Electromagnetic fields can regulate the fundamental biological processes involved in bone remodeling. As a non-invasive physical therapy, electromagnetic fields with specific parameters have demonstrated therapeutic effects on bone remodeling diseases, such as fractures and osteoporosis. Electromagnetic fields can be generated by the movement of charged particles or induced by varying currents. Based on whether the strength and direction of the electric field change over time, electromagnetic fields can be classified into static and time-varying fields. The treatment of bone remodeling diseases with static magnetic fields primarily focuses on fractures, often using magnetic splints to immobilize the fracture site while studying the effects of static magnetic fields on bone healing. However, there has been relatively little research on the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis using static magnetic fields. Pulsed electromagnetic fields, a type of time-varying field, have been widely used in clinical studies for treating fractures, osteoporosis, and non-union. However, current clinical applications are limited to low-frequency, and research on the relationship between frequency and biological effects remains insufficient. We believe that different types of electromagnetic fields acting on bone can induce various “secondary physical quantities”, such as magnetism, force, electricity, acoustics, and thermal energy, which can stimulate bone cells either individually or simultaneously. Bone cells possess specific electromagnetic properties, and in a static magnetic field, the presence of a magnetic field gradient can exert a certain magnetism on the bone tissue, leading to observable effects. In a time-varying magnetic field, the charged particles within the bone experience varying Lorentz forces, causing vibrations and generating acoustic effects. Additionally, as the frequency of the time-varying field increases, induced currents or potentials can be generated within the bone, leading to electrical effects. When the frequency and power exceed a certain threshold, electromagnetic energy can be converted into thermal energy, producing thermal effects. In summary, external electromagnetic fields with different characteristics can generate multiple physical quantities within biological tissues, such as magnetic, electric, mechanical, acoustic, and thermal effects. These physical quantities may also interact and couple with each other, stimulating the biological tissues in a combined or composite manner, thereby producing biological effects. This understanding is key to elucidating the electromagnetic mechanisms of how electromagnetic fields influence biological tissues. In the study of electromagnetic fields for bone remodeling diseases, attention should be paid to the biological effects of bone remodeling under different electromagnetic wave characteristics. This includes exploring innovative electromagnetic source technologies applicable to bone remodeling, identifying safe and effective electromagnetic field parameters, and combining basic research with technological invention to develop scientifically grounded, advanced key technologies for innovative electromagnetic treatment devices targeting bone remodeling diseases. In conclusion, electromagnetic fields and multiple physical factors have the potential to prevent and treat bone remodeling diseases, and have significant application prospects.

To study the therapeutic effect and mechanisms of ethyl syringate(MD) on ulcerative colitis(UC), the MTT assay was used to detect the proliferation inhibition of RAW264.7 cells and HT-29 cells by different concentrations of MD(50, 100, 200, 400 μmol·L~(-1)). UC cell models were constructed by inducing RAW264.7 cells and HT-29 cells with lipopolysaccharide(LPS) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α). An animal model was established by inducing mice with 2.5% dextran sulfate sodium(DSS) to verify the therapeutic effect of MD on UC. A control group, a model group(LPS or TNF-α), and groups treated with different concentrations of MD(50, 100, 200, 400 μmol·L~(-1)) were set up in this study. Nitric oxide(NO) levels were measured using a NO detection kit. Intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS) levels were assessed using a laser confocal microscope and ROS kit. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect changes in the levels of interleukin-6(IL-6), TNF-α, interferon-γ(INF-γ), interleukin-10(IL-10), and myeloperoxidase(MPO) in cells and animal tissues. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of phosphorylated Janus kinase 2(p-JAK2), Janus kinase 2(JAK2), phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(p-STAT3), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3), zonula occludens-1(ZO-1), occludin, and claudin-1 in cells and animal tissues. The results showed that MD can improve the inflammatory response by inhibiting the production of NO and ROS and regulating the expression of inflammatory factors. It significantly reduced the disease activity index(DAI) in mice, improved the shortening of the colon, and repaired intestinal epithelial damage by inhibiting the activation of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway, thereby exerting anti-UC activity.
Animals ; Colitis, Ulcerative/chemically induced* ; Janus Kinase 2/genetics* ; STAT3 Transcription Factor/genetics* ; Mice ; Humans ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Male ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Nitric Oxide/metabolism* ; HT29 Cells ; Salicylates/administration & dosage* ; Protective Agents/administration & dosage*

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*

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.

The oxytocin receptor (OXTR) has garnered increasing attention for its role in regulating both mature behaviors and brain development. It has been established that OXTR mediates a range of effects that are region-specific or period-specific. However, the current studies of OXTR expression patterns in mice only provide limited help due to limitations in resolution. Therefore, our objective was to generate a comprehensive, high-resolution spatiotemporal expression map of Oxtr mRNA across the entire developing mouse brain. We applied RNAscope in situ hybridization to investigate the spatiotemporal expression pattern of Oxtr in the brains of male mice at six distinct postnatal developmental stages (P7, P14, P21, P28, P42, P56). We provide detailed descriptions of Oxtr expression patterns in key brain regions, including the cortex, basal forebrain, hippocampus, and amygdaloid complex, with a focus on the precise localization of Oxtr⁺ cells and the variance of expression between different neurons. Furthermore, we identified some neuronal populations with high Oxtr expression levels that have been little studied, including glutamatergic neurons in the ventral dentate gyrus, Vgat⁺Oxtr⁺ cells in the basal forebrain, and GABAergic neurons in layers 4/5 of the cortex. Our study provides a novel perspective for understanding the distribution of Oxtr and encourages further investigations into its functions.
Animals ; Receptors, Oxytocin/metabolism* ; Male ; Brain/growth & development* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neurons/metabolism* ; Single-Cell Analysis ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism* ; Animals, Newborn

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Objective:To explore the genetic basis of eighteen patients with tetrahydrobiopterin deficiency (BH4D) from Gansu Province.Methods:Eighteen patients diagnosed with BH4D at Gansu Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital from January 2018 to December 2021 were selected as the study subjects. Whole exome sequencing was carried out, and candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing.Results:All of the thirty-six alleles of the eighteen patients were successfully determined by molecular genetic testing. Sixteen patients were found to harbor variants of the PTS gene, and two had harbored variants of the QDPR gene. Ten variants were detected in the PTS gene, with the most common ones being c. 259C>T (34.38%) and c. 286G>A (15.63%). Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the c. 259C>T was classified as a pathogenic variant, whilst the c. 286G>A, c. 166G>A, c. 200C>T, c. 272A>G, c. 402A>C, c. 421G>T, c. 84-291A>G and c. 317C>T were classified as likely pathogenic variants. A novel c. 289_290insCTT variant was classified as likely pathogenic (PM1+ PM2_Supporting+ PM3+ PP3+ PP4). The two variants (c.478C>T and c. 665C>T) detected in the QDPR gene were both classified as variants of uncertain significance (PM1+ PM2_Supporting+ PP3+ PP4). Conclusion:Genetic testing has clarified the pathogenic variants in these BH4D patients, which has enabled timely and accurate clinical intervention and treatment, and provided a reference for genetic counseling and reproductive guidance for their families.

Objective To compare the outcomes of transplant kidneys and patient survival between simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation(SPKT)recipients and deceased donor kidney transplant(DDKT)recipients in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)complicated with end-stage renal disease(ESRD),and to analyze the risk factors affecting patient survival post-SPKT.Methods Clinical and prognostic data of patients who underwent kidney transplantation from January 27,2003,to January 1,2021,were retrieved from the United Network for Organ Sharing(UNOS)database.A total of 50 230 cases were selected based on inclusion criteria,with 48 669 cases in DDKT group and 1561 cases in SPKT group.Kaplan-Meier analysis was employed to compare transplant kidney and patient survival between the two groups,and propensity score matching(PSM)was utilized to balance confounding factors between the groups.Cox regression model was used to analyze independent risk factors affecting patient survival post-SPKT.Results Compared with DDKT group,recipients in SPKT group had a younger median age(P<0.001),a higher proportion of males(P<0.001),lower BMI(P<0.001),shorter dialysis and transplant waiting times(P<0.001),a higher percentage of private medical insurance(P<0.001),a lower proportion of previous transplants(P<0.001),a younger age at diabetes diagnosis(P<0.001),and a lower incidence of peripheral vascular disease(P=0.033).Compared with DDKT group,the donors in SPKT group had a younger median age(P<0.001),a higher proportion of males(P<0.001),lower BMI(P<0.001),and a lower prevalence of hypertension and diabetes history(P<0.001).In terms of transplant-related factors,the SPKT group had a shorter donor kidney cold ischemia time(P<0.001),a higher degree of HLA mismatch(P<0.001),and a lower Kidney Donor Profile Index(KDPI)(P<0.001)when compared with DDKT group.The SPKT group had lower serum creatinine levels at discharge(P<0.001),lower rates of postoperative delayed graft function(DGF)and acute rejection(AR)(P<0.001),but longer hospital stays(P<0.001)when compared with DDKT group.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis curves,both original and after propensity score matching(PSM),consistently showed significantly higher transplant kidney and patient survival rates in SPKT group compared with DDKT group(P<0.001).Cox regression model analysis indicated that recipient age,recipient race,donor age,and donor kidney cold ischemia time were independent risk factors influencing patient survival post-SPKT.Conclusions For ESRD patients with T2DM,SPKT offers improved long-term graft and patient survival rates compared with DDKT.Recipient age,recipient ethnicity,donor age,and cold ischemia time for the donor's kidney are independent risk factors affecting post-SPKT patient survival.

Objective To investigate the effects of 0.5 Gy 60Co γ-ray irradiation on intestinal tissue injury and intestinal microflora in mice.Methods C57BL/6N mice were irradiated with 0.5 Gy 60Co γ-ray at 1 d,3 d,7 d and 14 d after irradiation.Jejunum tissues were fixed and frozen,and feces were frozen.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological injury to jejunum after irradiation,ki67 immunohistochemical staining was adopted to detect the proliferation of jejunum crypt cells,and TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling was employed to detect the apoptosis of jejunum crypt cells.The expressions of TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6 and IL-10 cytokines in small intestines were detected via radioimmunoassay.The changes of intestinal flora in mice after irradiation were analyzed by metagenomic sequencing,and LEfSe analysis and ROC analysis were used to screen the bacteria with significant differences.Results After 0.5 Gy 60Co γ-ray irradiation,the proliferative cells of the jejunal crypt were significantly decreased at 1 d after irradiation(P＜0.05),while the apoptotic cells were significantly increased at 1 and 3 d after irradiation(P＜0.01).The expression of TNF-α at 7 and 14 d after irradiation,that of IL-1 β at 1,3,7 and 14 d after irradiation and that of IL-6 at 3,7 and 14 d after irradiation were significantly increased(P＜0.05),while the expression of IL-10 at 7 and 14 d after irradiation was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).After 0.5 Gy 60Co γ-ray irradiation,intestinal flora composition changed significantly at phylum,genus and species levels,and Lactobacillus murinus,Lactobacillus johnsonii,Alistipes-unclassified,Mucispirillum schaedleri underwent the most significant changes and had higher LDA scores.Conclusion The whole body irradiation of 0.5 Gy 60Co γ-ray can cause intestinal tissue damage and change the composition of intestinal flora in mice.

The steps for installation and withdrawal of WYD2000 field surgical lamp were introduced.The failures and causes of broken cross-arm connector of WYD2000 field surgical lamp were analyzed.The problems of WYD2000 field surgical lamp in vulnerability to breaking and difficulty in maintenance were solved by designing and manufacturing a special maintenance tool and optimizing the materials and fixing mode of cross-arm connection.References were provided for main-tenance and improvement of WYD2000 field surgical lamp.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(4):116-118]