Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and offer diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for adult-onset idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism(AIHH).Methods:Clinical, laboratory, and imaging data, as well as follow-up information, of three male patients diagnosed with AIHH at the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism of Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, were systematically reviewed and analyzed.Results:All three patients were male, with a median age of 39 years(range, 22 to 40). Two patients reported symptoms of enlarged breasts and reduced sexual function, while one case solely reported a decline in sexual function. Physical examination showed that the median length of the penis was 6 cm(range, 5 to 6 cm), and the bilateral testicular volume was 7.96 mL(4.70-8.82 mL). Basal hormone levels at the time of initial visit to our hospital as follows: the median testosterone level was 0.32 ng/mL(0.24-2.96 ng/mL), median follicle stimulating hormone(FSH) level was 0.56 mIU/mL(0.1-0.75 mIU/mL), and the median luteinizing hormone(LH) level was 0.69 mIU/mL(0.1-1.03 mIU/mL). The levels of other hormones secreted by the anterior pituitary gland were normal. Hypothalamic-pituitary magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) showed that 1 patient had a pituitary microadenoma. Three patients were treated with pulsatile GnRH or gonadotropins, one of which had hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal(HPG) axis function reversal after GnRH pulse pump therapy and lasted for 1 year, but then still had irreversible reduction.Conclusion:AIHH is marked by adult-onset disease and idiopathic hypogonadism. Enhancing fertility remains a critical requirement for these patients. Pulsatile GnRH treatment or gonadotropin therapy, as viable treatments, exhibit therapeutic effects, albeit with occasional fluctuations. Therefore, the emphasis lies in the timely consideration of fertility preservation.

Objective:To investigate the changes of mortality，causes of death，and cause-specific mortality rate（CMR）of hospitalized neonates in NICU of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.Method:A retrospective study was performed to compare the mortality，cause of death，and CMR of hospitalized neonates in period Ⅰ（2005-2009），period Ⅱ（2010-2014）and period Ⅲ（2015-2020）.Result:The overall mortality of hospitalized neonates in NICU of our hospital was 0.51%（104/20 493）through 2005 to 2020. The mortality in period Ⅰ，Ⅱ and Ⅲ were 0.61%（48/7 855），0.43%（27/6 209），and 0.45%（29/6 429），respectively. Compared with period Ⅰ，the mortality of preterm infants decreased significantly in period Ⅱ（3.14% vs 1.24%， χ2=14.076， P<0.01）and in period Ⅲ（3.14% vs 0.90%， χ2=25.157， P<0.01）. Eighty-five（81.7%）neonates were premature，and ninety-one（89.2%）neonates had definite abnormal perinatal factors. The CMR of hospitalized neonates related to pulmonary hemorrhage，congenital anomalies，and NRDS were 1.22‰（25/20 493），0.93‰（19/20 493），and 0.59‰（12/20 493），respectively. The CMR of other causes were sepsis 0.44‰（9/20 493），extremely premature 0.34‰（7/20 493），and perinatal asphyxia 0.24‰（5/20 493），respectively. Compared with period Ⅰ，specific mortality of NRDS in period Ⅱ（1.27‰ vs 0.16‰， χ2=5.487， P=0.016）and period Ⅲ（1.27‰ vs 0.16‰， χ2=5.738， P=0.014）significantly decreased. The leading causes of neonatal death in period Ⅰ，period Ⅱ，and period Ⅲ were NRDS，pulmonary hemorrhage，and congenital anomalies，respectively.And 71.2%（74/104）of neonatal deaths occurred within 7 days after birth. Conclusion:The mortality of preterm infants and specific mortality of NRDS in NICU have significantly decreased over the past 16 years.Congenital anomalies and infections remain important causes of death，and further efforts are needed to improve perinatal care.

Objective To explore the clinical application of ultrasound-guided transabdominal villus and amniocentesis in the prenatal diagnosis of thalassemia,and to find a suitable method for the prenatal diagnosis of thalassemia in Qinzhou.Methods A total of 531 high-risk pregnant women with severe or intermediate thalassemia during single pregnancy who were treated in the Department of Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis,Qinzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital from March 2021 to April 2022 were selected for the study.According to different sampling methods,they were divided into control group(amniocentesis,n=415)and study group(transabdominal villus puncture,n=116).The success rate,complication rate of the two groups were compared.Results The success rate of puncture in the control group was 100％,2 cases were aborted within 2 weeks after surgery,17 cases were diagnosed with severe alpha-thalassemia,10 cases with severe β-thalassemia and 64 cases with intermediate thalassemia,48 cases with moderate and severe thalassemia induced labor.The success rate of puncture in the research group was 100％,10 cases were diagnosed with severe alpha-thalassemia,4 cases with severe β-thalassemia and 17 cases with intermediate thalassemia,and 26 cases with moderate severe thalassemia were induced labor.There was no significant difference in puncture success rate and abortion rate between the two methods(P>0.05).Conclusion Both methods are safe and effective.Transabdominal villus sampling can detect fetal thalassemia in early pregnancy,and it is worth promoting and applying in clinical practice.

Objective:To investigate the perinatal prognosis and its impact factors for premature infants with twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) who were born at ≤34 weeks of gestation.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 68 pregnancies of TTTS with gestational age ≤34 weeks at delivery, among them 106 preterm infants (TTTS group) were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University from January 2003 to February 2019. During the same period, another 178 twins without TTTS, congenital malformation, and intrauterine intervention who matched the TTTS group in maternal age (differences within two years) and gestational age (differences within one week) were assigned as non-TTTS group. Perinatal prognosis of TTTS infants born at ≤34 weeks was analyzed by comparing the differences in postnatal early complications and perinatal outcomes (survival time morn than 28 days or not) between the TTTS and non-TTTS groups, recipient and donor twins, mild and severe TTTS infants, and among TTTS infants with different intrauterine interventions. The risk factors for perinatal survival in TTTS infants with gestational age ≤34 weeks were analyzed. Two independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance, rank-sum test, Chi-square test, and ordered logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. Results:(1) Among the 68 pregnancies, the overall perinatal survival rate of the neonates was 72.1% (98/136), the double-twin survival rate was 48.5% (33/68), and the rate of at least one survivor was 95.6% (65/68). (2) In the TTTS group, 62 were recipients and 44 were donors. Stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ TTTS was found in 41 cases (mild TTTS group) and stage Ⅲ-Ⅴ in 65 cases (severe TTTS group). (3) The rate of severe brain injury was higher in the severe-TTTS group than those in the mild-TTTS group [9.2% (6/65) vs. 0.0% (0/41), χ 2=4.01, P=0.045]. (4) Gestational age ≤28 weeks ( OR=101.90, 95% CI: 5.07-2 048.37), stage Ⅳ ( OR=14.04, 95% CI: 1.56-126.32) and stage Ⅴ TTTS ( OR=51.09, 95% CI: 3.58-728.81) were independent risk factors for death within 28 days (all P<0.05). (5) Compared with the non-TTTS group, the TTTS group had higher rates of neonatal anemia [51.9% (55/106) vs. 33.1% (59/178), χ 2=9.71], polycythemia [5.7% (6/106) vs. 0.6% (1/178), χ 2=7.18], neonatal persistent pulmonary hypertension [3.8% (4/106) vs. 0.0% (0/178), χ 2=6.81], sepsis [15.1% (16/106) vs. 7.3% (13/178), χ 2=4.40], state Ⅲ or higher retinopathy of prematurity [3.8% (4/106) vs. 0.0% (0/178), χ 2=6.81], congenital cardiac structural abnormality [19.8% (21/106) vs. 0.6% (1/178), χ 2=33.45], heart failure [8.5% (9/106) vs. 0.6% (1/178), χ 2=12.29], and renal insufficiency [14.2% (15/106) vs. 1.1% (2/178), χ 2=20.04] (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with the twin premature infants without TTTS, those with TTTS and ≤34 gestational age were more likely to have cardiac, cerebral, and renal complications. The more severe the TTTS, the higher the incidence of severe brain injury. TTTS preterm infants with gestational age ≤28 weeks and stage Ⅳ or above have high risk of death.

Objective:To compare the results of invasive prenatal diagnosis and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) and explore the underlying mechanism.Methods:Clinical data of pregnant women undergoing PGT and invasive prenatal diagnosis at the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2019 to December 2022 were collected. The results of PGT and invasive prenatal diagnosis were compared, and the outcomes of pregnancies were followed up. This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (No. 2022SLYEC-491).Results:A total of 172 couples were included in this study, and 26 non-targeted variants were discovered upon prenatal diagnosis, including 10 cases (38.5%) by chromosomal karyotyping, 15 (57.7%) by chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA), and 1 (3.8%) by whole exome sequencing. The 10 karyotypic anomalies had included 6 chromosomal polymorphisms, 2 chromosomal mosaicisms, 1 paternally derived translocation, and 1 missed maternal chromosomal inversion. CMA has identified 15 copy number variations (CNVs), which included 11 microdeletions and microduplications, 3 loss of heterozygosity, and 1 low-level mosaicism of paternal uniparental disomy. One CNV was classified as pathogenic, and another one was likely pathogenic, whilst the remaining 13 were classified as variants of uncertain significance. Therefore, 8.7% of CNVs was detected by invasive prenatal diagnosis after PGT. 92.3% (24/26) of the non-targeted variants have been due to technological limitations of next-generation sequencing (NGS).Conclusion:Invasive prenatal diagnosis after PGT can detect non-targeted variants, which may further reduce the incidence of birth defects.

Complete androgen insensitivity syndrome(CAIS) is characterized by lack of androgen response in target organs due to androgen receptor dysfunction, resulting in feminized external genitalia. Individuals with CAIS are typically advised to live as females. This article reports a patient diagnosed with CAIS and gender dysphoria in adulthood. Following the removal of a left pelvic mass, pathology indicated cryptorchidism with a concurrent Leydig cell tumor. Genetic testing revealed a deletion mutation in exon 3 of androgen receptor gene. During follow-up, the patient underwent gender reassignment, transitioning socially from female to male. This case provides new insights into gender allocation for CAIS patients.

Essential oils (EOs) are natural, volatile substances derived from aromatic plants. They exhibit multiple pharmacological effects, including antibacterial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, with broad application prospects in health care, food, and agriculture. However, the instability of volatile components, which are susceptible to deterioration under light, heat, and oxygen exposure, as well as limited water solubility, have significantly impeded the development and application of EOs. Porous nanoclays are natural clay minerals with a layered structure. They possess unique structural characteristics such as large pore size, regular distribution, and tunable particle size, which are extensively utilized in drug delivery, adsorption separation, reaction catalysis, and other fields. Natural-derived porous nanoclays have garnered considerable attention for the encapsulation and delivery of EOs. This review comprehensively summarizes the structure, types, and properties of natural-derived porous nanoclays, focusing on the structural characteristics of porous nanoclays such as montmorillonite, palygorskite, halloysite, kaolinite, vermiculite, and natural zeolite. It also examines research advances in their delivery of EOs and explores engineering strategies to enhance the delivery of EOs by natural-derived porous nanoclays. Finally, various applications of natural-derived porous nanoclays for EOs in antibacterial, food preservation, repellent, and insecticide aspects are presented, providing a reference for the development and application of EOs.
Humans ; Nanoparticles/chemistry* ; Oils, Volatile/administration & dosage* ; Porosity ; Nanoparticle Drug Delivery System/chemistry*

Objective:To construct a diabetic foot classification prediction model based on radiomics features of fundus photographs.Methods:A total of 2 035 fundus photographs of patients with type 2 diabetes diagnosed at Nanfang Hospital between December 2011 and December 2018 were retrospectively collected [282 photographs from patients with diabetic foot(DF), and 1 753 from patients with diabetes mellitus(DM)]. All fundus photographs were randomly divided into a training set(1 424 photos) and a test set(611 photos) using a computer generated random number at 7∶3. After pre-processing the fundus photographs, a total of 4 128 texture features based on the gray matrix were extracted by the Radiomic toolkit, and 11 339 other features were extracted using the ToolboxDESC toolkit. The LASSO algorithm was used to select the 30 features most relevant to DF, and then the Bootstrap + 0.632 self-sampling method was used to further select the 7 best combinations. Logistic regression analysis was used to obtain the regression coefficients and establish the final diabetic foot classification prediction model. ROC curve was drawn, and AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the training and test sets were calculated to verify its prediction performance. Results:We screened 7 fundus radiomics markers for diabetic foot patients, and based on this established a DF/DM classification prediction model. The AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the model were 0.958 6, 0.984 0, 0.920 0, and 0.928 0 in the training set, and 0.927 1, 0.988 9, 0.881 0, and 0.896 9 in the test set, respectively.Conclusion:In this study, seven DF fundus markers were screened using radiomics technology. Based on this, a highly accurate and easy-to-use DF/DM classification model was constructed. This technology has the potential to increase the efficiency of DF screening programs.

Rhodotorula toruloides is a non-conventional red yeast that can synthesize various carotenoids and lipids. It can utilize a variety of cost-effective raw materials, tolerate and assimilate toxic inhibitors in lignocellulosic hydrolysate. At present, it is widely investigated for the production of microbial lipids, terpenes, high-value enzymes, sugar alcohols and polyketides. Given its broad industrial application prospects, researchers have carried out multi-dimensional theoretical and technological exploration, including research on genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and genetic operation platform. Here we review the recent progress in metabolic engineering and natural product synthesis of R. toruloides, and prospect the challenges and possible solutions in the construction of R. toruloides cell factory.
Gene Editing ; Metabolic Engineering ; Rhodotorula/metabolism* ; Lipids

Objective: To investigate nutritional quality of school lunch in some primary schools and middle schools in the Pearl River Delta, and to provide the scientific basis for improving the nutritional quality of students lunch and formulating scientific and effective interventions. Methods: Five-day lunch meal survey by chemical analysis were conducted, and students lunch at school were recorded by meal review in three age groups from 8 primary and middle schools in the Pear River Delat area. The energy and nutrient content were obtained and compared with the reference intake of dietary nutrients of student. Results: The average protein intake at lunch of all age groups had reached the recommended standard (80%-95%), the energy supply ratio of carbohydrate in the range of 38.3%-42.3%, the energy supply ratio of fat in 63% school meal exceeded the recommended standard. Vitamin A, vitamin B 1, vitamin B 2, calcium, iron and other nutrients were seriously inadequate; while sodium intake far exceeded the recommended standard. Conclusion The main nutrients of school lunch of primary and middle school in Pearl River Delta can basically meet the growth and development needs, but there are still some deficiency and unbalanced diet nutrient content which are lower than the recommended intake. It is recommended to strengthen nutrition education of catering enterprises and school to improve the scientific combination of diets.