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This study investigates the influence of aging-related genes on endometrial cancer, a prominent gynecological malignancy with rising incidence and mortality. By analyzing gene expression differences between cancerous and normal endometrial tissues, 42 aging-related genes were identified as differentially expressed. Utilizing the TCGA-UCEC sample, consensus clustering divided the samples into two molecular subgroups, Aging low and Aging high, based on their expression profiles. These subgroups showed distinct prognoses and survival rates, with the Aging high group associated with DNA repair and cell cycle pathways, and the Aging low group showing suppressed metabolic pathways and increased immune cell infiltration, suggesting a potential for better immunotherapy outcomes. Mutation analysis did not find significant differences in mutation frequencies between the groups, but a high Tumor Mutation Burden (TMB) correlated with better prognosis. A risk score model was also developed, showcasing significant prognostic power. Further analysis of the SIX1 gene revealed its overexpression in cancer cells. Drug sensitivity tests indicated that the low-risk group might respond better to chemotherapy. This research underscores the significance of aging-related genes in endometrial cancer, offering insights into their prognostic value and therapeutic potential, which could lead to personalized treatment approaches and enhanced patient management.
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Nanoparticles have been widely applied to treat emulsion-containing wastewater in the form of chemical demulsifiers, such as SiO2, Fe3O4, and graphene oxide (GO). Owing to their asymmetric structures and selective adsorption, Janus nanoparticles show greater application potential in many fields. In the present work, the novel magnetic Janus graphene oxide (MJGO) nanoparticle was successfully prepared by grafting magnetic Fe3O4 to the surface of the JGO, and its demulsifying ability to treat a crude oil-in-water emulsion was evaluated. The MJGO structure and its magnetic intensity were verified by Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and magnetization saturation (MS) tests. Compared with GO and JGO, MJGO displayed the superior efficiency (>96%) to demulsify the crude oil-in-water emulsion, which can be attributed to the reduced electrostatic repulsion between MJGO and the emulsion droplets. Furthermore, the effects of pH and temperature on the demulsification performance of MJGO were also studied. Lastly, the recyclability of MJGO largely reduced the cost of demulsifiers in separating crude oil and water. The current research presents an efficient and recyclable demulsifier, which provides a new perspective for the structural design of nanomaterials and their application in the field of demulsification.
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Due to the fact that more conventional heavy oil recovery methods (heating, emulsification, dilution, and other methods) have many shortcomings, they cannot meet the demand of heavy oil exploitation. Therefore, there is a need for new recovery methods. In this paper, the surface of nano SiO2 was modified with a silane coupling agent, KH-560, to prepare a nanoviscosity reducer (NRV), which has high-temperature resistance (300 °C), calcium and magnesium resistance (Ca2+ + Mg2+ > 900 mg/L) and high viscosity reduction rate (>99%). FTIR and SEM measurements showed that KH560 has been successfully connected to the surface of SiO2. The particle size distribution of NRV is mainly distributed in 50-80 nm, which matches the results of SEM. The experimental results showed that the viscosity reduction rates of 1 wt % NRV on M-1 heavy oil before and after aging were 99.73% and 99.71%, respectively. The viscosity reduction effect of 1% NRV on M-1 heavy oil and the bleeding rate of emulsion formation were investigated when the oil-water ratio ranged from 9:1 to 1:9. The results showed that when the oil-water ratio was between 7:3 and 1:9, the viscosity reduction rate was greater than 99%. Besides, the bleeding rate of emulsion increases with the decrease of the oil-water ratio. What's more, static and dynamic adsorption experiments showed that the adsorption capacity of 1 wt % NRV was 1.746 mg/g and 1.668 mg/g sand, respectively. The interfacial tension experiment showed that the interfacial tension (IFT) between 1 wt % NRV and M-1 heavy oil was 0.052 mN/m, and low interfacial tension was beneficial to displace the oil in the formation pores. At the same time, the displacement effect of NRV on M-1 heavy oil at different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 wt %) and temperatures (200, 250, and 300 °C) was investigated by core flooding experiments. The results showed that the recovery rate increases with the increase of NRV concentration, and 1 wt % NRV at 300 °C will improve the recovery rate of M-1 heavy oil by 27.3% compared to steam flooding. NRV could reduce the viscosity of crude oil, which provides technical guidelines for the exploitation of heavy oil and extra heavy oil.
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AIM: To explore the prognostic factors for lacrimal gland adenoid cystic carcinoma (LGACC) in Chinese patients. METHODS: Clinical and histopathological data were reviewed in patients with pathologically confirmed LGACC. Local recurrence, metastasis, and disease-specific death were the main outcome measures. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed by the Kaplan-Meier method and a Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: This retrospective cohort study included 45 patients with pathologically confirmed LGACC between January 2008 and June 2022. Tumor (T) classification (P=0.005), nodal metastasis (N) classification (P=0.018) and positive margin (P=0.008) were independent risk factors of recurrence; T (P=0.013) and N (P=0.003) classification and the basaloid tumor type (P=0.032) were independent risk factors for metastasis; T classification (P<0.001) was an independent factor of death of disease. In the further analysis, the durations from first surgery to radiotherapy is correlated with metastatic risk in LGACC patients with basaloid component (P=0.022). CONCLUSION: Histological subtype should be emphasized when evaluating prognosis and guiding treatment. Timely radiotherapy may reduce the risk of metastasis in patients with basaloid component.
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Optic pathway gliomas (OPGs) are most predominant pilocytic astrocytomas, which are typically diagnosed within the first decade of life. The majority of affected children with OPGs also present with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), the most common tumor predisposition syndrome. OPGs in individuals with NF1 primarily affect the optic pathway and lead to visual disturbance. However, it is challenging to assess risk in asymptomatic patients without valid biomarkers. On the other hand, for symptomatic patients, there is still no effective treatment to prevent or recover vision loss. Therefore, this review summarizes current knowledge regarding the pathogenesis of NF1-associated OPGs (NF1-OPGs) from preclinical studies to seek potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets. First, the loss of the NF1 gene activates 3 distinct Ras effector pathways, including the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, the MEK/ERK pathway, and the cAMP pathway, which mediate glioma tumorigenesis. Meanwhile, non-neoplastic cells from the tumor microenvironment (microglia, T cells, neurons, etc.) also contribute to gliomagenesis via various soluble factors. Subsequently, we investigated potential genetic risk factors, molecularly targeted therapies, and neuroprotective strategies for tumor prevention and vision recovery. Last, potential directions and promising preclinical models of NF1-OPGs are presented for further research. On the whole, NF1-OPGs develop as a result of the interaction between glioma cells and the tumor microenvironment. Developing effective treatments require a better understanding of tumor molecular characteristics, as well as multistage interventions targeting both neoplastic cells and non-neoplastic cells.