Hydrogen bonding-regulated miscibility of graphene oxide and nonionic water-soluble polymers.

The integration of graphene and nonionic water-soluble polymers has generated useful composites with high performances and rich functionalities. These attractive graphene composites are usually synthesized from the aqueous mixture of graphene oxide (GO) precursor and polymers such as synthetic polyvinyl alcohol and natural cellulose. In this widely known preparation method, the miscibility of GO and nonionic water-soluble polymers seems to be intuitive but has been disputed by some observations of gelation and aggregation. Herein, we have re-examined the miscibility of GO and nonionic water-soluble polymers and confirm their general coaggregation caused by hydrogen bonding interaction. Due to the increasing GO concentration, the property of stable miscibility is converted to aggregation by surface adsorption with transient hydrogen bond crosslinking. We have proposed a preheat mixing strategy to prepare a homogenous solution of GO and nonionic water-soluble polymers in any arbitrary ratio. The re-exploited miscibility allows the fabrication of homogeneous composite papers with renewed high performance trend. The hydrogen bonding-regulated miscibility refreshes the understanding on graphene/water-soluble polymeric composites and provides an ecofriendly interaction control method to modulate the assembly of structures and materials.

Wave breaking, dispersive shock wave, and phase shift for the defocusing complex modified KdV equation.

We study the problem of wave breaking for a simple wave propagating to a quiescent medium in the framework of the defocusing complex modified KdV (cmKdV) equation. It is assumed that a cubic root singularity is formed at the wave-breaking point. The dispersive regularization of wave breaking leads to the generation of a dispersive shock wave (DSW). We describe the DSW as a modulated periodic wave in the framework of the Gurevich-Pitaevskii approach based on the Whitham modulation theory. The generalized hodograph method is used to solve the Whitham equations, and the boundaries of the DSW are found. Most importantly, we determine the correct phase shift for the DSW from the generalized phase relationships and the modified Gurevich-Pitaevskii matching conditions, so that a complete description of the DSW is obtained rather than just its envelope. All of our analytical predictions agree well with the numerical simulations.

Association of novel DNAH11 variants with asthenoteratozoospermia lead to male infertility.

BACKGROUND: Bi-allelic variants in DNAH11 have been identified as causative factors in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia, leading to abnormal respiratory cilia. Nonetheless, the specific impact of these variants on human sperm flagellar and their involvement in male infertility remain largely unknown. METHODS: A collaborative effort involving two Chinese reproductive centers conducted a study with 975 unrelated infertile men. Whole-exome sequencing was employed for variant screening, and Sanger sequencing confirmed the identified variants. Morphological and ultrastructural analyses of sperm were conducted using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy. Western Blot Analysis and Immunofluorescence Analysis were utilized to assess protein levels and localization. ICSI was performed to evaluate its efficacy in achieving favorable pregnancy outcomes for individuals with DNAH11 variants. RESULTS: In this study, we identified seven novel variants in the DNAH11 gene in four asthenoteratozoospermia subjects. These variants led the absence of DNAH11 proteins and ultrastructure defects in sperm flagella, particularly affecting the outer dynein arms (ODAs) and adjacent structures. The levels of ODA protein DNAI2 and axoneme related proteins were down regulated, instead of inner dynein arms (IDA) proteins DNAH1 and DNAH6. Two out of four individuals with DNAH11 variants achieved clinical pregnancies through ICSI. The findings confirm the association between male infertility and bi-allelic deleterious variants in DNAH11, resulting in the aberrant assembly of sperm flagella and contributing to asthenoteratozoospermia. Importantly, ICSI emerges as an effective intervention for overcoming reproductive challenges caused by DNAH11 gene variants.

Burden of non-communicable diseases attributable to high temperature in a changing climate from 1990 to 2019: a global analysis.

BACKGROUND: With global climate change, the health threats of ambient high temperature have received widespread attention. However, latest spatio-temporal patterns of the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) burden attributable to high temperature have not been systematically reported. We aimed to analyze vulnerable areas and populations based on a detailed profile for the NCDs burden attributable to high temperature globally. METHODS: We obtained data from the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) Study (2019) to describe the temporal and spatial patterns of NCDs burden attributable to high temperature globally from 1990-2019. Then we analyzed the differences by region, sex, and socio-demographic index (SDI). Finally, the age­period­cohort (APC) model was utilized to explore the age, period, and cohort effects of NCDs mortality caused by high temperature. RESULTS: In 2019, the number of deaths and Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from high-temperature-related NCDs was about 150,000 and 3.4 million globally, of which about 70% were in South Asia and North Africa and Middle East, and the burden was higher in men. Among 204 countries and territories, the highest age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) and age-standardized DALY rate (ASDR) were observed in Oman and United Arab Emirates, respectively. The global burden showed an upward trend from 1990 to 2019, with an EAPC of 3.66 (95%CI: 3.14-4.18) for ASMR and 3.68 (95%CI: 3.16-4.21) for ASDR. Cardiovascular diseases were the main contributors to the global burden of high-temperature-related NCDs in 2019. The age and period effect in APC model showed an increasing trend globally. There was a significant negative correlation between SDI and both ASMR (r = -0.17) and ASDR (r = -0.20) from 1990 to 2019. CONCLUSION: There was an increasing trend of the global burden of high-temperature-related NCDs. The burden was likely to be higher in males and the elderly, as well as in countries and regions with less economically and socially developed and in tropical climates. Surveillance and prevention measures should be implemented with a focus on these vulnerable areas and susceptible populations.

Development and validation of the job stressor scale for specialty nurses.

Objectives: Specialty nurses play a crucial role in specialized nursing practice, teaching, management, and research. These nurses often face significant work pressure; therefore, scientifically and effectively assessing their job stress and its sources is vital for enhancing the quality of their work. However, there is currently a dearth of verified assessment tools for measuring job stressors among specialty nurses. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and test an instrument to assess the job stressors applicable to specialty nurses. Methods: We conducted a multiphase mixed-methods study. The initial scale items were developed from a literature review and structured interviews. The scale was then refined through two rounds of expert consultation (N = 14) and a primary test (N = 20). A main survey (N = 552) was then conducted to evaluate the scale's construct validity and reliability using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Results: The final scale comprises four dimensions with 27 items. The factors included "specialized nursing and work," "workload and time allocation," "patient care," and "work resources and environment." The EFA explained 69.10% of the variance, while the CFA confirmed a good model fit. The content validity index was 0.980 at the scale level and 0.790-1.000 at the item level. The scale's reliability was supported by its high Cronbach's α (0.958), test-retest reliability (0.946), and split-half reliability (0.868). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the job stressor scale developed in this study is valid and reliable, and is recommended for use among specialty nurses to assess their stressors.

Simultaneous unilateral thoracoscopic resection of bilateral pulmonary sequestration.

BACKGROUND: Intra-lobar (ILS) and extra-lobar lung (ELS) sequestrations represent rare congenital lung malformations. Despite their benign nature, the lesions pose risks such as recurrent pulmonary infections, hemoptysis, congestive heart failure, and tumor development. Pulmonary sequestration (PS) typically manifests in two forms, ILS and ELS, with bilateral occurrence being exceptionally rare and mostly requiring bilateral thoracic surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: A 9-year-old child, who initially presented with bilateral lung lesions without respiratory symptoms, was diagnosed with PS following a chest computed tomography scan. The surgical approach was determined based on the absence of inflammation and the clear demarcation of the lesions from normal lung tissue, highlighted by a unique tissue connection between the ILS and ELS across the chest cavities. We used a novel method wherein the left ELS was successfully pulled into the right chest cavity and both sequestrations were concurrently resected. Postoperative recovery was smooth, with no complications or residual lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the importance of thorough preoperative planning with enhanced computed tomography. Simultaneous unilateral thoracoscopic surgery can be a viable, less invasive option for treating bilateral PS, offering benefits such as reduced recovery time and better cosmetic outcomes.

Tongue color parameters in predicting the degree of coronary stenosis: a retrospective cohort study of 282 patients with coronary angiography.

Purpose: This retrospective cohort study aimed to analyze the relationship between tongue color and coronary artery stenosis severity in 282 patients after underwent coronary angiography. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect data from patients who underwent coronary angiography in the Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Jiading District Central Hospital from October 1, 2023 to January 15, 2024. All patients were divided into four various stenosis groups. The tongue images of each patient was normalized captured, tongue body (TC_) and tongue coating (CC_) data were converted into RGB and HSV model parameters using SMX System 2.0. Four supervised machine learning classifiers were used to establish a coronary artery stenosis grading prediction model, including random forest (RF), logistic regression, and support vector machine (SVM). Accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score were used as classification indicators to evaluate the training and validation performance of the model. SHAP values were furthermore used to explore the impacts of features. Results: This study finally included 282 patients, including 164 males (58.16%) and 118 females (41.84%). 69 patients without stenosis, 70 patients with mild stenosis, 65 patients with moderate stenosis, and 78 patients with severe stenosis. Significant differences of tongue parameters were observed in the four groups [TC_R (P = 0.000), TC_G (P = 0.003), TC_H (P = 0.001) and TC_S (P = 0.024),CC_R (P = 0.006), CC_B (P = 0.023) and CC_S (P = 0.001)]. The SVM model had the highest predictive ability, with AUC values above 0.9 in different stenosis groups, and was particularly good at identifying mild and severe stenosis (AUC = 0.98). SHAP value showed that high values of TC_RIGHT_R, low values of CC_LEFT_R were the most impact factors to predict no coronary stenosis; high CC_LEFT_R and low TC_ROOT_H for mild coronary stenosis; low TC_ROOT_R and CC_ROOT_B for moderate coronary stenosis; high CC_RIGHT_G and low TC_ROOT_H for severe coronary stenosis. Conclusion: Tongue color parameters can provide a reference for predicting the degree of coronary artery stenosis. The study provides insights into the potential application of tongue color parameters in predicting coronary artery stenosis severity. Future research can expand on tongue features, optimize prediction models, and explore applications in other cardiovascular diseases.

MsMIOX2, encoding a MsbZIP53-activated myo-inositol oxygenase, enhances saline-alkali stress tolerance by regulating cell wall pectin and hemicellulose biosynthesis in alfalfa.

Alfalfa is one of the most widely cultivated forage crops worldwide. However, soil salinization restricts alfalfa growth and development and affects global productivity. The plant cell wall is the first barrier against various stresses. Therefore, elucidating the alterations in cell wall architecture is crucial for stress adaptation. This study aimed to clarify the impact of myo-inositol oxygenase 2 (MsMIOX2) on cell wall pectin and hemicellulose biosynthesis under saline-alkali stress and identify the upstream transcription factors that govern MsMIOX2. MsMIOX2 activation induced cell wall pectin and hemicellulose accumulation under saline-alkali stress. The effects of MsMIOX2 in saline-alkali tolerance were investigated by characterizing its overexpression and RNA interference lines. MsMIOX2 overexpression positively regulated the antioxidant system and photosynthesis in alfalfa under saline-alkali stress. MsMIOX2 exhibited myo-inositol oxygenase activity, which increased polysaccharide contents, facilitated pectin and hemicellulose biosynthesis, and extended the cell wall thickness. However, MsMIOX2 RNA interference decreased cell wall thickness and alleviated alfalfa saline-alkali stress tolerance. In addition, MsbZIP53 was identified as an upstream transcriptional MsMIOX2 regulator by yeast one-hybrid, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, dual-luciferase, and beta-glucuronidase assays. MsbZIP53 overexpression increased MsMIOX2 expression, elevated MIOX activity, reinforced the antioxidant system and photosynthesis, and increased saline-alkali stress tolerance in alfalfa. In conclusion, this study presents a novel perspective for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of saline-alkali stress tolerance in alfalfa and emphasizes the potential use of MsMIOX2 in alfalfa breeding.

Spontaneous separation of attractive chiral mixtures.

The separation of chiral matter has garnered significant attention due to its wide-ranging applications in biological and chemical processes. In prior researches, particle interactions were predominantly repulsive, but the indiscriminate attraction among particles under attractive interactions makes the separation of mixtures more difficult. The question of whether chiral mixed particles, characterized by attractive effects, can undergo spontaneous separation, remains unresolved. We study a binary mixture of chiral (counterclockwise or clockwise) active particles with attractive interactions. It is demonstrated that attractive chiral particles can undergo spontaneous separation without the aid of any specific strategies. The key factor driving the separation is the attractive interactions, enabling the formation of stable clusters of particles with same chirality. There exist optimal parameters (self-propelled velocity, angular velocity, and packing fraction) at which the separation is optimal. Our results may contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind chiral matter separation and potentially catalyze further experimental investigations in this field.

Full-Length Transcriptome Construction and Systematic Characterization of Virulence Factor-Associated Isoforms in Vairimorpha (Nosema) Ceranae.

Vairimorpha (Nosema) ceranae is a single-cellular fungus that obligately infects the midgut epithelial cells of adult honeybees, causing bee microsporidiosis and jeopardizing bee health and production. This work aims to construct the full-length transcriptome of V. ceranae and conduct a relevant investigation using PacBio single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing technology. Following PacBio SMRT sequencing, 41,950 circular consensus (CCS) were generated, and 25,068 full-length non-chimeric (FLNC) reads were then detected. After polishing, 4387 high-quality, full-length transcripts were gained. There are 778, 2083, 1202, 1559, 1457, 1232, 1702, and 3896 full-length transcripts that could be annotated to COG, GO, KEGG, KOG, Pfam, Swiss-Prot, eggNOG, and Nr databases, respectively. Additionally, 11 alternative splicing (AS) events occurred in 6 genes were identified, including 1 alternative 5' splice-site and 10 intron retention. The structures of 225 annotated genes in the V. ceranae reference genome were optimized, of which 29 genes were extended at both 5' UTR and 3' UTR, while 90 and 106 genes were, respectively, extended at the 5' UTR as well as 3' UTR. Furthermore, a total of 29 high-confidence lncRNAs were obtained, including 12 sense-lncRNAs, 10 lincRNAs, and 7 antisense-lncRNAs. Taken together, the high-quality, full-length transcriptome of V. ceranae was constructed and annotated, the structures of annotated genes in the V. ceranae reference genome were improved, and abundant new genes, transcripts, and lncRNAs were discovered. Findings from this current work offer a valuable resource and a crucial foundation for molecular and omics research on V. ceranae.

Self-Healing and Shear-Stiffening Electrodes for Wearable Biopotential Sensing and Gesture Recognition.

The achievement of flexible skin electrodes for dynamic monitoring of biopotential is one of the challenging issues in flexible electronics due to the interference of large acceleration and heavy sweat that influence the stability of skin-electrode interfaces. This work presents materials and techniques to achieve self-healing and shear-stiffening electrodes and an associated flexible system that can be used for multichannel biopotential measurement on the skin. The electrode that is based on a composite of silver (Ag) flakes, Ag nanowires, and polyborosiloxane offers an electrical conductivity of 9.71 × 104 S/m and a rheological characteristic that ensures stable and fully conformal contact with skin and easy removal under different shear rates. The electrode can maintain its conductivity even after being stretched by more than 60% and becomes self-healed after mechanical damage. The combination of the electrodes with a screen-printed multichannel flexible sensor allows stable monitoring of both static and dynamic electromyography signals, leading to the acquisition of high-quality multilead biopotential signals that can be readily extracted to yield gesture recognition results with over 97.42% accuracy. The conductive self-healing materials and flexible sensors may be utilized in various daily biopotential sensing applications, allowing highly stable dynamic measurement to facilitate artificial intelligence-enabled health condition diagnosis and human-computer interface.

Shigella Senses the Environmental Cue Leucine to Promote its Virulence Gene Expression in the Colon.

Shigella is a foodborne enteropathogenic bacteria that causes severe bacillary dysentery in humans. Shigella primarily colonizes the human colon and causes disease via invasion of colon epithelial cells. However, the signal regulatory mechanisms associated with its colonization and pathogenesis in the colon remain poorly defined. Here, we report a leucine-mediated regulatory mechanism that promotes Shigella virulence gene expression and invasion of colon epithelial cells. Shigella in response to leucine, which is highly abundant in the colon, via the leucine-responsive regulator Lrp and the binding of Lrp with leucine induces the expression of a newly identified small RNA SsrV. SsrV then activates the expression of virF and downstream invasion-related virulence genes by increasing the protein level of the LysR-type transcription regulator LrhA, therefore enabling Shigella invasion of colon epithelial cells. Shigella lacking ssrV displays impaired invasion ability. Collectively, these findings suggest that Shigella employs a leucine-responsive environmental activation mechanism to establish colonization and pathogenicity.

The utility of 18F-FDG PET/CT for predicting the pathological response and prognosis to neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy in resectable non-small-cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential utility of 18F-FDG PET/CT to assess response to neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy in patients with resectable NSCLC, and the ability to screen patients who may benefit from neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy. METHODS: Fifty one resectable NSCLC (stage IA-IIIB) patients were analyzed, who received two-three cycles neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy.18F-FDG PET/CT was carried out at baseline(scan-1) and prior to radical resection(scan-2). SULmax, SULpeak, MTV, TLG, T/N ratio, ΔSULmax%,ΔSULpeak%, ΔMTV%, ΔTLG%,ΔT/N ratio% were calculated. 18F-FDG PET/CT responses were classified using PERCIST. We then compared the RECIST 1.1 and PERCIST criteria for response assessment.With surgical pathology of primary lesions as the gold standard, the correlation between metabolic parameters of 18F-FDG PET/CT and major pathologic response (MPR) was analyzed. All metabolic parameters were compared to treatment response and correlated to PFS and OS. RESULTS: In total of fifty one patients, MPR was achieved in 25(49%, 25/51) patients after neoadjuvant therapy. The metabolic parameters of Scan-1 were not correlated with MPR.The degree of pathological regression was negatively correlated with SULmax, SULpeak, MTV, TLG, T/N ratio of scan-2, and the percentage changes of the ΔSULmax%, ΔSULpeak%, ΔMTV%,ΔTLG%,ΔT/N ratio% after neoadjuvant therapy (p < 0.05). According to PERCIST, 36 patients (70.6%, 36/51) showed PMR, 12 patients(23.5%, 12/51) had stable metabolic disease(SMD), and 3 patients(5.9%, 3/51) had progressive metabolic disease (PMD). ROC indicated that all of scan-2 metabolic parameters and the percentage changes of metabolic parameters had ability to predict MPR and non-MPR, SULmax and T/N ratio of scan-2 had the best differentiation ability.The accuracy of RECIST 1.1 and PERCIST criteria were no statistical significance(p = 0.91). On univariate analysis, ΔMTV% has the highest correlation with PFS. CONCLUSIONS: Metabolic response by 18F-FDG PET/CT can predict MPR to neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy in resectable NSCLC. ΔMTV% was significantly correlated with PFS.

Classification of coronary artery disease using radial artery pulse wave analysis via machine learning.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major global cardiovascular health threat and the leading cause of death in many countries. The disease has a significant impact in China, where it has become the leading cause of death. There is an urgent need to develop non-invasive, rapid, cost-effective, and reliable techniques for the early detection of CAD using machine learning (ML). METHODS: Six hundred eight participants were divided into three groups: healthy, hypertensive, and CAD. The raw data of pulse wave from those participants was collected. The data were de-noised, normalized, and analyzed using several applications. Seven ML classifiers were used to model the processed data, including Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT), Extra Trees (ET), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Light Gradient Boosting (LightGBM), and Unbiased Boosting with Categorical Features (CatBoost). RESULTS: The Extra Trees classifier demonstrated the best classification performance. After tunning, the results performance evaluation on test set are: 0.8579 accuracy, 0.9361 AUC, 0.8561 recall, 0.8581 precision, 0.8571 F1 score, 0.7859 kappa coefficient, and 0.7867 MCC. The top 10 feature importances of ET model are w/t1, t3/tmax, tmax, t3/t1, As, hf/3, tf/3/tmax, tf/5, w and tf/3/t1. CONCLUSION: Radial artery pulse wave can be used to identify healthy, hypertensive and CAD participants by using Extra Trees Classifier. This method provides a potential pathway to recognize CAD patients by using a simple, non-invasive, and cost-effective technique.

Deep-learning-assisted thermogalvanic hydrogel fiber sensor for self-powered in-nostril respiratory monitoring.

Direct and consistent monitoring of respiratory patterns is crucial for disease prognostication. Although the wired clinical respiratory monitoring apparatus can operate accurately, the existing defects are evident, such as the indispensability of an external power supply, low mobility, poor comfort, and limited monitoring timeframes. Here, we present a self-powered in-nostril hydrogel sensor for long-term non-irritant anti-interference respiratory monitoring, which is developed from a dual-network binary-solvent thermogalvanic polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel fiber (d = 500 µm, L=30 mm) with Fe2+/Fe3+ ions serving as a redox couple, which can generate a thermoelectrical signal in the nasal cavity based on the temperature difference between the exhaled gas and skin as well as avoid interference from the external environment. Due to strong hydrogen bonding between solvent molecules, the sensor retains over 90 % of its moisture after 14 days, exhibiting great potential in wearable respiratory surveillance. With the assistance of deep learning, the hydrogel fiber-based respiration monitoring strategy can actively recognize seven typical breathing patterns with an accuracy of 97.1 % by extracting the time sequence and dynamic parameters of the thermoelectric signals generated by respiration, providing an alert for high-risk respiratory symptoms. This work demonstrates the significant potential of thermogalvanic gels for next-generation wearable bioelectronics for early screening of respiratory diseases.

Activin A inhibits the migration of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells induced by EGF.

Activin A, a member of the transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) superfamily, is involved in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. However, it remains unclear whether activin A can affect the migration of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cells. In this study, the results of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identification revealed that lung adenocarcinoma tissues exhibited lower expression of activin ßA mRNA, but higher expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and MMP9 mRNA compared to nontumor tissues. Moreover, we found that activin A inhibited human LUAD A549 cell proliferation promoted by EGF. Additionally, EGF induced A549 cell migration in microfluidic device, while activin A attenuated EGF actions. Simultaneously, EGF increased the levels of migration-related proteins, but activin A played the opposite role. Furthermore, the study revealed that EGF upregulated the ratio of p-ERK/ERK in A549 cells, which was weakened by activin A, and A549 cell migration regulated by activin A was not related to calcium signaling. In addition, the inhibitory effect of activin A on EGF-induced A549 cell migration was attenuated by the ERK inhibitor FR180204. These findings demonstrate that activin A effectively hinders the migration of A549 cells induced by EGF through ERK1/2 signaling, suggesting that targeting activin A may hold promise in the treatment of EGF-dependent LUAD growth and metastasis.

Upregulation of ZMAT3 is Associated with the Poor Prognosis of Breast Cancer.

Background: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. Identifying robust biomarkers for predicting outcomes is essential for improving patient care and reducing fatalities. ZMAT3, a zinc finger protein with potential carcinogenic properties, has been associated with various cancers. However, its role in breast cancer prognosis remains unclear. Methods: We investigated the expression level of ZMAT3 in breast cancer tissues and its association with clinical outcomes through bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation. We examined the correlation between ZMAT3 expression and immune characteristics. ZMAT3 mRNA expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were analysed in relation to overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS) and progression-free interval (PFI) in patients with breast cancer. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on breast cancer tissues to assess ZMAT3 protein levels, with findings validated using qPCR and cell experiments. Results: ZMAT3 mRNA levels were significantly upregulated in breast cancer samples compared to normal tissues. High ZMAT3 expression was significantly correlated with the poor OS, DSS and PFI. A significant positive correlation was observed between high ZMAT3 mRNA levels and the abundance of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), especially CD8+T cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs). Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified ZMAT3 as an independent prognostic factor for breast cancer. IHC staining confirmed increased ZMAT3 protein expression in breast cancer tissues, which was further validated by qPCR and cell function tests. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that ZMAT3 is a prognostic biomarker linked to immune invasion in breast cancer. Elevated ZMAT3 expression correlates with adverse clinical outcomes, indicating its potential role in disease progression.

The relationship between anesthesia, surgery and postoperative immune function in cancer patients: a review.

This review comprehensively examines the impact of anesthesia and surgical interventions on the immune function of cancer patients postoperatively. Recent studies have shown that surgery and its accompanying anesthesia management can significantly influence immune function in cancer patients, potentially affecting their prognosis. This review synthesizes clinical studies and basic research to summarize the specific effects of anesthesia methods, drugs, postoperative analgesia, intraoperative transfusion, surgical techniques, and trauma extent on the immune function of cancer patients post-surgery. Additionally, this review discusses optimization strategies based on current research, aiming to refine anesthesia and surgical management to maximize the preservation and enhancement of postoperative immune function in cancer patients, with the potential to improve clinical outcomes.

Genetic Causal Relationship Between Sex Hormones and Basal Cell Carcinoma: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background: The primary aim of this study was to explore whether sex hormones affect the occurrence of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) from a genetic perspective using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study. Methods: Exposure and outcome data for this MR analysis were derived from previously published GWAS studies. In this study, estradiol, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), bioavailable testosterone, and total testosterone were used as exposures, and BCC was used as the outcome for the two-sample MR analysis. The random effects inverse variance weighted (IVW) model was the primary analytical model, and the simple mode, weighted median, MR-Egger, and weighted mode methods were applied as complementary approaches. Furthermore, the "leave-one-out" sensitivity analysis was performed to assess stability, Cochran's Q test to evaluate heterogeneity, and the MR-Egger intercept test to analyze horizontal multiplicity. Results: The two-sample MR analysis of the sex hormone and BCC showed that estradiol, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), bioavailable testosterone, and total testosterone were not a causal factor in BCC (P>0.05). The results of the heterogeneity test and horizontal pleiotropic analysis showed that no heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropic existed in all MR analyses (Cochran's Q-P>0.05, Egger intercept-P>0.05). Conclusion: The two-sample MR analysis showed that estrogen and testosterone did not affect the occurrence and development of BCC at the genetic level.