute value of BMI change<1.14 kg/m²), and weight loss (BMI loss>1.14 kg/m²) after smoking cessation.

RESULTS

We identified 108 cases of knee replacement among 1,054 recent quitters (26.7/1,000 person-years) and 1,108 cases among 15,765 current smokers (17.4/1,000 person-years). The rate difference of knee replacement in recent quitter cohort vs current smoker cohort was 10.4 (95% confidence interval [CI]:5.3-15.6)/1,000 person-years and the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) was 1.30 (95%CI:1.05-1.59). Compared with current smokers, risk of knee replacement was higher among quitters with weight gain (HR = 1.42,95%CI:1.01-1.98), but not among those with no substantial weight change (HR = 1.29,95%CI:0.90-1.83) or those with weight loss (HR = 1.11,95%CI:0.71-1.75).

CONCLUSIONS

Our large population-based cohort study provides the first evidence that smoking cessation was associated with a higher risk of knee replacement among individuals with knee OA, and such an association was due to weight gain after smoking cessation.

Global Polarization of Ξ and Ω Hyperons in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

Global polarization of Ξ and Ω hyperons has been measured for the first time in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. The measurements of the Ξ^{-} and Ξ[over ¯]^{+} hyperon polarization have been performed by two independent methods, via analysis of the angular distribution of the daughter particles in the parity violating weak decay Ξ→Λ+π, as well as by measuring the polarization of the daughter Λ hyperon, polarized via polarization transfer from its parent. The polarization, obtained by combining the results from the two methods and averaged over Ξ^{-} and Ξ[over ¯]^{+}, is measured to be ⟨P_{Ξ}⟩=0.47±0.10(stat)±0.23(syst)% for the collision centrality 20%-80%. The ⟨P_{Ξ}⟩ is found to be slightly larger than the inclusive Λ polarization and in reasonable agreement with a multiphase transport model. The ⟨P_{Ξ}⟩ is found to follow the centrality dependence of the vorticity predicted in the model, increasing toward more peripheral collisions. The global polarization of Ω, ⟨P_{Ω}⟩=1.11±0.87(stat)±1.97(syst)% was obtained by measuring the polarization of daughter Λ in the decay Ω→Λ+K, assuming the polarization transfer factor C_{ΩΛ}=1.

Prospects for beyond the Standard Model physics searches at the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment: DUNE Collaboration

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will be a powerful tool for a variety of physics topics. The high-intensity proton beams provide a large neutrino flux, sampled by a near detector system consisting of a combination of capable precision detectors, and by the massive far detector system located deep underground. This configuration sets up DUNE as a machine for discovery, as it enables opportunities not only to perform precision neutrino measurements that may uncover deviations from the present three-flavor mixing paradigm, but also to discover new particles and unveil new interactions and symmetries beyond those predicted in the Standard Model (SM). Of the many potential beyond the Standard Model (BSM) topics DUNE will probe, this paper presents a selection of studies quantifying DUNE's sensitivities to sterile neutrino mixing, heavy neutral leptons, non-standard interactions, CPT symmetry violation, Lorentz invariance violation, neutrino trident production, dark matter from both beam induced and cosmogenic sources, baryon number violation, and other new physics topics that complement those at high-energy colliders and significantly extend the present reach.

Nonmonotonic Energy Dependence of Net-Proton Number Fluctuations

Nonmonotonic variation with collision energy (sqrt[s_{NN}]) of the moments of the net-baryon number distribution in heavy-ion collisions, related to the correlation length and the susceptibilities of the system, is suggested as a signature for the quantum chromodynamics critical point. We report the first evidence of a nonmonotonic variation in the kurtosis times variance of the net-proton number (proxy for net-baryon number) distribution as a function of sqrt[s_{NN}] with 3.1  σ significance for head-on (central) gold-on-gold (Au+Au) collisions measured solenoidal tracker at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Data in noncentral Au+Au collisions and models of heavy-ion collisions without a critical point show a monotonic variation as a function of sqrt[s_{NN}].

ORAOV1-B Promotes OSCC Metastasis via the NF-κB-TNFα Loop

Metastasis, a powerful prognostic indicator of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), is chiefly responsible for poor cancer outcomes. Despite an increasing number of studies examining the mechanisms underlying poor outcomes, the development of potent strategies is hindered by insufficient characterization of the crucial regulators. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently been gaining interest as significant modulators of OSCC metastasis; however, the detailed mechanisms underlying lncRNA-mediated OSCC metastasis remain relatively uncharacterized. Here, we identified a novel alternative splice variant of oral cancer overexpressed 1 (ORAOV1), named as ORAOV1-B, which was subsequently validated as an lncRNA and correlated with OSCC lymph node metastasis; significantly increased invasion and migration were observed in ORAOV1-B-overexpressing OSCC cells. RNA pulldown and mass spectrometry identified Hsp90 as a direct target of ORAOV1-B, and cDNA microarrays suggested TNFα as a potential downstream target of ORAOV1-B. ORAOV1-B was shown to directly bind to and stabilize Hsp90, which maintains the function of client proteins, receptor-interaction protein, and IκB kinase beta, thus activating the NF-κB pathway and inducing TNFα. Additionally, TNFα reciprocally enhanced p-NF-κB-p65 and the downstream epithelial-mesenchymal transition. ORAOV1-B effects were reversed by a TNFα inhibitor, demonstrating that TNFα is essential for ORAOV1-B-regulated metastatic ability. Consistent epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the ORAOV1-B group was demonstrated via an orthotopic model. In the metastatic model, ORAOV1-B significantly contributed to OSCC-related lung metastasis. In summary, the novel splice variant ORAOV1-B is an lncRNA, which significantly potentiates OSCC invasion and metastasis by binding to Hsp90 and activating the NF-κB-TNFα loop. These findings demonstrate the versatile role of ORAOV1 family members and the significance of genes located within 11q13 in promoting OSCC. ORAOV1-B might serve as an attractive OSCC metastasis intervention target.

[Polymorphism and Forensic Application of 11 Y-SNP in Guizhou Shui Ethnic Group]

Abstract

Objective To investigate the frequency distribution features of 11 Y-SNP of Guizhou Shui ethnic group, explore its genetic relationship with other ethnic groups and evaluate its forensic application value. Methods Multiplex amplification of the 11 Y-SNP of samples of 180 unrelated male individuals from Guizhou Shui ethnic group was performed with microsequencing technique. The frequency of haplogroup was calculated by direct counting method, and principal component analysis （PCA） of Guizhou Shui ethnic group and reference ethnic groups was performed by using Multi-variate statistical package （MVSP）. The F_st genetic distance between Guizhou Shui ethnic group and other ethnic groups was calculated with Arlequin v3.5. The phylogenetic tree was established with MEGA 4.0 software according to the F_st value. Results Six types of Y chromosome haplogroups were observed in total. Among which, the distribution frequency of O-M175 haplogroup was the highest （71.11%）, followed by C-M130 （25.00%）, and D-M174 （3.89%）. O1b-M268 （31.11%） and O2a2-IMS-JST021354 （28.33%） had a relatively high distribution frequency in O haplogroup. The paternal relationship between Guizhou Shui ethnic group and Guizhou Gelao ethnic group in the same language group was the closest. Conclusion The distribution of Y-SNP haplogroup of the Shui ethnic group in Guizhou has certain specificity, which can provide basic data for forensic biogeographic inference.

A proof-of-concept study of an automated solution for clinical metagenomic next-generation sequencing

AIMS

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has been utilized for diagnosing infectious diseases. It is a culture-free and hypothesis-free nucleic acid test for diagnosing all pathogens with known genomic sequences, including bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites. While this technique greatly expands the clinical capacity of pathogen detection, it is a second-line choice due to lengthy procedures and microbial contaminations introduced from wet-lab processes. As a result, we aimed to reduce the hands-on time and exogenous contaminations in mNGS.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We developed a device (NGSmaster) that automates the wet-lab workflow, including nucleic acid extraction, PCR-free library preparation and purification. It shortens the sample-to-results time to 16 and 18·5 h for DNA and RNA sequencing respectively. We used it to test cultured bacteria for validation of the workflow and bioinformatic pipeline. We also compared PCR-free with PCR-based library prep and discovered no differences in microbial reads. Moreover we analysed results by automation and manual testing and found that automation can significantly reduce microbial contaminations. Finally, we tested artificial and clinical samples and showed mNGS results were concordant with traditional culture.

CONCLUSION

NGSmaster can fulfil the microbiological diagnostic needs in a variety of sample types.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study opens up an opportunity of performing in-house mNGS to reduce turnaround time and workload, instead of transferring potentially contagious specimen to a third-party laboratory.

MDM2 inhibition improves cisplatin-induced renal injury in mice via inactivation of Notch/hes1 signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

To explore the potential function of MDM2-mediated Notch/hes1 signaling pathway in cisplatin-induced renal injury.

METHODS

The acute renal injury models of mice after intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin in vivo, and the apoptotic models of human renal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells induced by cisplatin in vitro, were conducted respectively. The renal function-related parameters were measured. The renal tissue pathological changes and apoptosis were observed by PAS staining and TUNEL staining, respectively. Cell viability and apoptosis were detected by MTT and flow cytometry. Notch/hes1 pathway-related proteins were tested by Western blotting.

RESULTS

After mice injected by cisplatin, the levels of Cr, BUN, urine cystatin C, urine NGAL and urine ACR were increased and GFR was decreased with the elevation of renal tubular injury scores, the upregulation of the expressions of MDM2, N1ICD, Hes1 and Cleaved caspase-3, as well as the enhancement of cell apoptosis accompanying decreased ratio of Bcl-2/Bax. However, these cisplatin-induced renal injuries of mice have been improved by MDM2 inhibition. Besides, the declined viability, increased cytotoxicity, and enhanced apoptosis were observed in cisplatin-induced HK-2 cells, with the activated Notch/hes1 pathway. Notably, the phenomenon was alleviated in cisplatin-induced HK-2 cells transfected with MDM2 shRNA, but was severer in those co-treated with AdMDM2. Moreover, Notch1 siRNA can reverse the injury of AdMDM2 on HK-2 cells.

CONCLUSION

Inhibiting MDM2 could reduce cell apoptosis through blocking Notch/hes1 signaling pathway, thus alleviating the acute renal injury caused by cisplatin.

Serum Uric Acid Concentrations and Risk of Adverse Outcomes in Patients With COVID-19

BACKGROUND

Although hyperuricemia frequently associates with respiratory diseases, patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) can show marked hypouricemia. Previous studies on the association of serum uric acid with risk of adverse outcomes related to COVID-19 have produced contradictory results. The precise relationship between admission serum uric acid and adverse outcomes in hospitalized patients is unknown.

METHODS

Data of patients affected by laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and admitted to Leishenshan Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The primary outcome was composite and comprised events, such as intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation, or mortality. Logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association between serum concentrations of uric acid and the composite outcome, as well as each of its components. To determine the association between serum uric acid and in-hospital adverse outcomes, serum uric acid was also categorized by restricted cubic spline, and the 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to estimate odds ratios (OR).

RESULTS

The study cohort included 1854 patients (mean age, 58 years; 52% women). The overall mean ± SD of serum levels of uric acid was 308 ± 96 µmol/L. Among them, 95 patients were admitted to ICU, 75 patients received mechanical ventilation, and 38 died. In total, 114 patients reached composite end-points (have either ICU admission, mechanical ventilation or death) during hospitalization. Compared with a reference group with estimated baseline serum uric acid of 279-422 µmol/L, serum uric acid values ≥ 423 µmol/L were associated with an increased risk of composite outcome (OR, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.07- 6.29) and mechanical ventilation (OR, 3.01; 95% CI, 1.06- 8.51). Serum uric acid ≤ 278 µmol/L was associated with an increased risk of the composite outcome (OR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.18- 3.65), ICU admission (OR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.17- 4.05]), and mechanical ventilation (OR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.06- 4.28), as assessed by multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that the association between admission serum uric acid and composite outcome of COVID-19 patients was U-shaped. In particular, we found that compared with baseline serum uric acid levels of 279-422 µmol/L, values ≥ 423 µmol/L were associated with an increased risk of composite outcome and mechanical ventilation, whereas levels ≤ 278 µmol/L associated with increased risk of composite outcome, ICU admission and mechanical ventilation.

Oral anticoagulants for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation in frail elderly patients: insights from the ARISTOPHANES study

BACKGROUND

Patient frailty amongst patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is associated with adverse health outcomes and increased risk of mortality. Additional evidence is needed to evaluate effective and safe NVAF treatment in this patient population.

OBJECTIVES

This subgroup analysis of the ARISTOPHANES study compared the risk of stroke/systemic embolism (S/SE) and major bleeding (MB) amongst frail NVAF patients prescribed nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) or warfarin.

METHODS

This comparative retrospective observational study of frail, older NVAF patients who initiated apixaban, dabigatran, rivaroxaban or warfarin from 01JAN2013-30SEP2015 was conducted using Medicare and 3 US commercial claims databases. To compare each drug, 6 propensity score-matched (PSM) cohorts were created. Patient cohorts were pooled from 4 databases after PSM. Cox models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) of S/SE and MB.

RESULTS

Amongst NVAF patients, 34% (N = 150 487) met frailty criteria. Apixaban and rivaroxaban were associated with a lower risk of S/SE vs warfarin (apixaban: HR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.55-0.69; rivaroxaban: HR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.72-0.87). For MB, apixaban (HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.57-0.66) and dabigatran (HR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.70-0.89) were associated with a lower risk and rivaroxaban (HR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.08-1.21) was associated with a higher risk vs warfarin.

CONCLUSION

Amongst this cohort of frail NVAF patients, NOACs were associated with varying rates of stroke/SE and MB compared with warfarin. Due to the lack of real-world data regarding OAC treatment in frail patients, these results may inform clinical practice in the treatment of this patient population.

LncRNA PART1 promotes lung squamous cell carcinoma progression via miR-185-5p/Six1 axis

Dysregulation of the long non-coding RNA prostate androgen regulated transcript 1 (lncRNA PART1) is involved in the tumorigenesis of various cancers. However, little is known about its function and molecular mechanism in the development of lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). In this study, we examined the expression of PART1 in LSCC clinical tissue samples and cell lines, and gain- and loss-of-function experiments were performed to explore the function of PART1 in LSCC proliferation, invasion and migration. We found that PART1 was overexpressed in both LSCC tissues and cell lines. Functional studies revealed that PART1 knockdown significantly suppressed cell proliferation, invasion and migration but enhanced apoptosis in LSCC cells, whereas overexpression of PART1 showed the opposite results. Mechanistically, we identified that PART1 acted as a sponge of miR-185-5p, and sineoculis homeobox homolog 1 (Six1) was a direct downstream target of miR-185-5p. Moreover, restoration of miR-185-5p or silencing of Six1 partially abolished the oncogenic effect of PART1 in LSCC cells. Clinically, The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of PART1, miR-185-5p, and Six1 were 0.7857, 0.7332, 0.8112, respectively. Notably, high PART1, low miR-185-5p, and high Six1 expressions were significantly associated with severe clinical parameters and were the independent risk factors for poor prognosis of LSCC patients. Thus, we concluded that the PART1/miR-185-5p/Six1 axis might serve as a novel biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of LSCC.

First Measurement of Differential Charged Current Quasielasticlike ν_{μ}-Argon Scattering Cross Sections with the MicroBooNE Detector

We report on the first measurement of flux-integrated single differential cross sections for charged-current (CC) muon neutrino (ν_{μ}) scattering on argon with a muon and a proton in the final state, ^{40}Ar (ν_{μ},μp)X. The measurement was carried out using the Booster Neutrino Beam at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber detector with an exposure of 4.59×10^{19} protons on target. Events are selected to enhance the contribution of CC quasielastic (CCQE) interactions. The data are reported in terms of a total cross section as well as single differential cross sections in final state muon and proton kinematics. We measure the integrated per-nucleus CCQE-like cross section (i.e., for interactions leading to a muon, one proton, and no pions above detection threshold) of (4.93±0.76_{stat}±1.29_{sys})×10^{-38}  cm^{2}, in good agreement with theoretical calculations. The single differential cross sections are also in overall good agreement with theoretical predictions, except at very forward muon scattering angles that correspond to low-momentum-transfer events.

Histone deacetylase HDA19 interacts with histone methyltransferase SUVH5 to regulate seed dormancy in Arabidopsis

Seed dormancy controls the timing of germination and plays a significant role in adaptation and evolution of seed plants. In this study, a yeast two-hybrid, pull-down assay and co-immunoprecipitation assay were used to ascertain the protein relationship of SUVH5 and HDA19. Both qRT-PCR and ChIP-qPCR were used to examine the molecular mechanism of how HDA19 and SUVH5 regulate seed dormancy. The results demonstrated that histone methyltransferase SUVH5 interacted with histone deacetylase HDA19 in vivo and in vitro. In addition, they showed that mutants of HDA19 could deepen seed dormancy, and that SUVH5 had the same effect. The hda19 suvh5 double mutant displayed a higher level of seed dormancy than the single mutants hda19 or suvh5. Moreover, the expression of seed dormancy-related genes increased in hda19, suvh5 and in hda19 suvh5 double mutant plants, which was associated with increased histone H3 acetylation (H3ac), but decreased histone H3 Lys 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2). ChIP assays proved that HDA19 could directly integrate into the chromatin of genes regulating seed dormancy. Taken together, our results show that HDA19 and SUVH5 work together and have a negative role in seed dormancy.

Influence of lymph node dissection in patients undergoing radical nephrectomy for non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Whether lymph node dissection (LND) should be performed concomitantly with radical nephrectomy (RN) for non-metastatic renal carcinoma has still been controversial recently. We conducted a meta-analysis assessing oncologic outcomes of radical nephrectomy with lymph node dissection (LND) and without lymph node dissection (non-LND) in non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma (NMRCC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A systematic review was performed until April 2018 using a comprehensive search in PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases to identify eligible comparative studies. A formal meta-analysis was performed for studies comparing radical nephrectomy with LND and radical nephrectomy with non-LND for cT1-T4NxM0 tumors. Furthermore, a subgroup analysis for locally advanced renal cell carcinoma (cT3-T4NxM0) was conducted.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies on patients with LND and non- LND were identified and included in the analysis. LND group did not have a significantly better survival than non-LND group for cT1-T4NxM0 tumors (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.78-1.11, p=0.45), However, in the subgroup of locally advanced renal cell carcinoma (cT3-T4NxM0), it showed a significantly better OS rate in patients who had undergone LND compared to those without LND (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.60-0.90; p=0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

LND offers better cancer control and better long-term survival in locally advanced renal cell carcinomas (cT3-T4NxM0). This conclusion should be confirmed by a prospective randomized clinical trial.