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Among 53,974 cases of measles that occurred during the 2000-200 1 outbreak in Korea, the incidence of tuberculosis following measles was 47 cases per 214,949.6 person-years, which was significantly lower than that in the general population (standardized incidence ratio, 0.73; 95% confidence interval, 0.54-0.96). In conclusion, we did not find a positive relationship between measles and tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanodoping is an effective way to improve the dielectric properties and the aging resistance of polyethylene. Nano-zeolite has a nano-level porous structure and larger specific surface area than ordinary nano-inorganic oxide, which can be used to improve dielectric properties of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) nanocomposite. The zeolite/LDPE nanocomposites were prepared and subjected to thermal aging treatment to obtain samples with different aging time. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) test to study the microscopic and structure characteristics, it was found that nano-zeolite doping can effectively reduce the thermal aging damage to the internal structure of the nanocomposite; carbonyl and hydroxyl decreased significantly during the thermal aging time, and the crystallinity effectively improved. Nano-zeolite doping significantly improved the morphology and strengthened the aging resistance of the nanocomposite. In the dielectric strength test, it was found that nanodoping can effectively improve the direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) breakdown field strength and the stability after the thermal aging. The dielectric constant of nanocomposite can be reduced, and the dielectric loss had no obvious change during the aging process. Moreover, the zeolite/LDPE nanocomposite with the doping concentration of 1 wt % had the best performance, for the nano-zeolite was better dispersed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interface area of nano-dielectric is generally considered to play an important role in improving dielectric properties, especially in suppressing space charge. In order to study the role of interface area on a microscopic scale, the natural charge and injected charge movement and diffusion on the surface of pure LDPE and SiO2/LDPE nanocomposite were observed and studied by gradual discharge under electrostatic force microscope (EFM). It was detected that the charge in SiO2/LDPE nanocomposite moved towards the interface area and was captured, which indicates that the charge was trapped in the interface area and formed a barrier to the further injection of charge and improving the dielectric performance as a result. Moreover, pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) short-circuited test after charge injection was carried out, and the change of total charge was calculated. The trend of charge decay in the EFM test is also generally consistent with that in PEA short-circuit test and can be used to verify one another. The results revealed the law of charge movement and verified the interface area can inhibit space charge injection in nano-dielectric at the microscale, which provides an experimental reference for relevant theoretical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urinary cell-free DNA (UcfDNA) is gaining recognition as an important biomarker for diagnosing bladder cancer. UcfDNA contains tumor derived DNA sequences, making it a viable candidate for non-invasive early detection, diagnosis, and surveillance of bladder cancer. The quantification and qualification of UcfDNA have demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in the molecular characterization of bladder cancer. However, precise analysis of UcfDNA for clinical bladder cancer diagnosis remains challenging. This review summarizes the history of UcfDNA discovery, its biological properties, and the quantitative and qualitative evaluations of UcfDNA for its clinical significance and utility in bladder cancer patients, emphasizing the critical role of UcfDNA in bladder cancer diagnosis. Emerging bioactive technologies and materials currently offer promising tools for multiple UcfDNA analysis, aiming to achieve more precise and efficient capture of UcfDNA, thereby significantly enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This review also highlights breakthroughs in detection technologies and substrates with the potential to revolutionize bladder cancer diagnosis in clinic.

The hydrogen adsorption characteristics and mechanism of transition metal-doped zeolite template carbon (ZTC) as a novel porous material are studied by theoretical calculations employing first-principle all-electron atomic orbital method based on density functional theory. The stability of transition metal atoms (Sc, Ti, and V) decorated on zeolite template carbon is investigated by calculating the absorption binding energy. The adsorption configurations of the doped metal atom and adsorbed hydrogen are obtained from the energy functional minimization of first-principles calculations. The underlying mechanism for improving hydrogen storage performance of ZTC by doping transition metal atoms are explored through analyzing charge/spin populations of metal atoms in combination with the calculated results of hydrogen adsorption quantity and binding energy. To improve the hydrogen storage capability, the Sc, Ti, and V are individually introduced into the ZTC model according to the triplex axisymmetry. The hydrogen storage properties of ZTC decorated with different metal atoms are characterized by the adsorption energy and structure of several hydrogen atoms. The more energetically stable complex system with higher binding energy and adsorbing distance of hydrogen than lithium-doped ZTC can be achieved by doping Sc, Ti, V atoms in ZTC, which is expected to fulfill the substantial safe hydrogen storage by increasing hydrogen capacity with multi-sites doping of transition metal atoms. The present investigation provides a theoretical basis and predictions for the following experimental research and design of porous materials for hydrogen storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, we experimentally identify the effect of liquid dielectrophoresis (LDEP) force on a superhydrophobic surface in directing the trajectory of moving water droplets across designed interdigitated electrodes and show that this method is capable of rapidly selecting droplets at a high speed (200 mm/s). As the droplets traverse down the surface by the electric field, their deflection on the edge of these electrodes is achieved successively, allowing for the selective manipulation of discrete droplets. A series of experiments were conducted to validate the relationships among droplet deflections, applied electric fields, and dynamic contact angles. Our findings reveal that the principal driving force behind the droplet deflections is the LDEP force, which can provide instant manipulation of moving droplets rather than a variation in contact angles brought about by electrowetting. This study presents a proof-of-concept experiment utilizing LDEP for high-throughput droplet selection and also highlights the potential applications of this mechanism in high-speed digital microfluidics (DMF) and biological separation methodologies.

Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is an age-related disease characterized by the coexistence of excessive adiposity and low muscle mass or function. Although obesity and sarcopenia are heritable conditions, the genetic determinants of SO have not been fully understood. We conducted a large-scale exome-wide association analysis of SO in a sequenced sample of 2 887 cases and 113 284 controls and an imputed sample of 4 003 cases and 161 990 controls in the UK Biobank cohort. Single-variant association analysis identified one locus 1q41 (lead SNP rs1417066 , LYPLAL1-AS1 , odds ratio [OR] = 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.11–1.19], p  = 1.75 × 10−14) that was significantly associated with SO at the exome-wide significance level (p  < 1 × 10-8). Colocalization analysis in the Genotype-Tissue Expression expression quantitative trait locus database showed that LYPLAL1-AS1 was colocalized with SO in multiple musculoskeletal-related tissues. Gene-based burden test of rare loss-of-function variants identified 5 genes at the gene-wise significance level (p  < 4.3 × 10−6): PDE3B (OR = 2.48, p  = 1.10 × 10−6), MYOZ3 (OR = 25.49, p  = 1.41 × 10−7), SLC15A3 (OR = 4.75, p  = 6.82 × 10−7), RNF130 (OR = 25.83, p  = 4.07 × 10−6), and TNK2 (OR = 4.25, p  = 8.75 × 10−8). Overall, our study uncovered the genetic effects of both common and rare variants on SO susceptibility, expanded existing knowledge of the genetic architecture of SO, and improved understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying SO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repetitively pulsed discharge is an emerging non-thermal plasma technology in the chemistry field given its advantages of high electron energy and moderate gas temperature. The focus of this paper is on the temporal evolution of physical and chemical processes in the plasma-assisted non-oxidative conversion of methane (CH4). Positive and negative streamer discharge plasmas were generated by a microsecond-pulse power source (pulse rising time ~500 ns and full width at half maximum ~8 μs) in a well-designed dielectric barrier discharge reactor. The performance of CH4 conversion (conversion rate, product yield, energy conversion efficiency, etc) was investigated in the first instance. A CH4 conversion rate of 6.2%–9.6% was acquired in the negative streamer discharges, which is on average 6% higher than that in the positive streamer discharges. To explain this phenomenon, the temporal evolution of voltage–current waveforms and ultrafast ICCD photographs and optical emission spectra were recorded. As expected, significant differences between the two different forms of discharges were found. Compared with those of the positive streamer discharges, characteristics of only one, big breakdown, higher initial voltage and current peak, a more stable and nearly uniform luminescent process, and higher CH (A2Δ  −  X2Π) emission intensity and rotational temperature were observed in the negative streamer discharges, which coincide with the promotion of CH4 conversion performance. A simplified chemical kinetics analysis of CH4 discharge was also implemented to demonstrate the influence of characteristic differences on CH4 conversion performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study successfully fabricated the quaternary topological insulator thin films of Bi1.2Sb0.8Te0.4Se2.6 (BSTS) with a thickness of 25 nm, improving the intrinsic defects in binary topological materials through doping methods and achieving the separation of transport characteristics between the bulk and surface of topological insulator materials by utilizing a comprehensive Physical Properties Measurement System (PPMS) and Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy (THz-TDS) to extract electronic transport information for both bulk and surface states. Additionally, the dielectric polarization behavior of BSTS in the low-frequency (10–107 Hz) and high-frequency (0.5–2.0 THz) ranges was investigated. These research findings provide crucial experimental groundwork and theoretical guidance for the development of novel low-energy electronic devices, spintronic devices, and quantum computing technology based on topological insulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In consideration of the characteristics of multi-dimensional resource consumption fluctuating with time in the Internet of Vehicles system and users’ demands for efficient computing services and data privacy and security,this paper proposes a me-thod of multi-dimensional resource allocation for Internet of Vehicles based on federated learning.On the one hand,the allocation of computing,cache and bandwidth resources is considered comprehensively to ensure the completion rate of computing tasks and avoid the redundant allocation of multidimensional resources.For this purpose,a deep learning algorithm is designed to predict the consumption of various resources through the data collected by edge servers.On the other hand,considering the data island problem caused by users’ data privacy and security requirements,federated learning architecture is adopted to obtain a neural network model with better generalization.The proposed algorithm can not only adjust the allocation of multi-dimensional resources over time,but also meet the resource requirements that change over time,and ensure the efficient completion of computing tasks in the Internet of Vehicles system.Experimental results show that the algorithm has the characteristics of fast convergence and good model generalization,and can complete the aggregation of federated learning with fewer communication rounds.

Ischemic stroke is a major global health issue. Ischemia and subsequent reperfusion results in stroke‐related brain injury. Previous studies have demonstrated that nuclear‐enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEATa and early growth response 1 (EGR1) are involved in ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury). In this study, we aimed to explore the roles of NEAT1/EGR1 axis as well as its downstream effector RNA binding motif protein 25 (RBM25) in cerebral IR injury. Oxygen–glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) and middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) were used to establish in vitro and in vivo models of cerebral IR injury, respectively. According to our data, NEAT1, EGR1, and RBM25 levels were elevated in OGD/R‐exposed SK‐N‐SH and SH‐SY5Y cells and cerebral cortex of MCAO mice. NEAT1, EGR1, or RBM25 knockdown effectively reduced infarct volumes and apoptosis, and improved neurological function. Mechanistically, NEAT1 directly interacted with EGR1, which restrained WW domain containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 (WWP1)‐mediated ubiquitination of EGR1 and subsequently caused EGR1 accumulation. EGR1 bound to RBM25 promoter and transcriptionally activated RBM25. Rescue experiments indicated that RBM25 overexpression abolished the therapeutic effects of NEAT1 knockdown. In conclusion, this work identified a novel NEAT1/EGR1/RBM25 axis in potentiating brain injury after IR insults, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Genome-wide association studies have identified dozens of genomic loci for obesity. However, functional genes and their detailed genetic mechanisms underlying these loci are mainly unknown. In this study, we conducted an integrative study to prioritize plausibly functional genes by combining information from genome-, transcriptome- and proteome-wide association analyses.We first conducted proteome-wide association analyses and transcriptome-wide association analyses for the six obesity-related traits. We then performed colocalization analysis on the identified loci shared between the proteome- and transcriptome-association analyses. Finally, we validated the identified genes with other plasma/blood reference panels. The highlighted genes were assessed for expression of other tissues, single-cell and tissue specificity, and druggability.We prioritized 4 high-confidence genes (FASN, ICAM1, PDCD6IP, and YWHAB) by proteome-wide association studies, transcriptome-wide association studies, and colocalization analyses, which consistently influenced the variation of obesity traits at both mRNA and protein levels. These 4 genes were successfully validated using other plasma/blood reference panels. These 4 genes shared regulatory structures in obesity-related tissues. Single-cell and tissue-specific analyses showed that FASN and ICAM1 were explicitly expressed in metabolism- and immunity-related tissues and cells. Furthermore, FASN and ICAM1 had been developed as drug targets.Our study provided novel promising protein targets for further mechanistic and therapeutic studies of obesity.Methods: Genome-wide association studies have identified dozens of genomic loci for obesity. However, functional genes and their detailed genetic mechanisms underlying these loci are mainly unknown. In this study, we conducted an integrative study to prioritize plausibly functional genes by combining information from genome-, transcriptome- and proteome-wide association analyses.We first conducted proteome-wide association analyses and transcriptome-wide association analyses for the six obesity-related traits. We then performed colocalization analysis on the identified loci shared between the proteome- and transcriptome-association analyses. Finally, we validated the identified genes with other plasma/blood reference panels. The highlighted genes were assessed for expression of other tissues, single-cell and tissue specificity, and druggability.We prioritized 4 high-confidence genes (FASN, ICAM1, PDCD6IP, and YWHAB) by proteome-wide association studies, transcriptome-wide association studies, and colocalization analyses, which consistently influenced the variation of obesity traits at both mRNA and protein levels. These 4 genes were successfully validated using other plasma/blood reference panels. These 4 genes shared regulatory structures in obesity-related tissues. Single-cell and tissue-specific analyses showed that FASN and ICAM1 were explicitly expressed in metabolism- and immunity-related tissues and cells. Furthermore, FASN and ICAM1 had been developed as drug targets.Our study provided novel promising protein targets for further mechanistic and therapeutic studies of obesity.Results: Genome-wide association studies have identified dozens of genomic loci for obesity. However, functional genes and their detailed genetic mechanisms underlying these loci are mainly unknown. In this study, we conducted an integrative study to prioritize plausibly functional genes by combining information from genome-, transcriptome- and proteome-wide association analyses.We first conducted proteome-wide association analyses and transcriptome-wide association analyses for the six obesity-related traits. We then performed colocalization analysis on the identified loci shared between the proteome- and transcriptome-association analyses. Finally, we validated the identified genes with other plasma/blood reference panels. The highlighted genes were assessed for expression of other tissues, single-cell and tissue specificity, and druggability.We prioritized 4 high-confidence genes (FASN, ICAM1, PDCD6IP, and YWHAB) by proteome-wide association studies, transcriptome-wide association studies, and colocalization analyses, which consistently influenced the variation of obesity traits at both mRNA and protein levels. These 4 genes were successfully validated using other plasma/blood reference panels. These 4 genes shared regulatory structures in obesity-related tissues. Single-cell and tissue-specific analyses showed that FASN and ICAM1 were explicitly expressed in metabolism- and immunity-related tissues and cells. Furthermore, FASN and ICAM1 had been developed as drug targets.Our study provided novel promising protein targets for further mechanistic and therapeutic studies of obesity.Conclusion: Genome-wide association studies have identified dozens of genomic loci for obesity. However, functional genes and their detailed genetic mechanisms underlying these loci are mainly unknown. In this study, we conducted an integrative study to prioritize plausibly functional genes by combining information from genome-, transcriptome- and proteome-wide association analyses.We first conducted proteome-wide association analyses and transcriptome-wide association analyses for the six obesity-related traits. We then performed colocalization analysis on the identified loci shared between the proteome- and transcriptome-association analyses. Finally, we validated the identified genes with other plasma/blood reference panels. The highlighted genes were assessed for expression of other tissues, single-cell and tissue specificity, and druggability.We prioritized 4 high-confidence genes (FASN, ICAM1, PDCD6IP, and YWHAB) by proteome-wide association studies, transcriptome-wide association studies, and colocalization analyses, which consistently influenced the variation of obesity traits at both mRNA and protein levels. These 4 genes were successfully validated using other plasma/blood reference panels. These 4 genes shared regulatory structures in obesity-related tissues. Single-cell and tissue-specific analyses showed that FASN and ICAM1 were explicitly expressed in metabolism- and immunity-related tissues and cells. Furthermore, FASN and ICAM1 had been developed as drug targets.Our study provided novel promising protein targets for further mechanistic and therapeutic studies of obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve electromagnetic pollution, microwave absorption materials with high performance have gained attention. Manipulating the impedance matching is an effective strategy to obtain the outstanding electromagnetic wave absorption material. In this work, a series of titanium dioxide/reduced graphene oxide (TiO 2 /RGO) composites were prepared by the hydrothermal method for microwave absorption. The relationship between the microstructure and microwave absorption performance of the composite was analyzed in detail. The impedance matching and attenuation ability of TiO 2 /RGO composites could be precisely manipulated by regulating the titanium dioxide content. The reflection loss and effective absorption bandwidth of the TiO 2 /RGO composite could reach −46 dB and 3.36 GHz (1.9 mm), respectively. Thus, the lightweight TiO 2 /RGO composite has the potential application in microwave absorption. • The microwave absorption performance of the titanium dioxide/reduced graphene oxide composite was investigated. • A series of lightweight composites were fabricated to obtain excellent microwave absorbing performance. • The absorber exhibits a high reflection loss value, a wide effective absorption bandwidth, and a thin thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fiber Bragg grating sensor measures the value according to the wavelength variation. Therefore, it is of great significance to improve the wavelength demodulation accuracy of the fiber grating. Most of the traditional demodulation methods have a single structure, which results in poor measurement accuracy for overlapped spectrum and distortion spectrum, and limits the improvement of demodulation accuracy. The high-precision wavelength demodulation method mainly solves the problems of poor system temperature stability and low peak-finding accuracy. This paper introduces the application of fiber grating wavelength demodulation technology in communication, and reviews the high-precision fiber grating wavelength demodulation methods in recent years, including hardware methods of reference fiber gratings, Michelson interferometers and gas cells, and software methods based on neural networks and particle swarms. The principle of each demodulation method and its advantages and disadvantages in the field of fiber grating sensing are described, and the problems and development trends of fiber grating demodulation methods are analyzed.

Abstract Bacterial infection especially caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria still endangers human life. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) can effectively kill bacteria, and nanofiber-based PDT can effectively reduce damage to normal tissues. However, current photosensitizers coated on the surfaces of fibers would release to the wound, causing some side effects. And nanofibers prepared by traditional method exhibit poor adhesion on the wound, which severely reduces the PDT effect due to its short-range effect. Herein, core–shell curcumin composite nanofibers are prepared by in situ electrospinning method via a self-made portable electrospinning device. The obtained composite nanofibers show superior adhesiveness on different biological surface than that of traditional preparation method. Upon 808-nm irradiation, these composite nanofibers effectively produced singlet oxygen (1O2) without curcumin falling off. After these composite nanofibers’ exposure to drug-resistant bacteria, they exhibit dual antibacterial behaviors and efficiently kill the drug-resistant bacteria. These dual antibacterial nanofiber membranes with excellent adhesiveness may benefit the application of wound infection as antibacterial dressing.

A continuous blood glucose monitoring system (CGMS) which include a microneedle-array blood glucose sensor, a circuit module, and a transmission module placed in a wearable device is developed in this research. When in use, the wearable device is attached to the human body with the microneedle array inserted under the skin for continuous blood glucose sensing, and the measured signals are transmitted wirelessly to a mobile phone or computer for analysis. The purpose of this study is to replace the conventionally used method of puncture for blood collection and test strips are used to measure the blood glucose signals. The microneedle sensor of this CGMS uses a 1 mm length needle in a 3 mm × 3 mm microneedle array for percutaneous minimally invasive blood glucose measurement. This size of microneedle does not cause bleeding damage to the body when used. The microneedle sensor is placed under the skin and their solutions are discussed. The blood glucose sensor measured the in vitro simulant fluid with a glucose concentration range of 50~400 mg/dL. In addition, a micro-transfer method is developed to accurately deposit the enzyme onto the tip of the microneedle, after which cyclic voltammetry (CV) is used to measure the glucose simulation solution to verify whether the difference in the amount of enzyme on each microneedle is less than 10%. Finally, various experiments and analyses are carried out to reduce the size of the device, test effective durability (approximately 7 days), and the feasibility of minimally invasive CGMS is evaluated by tests on two persons.

To assess the ability of environmental stress (ES) during adolescence on depression-like behaviors and endocrinology in rats. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats before or during puberty were divided into three groups: control group (CON), low-frequency ES group (LF), and high-frequency ES group (HF). ES included water/food deprivation and reversal of day and night. After 4 weeks of ES, the behavioral tests were performed. Plasma concentrations of hormones and peptides were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). ES induced a significant decrease in sucrose preference value in female adolescent rats but not males. In prepubertal rats, the reductions in sucrose preference upon ES were observed without a sex-specific effect. Compared with the CON group, female adolescent rats showed a significant increase, while male adolescent rats showed a significant decrease in plasma corticosterone (CORT) after ES. Also, ES significantly increased plasma leptin in female and male adolescent rats. Moreover, ES significantly increased plasma cholecystokinin (CCK), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and testosterone (TS) levels in adolescent female rats but not in males. No significant differences were found in plasma progesterone and E2 among adolescent rats. The prepubertal male rats showed significant plasma E2 and TS increase after ES, while there were no significant differences between groups in plasma CORT, leptin, CCK, NPY, and progesterone. ES may cause depression-like behaviors in adolescent female rats. Our findings supplement the scientific basis for formulating strategies to treat and prevent adolescent depression. ● Potential lifestyle factors may contribute to the prevalence of depression. ● The sex specificity can affect depression-like behaviors ● We found different depression-like behaviors in adolescent female and male rats. ● Our findings supplement the scientific basis for adolescent depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A new topological insulator doped structure Bi 1.2 Sb 0.8 Te 0.4 Se 2.6 was prepared by a laser molecular beam epitaxy (LMBE) system. • The innovative use of mixed targets determined the optimal preparation conditions, and the doped structure's elemental ratio remained stable. • The Bi 1.2 Sb 0.8 Te 0.4 Se 2.6 doped structure exhibited higher bulk insulation properties and better topological surface states. • A more pronounced weak anti-localization effect was observed in low-temperature magnetic transport experiments, and its dependence was determined. • Bi 1.2 Sb 0.8 Te 0.4 Se 2.6 exhibited a stronger spin-orbit coupling effect. The strong spin-orbit coupling and time-reversal symmetry in topological insulators (TIs) produce a new quantum state known as the topological surface state (TSS). The study of low-temperature magnetic transport in the TSS provides opportunities to explore exotic physical phenomena such as the spin Hall effect and the topological phase transition. An important goal in obtaining intrinsic TI systems is to eliminate internal defects and thereby reduce the contributions of metallic states in transport measurements. In this work, we are committed to overcoming this difficulty by elemental alloying. This paper reports the successful preparation of high-quality and stoichiometrically stable Bi 1.2 Sb 0.8 Te 0.4 Se 2.6 (BSTS) thin films by innovatively combining the hybrid target structure with the laser molecular beam epitaxy (LMBE) system and low-temperature magnetic transport tests conducted on BSTS thin films of different thicknesses. Due to stronger spin-orbit coupling, we observed a weak anti-localization (WAL) effect, and the strength of the effect was affected by the film thickness and temperature in the low-temperature magnetic transport study. The dependence of the WAL effect provides a way to regulate the TSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salivary gland tumor (SGT) is a rare tumor type, which exhibits broad-spectrum phenotypic, biological, and clinical heterogeneity. Currently, the molecular mechanisms that cause SGT pathogenesis remain poorly understood. A lack of animal models that faithfully recapitulate the naturally occurring process of human SGTs has hampered research progress on this field. In this report, we developed an inducible keratin 5-driven conditional knockout mouse model to delete gene(s) of interest in murine salivary gland upon local RU486 delivery. We have deleted two major tumor suppressors, Pten, a negative regulator of the PI3K pathway, and Smad4, the central signaling mediator of TGFβ pathway, in the murine salivary gland. Our results have shown that deletion of either Pten or Smad4 in murine salivary gland resulted in pleomorphic adenomas, the most common tumor in human SGT patients. Deletion of both Pten and Smad4 in murine salivary gland developed several malignancies, with salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) being the most frequently seen. Molecular characterization showed that SACC exhibited mTOR activation and TGFβ1 overexpression. Examination of human SGT clinical samples revealed that loss of Pten and Smad4 is common in human SACC samples, particularly in the most aggressive solid form, and is correlated with survival of SACC patients, highlighting the human relevance of the murine models. In summary, our results offer significant insight into synergistic role of Pten and Smad4 in SGT, providing a rationale for targeting mTOR and/or TGFβ signaling to control SGT formation and progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensory integration therapy (SIT) is an intervention to improve the developmental and learning problems in children. It was introduced in China from late 1980 s to early 1990 s and has received considerable attention from scholars. However, due to its late development in China and its specialised nature, it is worth exploring in depth whether it is recognized by the general public and how it is researched by academics. Therefore, we used Internet survey approach to explore the actual feedback of users towards SIT through the Internet. At the same time, bibliometric method and visualization techniques were used to study 892 journal articles on SIT in CNKI, Wanfang Database and VIP Database to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution, subject distribution, keyword co-occurrence, and keyword clustering of SIT research in mainland China since it came to China mainland. We found that the research on SIT in mainland China has been fruitful. However, the public is less aware of its basic function, therapeutic effects, and necessity. Our findings point to the need to raise awareness of sensory integration disorder and sensory integration therapy among the general public, and to strengthen academic research on sensory integration therapy. • Combine the academic research progress on SIT with the users' feedback on it. • Research on SIT focuses primarily on paediatrics and psychiatry. • The Chinese mainland public doesn't know much about SIT. • Suggesting that there need more professionals to study on SIT. • Suggesting to disseminate the related knowledge of SIT among the general public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains that are resistant to an increasing number of second-line drugs used to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) are becoming a threat to public health worldwide. We surveyed the Network of Supranational Reference Laboratories for M. tuberculosis isolates that were resistant to second-line anti-TB drugs during 2000–2004. We defined extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) as MDR-TB with further resistance to ≥3 of the 6 classes of second-line drugs. Of 23 eligible laboratories, 14 (61%) contributed data on 17,690 isolates, which reflected drug susceptibility results from 48 countries. Of 3,520 (19.9%) MDR-TB isolates, 347 (9.9%) met criteria for XDR-TB. Further investigation of population-based trends and expanded efforts to prevent drug resistance and effectively treat patients with MDR-TB are crucial for protection of public health and control of TB.

BACKGROUND:Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been employed for decades as a non-pharmacologic treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although a link has been suggested between PTSD and impaired sensorimotor gating (SG), studies assessing the effects of rTMS against PTSD or PTSD with impaired SG are scarce. AIM:To assess the benefit of rTMS in a rat model of PTSD. METHODS:Using a modified single prolonged stress (SPS&S) rat model of PTSD, behavioral parameters were acquired using open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze test (EPMT), and prepulse inhibition trial (PPI), with or without 7 days of high frequency (10Hz) rTMS treatment of SPS&S rats. RESULTS:Anxiety-like behavior, impaired SG and increased plasma level of cortisol were observed in SPS&S animals after stress for a prolonged time. Interestingly, rTMS administered immediately after stress prevented those impairment. CONCLUSION:Stress-induced anxiety-like behavior, increased plasma level of cortisol and impaired PPI occur after stress and high-frequency rTMS has the potential to ameliorate this behavior, suggesting that high frequency rTMS should be further evaluated for its use as a method for preventing PTSD.

• Both RMRP and TRIB3 were abnormally upregulated in AD. • RMRP knockdown alleviated neuron apoptosis by suppressing autophagy. • TRIB3 was involved in RMRP-mediated neuron apoptosis and autophagy. • RMRP promoted the expression of TRIB3 by interacting with miR-3142. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major neurodegenerative disorder. The functions of lncRNA RMRP have been characterized mainly in various human cancers. However, the functional network of RMRP in AD progression remains unknown. Human serum samples, AD transgenic (Tg) mice as well as SH-SY5Y cells were used in this study. The RNA expression patterns of RMRP , miR-3142 and TRIB3 were assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Levels of apoptosis- or autophagy-associated biomarkers and TRIB3 level were evaluated using immunohistochemistry (IHC), western blotting or immunofluorescence assays, respectively. Bioinformatics methods and luciferase assays were used to predict and validate the interactions among RMRP , miR-3142 , and TRIB3. Flow cytometry, TUNEL staining and EdU assays were used to examine the apoptosis and proliferation of neurons, respectively. The elevated RMRP and TRIB3 expressions and activation of autophagy were observed in AD. Knockdown of RMRP restrained neuronal apoptosis and autophagy activation in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, TRIB3 overexpression reversed the biological effects of RMRP silencing on Aβ 1-42 -induced cell apoptosis and autophagy. Further mechanistic analysis showed RMRP acted as a sponge of miR-3142 to elevate TRIB3 level. These data illustrated that knockdown of RMRP inhibited autophagy and apoptosis via regulating miR-3142 / TRIB3 axis in AD, suggesting that inhibition of RMRP maybe a therapeutic strategy for AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eucalyptus oil possesses a wide spectrum of biological activity, including anti-microbial, fungicidal, herbicidal, acaricidal and nematicidal properties. We studied anti-fungal activities of the leaf oil extracted from Eucalyptus. grandis × E. urophylla. Eleven plant pathogenic fungi were tested based on the mycelium growth rates with negative control. The results showed that Eucalyptus oil has broad-spectrum inhibitory effects toward these fungi. Remarkable morphological and structural alterations of hypha have been observed for Magnaporthe grisea after the treatment. The mRNA genome array of M. grisea was used to detect genes that were differentially expressed in the test strains treated by the Eucalyptus oil than the normal strains. The results showed 1919 genes were significantly affected, among which 1109 were down-regulated and 810 were up-regulated (p < 0.05, absolute fold change >2). According to gene ontology annotation analysis, these differentially expressed genes may cause abnormal structures and physiological function disorders, which may reduce the fungus growth. These results show the oil has potential for use in the biological control of plant disease as a green biopesticide.

Background: Observational studies have revealed associations between maternal lipid metabolites and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). However, whether these associations are causal remain uncertain., Objective: To evaluate the causal relationship between lipid metabolites and GDM., Methods: A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed based on summary statistics. Sensitivity analyses, validation analyses and reverse MR analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of the MR results. Additionally, a phenome-wide MR (Phe-MR) analysis was performed to evaluate potential side effects of the targeted lipid metabolites., Results: A total of 295 lipid metabolites were included in this study, 29 of them had three or more instrumental variables (IVs) suitable for sensitivity analyses. The ratio of triglycerides to phosphoglycerides (TG&#95;by&#95;PG) was identified as a potential causal biomarker for GDM (inverse variance weighted (IVW) estimate: odds ratio (OR) = 2.147, 95% confidential interval (95% CI) 1.415-3.257, P = 3.26e-4), which was confirmed by validation and reverse MR results. Two other lipid metabolites, palmitoyl sphingomyelin (d18:1/16:0) (PSM(d18:1/16:0)) (IVW estimate: OR = 0.747, 95% CI 0.583-0.956, P = 0.021) and triglycerides in very small very low-density lipoprotein (XS&#95;VLDL&#95;TG) (IVW estimate: OR = 2.948, 95% CI 1.197-5.215, P = 0.015), were identified as suggestive potential biomarkers for GDM using a conventional cut-off P-value of 0.05. Phe-MR results indicated that lowering TG&#95;by&#95;PG had detrimental effects on two diseases but advantageous effects on the other 13 diseases., Conclusion: Genetically predicted elevated TG&#95;by&#95;PG are causally associated with an increased risk of GDM. Side-effect profiles indicate that TG&#95;by&#95;PG might be a target for GDM prevention, though caution is advised due to potential adverse effects on other conditions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Age at menarche (AAM) is a sign of puberty of females. It is a heritable trait associated with various adult diseases. However, the genetic mechanism that determines AAM and links it to disease risk is poorly understood. Aiming to uncover the genetic basis for AAM, we conducted a joint association study in up to 438,089 women from 3 genome-wide association studies of European and East Asian ancestries. A series of bioinformatical analyses and causal inference were then followed to explore in-depth annotations at the associated loci and infer the causal relationship between AAM and other complex traits/diseases. This largest meta-analysis identified a total of 21 novel AAM associated loci at the genome wide significance level (P < 5.0  × 10 -8 ), 4 of which were European ancestry-specific loci. Functional annotations prioritized 33 candidate genes at newly identified loci. Significant genetic correlations were observed between AAM and 67 complex traits. Further causal inference demonstrated the effects of AAM on 13 traits, including forced vital capacity (FVC), high blood pressure, age at first live birth, etc, indicating that earlier AAM causes lower FVC, worse lung function, hypertension and earlier age at first (last) live birth. Enrichment analysis identified 5 enriched tissues, including the hypothalamus middle, hypothalamo hypophyseal system, neurosecretory systems, hypothalamus and retina. Our findings may provide useful insights that elucidate the mechanisms determining AAM and the genetic interplay between AAM and some traits of women., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Japan Society of Human Genetics.)

Studying the dielectric response of topological insulators (TIs) can unveil their unique physical mechanisms such as charge transport and spin-orbit coupling effects. However, due to the manifestation of material's topological nature and band structure primarily in nanofilm, such thickness poses challenges for dielectric testing. To date, research on TI dielectric aspects remains relatively unexplored. Therefore, this paper successfully synthesizes nanofilm of quaternary topological insulator Bi 1 · 2 Sb 0 · 8 Te 0 · 4 Se 2.6 (BSTS) using laser molecular beam epitaxy (LMBE) technique. Utilizing a wide-frequency dielectric spectrometer and a comprehensive physical properties measurement system (PPMS), we measured and thoroughly analyzed the dielectric polarization and charge transport characteristics of BSTS. We observed various polarization responses in the frequency range of 10 1 -10 3  Hz, with the dipole orientation gradually failing to keep pace with the frequency increase in the range of 10 3 -10 5  Hz, and the relaxation polarization unable to establish itself in the range of 10 5 -10 7  Hz, with polarization primarily contributed by displacement polarization. Subsequently, we further analyzed the dependence of BSTS dielectric polarization response on temperature and film thickness, which will help reveal the influence of external factors on TI dielectric response, providing crucial insights for controlling TI materials' dielectric response. This not only deepens our understanding of the fundamental physical properties of this novel material but also offers important scientific basis and technological support for its applications in quantum computing, photonics, spintronics, and other fields., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Nanocomposite doping is an effective method to improve the dielectric properties of polyethylene. Meanwhile, the introduction of thermal conductivity groups in crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) is also an effective way to improve the thermal conductivity. Nano-zeolite is an inorganic material with a porous structure that can be doped into polyethylene to improve the insulation performance. In this paper, hyperbranched polyarylamide (HBP) with a high thermal conductivity and an auxiliary crosslinking agent (TAIC) was grafted on the surface of ZSM-5 nano-zeolite successively to obtain functionalized nano-zeolite (TAICS-ZSM-5-HBP) (the "S" in TAICS means plural). The prepared functionalized nano-zeolite was doped in polyethylene and grafted under a thermal crosslinking reaction to prepare nanocomposites (XLPE/TAICS-ZSM-5-HBP). The structural characterization showed that the nanocomposite was successfully prepared and that the nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed in the polyethylene matrix. The space charge of the TAICS-ZSM-5-HBP 5wt% nanocomposite under a high electric field was obviously inhibited. The space charge short-circuit test showed that the porous structure of the nano-zeolite introduced more deep traps, which made the trapped charge difficult to break off, hindering the charge injection. The introduction of TAICS-ZSM-5-HBP particles can greatly improve the thermal conductivity of nanocomposites. The thermal conductivity of the XLPE/5wt% and XLPE/7wt% TAICS-ZSM-5-HBP nanocomposites increased by 42.21% and 69.59% compared to that of XLPE at 20 °C, and by 34.27% and 62.83% at 80 °C.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The present study sought to identify putative causal proteins for CTS. We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to evaluate the causal association between 2859 plasma proteins (N = 35,559) and CTS (N = 1,239,680) based on the published GWAS summary statistics. Then we replicated the significant associations using an independent plasma proteome GWAS (N = 10,708). Sensitivity analyses were conducted to validate the robustness of MR results. Multivariate MR and mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate the mediation effects of body mass index (BMI), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and arm tissue composition on the association between putative causal proteins and CTS. Colocalization analysis was used to examine whether the identified proteins and CTS shared causal variant(s). Finally, we evaluated druggability of the identified proteins. Ten plasma proteins were identified as putative causal markers for CTS, including sCD14, PVR, LTOR3, CTSS, SIGIRR, IFNL3, ASPN, TM11D, ASIP, and ITIH1. Sensitivity analyses and reverse MR analysis validated the robustness of their causal effects. Arm tissue composition, BMI, and T2D may play a fully/partial mediating role in the causal relationships of ASIP, TM11D, IFNL3, PVR, and LTOR3 with CTS. The association of ASPN and sCD14 with CTS were supported by colocalization analysis. Druggability assessment demonstrated that sCD14, CTSS, TM11D, and IFNL3 were potential drug therapeutic targets. The present study identified several potential plasma proteins that were causally associated with CTS risk, providing new insights into the pathogenesis of protein-mediated CTS and offering potential targets for new therapies., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: It has been suggested that type 1 diabetes was associated with increased COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. However, their causal relationship is still unclear. Herein, we performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the causal effect of type 1 diabetes on COVID-19 infection and prognosis., Research Design and Methods: The summary statistics of type 1 diabetes were obtained from two published genome-wide association studies of European population, one as a discovery sample including 15 573 cases and 158 408 controls, and the other data as a replication sample consisting of 5913 cases and 8828 controls. We first performed a two-sample MR analysis to evaluate the causal effect of type 1 diabetes on COVID-19 infection and prognosis. Then, reverse MR analysis was conducted to determine whether reverse causality exists., Results: MR analysis results showed that the genetically predicted type 1 diabetes was associated with higher risk of severe COVID-19 (OR=1.073, 95% CI: 1.034 to 1.114, p FDR =1.15×10 -3 ) and COVID-19 death (OR=1.075, 95% CI: 1.033 to 1.119, p FDR =1.15×10 -3 ). Analysis of replication dataset showed similar results, namely a positive association between type 1 diabetes and severe COVID-19 (OR=1.055, 95% CI: 1.029 to 1.081, p FDR =1.59×10 -4 ), and a positively correlated association with COVID-19 death (OR=1.053, 95% CI: 1.026 to 1.081, p FDR =3.50×10 -4 ). No causal association was observed between type 1 diabetes and COVID-19 positive, hospitalized COVID-19, the time to the end of COVID-19 symptoms in the colchicine treatment group and placebo treatment group. Reverse MR analysis showed no reverse causality., Conclusions: Type 1 diabetes had a causal effect on severe COVID-19 and death after COVID-19 infection. Further mechanistic studies are needed to explore the relationship between type 1 diabetes and COVID-19 infection and prognosis., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study revealed a causal association of plasma proteins with osteoporosis (OP) and osteoarthritis (OA). Bone mineral density (BMD) is the gold standard for the clinical assessment of OP. Recent studies have shown that plasma proteins play an essential role in the regulation of bone development. However, the causal association of plasma proteins with BMD and OA remains unclear. We estimated the effects of 2889 plasma proteins on 2 BMD phenotypes and 6 OA phenotypes using two-sample MR analysis based on the genome-wide association study summary statistics. Then, we performed sensitivity analysis and reverse-direction MR analysis to evaluate the robustness of the MR analysis results, followed by gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis to explore the functional relevance of the identified plasma proteins. Overall, we observed a total of 257 protein-estimated heel BMD associations, 17 protein-total-body BMD associations, 2 protein-all-OA associations, and 2 protein-knee-OA associations at P FDR  < 0.05. Reverse-direction MR analysis demonstrated that there was little evidence of the causal association of BMD and OA with plasma proteins. GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis identified multiple pathways, which may be involved in the development of OP and OA. Our findings recognized plasma proteins that could be used to regulate changes in OP and OA, thus, providing new insights into protein-mediated mechanisms of bone development., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Evidence supports the observational associations of gut microbiota with a variety of psychiatric disorders, but the causal nature of such associations remains obscure. Aiming to comprehensively investigate their causal relationship and to identify specific causal microbe taxa for psychiatric diseases, we conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis of gut microbiome with 15 psychiatric diseases. Specifically, the microbiome genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 18,473 individuals from the MiBioGen study was used as exposure sample, and the GWAS for 15 psychiatric diseases was used as outcome samples. One-hundred ninety bacterial taxa from six levels were available for analysis. At a multiple-testing corrected significance level (phylum P < 5.56 × 10 -3 , class P < 3.33 × 10 -3 , order P < 2.63 × 10 -3 , family P < 1.67 × 10 -3 , genus P < 4.90 × 10 -4 , and species P < 3.33 × 10 -3 ), the following eight causal associations from seven bacterial features (one phylum + three classes + one order + one family + one species) were identified: family Prevotellaceae with autism spectrum disorder ( P = 5.31 × 10 -4 ), class Betaproteobacteria with bipolar disorder ( P = 1.53 × 10 -3 ), class Actinobacteria with schizophrenia ( P = 1.33 × 10 -3 ), class Bacteroidia and order Bacteroidales with Tourette syndrome ( P = 2.51 × 10 -3 and 2.51 × 10 -3 ), phylum Actinobacteria and class Actinobacteria with extroversion ( P = 8.22 × 10 -4 and 1.09 × 10 -3 ), and species Clostridium innocuum with neuroticism ( P = 8.92 × 10 -4 ). Sensitivity analysis showed no evidence of reverse causality, pleiotropy, and heterogeneity. Our findings offered novel insights into the gut microbiota-mediated development mechanism of psychiatric disorders., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Ni, Xu, Yan, Han, Zhang, Wei, Feng, Zhao, Pei and Zhang.)

Background: Growing evidence has shown that alterations in gut microbiota composition are associated with multiple autoimmune diseases (ADs). However, it is unclear whether these associations reflect a causal relationship., Objective: To reveal the causal association between gut microbiota and AD, we conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis., Materials and Methods: We assessed genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for gut microbiota and six common ADs, namely, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes (T1D), and celiac disease (CeD), from published GWASs. Two-sample MR analyses were first performed to identify causal bacterial taxa for ADs in discovery samples. Significant bacterial taxa were further replicated in independent replication outcome samples. A series of sensitivity analyses was performed to validate the robustness of the results. Finally, a reverse MR analysis was performed to evaluate the possibility of reverse causation., Results: Combining the results from the discovery and replication stages, we identified one causal bacterial genus, Bifidobacterium . A higher relative abundance of the Bifidobacterium genus was associated with a higher risk of T1D [odds ratio (OR): 1.605; 95% CI, 1.339-1.922; P FDR = 4.19 × 10 -7 ] and CeD (OR: 1.401; 95% CI, 1.139-1.722; P FDR = 2.03 × 10 -3 ), respectively. Further sensitivity analyses validated the robustness of the above associations. The results of reverse MR analysis showed no evidence of reverse causality from T1D and CeD to the Bifidobacterium genus., Conclusion: This study implied a causal relationship between the Bifidobacterium genus and T1D and CeD, thus providing novel insights into the gut microbiota-mediated development mechanism of ADs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Xu, Ni, Han, Yan, Wei, Feng, Zhang, Zhang, Li and Pei.)

Background: Age at natural menopause (ANM) is an important index for women's health. Either early or late ANM is associated with a series of adverse outcomes later in life. Despite being an inheritable trait, its genetic determinant has not yet been fully understood., Methods: Aiming to better characterize the genetic architecture of ANM, we conducted genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analyses in European-specific as well as trans-ancestry samples by using GWAS summary statistics from the following 3 large studies: the Reproductive Genetics Consortium (ReproGen; N = 69 626), the UK Biobank cohort (UKBB; N = 111 593) and the BioBank Japan Project (BBJ; N = 43 861), followed by a series of bioinformatical assessments and functional annotations., Results: By integrating the summary statistics from the 3 GWAS of up to 225 200 participants, this largest meta-analysis identified 49 novel loci and 3 secondary signals that were associated with ANM at the genome-wide significance level (P < 5 × 10-8). No population specificity or heterogeneity was observed at most of the associated loci. Functional annotations prioritized 90 candidate genes at the newly identified loci. Among the 26 traits that were genetically correlated with ANM, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) exerted a causal relationship, implying a causal pattern by which HRT was determined by ANM., Conclusion: Our findings improved our understanding of the etiology of female menopause, as well as shed light on potential new therapies for abnormal menopause., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: We investigated the association between respiratory health and particulate matter (PM) air pollution in elderly type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) pre-, during, and post-the Chinese Lunar New Year (CLNY) holiday in Shanghai, China., Methods: We conducted repeated measurements of lung function and inflammation biomarker in a cohort consisted of 60 participants with T2DM., Results: Decreased PM2.5 exposure had an effect on respiratory health by increasing in forced expiratory flow in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). Positive associations between PM exposure and exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) were observed., Conclusions: Our observations indicated that PM air pollution exposure would exert adverse effect on respiratory health in elderly T2DM population.

Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics of pituitary stalk interruption syndrome(PSIS). Methods The clinical data including clinical manifestations,laboratory tests,and imaging findings of 114 PSIS patients in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Results Of these 114 PSIS patients,102 cases (89.4%) were male. The average age was 21.1?6.1 years. A history of breech delivery was documented in 91 cases (91.9%). Short stature was found in 89 cases (71.8%) and bone age delayed (6.1?5.1) years. Secondary sex characteristics were poor or undeveloped in most patients. The prevalence of deficiencies in growth hormone,gonadotropins,corticotropin,and thyrotropin were 100.0%,94.0%,84.2%,and 74.6%,respectively. Hyperprolactinemia was found in 28.1% of patients. Three or more pituitary hormone abnormalities were found in 105 cases(92.1%). Compared with the 5 cases with history of cephalic delivery,no difference were found in the aspects of height(t=0.297,P=0.634),penile length(t=1.205,P=0.882),testicular volume (U=99.000,P=0.348),growth hormone peak (U=89.000,P=0.186),adrenocorticotropic hormone peak(U=131.000,P=0.967),luteinizing hormone peak(U=98.500,P=0.582),thyroid-stimulating hormone (U=82.000,P=0.162),and the height of anterior pituitary (t=1.676,P=0.107) in the 53 cases with history of breech delivery. Conclusions The clinical manifestations,symptoms,hormone deficiencies were severe in our series. The condition severities were not remarkably different in patients with different delivery ways.

Objective: To analyze the correlation between pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) and prokineticin receptor 2 (PROKR2) and prokineticin 2 (RROK2) mutations., Methods: PROKR2 and RROK2 genotypes were identified by multiplex polymerase chain reaction analysis with exon-flanking primers and by automated sequencing techniques with peripheral blood DNA samples from 59 patients with PSIS., Results: Of these 59 PSIS patients, 6 showed intragenic deletions at the PROKR2 locus. Of them, 5 patients exhibited intragenic subsititution of exon 2 (c.991G>A), and the remaining one patient exhibited intragenic subsititution of exon 2 (c.1057C>T). No PROK2 mutation was found in these PSIS patients., Conclusion: PROKR2 may be the susceptibility gene of PSIS.