Distribution of the p.V37I Variation in the Patient and Control Groups.

<p>Distribution of the p.V37I Variation in the Patient and Control Groups.</p

Hearing Levels in the Patient Groups with the Homozygous and Compound p.V37I Variant.

<p>The Friedman rank-sum test (M-test) was used to identify significant differences in hearing level among the groups, and H = 0.4375, P>0.25.</p><p>Hearing Levels in the Patient Groups with the Homozygous and Compound p.V37I Variant.</p

Hearing levels of patients with the p.V37I/c.235delC compound heterozygous variation.

<p>Hearing levels of patients with the p.V37I/c.235delC compound heterozygous variation.</p

The Relationship between the p.V37I Mutation in <i>GJB2</i> and Hearing Phenotypes in Chinese Individuals

<div><p>The most common cause of nonsyndromic autosomal recessive hearing loss is mutations in <i>GJB2</i>. The mutation spectrum and prevalence of mutations vary significantly among ethnic groups, and the relationship between p.V37I mutation in <i>GJB2</i> and the hearing phenotype is controversial. Among the 3,864 patients in this study, 106 (2.74%) had a homozygous p.V37I variation or a compound p.V37I plus other <i>GJB2</i> pathogenic mutation, a frequency that was significantly higher than that in the control group (600 individuals, 0%). The hearing loss phenotype ranged from mild to profound in all patients with the homozygous p.V37I variation or compound p.V37I plus other <i>GJB2</i> pathogenic mutation. There was no difference in the distribution of the hearing level in the group with the homozygous p.V37I variation and the group with the compound p.V37I variation plus pathogenic mutation. Most patients (66.04%) with the V37I-homozygous variation or p.V37I plus other pathogenic mutation had a mild or moderate hearing level. This study found a definite relationship between p.V37I and deafness, and most patients who carried the pathogenic combination with p.V37I mutation had mild or moderate hearing loss. Therefore, otolaryngologists should consider that the milder phenotype might be caused by the <i>GJB2</i> p.V37I mutation.</p></div

Distribution of Compound p.V37I Plus other GJB2 Pathogenic Mutation in the Patient Group.

<p>Distribution of Compound p.V37I Plus other GJB2 Pathogenic Mutation in the Patient Group.</p

Characterization of Carbon Nanotube Fiber Compressive Properties Using Tensile Recoil Measurement

The tensile properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers have been widely studied. However, the knowledge of their compressive properties is still lacking. In this work, the compressive properties of both pure CNT fibers and epoxy infiltrated CNT fibers were studied using the tensile recoil measurement. The compressive strengths were obtained as 416 and 573 MPa for pure CNT fibers and CNT–epoxy composite fibers, respectively. In addition, microscopic analysis of the fiber surface morphologies revealed that the principal recoil compressive failure mode of pure CNT fiber was kinking, while the CNT–epoxy composite fibers exhibited a failure mode in bending with combined tensile and compressive failure morphologies. The effect of resin infiltration on CNT fiber compressive properties, including the compressive strength and the deformation mode, is discussed. This work expands the knowledge base of the overall mechanical properties of CNT fibers, which are essential for their application in multifunctional composites

Multifunctional Hyperbranched Glycoconjugated Polymers Based on Natural Aminoglycosides

Multifunctional gene vectors with high transfection, low cytotoxicity, and good antitumor and antibacterial activities were prepared from natural aminoglycosides. Through the Michael-addition polymerization of gentamycin and <i>N</i>,<i>N</i>′-methylenebisacrylamide, cationic hyperbranched glycoconjugated polymers were synthesized, and their physical and chemical properties were analyzed by FTIR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, GPC, ζ-potential, and acid–base titration techniques. The cytotoxicity of these hyperbranched glycoconjugated polycations was low because of the hydrolysis of degradable glycosidic and amide linkages in acid conditions. Owing to the presence of various primary, secondary, and tertiary amines in the polymers, hyperbranched glycoconjugated polymers showed high buffering capacity and strong DNA condensation ability, resulting in the high transfection efficiency. In the meantime, due to the introduction of natural aminoglycosides into the polymeric backbone, the resultant hyperbranched glycoconjugated polymers inhibited the growth of cancer cells and bacteria efficiently. Combining the gene transfection, antitumor, and antibacterial abilities together, the multifunctional hyperbranched glycoconjugated polymers based on natural aminoglycosides may play an important role in protecting cancer patients from bacterial infections

Additional file 1: of Phenotypic Heterogeneity in a DFNA20/26 family segregating a novel ACTG1 mutation

Questionnaire for deafness. (DOCX 14 kb

<i>KCNJ10</i> May Not Be a Contributor to Nonsyndromic Enlargement of Vestibular Aqueduct (NSEVA) in Chinese Subjects

<div><p>Background</p><p>Nonsyndromic enlargement of vestibular aqueduct (NSEVA) is an autosomal recessive hearing loss disorder that is associated with mutations in <i>SLC26A4</i>. However, not all patients with NSEVA carry biallelic mutations in <i>SLC26A4</i>. A recent study proposed that single mutations in both <i>SLC26A4</i> and <i>KCNJ10</i> lead to digenic NSEVA. We examined whether <i>KCNJ10</i> excert a role in the pathogenesis of NSEVA in Chinese patients.</p><p>Methods</p><p><i>SLC26A4</i> was sequenced in 1056 Chinese patients with NSEVA. <i>KCNJ10</i> was screened in 131 patients who lacked mutations in either one or both alleles of <i>SLC26A4.</i> Additionally, <i>KCNJ10</i> was screened in 840 controls, including 563 patients diagnosed with NSEVA who carried biallelic <i>SLC26A4</i> mutations, 48 patients with nonsyndromic hearing loss due to inner ear malformations that did not involve enlargement of the vestibular aqueduct (EVA), 96 patients with conductive hearing loss due to various causes, and 133 normal-hearing individuals with no family history of hereditary hearing loss.</p><p>Results</p><p>925 NSEVA patients were found carrying two-allele pathogenic <i>SLC26A4</i> mutations. The most frequently detected <i>KCNJ10</i> mutation was c.812G>A (p.R271H). Compared with the normal-hearing control subjects, the occurrence rate of c.812G>A in NSEVA patients with lacking mutations in one or both alleles of <i>SLC26A4</i> had no significant difference(1.53% vs. 5.30%, χ² = 2.798, p = 0.172), which suggested that it is probably a nonpathogenic benign variant. <i>KCNJ10</i> c.1042C>T (p.R348C), the reported EVA-related mutation, was not found in patients with NSEVA who lacked mutations in either one or both alleles of <i>SLC26A4.</i> Furthermore, the normal-hearing parents of patients with NSEVA having two <i>SLC26A4</i> mutations carried the <i>KCNJ10</i> c.1042C>T or c.812G>A mutation and a <i>SLC26A4</i> pathogenic mutation.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p><i>SLC26A4</i> is the major genetic cause in Chinese NSEVA patients, accounting for 87.59%. <i>KCNJ10</i> may not be a contributor to NSEVA in Chinese population. Other genetic or environmental factors are possibly play a role in the etiology of Chinese EVA patients with zero or monoallelic <i>SLC26A4</i> mutation.</p></div

The KCNJ10 c.812G>A mutation identified in Chinese patients with nonsyndromic enlargement of vestibular aqueduct (NSEVA).

<p>wt, wild-type; P, father of proband (paternal); M, mother of proband (maternal).</p><p>The KCNJ10 c.812G>A mutation identified in Chinese patients with nonsyndromic enlargement of vestibular aqueduct (NSEVA).</p