OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effect of the short-penis treatment apparatus and wide-band infrared therapy apparatus on penile dysplasia (PDP) in children and establish objective parameters for assessing the severity of PDP. METHODS: This study included 252 children received in the Department of pediatric urology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January to December 2023, 102 with PDP (the PDP group) and the other 150 with normal penile development (the control group), those of the former group treated with the short-penis therapeutic apparatus and wide-band infrared therapy apparatus. Before and after 30 days of treatment, we measured the flaccid penile length (FPL), stretched penile length (SPL) and penile diameters (PD) of the children, and defined the penile dysplasia index as the FPL/SPL and FPL/PD ratios. RESULTS: The penile parameters exhibited statistically significant differences between the PDP and control groups, (FPL:［1.97±0.72］cm vs ［3.25±0.51］ cm, P<0.01; SPL:［3.80±0.81］cm vs ［5.21±0.79］cm,P<0.01).The FPL remarkably increased in the PDP group after treatment(［1.97±0.72］cm vs ［2.90±1.20］ cm, P<0.01). Both FPL and SPL were notably shorter in the PDP cases than in the controls, with the cutoff values of 0.57 and 2.09, sensitivities of 80.7% and 95.3%, and specificities of 69.6% and 82.4% for FPL/SPL and FPL/PD, respectively. CONCLUSION The short-penis therapeutic apparatus and wide-band infrared therapy apparatus can promote the growth and development of the penis in children. The ratio of FPL/PD can serve as an objective indicator to effectively describe the severity of penile developmental abnormalities.
Humans ; Male ; Penis/abnormalities* ; Child ; Penile Diseases/therapy* ; Child, Preschool ; Infant

This study explored the effects and underlying mechanism of Raf kinase inhibitory protein(RKIP)on apoptosis in mast cells sensitized by Echinococcus granulosus cyst fluid.Bone marrow-derived mast cells(BMMCs)were isolated and cultured from RKIP knockout(KO)and wild-type(WT)C57BL/6 mice.Cells were divided into control and sensitized groups.The sensitized group was incubated for 24 h in RPMI1640 medium containing 10%serum from mice infected with E.granulosus,then activated for 3 h or 6 h with E.granulosus cyst fluid.The control group was incubated for 24 h in RPMI1640 medium,and then received an equal vol-ume of PBS.Cells and supernatants were collected for analysis.Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of CD117 and FcεRⅠα on BMMCs.The levels of β-hexosaminidase,IL-4,and TNF-α in the supernatant were quantified with ELISA.Western blot analy-sis was used to assess expression changes in RKIP,apoptosis-related proteins,and pathway proteins in BMMC before and after sensi-tization.Flow cytometry analysis revealed that after 4 weeks of induction,the CD117 and FcεRⅠα double-positivity rates on both WT and KO BMMC exceeded 90%.ELISA indicated that the E.granulosus cyst fluid resulted in significantly greater β-hexosaminidase re-lease(F=16.88,P<0.05),and levels of IL-4(F=16.51,P<0.05)and TNF-α(F=9.78,P<0.05)in the KO sensitized group than the WT sensitized group.With respect to the WT control group,the WT sensitized group showed significantly down-regulated pro-tein expression levels of RKIP(F=8.20,P<0.05)and Bcl-2(F=101.40,P<0.01)after 3 h,but significantly up-regulated levels of p-PI3K(F=8.04,P<0.05),p-Akt(F=32.52,P<0.01),p-P65(F=13.29,P<0.05),and cleaved-caspase-3(F=46.34,P<0.01).With respect to the WT sensitized group,the KO sensitized group showed significantly up-regulated protein expression of p-PI3K(F=8.45,P<0.05),p-Akt(F=8.58,P<0.05),p-P65(F=11.02,P<0.05),and Bcl-2(F=84.50,P<0.001)after 3 h,but significantly down-regulated expression of cleaved-caspase-3(F=15.66,P<0.05).In conclusion,RKIP may inhibit the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway,thereby inducing apoptosis in mast cells sensitized by E.granulosus cyst fluid.This process may help ease aller-gic reactions caused by mast cells in echinococcosis,thus offering a promising new approach for preventing and treating such reactions.

Objective:To evaluate lung ultrasound (LUS) for assessing lung aeration heterogeneity in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) across gestational ages and analyze its correlation with oxygenation.Methods:This retrospective cohort study enrolled 125 ventilated NRDS neonates from the neonatal intensive care unit of Hebei Children's Hospital (from March 2023 to May 2024), who were stratified as <32 gestational weeks ( n=47) and ≥32 gestational weeks ( n=78). All underwent LUS, chest X-ray, and blood gas analysis within 2 h of admission. The lung ultrasound score (LUSsc) quantified impaired lung volume percentage (graded: A=normal, B=coalescent B-lines, C=dense B-lines/focal consolidation, D=lobar consolidation). Aeration heterogeneity was measured by coefficient of variation (CV, within-patient) and Gini-Simpson index (between-patients), while oxygenation was assessed by arterial oxygen partial pressure/inhaled oxygen concentration (P/F). Group comparisons, including basic information, lung aeration, and lung aeration heterogeneity, used two independent sample t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, Chi square tests, or Wilcoxon tests; partial correlation analyzed aeration-oxygenation relationships. Results:(1) Analysis of impaired lung volume percentage revealed similar distribution patterns between groups, with the <32-week cohort ( n=47, 564 lung segments) showing proportions of 15.6% (88/564), 14.9% (84/564), 35.5% (200/564), and 34.0% (192/564) for graded patterns A through D, respectively, while the ≥32-week cohort ( n=78, 936 segments) demonstrated corresponding proportions of 15.7% (147/936), 16.3% (153/936), 31.7% (297/936), and 36.2% (339/936), with no statistically significant difference between groups ( Z=－0.24, P=0.812). (2) Within-patient heterogeneity analysis revealed no significant CV difference between <32-week group and ≥32-week group [0.33 (0.20-0.84) vs. 0.43 (0.21-0.73), Z=－0.99, P=0.321]. (3) Between-patient heterogeneity was significantly higher in the ≥32-week group, as reflected by the Gini-Simpson index [0.12 (0.09-0.14) vs. 0.09 (0.06-0.14), Z=－1.99, P=0.046], with heterogeneous aeration predominantly located in non-gravity-dependent regions—specifically the left upper lung in the <32-week group and anterior lungs in the ≥32-week group. (4) Correlation analyses demonstrated significantly inverse relationships between CV and LUSsc in <32-week and ≥32-week groups ( r=－0.912, P<0.001; r=－0.886, P<0.001), while the ≥32-week group additionally showed positive CV-P/F correlation ( r=0.373, P=0.001) and inverse LUSsc-P/F association ( r=－0.287, P=0.013). Conclusions:LUS effectively evaluates aeration and its heterogeneity in early NRDS. Infants ≥32 weeks exhibit greater between-patient heterogeneity, with ventilation parameters correlating significantly with oxygenation status.

Objective:To investigate the positive rate,mutation type and distribution characteristics of thalassemia gene detection in children in Nanchong area.Methods:The common α and β-thalassemia gene mutation sites were detected in 1 254 children suspected of thalassemia by hematological screening in our hospital from January 2017 to December 2023,and the genotypes,detection rates and clinical characteristics of thalassemia in local children were statistically analyzed.Results:Among 1 254 children with suspected thalassemia,490 carriers were screened out,with a positive detection rate of 39.07％.Among them,220 cases(17.54％)were α-thalassemia,251 cases(20.02％)wereβ-thalassemia,and 19 cases(1.52％)were αβ compound thalassemia.Among 220 cases of α-thalassemia,the main genotypes were--SEA/αα,-α3.7/αα,-α3.7/--SEA and-α4.2/αα,accounting for 63.64％,18.64％,5.91％,and 5.00％,respectively.Among 251 cases of β-thalassemia,CD17,CD41-42,and IVS-Ⅱ-654 genotypes were the most common,accounting for 40.24％,29.88％,and 17.93％,respectively.In 19 cases of αβ compound thalassemia,the most common genotypes were-α3.7/αα compound CD41-42,--SEA/αα compound CD41-42,--SEA/αα compound CD17,accounting for 26.32％,15.79％,and 15.79％,respectively.In addition,compared with healthy individuals,red blood cell(RBC)in the thalassemia gene carriers was significantly increased,while hemoglobin(Hb),mean corpuscular volume(MCV),mean corpuscular hemoglobin(MCH),mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration(MCHC)and red blood cell distribution width-standard deviation(RDW-SD)were significantly decreased(all P＜0.01).The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of RDW-SD,MCHC,MCH,MCV,Hb and RBC were 0.827,0.707,0.823,0.863,0.603 and 0.882,respectively.The thalassemia gene carrying rates from 2017 to 2023 in Nanchong were 35.6％(54/154),28.43％(56/197),34.74％(74/213),40.56％(58/143),42.69％(73/171),45.86％(83/181),and 47.18％(92/195),respectively,showing an upward trend year by year.Conclusion:The positive detection rate of children's thalassemia gene in Nanchong is relatively high,and the genetic types are complex,with β-thalassemia as the main type.The genetic pattern shows obvious regional distribution characteristics.The genotypes of thalassemia in children are mainly--SEA/αα,-α3.7/αα,CD17,CD41-42 and IVS-Ⅱ-654,which are consistent with the genotypes of adults in this area,but different from high-risk areas such as Dongguan and Guangxi.

Objective:To investigate the positive rate,mutation type and distribution characteristics of thalassemia gene detection in children in Nanchong area.Methods:The common α and β-thalassemia gene mutation sites were detected in 1 254 children suspected of thalassemia by hematological screening in our hospital from January 2017 to December 2023,and the genotypes,detection rates and clinical characteristics of thalassemia in local children were statistically analyzed.Results:Among 1 254 children with suspected thalassemia,490 carriers were screened out,with a positive detection rate of 39.07％.Among them,220 cases(17.54％)were α-thalassemia,251 cases(20.02％)wereβ-thalassemia,and 19 cases(1.52％)were αβ compound thalassemia.Among 220 cases of α-thalassemia,the main genotypes were--SEA/αα,-α3.7/αα,-α3.7/--SEA and-α4.2/αα,accounting for 63.64％,18.64％,5.91％,and 5.00％,respectively.Among 251 cases of β-thalassemia,CD17,CD41-42,and IVS-Ⅱ-654 genotypes were the most common,accounting for 40.24％,29.88％,and 17.93％,respectively.In 19 cases of αβ compound thalassemia,the most common genotypes were-α3.7/αα compound CD41-42,--SEA/αα compound CD41-42,--SEA/αα compound CD17,accounting for 26.32％,15.79％,and 15.79％,respectively.In addition,compared with healthy individuals,red blood cell(RBC)in the thalassemia gene carriers was significantly increased,while hemoglobin(Hb),mean corpuscular volume(MCV),mean corpuscular hemoglobin(MCH),mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration(MCHC)and red blood cell distribution width-standard deviation(RDW-SD)were significantly decreased(all P＜0.01).The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of RDW-SD,MCHC,MCH,MCV,Hb and RBC were 0.827,0.707,0.823,0.863,0.603 and 0.882,respectively.The thalassemia gene carrying rates from 2017 to 2023 in Nanchong were 35.6％(54/154),28.43％(56/197),34.74％(74/213),40.56％(58/143),42.69％(73/171),45.86％(83/181),and 47.18％(92/195),respectively,showing an upward trend year by year.Conclusion:The positive detection rate of children's thalassemia gene in Nanchong is relatively high,and the genetic types are complex,with β-thalassemia as the main type.The genetic pattern shows obvious regional distribution characteristics.The genotypes of thalassemia in children are mainly--SEA/αα,-α3.7/αα,CD17,CD41-42 and IVS-Ⅱ-654,which are consistent with the genotypes of adults in this area,but different from high-risk areas such as Dongguan and Guangxi.

This study explored the effects and underlying mechanism of Raf kinase inhibitory protein(RKIP)on apoptosis in mast cells sensitized by Echinococcus granulosus cyst fluid.Bone marrow-derived mast cells(BMMCs)were isolated and cultured from RKIP knockout(KO)and wild-type(WT)C57BL/6 mice.Cells were divided into control and sensitized groups.The sensitized group was incubated for 24 h in RPMI1640 medium containing 10%serum from mice infected with E.granulosus,then activated for 3 h or 6 h with E.granulosus cyst fluid.The control group was incubated for 24 h in RPMI1640 medium,and then received an equal vol-ume of PBS.Cells and supernatants were collected for analysis.Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of CD117 and FcεRⅠα on BMMCs.The levels of β-hexosaminidase,IL-4,and TNF-α in the supernatant were quantified with ELISA.Western blot analy-sis was used to assess expression changes in RKIP,apoptosis-related proteins,and pathway proteins in BMMC before and after sensi-tization.Flow cytometry analysis revealed that after 4 weeks of induction,the CD117 and FcεRⅠα double-positivity rates on both WT and KO BMMC exceeded 90%.ELISA indicated that the E.granulosus cyst fluid resulted in significantly greater β-hexosaminidase re-lease(F=16.88,P<0.05),and levels of IL-4(F=16.51,P<0.05)and TNF-α(F=9.78,P<0.05)in the KO sensitized group than the WT sensitized group.With respect to the WT control group,the WT sensitized group showed significantly down-regulated pro-tein expression levels of RKIP(F=8.20,P<0.05)and Bcl-2(F=101.40,P<0.01)after 3 h,but significantly up-regulated levels of p-PI3K(F=8.04,P<0.05),p-Akt(F=32.52,P<0.01),p-P65(F=13.29,P<0.05),and cleaved-caspase-3(F=46.34,P<0.01).With respect to the WT sensitized group,the KO sensitized group showed significantly up-regulated protein expression of p-PI3K(F=8.45,P<0.05),p-Akt(F=8.58,P<0.05),p-P65(F=11.02,P<0.05),and Bcl-2(F=84.50,P<0.001)after 3 h,but significantly down-regulated expression of cleaved-caspase-3(F=15.66,P<0.05).In conclusion,RKIP may inhibit the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway,thereby inducing apoptosis in mast cells sensitized by E.granulosus cyst fluid.This process may help ease aller-gic reactions caused by mast cells in echinococcosis,thus offering a promising new approach for preventing and treating such reactions.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of physical intervention combined with medical nutritional weight loss(PI+MNWL)in the treatment of short penis in obese children.Methods:One hundred and twenty obese children with a short pe-nis were included and equally divided into three groups:PI+MNWL,MNWL,and self-guided diet,who underwent PI+MNWL,MN-WL intervention under the supervision of professional nutritionists in the hospital,or self-guided diet intervention at home,respective-ly,all for 30 days.We measured the penile parameters,including stretched penile length(SPL),flaccid penile length(FPL)and pe-nile diameter(PD),of the children before and after treatment,and compared them among the three groups.Results:After inter-vention,the body weight of the children was significantly decreased in all the three groups(27.1-94.1[53.59±11.88]kg vs 23.0-85.1[49.01±11.61]kg,P＜0.05).The weight of children in 3 groups decreased to different degrees,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).MNWL was found remarkably more effective than self-guided weight loss in reducing the body weight of the children(P＜0.05).Based on weight loss achieved through medical nutrition combined with physical intervention,the FPL in the PI+MNWL group increased from(1.93±0.76)cm before treatment to(3.41±1.41)cm after one course of compre-hensive treatment,with a statistically significant difference(P＜0.05).Similarly,SPL increased from(3.75±0.76)cm before treatment to(4.98±0.64)cm,and PD increased from(1.32±0.21)cm before treatment to(1.61±0.66)cm,both showing statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).In the MNWL group,FPL increased from(2.01±0.81)cm to(2.77±0.84)cm after one course of treatment,with a statistically significant difference(P＜0.05).Additionally,SPL increased from(4.03±0.84)cm before treatment to(4.40±0.76)cm,also demonstrating statistical significance(P＜0.05),while PD increased from(1.37±0.21)cm before treatment to(1.42±0.22)cm,with statistical significance(P＜0.05).FPL and SPL increased sig-nificantly in the PI+MNWL group compared to the MNWL group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).However,there was no significant differ-ence in PD between the two groups following the intervention(P＞0.05).Conclusion:MNWL is more effective than self-guided diet in controlling the body weight of children,while the combination approach of PI+MNWL is even superior to the management of short penis in obese children,with the advantages of improving the appearance and increasing the exposed length of the penis.

Objective:To evaluate lung ultrasound (LUS) for assessing lung aeration heterogeneity in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) across gestational ages and analyze its correlation with oxygenation.Methods:This retrospective cohort study enrolled 125 ventilated NRDS neonates from the neonatal intensive care unit of Hebei Children's Hospital (from March 2023 to May 2024), who were stratified as <32 gestational weeks ( n=47) and ≥32 gestational weeks ( n=78). All underwent LUS, chest X-ray, and blood gas analysis within 2 h of admission. The lung ultrasound score (LUSsc) quantified impaired lung volume percentage (graded: A=normal, B=coalescent B-lines, C=dense B-lines/focal consolidation, D=lobar consolidation). Aeration heterogeneity was measured by coefficient of variation (CV, within-patient) and Gini-Simpson index (between-patients), while oxygenation was assessed by arterial oxygen partial pressure/inhaled oxygen concentration (P/F). Group comparisons, including basic information, lung aeration, and lung aeration heterogeneity, used two independent sample t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, Chi square tests, or Wilcoxon tests; partial correlation analyzed aeration-oxygenation relationships. Results:(1) Analysis of impaired lung volume percentage revealed similar distribution patterns between groups, with the <32-week cohort ( n=47, 564 lung segments) showing proportions of 15.6% (88/564), 14.9% (84/564), 35.5% (200/564), and 34.0% (192/564) for graded patterns A through D, respectively, while the ≥32-week cohort ( n=78, 936 segments) demonstrated corresponding proportions of 15.7% (147/936), 16.3% (153/936), 31.7% (297/936), and 36.2% (339/936), with no statistically significant difference between groups ( Z=－0.24, P=0.812). (2) Within-patient heterogeneity analysis revealed no significant CV difference between <32-week group and ≥32-week group [0.33 (0.20-0.84) vs. 0.43 (0.21-0.73), Z=－0.99, P=0.321]. (3) Between-patient heterogeneity was significantly higher in the ≥32-week group, as reflected by the Gini-Simpson index [0.12 (0.09-0.14) vs. 0.09 (0.06-0.14), Z=－1.99, P=0.046], with heterogeneous aeration predominantly located in non-gravity-dependent regions—specifically the left upper lung in the <32-week group and anterior lungs in the ≥32-week group. (4) Correlation analyses demonstrated significantly inverse relationships between CV and LUSsc in <32-week and ≥32-week groups ( r=－0.912, P<0.001; r=－0.886, P<0.001), while the ≥32-week group additionally showed positive CV-P/F correlation ( r=0.373, P=0.001) and inverse LUSsc-P/F association ( r=－0.287, P=0.013). Conclusions:LUS effectively evaluates aeration and its heterogeneity in early NRDS. Infants ≥32 weeks exhibit greater between-patient heterogeneity, with ventilation parameters correlating significantly with oxygenation status.

Objective:To analyze the safety and efficacy of single percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in the treatment of multi-segment osteolytic spinal metastases.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 113 patients with multi-segment osteolytic spinal metastases treated with PVP at Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2013 to December 2019, including 50 males and 63 females. The age ranged from 47 to 85 years, with a mean of (66.9±1.52) years. Patients were divided into two groups based on the number of affected vertebrae undergoing surgery: the conventional surgery group ( n=72), with a maximum of three vertebral bodies undergoing PVP during each surgery; the multivertebral surgery group ( n=41), received PVP on more than three vertebral bodies in one surgery. Visual analogue scale(VAS) of pain, Oswestry disability index (ODI), general health status (GH), and mental health status (MH) were assessed before and after PVP to evaluate the efficacy of the procedure. Complications of the patients were systematically assessed to evaluate safety. Measurement data was expressed as mean±standard deviation( ± s), independent sample t-test was used for inter-group comparison, and paired sample t-test was used for intra-group comparison; the comparison of count data was conducted using Chi-square test. Results:After 6 months of surgery, the ODI score, GH score and MH score of the conventional surgery group was (35.28±1.74)%, 57.85±2.11 and 61.20±3.67, all of which improved significantly compared to before surgery, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). After 6 months of surgery, the ODI score, GH score and MH score of the multivertebral surgery group was (35.67±1.92)%, 64.12±1.35 and 59.80±3.81, all of which improved significantly compared to before surgery, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in ODI score and MH score between the two groups after 6 months of surgery ( P>0.05). At one week after surgery, the pain VAS score in the conventional surgery group (3.51±0.21) was lower than that in the multivertebral surgery group (3.98±0.32), and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). GH score in the conventional surgery group showed significantly greater improvement than that in the multivertebral surgery group after 6 months of surgery, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Bone cement leakage occurred in 21 vertebra of the conventional surgery group, and 24 vertebra of the multivertebral surgery group, with leakage rates of 14.8% and 13.0%, respectively, with no statistical significance between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Single PVP surgery can safely and effectively alleviate the pain of multi-segment osteolytic spinal metastases and improve spinal mobility. Meanwhile, improving mental health and reducing functional impairments. But the short-term pain relief and long-term general health of the multivertebral surgery group were lower than those of the conventional surgery group.

Objective:To explore interspinous fusion capacity after interspinous distraction fusion (ISDF) device implantation, a preliminary biomechanical analysis and histological evaluation were performed.Methods:The experimental animals were procured from the Science and Research Laboratory Animal Center of Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University. The animals were 8-9 weeks old and with an average weight of 25 kg. 15 mini-pigs were randomly divided into three groups, the sham operation group, the decompression group and the ISDF fixed decompression group, 5 animals per group. The sham operation group was treated with simple incision and exposed lamina suture. The decompression group received unilateral decompression and the ISDF fixed decompression group experienced unilateral hemilaminectomy decompression and ISDF fixation. The graft-bed site was filled with purified bone graft material without any autograft bone. After 6 months feeding, all experimental animals were sacrificed and the corresponding lumbar vertebrae was obtained. The samples were fixed on the spinal test system and the range of motion of flexion-extension, lateral bending and rotation were tested through a multiaxial robotic system. The ISDF device samples were embedded for hard tissue sections and stained with hematoxylin-eosin and toluidine blue to assess new bone formation. Normally distributed measurement data were expressed as mean±standard deviation( ± s), and independent samples t-test were used for comparisons between groups. Results:In comparison to the sham operation group, the decompression group exhibited a statistically significant increase in intervertebral mobility, with an average of 61.6% in anterior flexion, 44.7% in posterior extension, 65.0% in left lateral flexion, 49.6% in right lateral flexion, 83.8% in left rotation, and 64.2% in right rotation ( P<0.05). In comparison to the decompression group, the ISDF fixed decompression group exhibited a statistically significant decrease in intervertebral mobility, with an average of 40.0% in anterior flexion, 21.3% in posterior extension, 31.7% in left lateral flexion, 22.3% in right lateral flexion, 28.7% in left rotation, and 35.3% in right rotation ( P<0.05). Well-defined bone tissue can be observed in the histological images of ISDF fixed decompression group samples after 6 months. In the histological part, toluidine blue staining showed extensive new bone formation. The hyperchromatic osteoblasts cells and density bone tissue can be observed in hematoxylin-eosin staining slides. Conclusions:The implantation of ISDF provide the necessary stabilization for promoting fusion. The osteogenesis that occurs within graft-bed site of the ISDF device offers the possibility of interspinous fusion.