Experimental Study on Oil-Gas Interaction Mechanism during Offshore Heavy Oil Gas Injection.

Offshore heavy oil injection gas extraction is a highly scrutinized area in today's petroleum industry. However, the interaction mechanisms between oil and gas are not clear. To elucidate these mechanisms, an indoor experimental setup was established for research purposes. The effects of different types of gases on heavy oil expansion, mass transfer mechanisms between gas and heavy oil, the influence of gas injection on heavy oil phase behavior, and the testing of minimum miscibility pressures are investigated in this study. The results indicate that CO2 yields the best reduction in the heavy oil viscosity. Both forward and backward multiple contact mass transfer processes demonstrate nonmiscible multiple contact dynamic displacement mechanisms involving CO2 dissolution and condensation, as well as C1 extraction and coextraction. Nonmiscible multiple contact dynamic displacement of natural gas primarily involves limited dissolution and condensation of light hydrocarbon components and intermediate hydrocarbon components, with an extremely weak extraction effect. The minimum miscibility pressures are in the order of CO2 < natural gas < N2. This research provides important experimental evidence and theoretical guidance for further improving offshore heavy oil injection gas technology and practice.

Analysis of the Distribution Pattern of Remaining Oil and Development Potential after Weak Gel Flooding in the Offshore LD Oilfield.

The LD oilfield is one of the representative offshore oilfields. After weak gel flooding, the recovery rate is significantly improved. However, the oilfield is then in a medium- to high-water content stage, presenting a complex distribution of the remaining oil. The measures for further enhanced oil recovery (EOR) are uncertain. As a result, it is necessary to clarify the distribution pattern and development potential of the remaining oil during the high-water content period after weak gel flooding. In this study, an online nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) oil displacement experiment and microscopic oil displacement experiment were conducted, and the mechanisms of weak gel flooding and the distribution pattern of the remaining oil were clarified in the LD oilfield. Additionally, high-multiple water flooding and numerical simulation experiments were conducted to analyze the development potential after weak gel flooding. The results show that the effect of weak gel flooding was more significant in the core of 1500 mD, with an increase in oil recovery of 9% compared to 500 mD. At a permeability of 500 mD, the degree of crude oil mobilization in micropores and small pores caused by weak gel flooding was improved by 29.64% and 23.48%, respectively, compared with water flooding. At 1500 mD, the degree of crude oil mobilization in small pores caused by weak gel flooding was increased by 37.79% compared to water flooding. After weak gel flooding, the remaining oil was primarily distributed in medium and large pores. Microscopically, the remaining oil was dominated by cluster residual oil, accounting for 16.49%, followed by columnar, membranous, and blind-end residual oil. High multiple water flooding experiments demonstrated that weak gel flooding could significantly reduce development time. The ultimate oil recovery efficiency of 500 mD and 1500 mD reached 71.85% and 80.69%, respectively. Numerical simulation results show that the ultimate oil recovery efficiency increased from 62.04% to 71.3% after weak gel flooding. This indicated that the LD oilfield still had certain development potential after weak gel flooding. The subsequent direction for enhanced oil recovery focuses mainly on mobilizing oil in medium pores or clustered remaining oil. This will play a crucial role in further exploring methods for utilizing the remaining oil and increasing the recovery rate.

USP46 promotes the interferon antiviral signaling in black carp by deubiquitinating TBK1.

Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 46 (USP46) functions as a deubiquitinating enzyme, facilitating the removal of ubiquitin molecules attached to substrate proteins and playing a critical role in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. However, its function in innate antiviral immunity is unknown. In this study we cloned and identified bcUSP46, a homolog of USP46 from black carp. We discovered that overexpression of bcUSP46 enhanced the transcription of interferon (IFN) promoters and increased the expression of IFN, PKR, and Mx1. In addition, bcUSP46 knockdown significantly inhibited the expression of ISG genes, as well as the antiviral activity of the host cells. Interestingly, when bcUSP46 was co-expressed with the RLR factors, it significantly enhanced the activity of the IFN promoter mediated by these factors, especially TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1). The subsequent co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) and immunofluorescence (IF) assay confirmed the association between bcUSP46 and bcTBK1. Noteworthily, co-expression of bcUSP46 with bcTBK1 led to an elevation of bcTBK1 protein level. Further analysis revealed that bcUSP46 stabilized bcTBK1 by eliminating the K48-linked ubiquitination of bcTBK1. Overall, our findings highlight the unique role of USP46 in modulating TBK1/IFN signaling and enrich our knowledge of the function of deubiquitination in regulating innate immunity in vertebrates.

Smartphone-assisted colorimetric biosensor for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides on the peel of fruits.

Nowadays, the widespread use of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) in agricultural production leads to varying degrees of residues in crops, which pose a potential threat to human health. Conventional methods used in national standard for the detection of OPs in fruits and vegetables require expensive instruments or cumbersome sample pretreatment steps for the analysis. To address these challenges, in this work, we took advantage of the peroxidase-like activity of PtCu3 alloy nanocrystals (NCs) for a colorimetric and smartphone assisted sensitive detection of OPs. With the assist of a smartphone, the concentration of OPs on the peel of fruits could be obtained by comparing the B/RG value (the brightness value of blue divided by those of red and green) of a test strip with a calibration curve. This work not only provides a facile and cost-effective method to detect pesticides but also makes a positive contribution to food safety warning.

Cancer worry and its impact on self-reported depressive symptoms among adult males and females in the US: a nationwide sample study.

OBJECTIVE: With cancer the second deadliest disease in the world, worry about cancer can have mental health or psychiatric implications. This study examines the prevalence, differences, and influence of cancer worry (CW), its interaction effect with age, and other confounders on self-reported depressive symptoms (SRDS) among adult males and females in the US. METHODS: We utilized a nationally representative sample data of 2,950 individuals (males = 1,276; females = 1,674) from Cycle 4 of the Health Information National Trends Survey 5 (HINTS 5) 2020. Using frequencies, bivariate chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression, we examined the prevalence, difference, and association of CW with SRDS, adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of SRDS was found to be 32% among females and 23.5% among males. Among individuals with CW, females had a higher prevalence of SRDS compared to males (40.5% vs. 35.1%). However, there was a significant difference in the likelihood of experiencing SRDS between males and females with CW, with males having 84% increased risk compared to females. Across all age groups, the multivariate analysis of the relationship between CW and SRDS revealed that both males and females showed a significantly decreased likelihood of SRDS compared to those aged 18-34 years. However, males aged 35 years or older exhibited an even more pronounced decrease in likelihood compared to females in the same age group. Nonetheless, when examining the interaction of age and CW, we observed a significantly increased likelihood of SRDS across all age groups. Males, in particular, had a higher increased likelihood of SRDS compared to females across all ages, except for those aged 75 years and older. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study highlight the significant influence of CW on individuals' SRDS and the modifying effect of age, particularly among males. These results are important for a better understanding of the risk of CW on mental health, which can be a preventive strategy or control mechanism.

Miniaturized and Portable Laser Gas Sensor for Standoff Methane Detection With Non-Cooperative Targets.

A standoff methane (CH4) sensor with actual hard topographic targets (usually called non-cooperative targets) is essential for natural gas pipeline leakage inspection and many other practical applications. To address this requirement, a miniaturized and low-power-consumption gas sensor was developed based on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy for standoff CH4 detection with a non-cooperative target. Wavelength modulation spectroscopy with a 1f normalized 2f detection method was employed for calibration-free CH4 measurement. A Kalman filter algorithm was used to improve the precision of the detection. The performance of the standoff CH4 sensor was evaluated comprehensively under various conditions, including different incident angles, different hard topographic targets, and different standoff distances. The results show that the measurement precision is 0.107% and the sensitivity is 4.08 parts per million per meter (ppm·m) with a time resolution of 1 s and a standoff distance of 40 m. The detection limit can achieve 1.24 ppm·m at an optimal integration time of 70 s. This sensor can be easily integrated into mobile platforms, which lays the foundation for intelligent leak inspection.

The Correlation of Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Hippocampal Perfusion in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is closely related to abnormal cerebral blood flow. Inflammation and oxidative stress have always been important factors in the pathophysiology of AF. It remains unknown whether inflammation and oxidative stress are correlated to hippocampal perfusion in patients with AF.Sixty-three patients with AF with normal hippocampal blood perfusion (NHBP) were compared to 71 patients with AF with abnormal hippocampal blood perfusion (AHBP) using a case-control study design. The serum levels of inflammation and oxidative stress were measured. The hippocampal perfusion was detected. (1) The serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) were statistically higher in the AHBP group than in the NHBP group. In the AHBP subgroup analysis, the serum levels of hs-CRP and IL-6 were statistically higher in patients with persistent AF than those with paroxysmal AF. (2) The relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), mean transit time (MTT), and the time-to-peak (TTP) were statistically higher in the AHBP group than in the NHBP group. Moreover, cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was statistically lower in the AHBP group than in the NHBP group. (3) relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), rCBF, MTT, and TTP were passively associated with serum hs-CRP and IL-6; rCBV, rCBF, and MTT were positively associated with ox-LDL. The serum levels of hs-CRP, IL-6, and ox-LDL were associated with AHBP in patients with AF after multivariate logistic regression analysis.Oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers were increased in patients with AF with AHBP, in which the serum levels of hs-CRP and IL-6 in the persistent AF group were statistically higher than those in the paroxysmal AF group. The serum levels of hs-CRP, IL-6, and ox-LDL were associated with AHBP in patients with AF.

Elevated cerebrospinal fluid YKL-40 levels in patients with anti-gamma-aminobutyric- acid-B receptor encephalitis.

OBJECTIVE: Anti-gamma-aminobutyric-acid-B receptor (GABAbR) encephalitis is a rare form of autoimmune encephalitis. Until now, there are few biomarkers that can indicate the severity and prognosis of patients with anti-GABAbR encephalitis. The objective of this study was to exam the changes of chitinase-3-like protein 1 (YKL-40) in patients with anti-GABAbR encephalitis. In addition, whether YKL-40 could indicate the disease severity was also evaluated. METHODS: The clinical features of 14 patients with anti-GABAbR encephalitis and 21 patients with anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis were retrospectively studied. YKL-40 levels in serum and cerebral fluid (CSF) of patients were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The correlation of modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of encephalitis patients and YKL40 levels were analyzed. RESULTS: YKL-40 levels in CSF were significantly higher in patients with anti-GABAbR encephalitis or anti-NMDAR encephalitis than those in controls. YKL-40 levels between these two encephalitis groups were not different. Moreover, YKL-40 levels in CSF from patients with anti-GABAbR encephalitis were positively correlated with the mRS score at admission and at 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: YKL-40 level is elevated in CSF from patients with anti-GABAbR encephalitis at early disease stage. YKL-40 may be a potential biomarker indicating the prognosis of patients with anti-GABAbR encephalitis.

Microvesicles with mitochondrial content are increased in patients with sepsis and associated with inflammatory responses.

BACKGROUND: Endothelial activation plays an important role in sepsis-mediated inflammation, but the triggering factors have not been fully elucidated. Microvesicles carrying mitochondrial content (mitoMVs) have been implicated in several diseases and shown to induce endothelial activation. AIM: To explore whether mitoMVs constitute a subset of MVs isolated from plasma of patients with sepsis and contribute to endothelial activation. METHODS: MVs were isolated from human plasma and characterized by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. Proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM)-1 were detected by ELISA. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were stimulated with the circulating MVs to evaluate their effect on endothelial activation. RESULTS: MitoMVs were observed in plasma from patients with sepsis. Compared with those in healthy controls, expression of MVs, mitoMVs, proinflammatory cytokines and sVCAM-1 was increased. The number of mitoMVs was positively associated with TNF-α and sVCAM-1. In vitro, compared with MVs isolated from the plasma of healthy controls, MVs isolated from the plasma of patients with sepsis induced expression of OAS2, RSAD2, and CXCL10 in HUVECs. MitoMVs were taken up by HUVECs, and sonication of MVs significantly reduced the uptake of mitoMVs by HUVECs and expression of the above three type I IFN-dependent genes. CONCLUSION: MitoMVs are increased in the plasma of patients with sepsis, which induces elevated expression of type I IFN-dependent genes. This suggests that circulating mitoMVs activate the type I IFN signalling pathway in endothelial cells and lead to endothelial activation.

LINC01089 blocks malignant progression of thyroid cancer by binding miR-27b-3p to enhance the FBLN5 protein level.

LINC01089 suppresses the malignant progression of breast, colorectal, and non-small cell lung cancers. However, the function of LINC01089 in thyroid cancer has not yet been elucidated. Here, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database showed that LINC01089 expression is remarkably reduced in thyroid cancer tissues. Lower LINC01089 expression was correlated with higher tumor stage and regional lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, LINC01089 overexpression effectively blocked thyroid cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. LINC01089 acted as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-27b-3p, thus inhibiting miR-27b-3p expression. miR-27b-3p overexpression promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of thyroid cancer, reversing the effect of LINC01089 overexpression on thyroid cancer. Fibulin-5 (FBLN5) was discovered as a target of miR-27b-3p in thyroid cancer. FBLN5 expression was found to be underexpressed in thyroid cancer and was enhanced and reduced by LINC00987 overexpression and miR-27b-3p overexpression, respectively. Furthermore, FBLN5 knockdown promoted the malignant progression of thyroid cancer cells by counteracting the effect of LINC00987. In conclusion, LINC01089 plays a tumor-suppressive role by binding miR-27b-3p to increase FBLN5 expression, confirming that LINC01089 has tremendous potential to become a therapeutic target for thyroid cancer treatment.

miR-626 Inhibition Enhanced the Radiosensitivity to Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma via the Downregulation of Nuclear Factor Kappa-B Signaling.

Objective: The effect of miR-626 on the radiosensitivity to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) was evaluated in this study. Materials and Methods: The level of miR-626 in OSCC patients was determined by analyzing the data of miRNA microarray GSE113956. miR-626 was overexpressed by miR-626 mimics and knockdown were performed by miR-626 inhibitor. The level of miR-626 was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and colony formation assays were used to detect the effect of miR-626 on the growth of OSCC cells. Flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis of OSCC cells. Western blot and dual luciferase reporter assays were used to explore the underlying mechanism of miR-626 regulating the radiosensitivity to OSCC. The effect of miR-626 on the radiosensitivity to OSCC were examined in an in vivo xenograft model. Results: The serum miR-626 level of OSCC patients was significantly higher than that of healthy controls. miR-626 mimics significantly promoted the OSCC cell growth, but the miR-626 inhibitor significantly suppressed the OSCC cell growth. Radiation combined with the miR-626 inhibitor significantly suppressed the cell proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of SCC-4 and HSC4 cells. Moreover, miR-626 regulates the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling mediated by TRAF-interacting protein with forkhead-associated domain B. Furthermore, inhibition of miR-626 enhances the radiosensitivity to OSCC in nude mice. Conclusions: miR-626 inhibition enhanced the radiosensitivity to OSCC through the downregulation of NF-κB signaling.

Endoscopic central lymph node dissection of thyroid cancer via chest-breast approach: results, indications, and strategies.

BACKGROUND: Surgery for thyroid cancer via endoscopic approach was still controversial. Herein, we report the indications, strategies for operative techniques, as well as results for endoscopic central lymph node dissection of thyroid cancer via chest-breast approach (ETCB-CLND). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the cases of DTC, whom underwent ETCB-CLND from January 2013 to June 2020. Three hundred and twenty-three cases underwent ETCB-CLND (endoscopic group) and 267 cases underwent open surgery (open group). General characteristic, surgical results, thyroglobulin (Tg), radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU), radioactive technetium uptake (RATU), radionuclide imaging of the thyroid residual area (RITRA), and radionuclide imaging of suspicious lymph nodes metastasis (RISLNM) were analyzed and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The age of the endoscopic group were lower than that of the open group. The operation time of lobectomy in endoscopic group were longer than that in open group. The gender distribution (P = 0.831), operation time of total thyroidectomy (P = 0.311), intraoperative blood loss (P = 0.672), postoperative hospital stay (P = 0.852), tumor size (P = 0.259), number of cases of lymph node metastasis (P = 0.618), number of dissected lymph nodes (P = 0.681), number of metastatic lymph nodes (P = 0.723), and complications (P = 0.749) did not differ significantly between groups, nor did the surgical range (P = 0.661), Tg at 1 month (P = 0.61) and 1 year (P = 0.67) after surgery, before (P = 0.589) and after (P = 0.593) radioiodine therapy, RAIU-2 h/24 h (P = 0.906/0.582), RATU (P = 0.532), (99mTc 15 min:P = 0.503; 131I 24 h:P = 0.377; 131I 3d:P = 0.919), RISLNM (none: P = 0.887; central: P = 0.630; lateral: P = 0.659). CONCLUSION: The rational and normative application of the endoscopic technique in central lymph node dissection of DTC is safe, feasible, and consistent with the principle of radical tumor cure for selected cases by well-trained surgeons.

CHI3L1 in the CSF is a potential biomarker for anti-leucine-rich glioma inactivated 1 encephalitis.

Objective: Anti-leucine-rich glioma inactivated 1(LGI1) encephalitis is one rare autoimmune encephalitis which is accompanied by inflammatory responses. (Anti-leucine-rich glioma inactivated 1 (anti-LGI1) encephalitis is an autoimmune disease mediated by inflammatory responses.)This study aimed to investigate the Chitinase 3-like 1(CHI3L1) in anti-LGI1encephalitis patients and evaluate its association with modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score in anti-LGI1 encephalitis at admission and 6 months follow-up.(This study looked into the relationship between Chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1) and the modified Ranking Scale (mRS) score in anti-LGI1 encephalitis patients at admission and 6 months later.). Methods: Thirty-five patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis and 22 patients with non-inflammatory neurological disease were enrolled in this study. (We enrolled 35 patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis and 22 patients with non-inflammatory neurological disease.)Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum levels of CHI3L1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. (We quantified CHI3L1 in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by performing an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.)Patients were evaluated for mRS score at admission and at 6 months follow-up.(We recorded the mRS score of the patients at admission and 6 months later.). Results: CHI3L1 levels in CSF and serum were highly elevated in patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis at admission compared those with the controls.(At admission, patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis had elevated CHI3L1 levels in the CSF and serum.) Additionally, patients presenting with cognitive impairment had significantly higher CSF CHI3L1 levels and mRS scores than those without cognitive impairment symptoms. Patients presenting with only faciobrachial dystonic seizures at admission had lower CSF CHI3L1 levels than those with other symptoms. Finally, CSF CHI3L1 levels were positively correlated with CSF lactate levels. Conclusion: CHI3L1 level in CSF is correlated with the severity and prognosis of anti-LGI1 encephalitis. (CSF CHI3L1 levels are correlated with the severity and prognosis of anti-LGI1 encephalitis.).

Endoscopic Left Central Lymph Node Dissection of Thyroid Cancer: Safe, Feasible, and Relatively Easy.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of left central lymph node dissection (CLND) in endoscopic thyroidectomy via chest-breast approach (ETCB). Methods. Retrospective analysis of 57 cases of left CLND (group A) via ETCB, 35 cases of open left CLND (group B), and 90 cases of right CLND via ETCB (Group C) were performed from October 2014 to October 2019. Surgical data, complications, and follow-up data were compared among group A and group B, group A and group C, respectively. Results. There were no significant differences between group A and group B in intraoperative blood loss, tumor size, lymph node (LN) metastasis rate, dissected LN number, metastatic LN number, serum thyroglobulin (sTg), radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU), radioactive technetium uptake (RATU), radionuclide imaging of the residual area (RITRA), and radionuclide imaging of suspicious lymph node metastasis (RISLNM). There were no significant differences between group A and group C in age, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, tumor size, LN metastasis rate, dissected LN number, metastatic LN number, hypoparathyroidism, sTg, RAIU, RATU, RITRA, and RISLNM. There were 5 cases of temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy and 1 case of recurrence in group C. Besides, 1 case of lymphatic leakage was in group A. Conclusion. For selected cases, endoscopic left CLND is safe, feasible, efficient, and more easier than endoscopic right CLND.

Pharmacokinetics and Safety of the Selective Progesterone Receptor Modulator Vilaprisan in Chinese Healthy Postmenopausal Women.

Vilaprisan is a novel selective progesterone receptor modulator for the long-term treatment of uterine fibroids and endometriosis. This study investigated the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of vilaprisan in healthy Chinese postmenopausal women. Twelve participants received multiple doses of vilaprisan once daily over 14 days as a 2-mg tablet. Plasma vilaprisan concentrations were determined using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The main pharmacokinetic parameters of vilaprisan were assessed with noncompartmental analysis, including maximum observed concentration (Cmax ), systemic exposure (area under the plasma concentration-time curve), time to reach Cmax and terminal half-life. Safety assessments include the documentation of adverse events, measurement of clinical/anthropometric parameters and vital signs, electrocardiogram, and physical and gynecologic examination. The participants had a mean age of 53.3 (± 4.2) years and a body mass index of 23.8 ± 2.8 kg/m2 . Median time to reach Cmax was 1.5 hours after both single and multiple vilaprisan administration. Mean Cmax values obtained after multiple dosing (23.3 µg/L [standard deviation (SD) = 6.73]) were 1.92-fold (SD = 0.554) higher compared to single dosing (12.5 µg/L [SD = 3.04]). Mean area under the plasma concentration-time curve in the dosing interval increased with an accumulation factor of 2.98 (SD = 0.767) between single (91.3 µg · h/L [SD = 20.4]) and multiple dosing (276 µg · h/L [SD = 109]). The mean terminal half-life of vilaprisan was 44.5 hours (SD = 10.3) after multiple dosing. Mild to moderate adverse events were observed similar to previous studies. Overall, daily oral administration of the therapeutic dose of 2 mg of vilaprisan over 14 days was safe and well tolerated by all participants.

Application of deep learning in quantitative analysis of the infrared spectrum of logging gas.

Infrared spectrum analysis technology can perform fast and nondestructive detection of gas and has been widely used in many fields. This work studies the quantitative analysis technology of the infrared spectrum based on deep learning. The experimental results show that the quantitative analysis model of logging gas established here can reach 100% recognition accuracy for elemental gas; further, the accuracy rate of spectral of mixed gas recognition reached 98%, indicating that the infrared spectrum logging gas detection model based on deep learning can quickly and accurately perform quantitative analysis of logging gas.

Long Noncoding RNA PCED1B-AS1 Promotes the Warburg Effect and Tumorigenesis by Upregulating HIF-1α in Glioblastoma.

Accumulating evidence suggests that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) functions as a critical regulator in cancer biology. Here, we characterized the role of lncRNA PCED1B antisense RNA 1 (PCED1B-AS1) in glioblastoma (GBM). PCED1B-AS1 was notably upregulated in GBM tissues and cell lines and closely associated with larger tumor size and higher grade. Patients with high PCED1B-AS1 had shorter survival time than those with low PCED1B-AS1. Functional experiments showed that depletion of PCED1B-AS1 significantly inhibited, while overexpression of PCED1B-AS1 promoted cell proliferation, glucose uptake, and lactate release. Mechanistically, PCED1B-AS1 was able to directly bind to the 5'-UTR of HIF-1α mRNA and potentiate HIF-1α translation, leading to increased HIF-1α protein level, thereby promoting the Warburg effect and tumorigenesis. Importantly, PCED1B-AS1 lost the carcinogenic properties in the absence of HIF-1α. In addition, we also confirmed the existence of the PCED1B-AS1/HIF-1α regulatory axis in vivo. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that PCED1B-AS1 is a novel oncogenic lncRNA in GBM and functions in a HIF-1α-dependent manner, which provides a promising prognostic biomarker and druggable target for GBM.

A comparative review of intelectins.

Intelectin (ITLN) is a new type of glycan-binding lectin. It has been demonstrated to agglutinate bacteria probably due to its carbohydrate-binding capacity, suggesting its role in an innate immune response. It is involved not only in many physiological processes but also in some human diseases such as asthma, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer. Up to now, intelectin orthologs have been identified in placozoans, urochordatas, cephalochordates and several vertebrates, such as cyclostomata, fish, amphibians and mammals. Although the sequences of intelectins in different species are conserved, their expression patterns, quaternary structures and functions differ considerably among and within species. We summarize the evolution of the intelectin gene family, the tissue distribution, structure and functions of intelectins. We conclude that intelectin plays a role in innate immune response and there are still potential functions of intelectin awaiting discovery.

Right Central Lymph Node Dissection in Thyroidectomy: Can Endoscopic Chest-Breast Approach Be Used?

Background: The purpose of this research was to investigate the feasibility and strategies of right central lymph node dissection (CLND) in endoscopic thyroidectomy through chest-breast approach. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis on the conduction of 68 cases of endoscopic thyroidectomy through chest-breast approach with right side CLND (endoscopic group) and 31 cases of thyroidectomy through low-neck collar cervical approach with right side CLND (open group) from July 2014 to February 2019. The intraoperative and postoperative data were compared between the two groups. Results: All the surgeries in open group were successfully completed as well as the endoscopic group without any intraoperative conversion into open surgery. There were no difference in sizes of tumor, incidence of lymph node metastasis, number of dissected and metastatic lymph nodes, and postoperative hospitalization days between the two groups. Temporal hypoparathyroidism occurred in both groups with endoscopic group to be 24 cases and open group to be 15 cases but no case in both groups suffering from permanent hypoparathyroidism, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, lymphatic leakage, or death. One case in endoscopic group was treated with secondary surgery for lateral cervical lymph node metastasis and no evidence of recurrence or metastasis was found in other cases during postoperative follow-up. Conclusions: With strict control in surgical indications and contraindications, endoscopic surgery is safe and feasible for selected cases with the same effect as open surgery on dissection of lymph nodes in the right central region, which is in line with the principle of radical treatment of tumors.