LINC00638/hsa-miR-29b-3p axis-mediated high expression of CDCA4 correlates with tumor immune infiltration and hepatocellular carcinoma progression.

Background: This study sought to explore the role of cell division cycle-associated protein 4 (CDCA4) in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) patients. Methods: The RNA-sequencing raw count data and the respective clinical information of 33 different LIHC cancer and normal tissues were collected from the Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEX) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. The expression of CDCA4 in LIHC was determined via the University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Data Analysis Portal (UALCAN) database. The PrognoScan database was used to examine the correlation between CDCA4 and overall survival (OS) in LIHC. The interaction between the potential upstream microRNAs and the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and CDCA4 was explored using the Encyclopedia of RNA Interactomes (ENCORI) database. Finally, the biological role of CDCA4 in LIHC was investigated by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG)analyses. Results: CDCA4 RNA expression was elevated in the LIHC tumor tissues and linked to adverse clinical characteristics. It was also upregulated in most tumor tissues in the GTEX and TCGA data sets. According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, CDCA4 is a potential a biomarker for the diagnosis of LIHC. According to the Kaplan-Meier (KM) curve analysis, patients with LIHC in TCGA data set with low expression levels of CDCA4 had better than high expression levels in OS, disease-specific survival (DSS), and progression free interval (PFI). The gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) suggested that CDCA4 mainly affected the biological events of LIHC by participating in the cell cycle, T cell receptor signaling pathway, DNA replication, glucose metabolism, and mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Based on the competing endogenous RNA concept and the correlation, expression, and survival analysis results, we believe that LINC00638/hsa miR-29b-3p/CDCA4 should be a potential regulatory pathway in LIHC. Conclusions: The low expression of CDCA4 significantly improves the prognosis of LIHC patients, and CDCA4 is a potential new biomarker for LIHC prognosis prediction. CDCA4-mediated LIHC carcinogenesis may involve tumor immune evasion and anti-tumor immunity. LINC00638/hsa-miR-29b-3p/CDCA4 should be a potential regulatory pathway in LIHC, and these findings provide a new perspective for the development of anti-cancer strategies in LIHC.

Experimental Study to Quantify Fracture Propagation in Hydraulic Fracturing Treatment.

Hydraulic fracturing plays an important role in the commercial development of unconventional oil and gas, which is directly related to the production of oil and gas wells. An accurate evaluation is critical for hydraulic fracturing, but it is urgent to propose a quantitative assessment of hydraulic fracturing fracture propagation for realizing hydraulic fracturing fracture propagation and multiposition permeability measurement under an in situ stress environment. Herein, a true triaxial stress loading and permeability testing device was designed and fabricated, and a permeability evaluation model was established under various states, which can realize the accurate measurement of multiple faces and the total permeability of tight specimens before and after hydraulic fracturing. It can directly measure permeability under the conditions of the true triaxial fracture propagation experiment. The comparative experimental result shows that the new technique can quantitatively evaluate the fracture propagation experiment of true triaxial hydraulic fracturing. The overall permeability and the directional permeability of the five faces were obtained, and the fracture propagation was evaluated by comparing the change in permeability. The test permeability error rate is within ±10%. Furthermore, a more refined evaluation of hydraulic fracturing fracture propagation can be carried out based on the fracture observation and AE event results. The research results provide a new strategy for a more quantitative and refined evaluation of fracture propagation and help to optimize the parameters of hydraulic fracturing.

Different Effect Mechanisms of Supercritical CO2 on the Shale Microscopic Structure.

To better understand how supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) enhances shale gas production, it is necessary to study the interaction of supercritical CO2 with shale and its impact on shale microstructure. The different mechanisms by which supercritical CO2 changes the shale pore structure were studied by X-ray diffraction analyses, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and low-pressure nitrogen gas adsorption tests on shale samples before and after treatment with different pressures and gases (CO2 and Ar). The results showed that after treatment with CO2, the mineral content of shale changed significantly, and in particular, the proportions of calcite and dolomite decreased. The mineral content of shale changed the most after treatment with supercritical CO2, and the microscopic pores were most observable by SEM. In a gaseous CO2 environment, the effect of CO2 adsorption on shale pores is greater than the effects of gas pressure and dissolution reactions. However, in a supercritical CO2 environment, the changes in shale pore structures are mainly controlled by extraction and dissolution reactions. When shale is exposed to supercritical CO2, the fractal dimensions of adsorption pores and seepage pores decrease, indicating that the specific surface area and roughness of adsorption pores decrease. This implies that the adsorption capacity decreases, and that the complexity of the seepage pores declines, which is conducive for gas migration.

Prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of chordee without hypospadias.

Chordee without hypospadias (CWH) is an extremely rare condition. Here, we describe a case of CWH diagnosed accurately on prenatal ultrasound at 25 weeks' gestation. Physical examination of the newborn confirmed the sonographic findings. To the best of our knowledge, prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of CWH has not been reported in the literature. We emphasize the importance of observing fetal micturition to rule out the possibility of CWH before the diagnosis of hypospadias is made on prenatal ultrasound.