[Medium to long-term efficacy of tension-free vaginal tape procedure in the treatment of female recurrent stress urinary incontinence].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness and clinical efficacy of tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) surgery in treating female recurrent stress urinary incontinence (rSUI). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 24 patients who experienced recurrence of mid-urethral sling failure and were treated with TVT surgery at Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital from January 2016 to June 2020. Basic patient information was collected. The International Consultation on Incontinence questionnaire-short form (ICI-Q-SF) was used to record urinary incontinence symptom scores preoperatively, 1-year postoperatively, and more than three years postoperatively. The changes in various ICI-Q-SF scores and total scores were compared. Additionally, clinical symptom severity of urinary incontinence was recorded and compared preoperatively and more than three years postoperatively. RESULTS: Among the 24 patients included in the follow-up, one patient was lost to follow-up due to death from a cerebrovascular accident one year postoperatively, leaving 23 patients with a follow-up period ranging from 3.9 to 7.3 years, with an ave-rage follow-up time of (5.2±1.1) years. Preoperatively, the median ICI-Q-SF total score was 20.0 (16.0, 21.0); at the 1-year follow-up, the median ICI-Q-SF total score was 5.0 (1.5, 7.8) (P < 0.001); at an average follow-up of five years, the median ICI-Q-SF total score was 6.0 (3.0, 9.0), still showing a statistically significant difference compared with preoperative scores (P < 0.001). The individual ICI-Q-SF scores were significantly lower at the 1-year and average five-year follow-ups compared with preoperative scores (P < 0.001). Regarding the severity of urinary incontinence, all the patients had moderate to severe urinary incontinence preoperatively; Five years postoperatively, 87.0% (20/23) of the patients had no or only mild urinary incontinence, and 13.0% (3/23) had recurrent moderate to severe urinary incontinence (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: TVT surgery is effective in treating female recurrent stress urinary incontinence, with an average 5-year cure and improvement rate of 87.0%.

Efficacy of Mid-Urethral Sling and Urethral Dilation for Stress Urinary Incontinence Combined with Urethral Stricture in Women.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential clinical benefits of mid-urethral sling (MUS) and urethral dilatation (UD) operations for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) combined with urethral stricture. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Urology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China, from January 2017 to 2022. METHODOLOGY: Patients with Qmax <15ml/s or PVR >50ml, and video urodynamic study (VUDS) capable of confirming the presence and position of urethral stricture were included. The clinical efficacy was evaluated by International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF) questionnaire, maximum flow rate (Qmax), and postvoid residual (PVR) urine. ICIQ-SF, Qmax, and PVR were measured presurgery, on postoperative 2-week, and 1-month postsurgery. RESULTS: There were total 19 patients with an average age of 61.37 ± 11.28 years (range 39-84) with SUI and urethral stricture. ICIQ-SF scores were decreased significantly at one month postoperatively compared with the preoperative [5.0 (0.0, 7.0) vs. 14.0 (13.0, 15.0), p <0.001]. Qmax was increased dramatically compared with the preoperative [21.3 (14.0, 28.4) vs. 13.0 (8.7,18.0), p <0.001], and PVR was decreased remarkably than the preoperative [0.0 (0.0,0.0) vs. 0.0 (0.0,60.0), p = 0.018]. Of 19 patients primarily managed with MUS and UD, two patients experienced recurrence requiring repetitive dilation till sling excision surgery was conducted, and improvement was evident in one patient after repeating UD. CONCLUSION: The overall incidence of SUI combined with urethral stricture in women is low. With a success rate of 89.5%, MUS and UD were effective therapies for the co-existence of SUI with urethral stricture, and repeated UD can be performed safely if necessary in long-term follow-up. KEY WORDS: Stress urinary incontinence, Urethral stricture, Mid-urethral sling, Urethral dilatation.

The impact of gender differences on the clinical characteristics of critically ill patients with venous thromboembolism: A retrospective, observational study.

The aim of this study is to describe the general information, disease and treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in critically ill patients, to explore the characteristics of severe patients with deep venous VTE and provide clinical reference data for the prevention and treatment of VTE in critically ill patients. This study carried out a retrospective study on the medical records of patients who were treated in the intensive care unit of Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College from 2020 to 2022. The general data, general conditions, drug use, past history, VTE prevention measures, post-VTE conditions, and Padua risk score of 297 patients with VTE during the period of hospitalization in intensive care unit (ICU) were classified and statistically analyzed. A total of 297 including 171 male and 126 male patient medical records were included in the analysis, we compared multiple clinical indicators between male and female patients. Compared to women, male patients have a higher acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score(APACHE-II score) (P = .027), a higher state of consciousness (P = .003), a higher rate of smoking and drinking history (P < .001), a lower rate of heart failure (P = .003) and chronic depression (P = .013), and a higher rate of recommended operations for male patients after VTE (P = .031). The prothrombin time (PT) (P = .041) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) (P = .040) of male patients were significantly higher than those of female patients, while triglyceride (P = .009) and total cholesterol (TC) (P = .001) were significantly lower than those of female patients. The difference in D-dimer (P = .739) was not significant. This study shows that male and female patients with VTE in the ICU have significant differences in general characteristics, general clinical conditions, history of past illness, thrombosis character, and examination items, this may be the reason for the different rates of VTE between male and female patients in the ICU.

High performance production process development and scale-up of an anti-TSLP nanobody.

Nanobodies (Nbs) represent a class of single-domain antibodies with great potential application value across diverse biotechnology fields, including therapy and diagnostics. Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (TSLP) is an epithelial cell-derived cytokine, playing a crucial role in the regulation of type 2 immune responses at barrier surfaces such as skin and the respiratory/gastrointestinal tract. In this study, a method for the expression and purification of anti-TSLP nanobody (Nb3341) was established at 7 L scale and subsequently scaled up to 100 L scale. Key parameters, including induction temperature, methanol feed and induction pH were identified as key factors by Plackett-Burman design (PBD) and were optimized in 7 L bioreactor, yielding optimal values of 24 °C, 8.5 mL/L/h and 6.5, respectively. Furthermore, Diamond Mix-A and Diamond MMC were demonstrated to be the optimal capture and polishing resins. The expression and purification process of Nb3341 at 100L scale resulted in 22.97 g/L titer, 98.7% SEC-HPLC purity, 95.7% AEX-HPLC purity, 4 ppm of HCP content and 1 pg/mg of HCD residue. The parameters of the scaling-up process were consistent with the results of the optimized process, further demonstrating the feasibility and stability of this method. This study provides a highly promising and competitive approach for transitioning from laboratory-scale to commercial production-scale of nanobodies.

TROP2-directed nanobody-drug conjugate elicited potent antitumor effect in pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive malignancy with limited treatment options and a poor prognosis. Trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2), a cell surface antigen overexpressed in the tumors of more than half of pancreatic cancer patients, has been identified as a potential target for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Almost all reported TROP2-targeted ADCs are of the IgG type and have been poorly studied in pancreatic cancer. Here, we aimed to develop a novel nanobody-drug conjugate (NDC) targeting TROP2 for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. RESULTS: In this study, we developed a novel TROP2-targeted NDC, HuNbTROP2-HSA-MMAE, for the treatment of TROP2-positive pancreatic cancer. HuNbTROP2-HSA-MMAE is characterized by the use of nanobodies against TROP2 and human serum albumin (HSA) and has a drug-antibody ratio of 1. HuNbTROP2-HSA-MMAE exhibited specific binding to TROP2 and was internalized into tumor cells with high endocytosis efficiency within 5 h, followed by intracellular translocation to lysosomes and release of MMAE to induce cell apoptosis in TROP2-positive pancreatic cancer cells through the caspase-3/9 pathway. In a xenograft model of pancreatic cancer, doses of 0.2 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg HuNbTROP2-HSA-MMAE demonstrated significant antitumor effects, and a dose of 5 mg/kg even eradicated the tumor. CONCLUSION: HuNbTROP2-HSA-MMAE has desirable affinity, internalization efficiency and antitumor activity. It holds significant promise as a potential therapeutic option for the treatment of TROP2-positive pancreatic cancer.

Case Report: Analysis of four cases of metastatic bladder masses after radical prostatectomy.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical characteristics and diagnostic and therapeutic methods of bladder metastasis after radical prostatectomy and to improve its diagnosis and treatment. Methods: The clinical data of four patients with bladder metastasis after radical prostatectomy were retrospectively analyzed from January 2011 to December 2021. Three cases suffered from intermittent gross hematuria, and only one case was found to have an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value. Transurethral resection of bladder tumor was performed in four cases, in which one case also underwent resection of urethral mass. Three cases received endocrine therapy, one of which added intravesical instillation and radiation therapy. Another case received chemotherapy based on comprehensive treatment. Results: According to the pathological and immunohistochemical results, three cases were acinar adenocarcinoma of the prostate with Gleason score of 9, and all cases were PSA positive and negative for cytokeratin 7 (CK7) and GATA binding protein 3 (GATA-3). One case was small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the prostate and was positive for chromogranin A (CGA), synaptophysin (SYN), and cluster of differentiation 56 (CD56). During the follow-up period of 4 to 13 months, one case was lost to follow-up and three cases were alive. Conclusion: Bladder metastasis after radical prostatectomy is rare, and pathology combined with immunohistochemistry is the gold standard for its diagnosis. Pathological type determines its treatment. Systemic treatment is essential, and local treatment is the most palliative means. Early diagnosis and treatment is significant for better prognosis.

Smoke and Spike: Benzo[a]pyrene Enhances SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Boosting NR4A2-Induced ACE2 and TMPRSS2 Expression.

Cigarette smoke aggravates severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, they show that benzo[a]pyrene in cigarette smoke extract facilitates SARS-CoV-2 infection via upregulating angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2). Benzo[a]pyrene trans-activates the promoters of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 by upregulating nuclear receptor subfamily 4 A number 2 (NR4A2) and promoting its binding of NR4A2 to their promoters, which is independent of functional genetic polymorphisms in ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Benzo[a]pyrene increases the susceptibility of lung epithelial cells to SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses and facilitates the infection of authentic Omicron BA.5 in primary human alveolar type II cells, lung organoids, and lung and testis of hamsters. Increased expression of Nr4a2, Ace2, and Tmprss2, as well as decreased methylation of CpG islands at the Nr4a2 promoter are observed in aged mice compared to their younger counterparts. NR4A2 knockdown or interferon-λ2/λ3 stimulation downregulates the expression of NR4A2, ACE2, and TMPRSS2, thereby inhibiting the infection. In conclusion, benzo[a]pyrene enhances SARS-CoV-2 infection by boosting NR4A2-induced ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression. This study elucidates the mechanisms underlying the detrimental effects of cigarette smoking on SARS-CoV-2 infection and provides prophylactic options for coronavirus disease 2019, particularly for the elderly population.

Perfusate Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin, Kidney Injury Molecular-1, Liver-Type Fatty Acid Binding Protein, and Interleukin-18 as Potential Biomarkers to Predict Delayed Graft Function and Long-Term Prognosis in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND Delayed graft function (DGF) caused by ischemia-reperfusion injury is a common pathophysiological process that should be monitored by specific biomarkers in addition to serum creatinine. Thus, this single-center retrospective study aimed to investigate the association between levels of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), kidney injury molecular-1 (KIM-1), liver-type fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP), and interleukin-18 (IL-18) in DGF associated with acute kidney injury in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at 3 years post-transplant. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 102 KTRs [14(13.7%) of DGF and 88(86.3%) of NON-DGF] were enrolled. DGF was defined as "dialysis is needed within 1 week after kidney transplantation". NGAL, KIM-1, L-FABP, and IL-18 were obtained from perfusate samples of donation-after-cardiac-death (DCD) kidneys, and measured by ELISA. RESULTS Compared to the NON-DGF group, KTRs in the DGF group had a statistically significant increase in levels of NGAL (P<0.001) and KIM-1 (P<0.001). Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that NGAL (OR=1.204, 95% CI 1.057-1.372, P=0.005) and KIM-1 (OR=1.248, CI=1.065-1.463, P=0.006) could be regarded as independent risk factors. The accuracy of NGAL and KIM-1 was 83.3% and 82.1%, respectively, calculated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Furthermore, the eGFR at 3 years post-transplant had a moderate negative correlation with NGAL (r=-0.208, P=0.036) and KIM-1 (r=-0.260, P=0.008). CONCLUSIONS Our results support those from previous studies showing that perfusate levels of NGAL and KIM-1 are associated with DGF in KTRs and also with reduced eGFR at 3 years post-transplant.

Application of tumoroids derived from advanced colorectal cancer patients to predict individual response to chemotherapy.

Therapeutic approaches of advanced colorectal cancer are more complex, here we present a living biobank of patient-derived tumoroids from advanced colorectal cancer patients and show examples of how these tumoroids can be used to to simulate cancer behavior ex vivo and provide more evidence for tumoroids could be utilized as a predictive platform during chemotherapy treatment to identify the chemotherapy response. Morphological, histological and genomic characterization analysis of colorectal cancer tumoroids was conducted. Further, we treated colorectal cancer tumoroids with different drugs to detect cellular activities to evaluate drug sensitivity using CellTiter-Glo 3 D cell viability assay. Then the drug sensitivity of tumoroids was compared with clinical outcomes. Our results implied that tumoroids recapitulated the histological features of the original tumours and genotypic profiling of tumoroids showed a high-level of similarity to the matched primary tumours. Dose-response curves, area under the curve and tumour inhibitory rate of each therapeutic profiling calculations in tumoroids demonstrated a great diversity and we gained 88.24% match ratio between the sensitivity data of tumoroids with their paired patients' clinical outcomes. tumour inhibitory rate of each treatment parameters in tumoroids performed positive correlation with progression-free survival while area under the curve of each treatment parameters performed negative correlation with progression-free survival of the corresponding patients. In summary, We presented a living biobank of tumoroids from advanced colorectal cancer patients and show tumoroids got great potential for predicting clinical responses to chemotherapy treatment of advanced colorectal cancer.

Changes in sensory-related brain networks of patients with moyamoya disease with limb paresthesia: A resting-state fMRI-based functional connectivity analysis.

This study's aim was to investigate functional brain connectivity changes among patients with moyamoya disease (MMD) with limb paresthesia, using functional connectivity analysis based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). A total of 181 patients with MMD were enrolled, including 57 with left limb paresthesia (MLP group), 61 with right limb paresthesia (MRP group), and 63 without paresthesia (MWP group). Encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis (EDAS) was performed in 20 of the 57 patients with left limb paresthesia and 15 of the 61 patients with right limb paresthesia. Twenty-nine age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC group) were recruited during the same period. All participants underwent rs-fMRI examination, and the patients treated with EDAS were re-examined 3-4 months after the surgery. After data preprocessing, we selected Brodmann area 3 on each side of the brain as the seed region to construct a functional connectivity network of the whole brain, and then we analyzed the differences in functional connectivity between the HC group, MWP group, MLP group, and MRP group. The functional connectivity of Brodmann area 3 (on either side) with the ipsilateral frontal (superior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus) and parietal (supramarginal gyrus, angular gyrus, and superior parietal lobule) cortices was increased among patients with MMD. The functional connectivity enhancement in these brain regions was broader and greater in patients with contralateral limb paresthesia than in patients without paresthesia, and the regions with functional connectivity changes were roughly distributed symmetrically among the MLP group and the MRP group. There were no changes 3-4 months after EDAS in the increased functional connectivity between the frontal and parietal cortices and Brodmann area 3. Limb paresthesia in patients with MMD may be driven by abnormal functional connectivity in the frontal and parietal cortices. Functional changes in associated brain regions may be a target for evaluating the severity of MMD and its response to treatment.

Successful resection of a huge retroperitoneal venous hemangioma: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Venous hemangioma is a benign and non-invasive type of tumor, which is rarely identified due to the absence of clinical manifestations. A retroperitoneal benign tumor is comparatively rare, and hemangioma is exceptional. Because of the different types and locations of hemangioma, presentations are varied; thus, establishing an accurate diagnosis before surgery is challenging. CASE SUMMARY: A 45-year-old female patient visited our hospital with the complaint of a retroperitoneal mass without symptoms discovered during a medical examination. An abdominal and pelvic computed tomography (CT) revealed a giant hypodense mass that extended from the lower edge of the liver down to the right groin and showed no marked enhancement in the arterial phase of the enhanced CT. On magnetic resonance imaging, the retroperitoneal mass was hyperintense on the T2-weighted image and hypointense on the T1-weighted image. The mass was completely resected and confirmed as a venous hemangioma by pathology. CONCLUSION: Venous hemangioma is rare in adults, and an accurate diagnosis before surgery is challenging. Surgery is the curative treatment for venous hemangioma, and the definitive diagnosis relies on pathology.

Case report and literature review: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in a pregnant woman with systemic lupus erythematosus with Syntaxin 11 gene defect.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is an extremely rare occurrence during pregnancy. Early recognition of its signs and symptoms is critical for early intervention, and delays in diagnosis may be life-threatening. A 23-year-old nulliparous woman presented with a persistent fever as high as 39°C with bilateral edema of the lower limbs at 24 weeks of gestation. Typical laboratory findings included pancytopenia, high triglycerides, ferritin, transaminases, bilirubin, and hypoproteinemia. Active systemic lupus erythematosus was diagnosed using an autoimmune work-up and a Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 score of 17 points. Her bone marrow aspirate revealed prominent hemophagocytosis; hence, HLH was confirmed. Genetic tests showed mutations in Syntaxin 11 mutations. Considering the potential impact of drugs on the fetus, the patient and her family members chose to terminate the pregnancy through medical induction of labor. Afterwards, her condition improved with immunosuppressive therapy.

Naringenin inhibits autophagy and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of human lens epithelial cells by regulating the Smad2/3 pathway.

Cataract is the number one cause of blindness in the world. Fibrosis of the lens is the main cause of cataract. Pathological epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in the development of fibrotic cataract. Inhibition of EMT may be an effective treatment for fibrosis of lens epithelial cells. Naringin (NRG) is one of the major citrus flavonoids, which has many pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective. However, the effect of NRG on cataract induced by abnormal fibrosis of LECs is not clear. Herein, we found NRG inhibited transforming growth factor ß2 (TGFß2)-induced SRA01/04 cell viability. Additionally, NRG inhibited TGFß2-induced cell migration and EMT. We further noticed that NRG inhibited autophagy and Smad2/3 phosphorylation in LECs. We therefore thought Naringenin inhibited autophagy and EMT of human LECs by regulating the Smad2/3 pathway. NRG could therefore serve as a promising drug for cataract treatment.

Dynamic effect of three locking plates fixated to humeral fracture based on multibody musculoskeletal model.

OBJECTIVE: This study attempts to analyse the biomechanical effect of internal fixation (plated in parallel or plated vertically) on the basis of distal humeral fractures on musculoskeletal multibody dynamics using AnyBody in Finite Element Method. METHOD: Humeral 3D models were reconstructed by MIMICS after volunteers' CT image input in *.dicom format, and processed by Geomagic Studio for surfaces, while locking plates and screws were then designed by Pro-E. A humeral model of T-type fracture was created and assembled in Hypermesh, to integrate fixtures (e.g., MPL/PML/ML), to grid the mesh and then assign materials. A musculoskeletal model of the upper limb was established by AnyBody to simulate elbow flexion and extension. They were finally imported to Abaqus for boundary conditions and dynamic analysis. RESULT: In terms of Von Mises stress, its maximum increased and then decreased gradually during the joint motion, but p > 0.05 in SPSS suggests no significant difference for all three fixtures. In terms of displacement, when the elbow was at 90°, each motional pattern reached its peak as follows: ML180° = 0.28 mm, MPL90° = 0.49 mm & PML90° = 0.54 mm during flexion; ML180° = 0.073 mm, MPL90° = 0.10 mm & PML90° = 0.12 mm during extension. p < 0.05 suggests a significant difference for the displacements of all three fixations. p = 0.007 < 0.01667 suggests the significant difference between the two fixations, for example, PML90° and ML180°, indicating that the peak displacement of ML180° is less than that of PML90°. CONCLUSION: After generally analysed in musculoskeletal dynamics, the biomechanical property of the fixtures was presented as follows: the displacement of the parallel plate was less than that of the vertical, and the parallel plate may optimise the clinical reduction anatomically.

Using machine learning method to identify MYLK as a novel marker to predict biochemical recurrence in prostate cancer.

Aim: This study aims to identify novel marker to predict biochemical recurrence (BCR) in prostate cancer patients after radical prostatectomy with negative surgical margin. Materials & methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas database, Gene Expression Omnibus database and Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia database were employed. The ensemble support vector machine-recursive feature elimination method was performed to select crucial gene for BCR. Results: We identified MYLK as a novel and independent biomarker for BCR in The Cancer Genome Atlas training cohort and confirmed in four independent Gene Expression Omnibus validation cohorts. Multi-omic analysis suggested that MYLK was a DNA methylation-driven gene. Additionally, MYLK had significant positive correlations with immune infiltrations. Conclusion:MYLK was identified and validated as a novel, robust and independent biomarker for BCR in prostate cancer.

lncRNA GAS5 inhibits malignant progression by regulating macroautophagy and forms a negative feedback regulatory loop with the miR­34a/mTOR/SIRT1 pathway in colorectal cancer.

Long non­coding RNA growth arrest specific 5 (GAS5) exerts inhibitory effects through the modulation of several target microRNAs (miRs) in cancer. However, its potential roles and underlying relationship during colorectal cancer (CRC) progression are unclear. Therefore, we explored the role of the negative feedback loop formed by the GAS5/miR­34a axis and mammalian target of rapamycin/sirtuin 1 (mTOR/SIRT1) pathway on macroautophagy and apoptosis in CRC. Expression of GAS5, miR­34a, SIRT1 and mTOR in CRC patients and cell lines was detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Online bioinformatic analysis was used to predict the downstream miRs of GAS5. Luciferase assay and western blotting were performed to demonstrate miR­34a as a downstream target gene of GAS5 in CRC cells. The effects of the GAS5/miR­34a axis on apoptosis, macroautophagy, and the mTOR/SIRT1 pathway were assessed by flow cytometry, transmission electron microscopy and western blotting, respectively. Our results suggested that GAS5 was downregulated and acted as a molecular sponge of miR­34a during CRC progression. miR­34a participated in regulating GAS5­suppressed CRC cell macroautophagy and induced apoptosis through the mTOR/SIRT1 pathway. GAS5­mediated macroautophagy was maintained in an equilibrium state that might have a protective effect on CRC cell apoptosis. The mTOR signaling pathway suppressed GAS5 expression and formed a negative regulation feedback loop with miR­34a in CRC cells. Our results suggested that the GAS5/miR­34a/SIRT1/mTOR negative regulatory feedback loop mediated CRC cell macroautophagy, and maintained the cells in an autonomous equilibrium state, but not excessive activation state, which functions as a strong antiapoptotic phenotype during human CRC progression.

Micro-Nanopore Structure and Fractal Characteristics of Tight Sandstone Gas Reservoirs in the Eastern Ordos Basin, China.

The complex pore system in tight sandstone reservoirs controls the storage and transport of natural gas. Thus, quantitatively characterizing the micro-nanopore structure of tight sandstone reservoirs is of great significance to determining the accumulation and distribution of tight gas. The pore structure of reservoirs was determined through polarizing microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the combination of mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments on Late Paleozoic conventional and tight sandstone samples from the Linxing Block, Ordos Basin. The results show that in contrast to conventional sandstone, dissolution pores, with diameters less than 8 µm, are the main contributors to the gas storage space of tight sandstone reservoirs. The pore size distribution derived from the MICP experiment demonstrates that the main peak of tight sandstones corresponds to a pore radius in the range of 247 nm to 371 nm, while the secondary peak usually corresponds to 18 nm. The results of the NMR test illustrate that the T2 spectra of tight sandstones are unimodal, bimodal and multimodal, and the main NMR peak is highly related to the MICP peak. Fractal theory was proposed to quantitatively characterize the complex pore structure and rough porous surface. The sandstones show fractal characteristics including nanopore fractal dimension DN obtained from the MICP and large pore fractal dimension DL obtained from the NMR experiment. Both DN and DL are positively correlated with porosity and negatively correlated with permeability, demonstrating that complex and heterogeneous pore structure could increase the gas storage space and reduce the connectivity.