Testicular histology based on testicular biopsy is an important factor for determining appropriate testicular sperm extraction surgery and predicting sperm retrieval outcomes in patients with azoospermia. Therefore, we developed a deep learning (DL) model to establish the associations between testicular grayscale ultrasound images and testicular histology. We retrospectively included two-dimensional testicular grayscale ultrasound from patients with azoospermia (353 men with 4357 images between July 2017 and December 2021 in The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China) to develop a DL model. We obtained testicular histology during conventional testicular sperm extraction. Our DL model was trained based on ultrasound images or fusion data (ultrasound images fused with the corresponding testicular volume) to distinguish spermatozoa presence in pathology (SPP) and spermatozoa absence in pathology (SAP) and to classify maturation arrest (MA) and Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS) in patients with SAP. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were used to analyze model performance. DL based on images achieved an AUC of 0.922 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.908-0.935), a sensitivity of 80.9%, a specificity of 84.6%, and an accuracy of 83.5% in predicting SPP (including normal spermatogenesis and hypospermatogenesis) and SAP (including MA and SCOS). In the identification of SCOS and MA, DL on fusion data yielded better diagnostic performance with an AUC of 0.979 (95% CI: 0.969-0.989), a sensitivity of 89.7%, a specificity of 97.1%, and an accuracy of 92.1%. Our study provides a noninvasive method to predict testicular histology for patients with azoospermia, which would avoid unnecessary testicular biopsy.
Humans ; Male ; Azoospermia/diagnostic imaging* ; Deep Learning ; Testis/pathology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Ultrasonography/methods* ; Sperm Retrieval ; Sertoli Cell-Only Syndrome/diagnostic imaging*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of low-dose irradiated autologous peripheral blood reinfusion (LDIAPBR) on a rat model of radiation-induced leukopenia. METHODS: The rats were randomly divided into four groups. In the LDIAPBR group, LDIAPBR was performed 1 day before modeling (10% of the total circulating blood volume was withdrawn, irradiated with 100 mGy ex vivo, and completely reinfused). Meanwhile, the normal group and model group only underwent blood withdrawal and reinfusion of the same proportion without blood irradiation. Except for the normal group, all groups were subjected to 1 Gy X-ray whole-body irradiation to establish a radiation-induced leukopenia rat model. The positive drug group received subcutaneous injection of rhG-CSF after modeling. It was monitored that the general condition of the rats, peripheral blood cell counts, immune organ indices, bone marrow nucleated cell counts and viability, and the pathological analysis of bone marrow sections was conducted. RESULTS: The LDIAPBR group exhibited significant improvements in overall condition compared to the model group. Notably, compared with the model group, peripheral blood leukocyte and lymphocyte counts were markedly higher in the LDIAPBR group. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in both the number and viability of nucleated cells in the bone marrow. Pathological examination of bone marrow sections revealed increased nucleated cell density and reduced cavity area in the LDIAPBR group. CONCLUSION LDIAPBR can effectively improve hematological parameters and bone marrow hematopoietic function in a rat model of radiation-induced leukopenia, providing a new approach for the prevention and treatment of radiation-related injuries.
Animals ; Leukopenia/prevention & control* ; Rats ; Blood Transfusion, Autologous ; Whole-Body Irradiation ; Radiation Injuries, Experimental/therapy*

BACKGROUND: Based on the China-VHD database, this study sought to develop and validate a Valvular Heart Disease- specific Age-adjusted Comorbidity Index (VHD-ACI) for predicting mortality risk in patients with VHD. METHODS & RESULTS: The China-VHD study was a nationwide, multi-centre multi-centre cohort study enrolling 13,917 patients with moderate or severe VHD across 46 medical centres in China between April-June 2018. After excluding cases with missing key variables, 11,459 patients were retained for final analysis. The primary endpoint was 2-year all-cause mortality, with 941 deaths (10.0%) observed during follow-up. The VHD-ACI was derived after identifying 13 independent mortality predictors: cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary artery hypertension, low body weight, anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, renal insufficiency, moderate/severe hepatic dysfunction, heart failure, cancer, NYHA functional class and age. The index exhibited good discrimination (AUC, 0.79) and calibration (Brier score, 0.062) in the total cohort, outperforming both EuroSCORE II and ACCI (P < 0.001 for comparison). Internal validation through 100 bootstrap iterations yielded a C statistic of 0.694 (95% CI: 0.665-0.723) for 2-year mortality prediction. VHD-ACI scores, as a continuous variable (VHD-ACI score: adjusted HR (95% CI): 1.263 (1.245-1.282), P < 0.001) or categorized using thresholds determined by the Yoden index (VHD-ACI ≥ 9 vs. < 9, adjusted HR (95% CI): 6.216 (5.378-7.184), P < 0.001), were independently associated with mortality. The prognostic performance remained consistent across all VHD subtypes (aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation, mitral stenosis, mitral regurgitation, tricuspid valve disease, mixed aortic/mitral valve disease and multiple VHD), and clinical subgroups stratified by therapeutic strategy, LVEF status (preserved vs. reduced), disease severity and etiology. CONCLUSION The VHD-ACI is a simple 13-comorbidity algorithm for the prediction of mortality in VHD patients and providing a simple and rapid tool for risk stratification.

Nitrogen narcosis is a neurological syndrome that manifests when humans or animals encounter hyperbaric nitrogen, resulting in a range of motor, emotional, and cognitive abnormalities. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is known for its significant involvement in regulating motivation, cognition, and action. However, its specific contribution to nitrogen narcosis-induced hyperlocomotion and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we report that exposure to hyperbaric nitrogen notably increased the locomotor activity of mice in a pressure-dependent manner. Concurrently, this exposure induced heightened activation among neurons in both the ACC and dorsal medial striatum (DMS). Notably, chemogenetic inhibition of ACC neurons effectively suppressed hyperlocomotion. Conversely, chemogenetic excitation lowered the hyperbaric pressure threshold required to induce hyperlocomotion. Moreover, both chemogenetic inhibition and genetic ablation of activity-dependent neurons within the ACC reduced the hyperlocomotion. Further investigation revealed that ACC neurons project to the DMS, and chemogenetic inhibition of ACC-DMS projections resulted in a reduction in hyperlocomotion. Finally, nitrogen narcosis led to an increase in local field potentials in the theta frequency band and a decrease in the alpha frequency band in both the ACC and DMS. These results collectively suggest that excitatory neurons within the ACC, along with their projections to the DMS, play a pivotal role in regulating the hyperlocomotion induced by exposure to hyperbaric nitrogen.
Animals ; Gyrus Cinguli/drug effects* ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Locomotion/drug effects* ; Neurons/drug effects* ; Mice ; Nitrogen/toxicity* ; Inert Gas Narcosis/physiopathology* ; Corpus Striatum/physiopathology*

Wastewater-based epidemiology has emerged as a transformative surveillance tool for estimating substance consumption and monitoring disease prevalence, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. It enables the population-level monitoring of illicit drug use, pathogen prevalence, and environmental pollutant exposure. In this perspective, we summarize the key challenges specific to the Chinese context: (1) Sampling inconsistencies, necessitating standardized 24-hour composite protocols with high-frequency autosamplers (≤ 15 min/event) to improve the representativeness of samples; (2) Biomarker validation, requiring rigorous assessment of excretion profiles and in-sewer stability; (3) Analytical method disparities, demanding inter-laboratory proficiency testing and the development of automated pretreatment instruments; (4) Catchment population dynamics, reducing estimation uncertainties through mobile phone data, flow-based models, or hydrochemical parameters; and (5) Ethical and data management concerns, including privacy risks for small communities, mitigated through data de-identification and tiered reporting platforms. To address these challenges, we propose an integrated framework that features adaptive sampling networks, multi-scale wastewater sample banks, biomarker databases with multidimensional metadata, and intelligent data dashboards. In summary, wastewater-based epidemiology offers unparalleled scalability for equitable health surveillance and can improve the health of the entire population by providing timely and objective information to guide the development of targeted policies.
China/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Wastewater/analysis* ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Public Health ; Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring ; SARS-CoV-2

Identifying the compound formulae-related xenobiotics in bio-samples is full of challenges.Conventional strategies always exhibit the insufficiencies in overall coverage,analytical efficiency,and degree of automation,and the results highly rely on the personal knowledge and experience.The goal of this work was to establish a software-aided approach,by integrating ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/ion-mobility quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UHPLC/IM-QTOF-MS)and in-house high-definition MS2 library,to enhance the identification of prototypes and metabolites of the compound formulae in vivo,taking Sishen formula(SSF)as a template.Seven different MS2 acquisition methods were compared,which demonstrated the potency of a hybrid scan approach(namely high-definition data-independent/data-dependent acquisition(HDDIDDA))in the identification precision,MS1 coverage,and MS2 spectra quality.The HDDIDDA data for 55 reference compounds,four component drugs,and SSF,together with the rat bio-samples(e.g.,plasma,urine,feces,liver,and kidney),were acquired.Based on the UNIFI? platform(Waters),the efficient data processing workflows were estab-lished by combining mass defect filtering(MDF)-induced classification,diagnostic product ions(DPIs),and neutral loss filtering(NLF)-dominated structural confirmation.The high-definition MS2 spectral li-braries,dubbed in vitro-SSF and in vivo-SSF,were elaborated,enabling the efficient and automatic identification of SSF-associated xenobiotics in diverse rat bio-samples.Consequently,118 prototypes and 206 metabolites of SSF were identified,with the identification rate reaching 80.51％and 79.61％,respectively.The metabolic pathways mainly involved the oxidation,reduction,hydrolysis,sulfation,methylation,demethylation,acetylation,glucuronidation,and the combined reactions.Conclusively,the proposed strategy can drive the identification of compound formulae-related xenobiotics in vivo in an intelligent manner.

The genomic characteristics and cellular tropism of a Mangshi virus(MSV)isolated in China were investigated,thereby establishing a robust foundation for further research on the evolution and pathogenicity of MSV.The genome sequence of MSV strain V301/YNJH/2019 was obtained by next-generation sequencing,followed by phylogenetic tree construction and rearrangement assessment using software IQtree,RPD4,and Simplot.Viral proliferation was assessed in C6/36(Aedes albop-ictus),Vero(African green monkey kidney),and BHK(baby hamster kidney)cells.An initial epidemiological investigation of MSV in local cattle and goats was conducted using the serum neutralization test.The genome of MSV strain V301/YNJ H/2019 was 20623 bp in length,encompassing 12 segments of double-stranded RNA(Seg-1 to Seg-12).Sequence analysis confirmed genomic rearrangement of the Seg-1 and Seg-11 sequences,ex-hibiting high similarity to MSV isolated from lake sediment in China in 2022,while Seg-2 to Seg-10 and Seg-12 were most closely related to a MSV strain isolated from mosquitoes in China in 2013.The virus efficiently proliferated and induced sig-nificant cytopathic effects(CPE)in both C6/36 and BHK cells,but limited replication and no observable CPE in Vero cells.No detectable neutralizing antibodies against MSV were detected in 20 goat serum samples collected in Mangshi,while 2 of 20 bo-vine serum samples were positive with neutralizing antibody titers of 1:128 and 1:54.Whole genome sequencing revealed re-assortment events of the V301/YNJH/2019 strain,which is capable of infecting C6/36,BHK,and Vero cells.MSV infection was confirmed in cattle in Mangshi.

This is the first reported case of a female with monkeypox infection in Kunming City,Yunnan Province.An epi-demiological investigation was conducted to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of monkeypox epidemics in China,especially for early detection in females in accordance with the"Monkeypox prevention and control program(2023 ver-sion)".Diagnosis was performed as described in the"Monkeypox Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines(2022 version)".Speci-mens were collected for laboratory testing.The epidemiological investigation determined that the female patient had sexual in-tercourse with her newly married husband once before disease onset and the husband hid his history of male homosexual sex.The laboratory test results of the woman and her husband were positive for the nucleic acid of the monkeypox virus.Both had typical clinical symptoms,including rash.The epidemiological investigation,clinical symptoms,laboratory test results,and previous epidemic data of monkeypox in Yunnan province confirmed the woman as the first female infected with monkeypox in Yunnan Province and her husband was the presumed source of infection.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics,treatment,and prognosis of adult patients with early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma(ETP-ALL/LBL).Methods:Clinical data of 113 T lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma(T-ALL/LBL)patients from January 2006 to January 2019 were collected from three hematology research centers,including Peking University Third Hospital,the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital and Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital,Chinese Medical University.The clinical characteristics and prognosis of ETP-ALL/LBL patients were analyzed compared with non-ETP-ALL/LBL patients.Results:In 113 T-ALL/LBL patients,13 cases(11.5％)were diagnosed as ETP-ALL/LBL,including 11 males,with a median age of 28(18-53)years.Compared with non-ETP-ALL/LBL patients,there were no significant differences in age,sex,incidence of large mediastinal mass,clinical stage,international prognostic index(IPI)score,white blood cell(WBC)count and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)level among ETP-ALL/LBL patients.Among 13 ETP-ALL/LBL patients,9 cases(69.2％)achieved complete remission(CR),and there was no statistically significant difference in response rate induced by chemotherapy between ETP-ALL/LBL patients and non-ETP-ALL/LBL patients.Among patients who received chemotherapy without allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT),ETP-ALL/LBL group had a worse 5-year overall survival(OS)rate compared with non-ETP-ALL/LBL group(0 vs 7.1％,P=0.008),while in patients with allo-HSCT,there was no significant difference for 5-year OS rate between the two group(37.5％vs 40.2％,P＞0.05).Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that CR after induction therapy,allo-HSCT,and LDH level were independent prognostic factors affecting T-ALL/LBL patients.Conclusion:No significant difference in response rate induced by chemotherapy is observed between ETP-ALL/LBL and non-ETP-ALL/LBL patients.Allo-HSCT consolidation after induction of remission therapy may have significant favorable influence on OS for patients with ETP-ALL/LBL.

Objective Hypertriglyceridemic waist(HW),hypertriglyceridemic waist-to-height ratio(HWHtR),and waist-to-hip ratio(WHR)have been shown to be indicators of cardiometabolic risk factors.However,it is not clear which indicator is more suitable for children and adolescents.We aimed to investigate the relationship between HW,HWHtR,WHR,and cardiovascular risk factors clustering to determine the best screening tools for cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents. Methods This was a national cross-sectional study.Anthropometric and biochemical variables were assessed in approximately 70,000 participants aged 6-18 years from seven provinces in China.Demographics,physical activity,dietary intake,and family history of chronic diseases were obtained through questionnaires.ANOVA,x2 and logistic regression analysis was conducted. Results A significant sex difference was observed for HWHtR and WHR,but not for HW phenotype.The risk of cardiometabolic health risk factor clustering with HW phenotype or the HWHtR phenotype was significantly higher than that with the non-HW or non-HWHtR phenotypes among children and adolescents(HW:OR = 12.22,95%CI:9.54-15.67;HWHtR:OR = 9.70,95%CI:6.93-13.58).Compared with the HW and HWHtR phenotypes,the association between risk of cardiometabolic health risk factors(CHRF)clustering and high WHR was much weaker and not significant(WHR:OR = 1.14,95%CI:0.97-1.34). Conclusion Compared with HWHtR and WHR,the HW phenotype is a more convenient indicator with higher applicability to screen children and adolescents for cardiovascular risk factors.