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This study aimed to identify microRNAs (miRs), the deregulated expression of which leads to the activation of oncogenic pathways in human breast cancer (BC). miRs are classes of endogenous, small, noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression aberrantly in human tumor tissues. A total of 39 out of 123 tumoral and matched uninvolved peritumoral breast specimens from 3 independent subsets of patients were analyzed for the expression of 851 human miRs using an Agilent platform. The remaining 84 samples were used to validate miRs differentially expressed between tumoral and matched peritumoral specimens by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Animal assay was further used to test the role of miR-9 and Her-2 in the pathogenesis of BC. All 39 matched samples were analyzed by unsupervised cluster analysis. This analytical approach identified a signature of miRs (miR-9, miR-148a, miR-31, miR-375, miR-21, miR-135b, miR-196a and miR-196b) that were significantly modulated between tumoral and peritumoral tissues in both subsets of patients. Her-2 protein staining increased in tumoral specimens when miR-9 downregulation correlated with the prognostic value. The ectopic expression of miR-9 inhibited the colony-forming ability, migration and tumor engraftment of BC cells. miR-9 targeted the Her-2 messenger RNA and increased responsiveness of BC cells to docetaxel (DOC) or cyclophosphamide treatment. The ectopic expression of Her-2 protein counteracted the miR-9 proapoptotic activity in response to DOC. These findings suggested that the modulation of aberrant expression of miR-9, which in turn induces oncogenic Her-2 protein activity, might hold promise for preventive and therapeutic management of BC.

High-spin states of $^{113}\mathrm{In}$ have been populated using the $^{110}\mathrm{Pd}(^{7}\mathrm{Li},4n)^{113}\mathrm{In}$ reaction at beam energies of 38 and 50 MeV. More than 50 new $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ transitions are observed in $^{113}\mathrm{In}$. Three previously observed magnetic dipole bands are extended to higher spin states, and several new $E2$ crossover transitions within the bands are observed in two of the dipole bands. A new positive-parity $▵I=2$ band built on the $\ensuremath{\pi}{d}_{5/2}$ configuration is established. The known $▵I=2$ band is extended to $51/{2}^{+}$ state, and a gentle up-bend associated to the alignment of neutrons in the normal-parity $\ensuremath{\nu}{g}_{7/2}/{d}_{5/2}$ orbitals is found. The properties of this band are discussed based on the self-consistent tilted axis cranking relativistic mean-field model calculations. The predicted $B(E2)$, deformation parameters ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{2}$ and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$, and ${J}^{(2)}/B(E2)$ ratios indicate that the $▵I=2$ band based on the $\ensuremath{\pi}{g}_{9/2}^{\ensuremath{-}2}{g}_{7/2}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}\ensuremath{\nu}{({h}_{11/2})}^{2}$ and $\ensuremath{\pi}{g}_{9/2}^{\ensuremath{-}2}{g}_{7/2}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}\ensuremath{\nu}{({h}_{11/2})}^{2}{({g}_{7/2}/{d}_{5/2})}^{2}$ configurations, has the characteristics of antimagnetic rotation. Furthermore, the two-shears-like mechanism for the possible antimagnetic rotational bands is examined by investigating the orientation of the angular momenta.

Excited states of odd-odd nucleus 92Nb and odd-A nucleus 93Nb were populated in the 6Li+ 89Y reaction with an incident energy of 34 MeV. The processes that produce 92,93Nb and can be measured by a combination of light charged particle and gamma ray measurements are discussed. Twenty new transitions are observed and eight new levels are constructed in 92Nb, and in addition two new transitions are added to the level scheme of 93Nb. Using shell model calculations, the low-lying structure of 92Nb is investigated and compared with the experimental results.

High-spin states of $^{138}\mathrm{Pm}$ have been populated using the $^{124}\mathrm{Te}(^{19}\mathrm{F},\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}5\mathrm{n})^{138}\mathrm{Pm}$ reaction at a beam energy of 105 MeV. A new positive-parity side band with the same $\ensuremath{\pi}{h}_{11/2}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}\ensuremath{\nu}{h}_{11/2}$ configuration as that of the yrast band is observed in $^{138}\mathrm{Pm}$. The properties of the two positive-parity bands show general agreement with the fingerprints of chiral rotation and thus these two bands are suggested to be candidates for near degenerate chiral doublet bands. Besides, odd-even spin staggering of the $\ensuremath{\pi}{h}_{11/2}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}\ensuremath{\nu}{h}_{11/2}$ bands is studied systematically in odd-odd Cs, La, Pr, and Pm isotopes. As a result of this study we suggest that the spin value of lowest observed state of the yrast band be reassigned as 9 in $^{138}\mathrm{Pm}$. This new spin assignment is also supported by the argument of alignment additivity.

Background and aims To investigate the survival rate and prognostic factors of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) in a cohort. Methods A total of 101 NPSLE inpatients diagnosed in a single centre from 2005 to 2016 were included. Information on survival status, date and causes of death was acquired by follow-up. Data were analysed using Kaplan–Meier curves, log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards modelling. Results The overall survival rates of the NPSLE cohort were 89%, 85% and 84% at 1, 3 and 5 years respectively. The standardised mortality ratio (SMR) of NPSLE patients was 11.14. The most common cause of death was NPSLE (7, 47%), including intracranial hypertension syndrome (4, 27%), cerebrovascular disease (2, 13%) and motor neuron disease (1, 7%). The remaining causes included other SLE complications (3, 20%) and infection (2, 13%). Crude analysis showed that the following variables at diagnosis were associated with a shorter survival period: cardiac involvement, renal involvement, diffuse NPSLE, acute confusional state, number of NPSLE manifestations >1, lymphocyte 9 /L, elevated C-reactive protein(CRP), abnormal cerebrospinal fluid and high systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI). On multivariate analysis, acute confusional state (p=0.004), high SLEDAI (p=0.020) and elevated CRP (p=0.023) were independently prognostic of death. Conclusions Our study demonstrate an 11.14-fold increased mortality of NPSLE patients compared with general population. NPSLE itself is the most frequent cause of death. Acute confusional state is the most significant predictive factor for poor prognosis.

Excited states in $^{125}\mathrm{Cs}$ have been studied with the fusion-evaporation-reaction $^{116}\mathrm{Cd}(^{14}\mathrm{N},5n)$ at 65-MeV beam energy. The level scheme of $^{125}\mathrm{Cs}$ was extended with the addition of more than 50 new \ensuremath{\gamma} transitions and with the identification of two new rotational bands built on the $\ensuremath{\pi}{d}_{5/2}$ and $\ensuremath{\pi}{g}_{7/2}$ configurations at low spins. The bandhead excitation energies of the previously known $\ensuremath{\pi}{g}_{9/2}$ and $\ensuremath{\pi}{h}_{11/2}$ bands were revised.

The elastic resonance scattering protons decayed from B-11 to the ground state of Be-10 were measured by using the thick-target technique in inverse kinematics at the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL). The obtained excitation functions were well described by a multichannel R-matrix procedure under the kinematics process assumption of resonant elastic scattering. The excitation energy of the resonant states ranges from 13.0 to 17.0 MeV, and their resonant parameters such as the resonant energy E-x, the spin-parity J(pi), and the proton-decay partial width Gamma(p) were determined from R-matrix fits to the data. Two of these states around E-x = 14.55 MeV [J(pi) = (3/2(+), 5/2(+)), Gamma(p) = 475 +/- 80 keV] and E-x = 14.74 MeV [J(pi) = 3/2(-), Gamma(p) = 830 +/- 145 keV], and a probably populated state at E-x = 16.18 MeV [J(pi) = (1/2(-), 3/2-), Gamma(p) < 60 keV], are respectively assigned to the well-known states in B-11 at 14.34, 15.29, and 16.43 MeV. The isospin of these three states were previously determined to be T = 3/2, but discrepancies exist in widths and energies due to the current counting statistics and energy resolution. We have compared these states with previous measurements, and the observation of the possibly populated resonance is discussed.

Excited states in the odd-proton nucleus 125Cs were investigated by means of in-beam γ -ray spectroscopy. The πg7/2 band is observed to fork into a ΔI = 1 coupled band and a ΔI = 2 decoupled band at high spins. To assign the possible configurations of these two bands, experimental B(M1)/B(E2) ratios and signature splittings have been evaluated for the ΔI = 1 band, and calculations based on the geometrical model, cranked shell model and total Routhian surfaces model have been performed. They are suggested to be a near-oblate band built on the (πg7/2/d5/2) ⊗ (νh11/2)2 configuration and a prolate band built on the πg7/2 ⊗ (πh11/2)2 configuration, respectively.