Micropatterning Research Articles

Patterns of (micro)nutrient limitation across the South Pacific Ocean

Nutrient limitation regulates phytoplankton growth throughout much of the global ocean and its assessment is important for our understanding of future changes in ocean productivity. The South Pacific Ocean represents a vast region where limiting nutrients have so far been investigated with only a handful of experiments. Here we report the results of eleven nutrient addition bioassay experiments conducted across the South Pacific Ocean at ca. 30°S as part of the GEOTRACES GP21 expedition. Nitrogen addition alone stimulated chlorophyll-a accumulation at all sites, whilst increases were larger following supplementary addition of iron in the eastern and central basin, and phosphate in the western basin. Enhanced iron stress following nitrogen addition in the eastern and central basin further pointed towards ambient iron concentrations approaching co-limiting levels. The overall east-to-west shift in serial limiting nutrients from iron to phosphate was attributed to a broadscale east-west increase in iron availability relative to nitrogen.

Simple methodology to score micropattern quality and effectiveness.

Micropatterns (MPs) are widely used as a powerful tool to control cell morphology and phenotype. However, methods for determining the effectiveness of how well cells are controlled by the shape of MPs have been inconsistently used and studies rarely report on this topic, indicating lack of standardization. We introduce an evaluation score that quantitatively assesses the MP fabrication quality and effectiveness, which can be broadly used in conjunction with all currently available MP design types. This score uses four simple and quick steps: (i) scoring MP and (ii) background fabrication quality, (iii) defining the type(s) of MP of interest, and (iv) assigning so-called efficiency descriptors describing cell behavior. These steps are based on visual inspection and quick categorization of various aspects of MP fabrication quality and cell behaviour, presented in illustrations and microscopy image examples intended to serve as a reference "atlas". To illustrate the advantage of using this score, we determined differences in cell morphology and F-actin intensity between scored vs. non-scored cells. These measurements, which could be different in other studies, were chosen because both are understood as markers of cell phenotype and function. We combined intensity-calibrated immunofluorescence microscopy and image-based single cell protein analysis. Importantly, significant differences in cell morphology and cytoskeletal protein content between scored vs. non-scored cells were noted: the unconditional inclusion of all experimental read-outs (i.e., all MP data regardless of MP quality and effectiveness) into the final results significantly misjudged the experimental readouts vs. only including experimental read-outs of quality-controlled and effective MPs, identified by scoring. Specifically, non-scoring underestimated the F-actin intensity per cell and quantitative cellular morphometric descriptors circularity and solidity and overestimated aspect ratio. Scoring improved the precision of cellular readouts, advocating the use of a MP quality and efficiency score as a quantitative decision-supporting tool in deciding whether or not particular MPs should be used for experiments, saving time and money. This simple scoring methodology can be used for improving MP fabrication, comparing results across studies, benefiting basic science studies and potential future clinical use of MPs by introducing standardization.

Shp2 contributes to the regulation of nuclear shape and cellular viscoelasticity in response to substrate spatial cues

Cell polarization can be guided by substrate topology through space constraints and adhesion induction, which are part of cellular mechanosensing pathways. Here, we demonstrated that protein tyrosine phosphatase Shp2 plays a crucial role in mediating the response of cells to substrate spatial cues. When compared to cells spreading on surfaces coated uniformly with fibronectin (FN), cells attached to 10 μm-width FN-strip micropattern (MP), which provides spatial cues for uniaxial spreading, exhibited elongated focal adhesions (FAs) and aligned stress fibers in the direction of the MP. As a result of uniaxial cell spreading, nuclei became elongated, dependent on ROCK-mediated actomyosin contractility. Additionally, intracellular viscoelasticity also increased. Shp2-deficient cells did not display elongated FAs mediated by MP, well-aligned stress fibers, or changes in nuclear shape and intracellular viscoelasticity. Overall, our data suggest that Shp2 is involved in regulating FAs and the actin cytoskeleton to modulate nuclear shape and intracellular physical properties in response to substrate spatial cues.

The monotonic behaviour of a low- to medium-density chalk through in-situ and laboratory characterisation

Chalk is a highly variable cemented biomicrite limestone that can show widely different rock strengths and patterns of micro to macro fissuring and jointing, due to variations in depositional environments and local geological histories. This paper describes the characterisation of a very weak to weak, low- to medium-density chalk through in situ profiling and laboratory testing, which provided new insights into the geomaterial’s mechanical behaviour. The chalk de-structures when taken to large strains, leading to remarkably high pore pressures beneath penetrating cones and degraded responses in full-displacement pressuremeter tests. Laboratory tests on carefully formed specimens explored the chalk’s unstable structure and marked time-, rate- and pressure dependency. A clear hierarchy was found between profiles of peak strength with depth from Brazilian tension, drained and undrained triaxial and direct simple shear tests conducted from in-situ stress conditions. Highly instrumented triaxial tests sheared from low confining stresses indicated stiffness anisotropy and showed very brittle failure behaviour from small strains. Progressively more ductile behaviour was seen as confining pressures were raised, with failures being delayed until increasingly large strains and finally stable critical states were attained. The chalk’s mainly sub-vertical jointing and micro-fissuring led to properties depending on specimen scale, with high-quality laboratory stiffness measurements significantly exceeding those obtained from in-situ geophysical testing, which far exceed the operational stiffnesses of the chalk mass. While compressive strength and stiffness appear relatively insensitive to effective stress levels, consolidation to higher pressures closes micro-fissures and reduces anisotropy. The results provided the basis for numerical analysis with advanced constitutive models that inform the interpretation of axial and lateral tests on driven piles and inform the development of new practical design methods.

The interaction effects of age, APOE and common environmental risk factors on human brain structure.

Mounting evidence suggests considerable diversity in brain aging trajectories, primarily arising from the complex interplay between age, genetic, and environmental risk factors, leading to distinct patterns of micro- and macro-cerebral aging. The underlying mechanisms of such effects still remain unclear. We conducted a comprehensive association analysis between cerebral structural measures and prevalent risk factors, using data from 36,969 UK Biobank subjects aged 44-81. Participants were assessed for brain volume, white matter diffusivity, Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotypes, polygenic risk scores, lifestyles, and socioeconomic status. We examined genetic and environmental effects and their interactions with age and sex, and identified 726 signals, with education, alcohol, and smoking affecting most brain regions. Our analysis revealed negative age-APOE-ε4 and positive age-APOE-ε2 interaction effects, respectively, especially in females on the volume of amygdala, positive age-sex-APOE-ε4 interaction on the cerebellar volume, positive age-excessive-alcohol interaction effect on the mean diffusivity of the splenium of the corpus callosum, positive age-healthy-diet interaction effect on the paracentral volume, and negative APOE-ε4-moderate-alcohol interaction effects on the axial diffusivity of the superior fronto-occipital fasciculus. These findings highlight the need of considering age, sex, genetic, and environmental joint effects in elucidating normal or abnormal brain aging.

Micropatterned Nanofiber Scaffolds of Salmon Gelatin, Chitosan, and Poly(vinyl alcohol) for Muscle Tissue Engineering.

The development of scaffolds that mimic the aligned fibrous texture of the extracellular matrix has become an important requirement in muscle tissue engineering. Electrospinning is a widely used technique to fabricate biomimetic scaffolds. Therefore, a biopolymer blend composed of salmon gelatin (SG), chitosan (Ch), and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was developed by electrospinning onto a micropatterned (MP) collector, resulting in a biomimetic scaffold for seeding muscle cells. Rheology and surface tension studies were performed to determine the optimum solution concentration and viscosity for electrospinning. The scaffold microstructure was analyzed using SEM to determine the nanofiber's diameter and orientation. Blends of SG/Ch/PVA exhibited better electrospinnability and handling properties than pure PVA. The resulting scaffolds consist of a porous surface (∼46%), composed of a random fiber distribution, for a flat collector and scaffolds with regions of aligned nanofibers for the MP collector. The nanofiber diameters are 141 ± 2 and 151 ± 2 nm for the flat and MP collector, respectively. In vitro studies showed that myoblasts cultured on scaffold SG/Ch/PVA presented a high rate of cell growth. Furthermore, the aligned nanofibers on the SG/Ch/PVA scaffold provide a suitable platform for myoblast alignment.

A pilot study: Drug utilization pattern and prevalence of micro and macrovascular complication in type 2 diabetes patient

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder resulting from the deficiency of insulin secretion and insulin resistance. Currently, there is a death of nationwide data regarding the prevalence of micro and macro complications and drug utilization patterns. This study will help health-care professionals approach management more aggressively to prevent complications. Objectives: To assess the risk factors associated with complications in diabetes patients, and to determine the pattern of drug prescription among type-2 DM patients patterns at Virudhunagar Medical College & Hospital. Methods: This is a Prospective, prescription-based, and observational study. A sample size of 50 was selected systematically. Data were collected from patient case records and Prescriptions. The obtained data were entered in the structured patient profile form, and the filled forms were analyzed. Results: Out of the total 50 cases evaluated, 60 (60%) were males and 20(40%) were females. The 28 patients (56%) had a family history of diabetes. The prevalence of the associated diabetic complications was as follows viz. Hypertension (17.65%), IHD (1.47%), retinopathy (17.65%), nephropathy (7.35%), Neuropathy (47.06%), Stroke (5.88%) and CHF (2.94%). The overall utilization pattern of drugs were as follows viz. anti-diabetics (28%), anti-hypertensive (9%), antiplatelets (4%), lipid lowering agents (7%), vitamins and minerals (17%),GI drugs (14%), antimicrobials(6%). Among anti-diabetic drugs 48(96%) biguanides and 44(88%) of sulfonylureas classes of antidiabetic drugs were utilized. Likewise, preferred drugs for the management of hypertension, IHD, dyslipidemia, and neuropathy were Diuretics (25.93%), Clopidogrel (66.66%), Atorvastatin (100%), and Acetominophine (67.74%) respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of micro and macro complications among type 2 diabetic patients was found to be high. Although polypharmacy was observed, drug utilization patterns can be rational owing to the higher prevalence of complications. Patient are not aware of the severity of the disease so complication makes the therapeutic more challenging. Patient education on disease severity and healthcare professionals need more focus on disease complications and severity to treat the disease earlier to improve patient health outcomes.

Brain morphometric changes in fibromyalgia and the impact of psychometric and clinical factors: a volumetric and diffusion-tensor imaging study

BackgroundPrevious studies have repeatedly found distinct brain morphometric changes in patients with fibromyalgia (FM), mainly affecting gray and white matter abnormalities in areas related to sensory and affective pain processing. However, few studies have thus far linked different types of structural changes and not much is known about behavioral and clinical determinants that might influence the emergence and progression of such changes.MethodsWe used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) to detect regional patterns of (micro)structural gray (GM) and white matter (WM) alterations in 23 patients with FM compared to 21 healthy controls (HC), while considering the influence of demographic, psychometric, and clinical variables (age, symptom severity, pain duration, heat pain threshold, depression scores).ResultsVBM and DTI revealed striking patterns of brain morphometric changes in FM patients. Bilateral middle temporal gyrus (MTG), parahippocampal gyrus, left dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), right putamen, right caudate nucleus, and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) showed significantly decreased GM volumes. In contrast, increased GM volume was observed in bilateral cerebellum and left thalamus. Beyond that, patients displayed microstructural changes of WM connectivity within the medial lemniscus, corpus callosum, and tracts surrounding and connecting the thalamus. Sensory-discriminative aspects of pain (pain severity, pain thresholds) primarily showed negative correlations with GM within bilateral putamen, pallidum, right midcingulate cortex (MCC), and multiple thalamic substructures, whereas the chronicity of pain was negatively correlated with GM volumes within right insular cortex and left rolandic operculum. Affective-motivational aspects of pain (depressive mood, general activity) were related to GM and FA values within bilateral putamen and thalamus.ConclusionsOur results suggest a variety of distinct structural brain changes in FM, particularly affecting areas involved in pain and emotion processing such as the thalamus, putamen, and insula.

Nanosecond Laser "Pulling" Patterning of Micro-Nano Structures on Zr-Based Metallic Glass.

Flexible and controllable fabrication of micro-nano structures on metallic glasses (MGs) endow them with more functional applications, but it is still challenging due to the unique mechanical, physical, and chemical properties of MGs. In this study, inspired by a new physical phenomenon observed in the nanosecond laser-MG interaction (i.e., the surface structure is transformed from the normally observed microgroove into the micro-nano bulge at a critical peak laser power intensity), a nanosecond laser "pulling" method is proposed to pattern the MG surface. The formation mechanism and evolution of the micro-nano bulge are investigated in detail, and accordingly, various micro-nano structures including the unidirectional stripe, pillar, cross-hatch patterns, "JLU", circle, triangle, and square, are derived and created on the MG surface, which affects the surface optical diffraction. Overall, this study provides a highly flexible and controllable method to fabricate micro-nano structures on MGs.

Differences in brain activations between micro- and macro-expressions based on electroencephalography.

Micro-expressions can reflect an individual’s subjective emotions and true mental state and are widely used in the fields of mental health, justice, law enforcement, intelligence, and security. However, the current approach based on image and expert assessment-based micro-expression recognition technology has limitations such as limited application scenarios and time consumption. Therefore, to overcome these limitations, this study is the first to explore the brain mechanisms of micro-expressions and their differences from macro-expressions from a neuroscientific perspective. This can be a foundation for micro-expression recognition based on EEG signals. We designed a real-time supervision and emotional expression suppression (SEES) experimental paradigm to synchronously collect facial expressions and electroencephalograms. Electroencephalogram signals were analyzed at the scalp and source levels to determine the temporal and spatial neural patterns of micro- and macro-expressions. We found that micro-expressions were more strongly activated in the premotor cortex, supplementary motor cortex, and middle frontal gyrus in frontal regions under positive emotions than macro-expressions. Under negative emotions, micro-expressions were more weakly activated in the somatosensory cortex and corneal gyrus regions than macro-expressions. The activation of the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) was stronger in micro-expressions under positive than negative emotions. The reason for this difference is that the pathways of facial control are different; the production of micro-expressions under positive emotion is dependent on the control of the face, while micro-expressions under negative emotions are more dependent on the intensity of the emotion.

Exploring the spatial distribution pattern of micro and small businesses in rural areas: a case study of Gilan province, Northern Iran

Exploring the spatial distribution pattern of micro and small businesses in rural areas: a case study of Gilan province, Northern Iran

Controlled-Alignment Patterns of Dipeptide Micro- and Nanofibers.

Ordered assemblies of the peptide diphenylalanine (FF) are produced and deposited on planar substrates. The FF aggregate growth is achieved through precipitation from aqueous ammonia solutions induced by solvent evaporation. The applied dip-coating technique confines the FF assembly growth to a narrow zone near the three-phase contact. The growth was observed online by optical microscopy and was investigated systematically as a function of the process parameters. Depending on the external gas flow (to influence solvent evaporation), the withdrawal speed, the initial FF, and the initial ammonia concentrations, FF forms long, straight, and rigid microfibers and/or shorter, curved nanofibers. Under certain process conditions, the FF fibers can also aggregate into stripes. These can be deposited as large arrays of uniform stripes with regular widths and spacings. Scenarios leading to the various types of fibers and the stripe formation are presented and discussed in view of the experimental findings.

3D Seismic Anatomy of a Watershed Reveals Climate‐Topography Coupling That Drives Water Flowpaths and Bedrock Weathering

AbstractTo investigate how bedrock transforms to soil, we mapped the topography of the interface demarcating onset of weathering under an east‐west trending shale watershed in the Valley and Ridge province in the USA Using wave equation travel‐time tomography from a seismic array of >4,000 geophones, we obtained a 3D P‐wave velocity (Vp) model that resolves structures ∼20 m below land surface (mbls). The depth of mobile soil and the onset of dissolution of chlorite roughly match Vp = 600 m/s and Vp = 2,700 m/s, respectively. Chlorite dissolution initiates porosity growth in the shale matrix. Depth to the 2,700 m/s contour is greater under the N‐ as compared to S‐facing hillslopes and under sub‐planar as compared to concave‐up land surfaces. Broadly, the geometries of the ‘soil’ and ‘chlorite’ Vp contours are consistent with the calculated potential for shear fracture opening under weak regional compression. However, this calculated fracture potential does not consistently explain observations related to N‐ versus S‐facing aspect nor fracture density observed by borehole televiewer. Apparently, regional compression is only a secondary influence on Vp: the primary driver of P‐wave slowing in the upper layers of this catchment is topographic control of reactive water flowpaths and their integrated effects on weathering. The Vp result is best explained as the long‐term integrated effect of groundwater flow‐induced geochemical weathering of shale in response to climate‐driven patterns of micro‐ and macro‐topography.

Modeling the Pathways and Accumulation Patterns of Micro- and Macro-Plastics in the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean is considered a hot-spot for plastic pollution, due to its semi-enclosed nature and heavily populated coastal areas. In the present study, a basin-scale coupled hydrodynamic/particle drift model was used to track the pathways and fate of plastics from major land-based sources (coastal cities and rivers), taking into account of the most important processes (advection, stokes drift, vertical and horizontal mixing, sinking, wind drag, and beaching). A hybrid ensemble Kalman filter algorithm was implemented to correct the near- surface circulation, assimilating satellite data (sea surface height, temperature) in the hydrodynamic model. Different size classes and/or types of both micro- and macroplastics were considered in the model. Biofouling induced sinking was explicitly described, as a possible mechanism of microplastics removal from the surface. A simplified parameterization of size-dependent biofilm growth has been adopted, as a function of bacterial biomass (obtained from a biogeochemical model simulation), being considered a proxy for the biofouling community. The simulated distributions for micro- and macroplastics were validated against available observations, showing reasonable agreement, both in terms of magnitude and horizontal variability. An 8-year simulation was used to identify micro- and macroplastics accumulation patterns in the surface layer, water column, seafloor and beaches. The impact of different processes (vertical mixing, biofouling, and wind/wave drift) was identified through a series of sensitivity experiments. For both micro- and macroplastics, distributions at sea surface were closely related to the adopted sources. The microplastics concentration was drastically reduced away from source areas, due to biofouling induced sinking, with their size distribution dominated by larger (>1 mm) size classes in open sea areas, in agreement with observations. High concentration patches of floating plastics were simulated in convergence areas, characterized by anticyclonic circulation. The distribution of macroplastics on beaches followed the predominant southeastward wind/wave direction. In the water column, a sub-surface maximum in microplastics abundance was simulated, with increasing contribution of smaller particles in deeper layers. Accumulation of microplastics on the seafloor was limited in relatively shallow areas (<500 m), with bottom depth below their relaxation depth due to defouling. The simulated total amount of floating plastics (∼3,760 tonnes) is comparable with estimates from observations.

Unidirectional crystallization and 3D structure of ternary four-component eutectic of B4C-NbB2-SiC system

Purpose. To investigate the laws of crystallization and formation of 3D morphology of ternary eutectics in system B4C-NbB2-SiC.
 Research methods. SEM (SE, BSE), РСМА (EDS, WDS), XRD.
 Results. The micro- and macro-morphology of eutectic colonies in alloys of the system NbB2-SiC-В4С formed during directional crystallization have been investigated. The obtained patterns are embodied in a 3D structural model of (B4C+NbB2+SiC) eutectic cell and from these result, a microscopic kinetics of crystallization of this cell was proposed. The continuity of eutectic phase dendrites from nucleation to the end of growth and inadequacy of ideas about eutectic as a mechanical mixture of small crystals of eutectic phases were shown.
 Scientific novelty. For the first time a 3D model of a three-phase 4-component eutectic cell of eutectic colony was built. For the first time the possibility of combined microscopic crystallization kinetics of a three-phase eutectics was revealed, including both paired cooperative microscopic kinetics of (SіC+ NbB2) growth and the kinetics of autonomous growth of the third eutectic phase B4C.
 Practical value. Revealing the pattern of micro and macrostructure formation of a three-phase eutectics, which was formed in the course of directional crystallization, opens up technological prospects for purposeful control of the structure and properties of eutectic alloy due to the change of micro and macro morphological constituents, including the method of modification.

Direct Writing of Silicon Oxide Nanopatterns Using Photonic Nanojets

The ability to create controllable patterns of micro- and nanostructures on the surface of bulk silicon has widespread application potential. In particular, the direct writing of silicon oxide patterns on silicon via femtosecond laser-induced silicon amorphization has attracted considerable attention owing to its simplicity and high efficiency. However, the direct writing of nanoscale resolution is challenging due to the optical diffraction effect. In this study, we propose a highly efficient, one-step method for preparing silicon oxide nanopatterns on silicon. The proposed method combines femtosecond laser-induced silicon amorphization with a subwavelength-scale beam waist of photonic nanojets. We demonstrate the direct writing of arbitrary nanopatterns via contactless scanning, achieving patterns with a minimum feature size of 310 nm and a height of 120 nm. The proposed method shows potential for the fabrication of multifunctional surfaces, silicon-based chips, and silicon photonics.

Rapid Formation of Self‐Supporting Polydimethylsiloxane Sheets with Periodic Clusters of Embedded Nickel Nanoparticles

AbstractThe direct and rapid formation of a precise pattern of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) supported and/or embedded in a flexible polymeric substrate is not easy to achive. However, the development of simpler and more reliable procedures is still highly desirable. This paper presents an innovative technique, simple, cheap, and robust, for producing a self‐supported sheet of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) embedding periodic arrays of clusters of nickel nanoparticles (NiNPs). The method uses the pyroelectric effect in a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal for producing a surface charge template able to address the patterning of the NPs by applying a simple thermal stimulation. The key advantages are rapidity, single‐step, and electrode‐free operation. The reliability of the technique is demonstrated for different geometries that are called here “dots” and “grid” and for three different periods 50, 200, and 400 µm. The resulting sheets are attractive for both their flexibility and magnetic properties that can be used for detection, entrapment, and/or patterning of micro‐ and nanoparticles in various fields such as microfluidics and biomedicine.

Programmable Single‐Crystalline PbI2 Microplate Arrays and Their Organic/Inorganic Heterojunctions

AbstractDeterministic patterning of inorganic semiconducting micro‐/nanostructures has laid the foundation for the on‐chip integration of optoelectronic devices. However, it requires complicated equipment for thin‐film deposition, lithography, and etching. Solution‐processing bottom‐up integration of micro‐/nanostructures has been extensively studied in organic semiconductors and nanoparticles, but solution‐patternable inorganic single‐crystalline micro‐/nanostructures are still elusive. It is still challenging to control the crystallization of inorganic semiconductors in solution processes. Herein, an efficient strategy is developed to steer the crystallization of PbI2 hexagonal microplates in capillary bridges. Evenly distributed mass and ordered microfluid in each capillary bridge are able to attain simultaneous manipulation of position, size, and crystallographic orientation. Complex patterns, including Latin characters, Arabic numeral characters, and mathematical symbols, are realized by positioning capillary bridges. Based on these high‐quality PbI2 microcrystals, high‐performance photodetectors are demonstrated with a responsivity of 625 mA W−1, an on–off ratio of 105 and response speeds of τrise = 0.31 ms and τdecay = 0.17 ms. This technique also allows for the integration of PbI2 microstructures with organic semiconductors to manufacture heterojunction arrays with efficient charge transfer. The strategy provides a perception to fabricate inorganic single‐crystalline microarrays and heterostructures for integrated optoelectronics.

One-step mask patterning of micro lead zirconate titanate arrays by electrohydrodynamic atomization

In this paper, the lead zirconate titanate microarrays were fabricated with a one-step mask patterning route via electrohydrodynamic atomization. The composite ink consisting of PZT microparticles dispersed in PZT sol was prepared for the fabrication process. The sintered composite PZT cells demonstrated the perovskite structures and the coexistence of the rhombohedral and morphotropic phase boundary, as shown from the XRD and XPS results. It was found that the discrete PZT cell showed an increase of the remanent polarization, coupled with the piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of ~110 p.m./V at remanence, which was approximately 1.5 times larger than that of the continuous films. These results could be ascribed to the increased mobility of the domain wall and the reduced clamping stress. The simplicity of the fabrication routes and the fast producing capability of electrohydrodynamic atomization shows great potentiality of producing microarrays for PZT based microelectronic devices.

Material constituents and mechanical properties and macro-micro-failure modes of tight gas reservoirs

In this work, a series of intensive laboratory tests are conducted to measure the material constituents, mechanical properties, and to examine macro-micro-failure modes of various types of rocks from tight gas reservoirs in the Da Qing oilfield in China. A set of key parameters are experimentally determined, including porosity, mineralogical compositions, microstructure, Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, triaxial compressive strength, as well as macro- and micro-morphology failure modes. The relationships of these parameters are systematically analyzed, and the effects of the material constituents and microstructure characteristics such as cementation type, porosity, and mineral composition on rock mechanical properties are revealed as well as the patterns of micro- and macro-failures in types of rocks are investigated. The result shows that the micro-failure mainly exhibits features of transgranular and intergranular porous polymer fracture, and the macro-failure modes are mainly three types: shear-dominated, mixed shear–tensile and mixed tensile–shear. The mixed tensile–shear failure has mainly tensile fractures with branch fractures crossing each other, which forms a complex system fracture network. These findings are of importance for “sweet pot” evaluations, wellbore stability analysis, and hydraulic fracturing design for oil and gas production in tight gas reservoirs.