ObjectiveThis study leverages structural data from antigen-antibody complexes of the influenza A virus neuraminidase (NA) protein to investigate the spatial recognition relationship between the antigenic epitopes and antibody paratopes. MethodsStructural data on NA protein antigen-antibody complexes were comprehensively collected from the SAbDab database, and processed to obtain the amino acid sequences and spatial distribution information on antigenic epitopes and corresponding antibody paratopes. Statistical analysis was conducted on the antibody sequences, frequency of use of genes, amino acid preferences, and the lengths of complementarity determining regions (CDR). Epitope hotspots for antibody binding were analyzed, and the spatial structural similarity of antibody paratopes was calculated and subjected to clustering, which allowed for a comprehensively exploration of the spatial recognition relationship between antigenic epitopes and antibodies. The specificity of antibodies targeting different antigenic epitope clusters was further validated through bio-layer interferometry (BLI) experiments. ResultsThe collected data revealed that the antigen-antibody complex structure data of influenza A virus NA protein in SAbDab database were mainly from H3N2, H7N9 and H1N1 subtypes. The hotspot regions of antigen epitopes were primarily located around the catalytic active site. The antibodies used for structural analysis were primarily derived from human and murine sources. Among murine antibodies, the most frequently used V-J gene combination was IGHV1-12*01/IGHJ2*01, while for human antibodies, the most common combination was IGHV1-69*01/IGHJ6*01. There were significant differences in the lengths and usage preferences of heavy chain CDR amino acids between antibodies that bind within the catalytic active site and those that bind to regions outside the catalytic active site. The results revealed that structurally similar antibodies could recognize the same epitopes, indicating a specific spatial recognition between antibody and antigen epitopes. Structural overlap in the binding regions was observed for antibodies with similar paratope structures, and the competitive binding of these antibodies to the epitope was confirmed through BLI experiments. ConclusionThe antigen epitopes of NA protein mainly ditributed around the catalytic active site and its surrounding loops. Spatial complementarity and electrostatic interactions play crucial roles in the recognition and binding of antibodies to antigenic epitopes in the catalytic region. There existed a spatial recognition relationship between antigens and antibodies that was independent of the uniqueness of antibody sequences, which means that antibodies with different sequences could potentially form similar local spatial structures and recognize the same epitopes.

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

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 penis were included and equally divided into three groups: PI+MNWL, MNWL, and self-guided diet, who underwent PI+MNWL, MNWL intervention under the supervision of professional nutritionists in the hospital, or self-guided diet intervention at home, respectively, all for 30 days. We measured the penile parameters, including stretched penile length (SPL), flaccid penile length (FPL) and penile diameter (PD), of the children before and after treatment, and compared them among the three groups. RESULTS: After intervention, 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 comprehensive 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 significantly in the PI+MNWL group compared to the MNWL group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference 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.
Humans ; Male ; Child ; Weight Loss ; Penis/abnormalities* ; Obesity/complications* ; Adolescent

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect and safety of Chinese medicine (CM) Fuzheng Huazhuo Decoction (FHD) in treating patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who persistently tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at Shanghai New International Expo Center shelter hospital in China between April 1 and May 30, 2022. Patients diagnosed as COVID-19 with persistently positive SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results for ⩾8 days after diagnosis were enrolled. Patients in the control group received conventional Western medicine (WM) treatment, while those in the FHD group received conventional WM plus FHD for at least 3 days. The primary outcome was viral clearance time. Secondary outcomes included negative conversion rate within 14 days, length of hospital stay, cycle threshold (Ct) values of the open reading frame 1ab (ORF1ab) and nucleocapsid protein (N) genes, and incidence of new-onset symptoms during hospitalization. Adverse events (AEs) that occurred during the study period were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 1,765 eligible patients were enrolled in this study (546 in the FHD group and 1,219 in the control group). Compared with the control group, patients receiving FHD treatment showed shorter viral clearance time for nucleic acids [hazard ratio (HR): 1.500, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.353-1.664, P<0.001] and hospital stays (HR: 1.371, 95% CI: 1.238-1.519, P<0.001), and a higher negative conversion rate within 14 days (96.2% vs. 82.6%, P<0.001). The incidence of new-onset symptoms was 59.5% in the FHD group, similar to 57.8% in the control group (P>0.05). The Ct values of ORF1ab and N genes increased more rapidly over time in the FHD group than those in the control group post-randomization (ORF1ab gene: β =0.436±0.053, P<0.001; N gene: β =0.415 ±0.053, P<0.001). The incidence of AEs in the FHD group was lower than that in the control group (24.2% vs. 35.4%, P<0.001). No serious AEs were observed. CONCLUSION FHD was effective and safe for patients with persistently positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests. (Registration No. ChiCTR2200063956).
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; SARS-CoV-2/drug effects* ; COVID-19/virology* ; Adult ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome

The adulteration and counterfeiting of herbal ingredients in medicinal and food homology (MFH) have a serious impact on the quality of herbal materials, thereby endangering human health. Compared to pharmaceutical drugs, health products derived from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are more easily accessible and closely integrated into consumers' daily life. However, the authentication of the authenticity of TCM ingredients in MFH has not received sufficient attention. The lack of clear standards emphasizes the necessity of conducting systematic research in this area. This study utilized DNA barcoding technology, combining ITS2, psbA-trnH, matK as universal barcode sequences, and DX, HH, JYH as specific barcode sequences, to identify the authenticity of commercial medicinal and food homology scented herbal teas. The aim was to investigate the authenticity of scented herbal tea products circulating in the market. The research results revealed that among 180 scented herbal tea samples, DNA barcodes were successfully obtained from 164 samples, while the remaining samples either lacked the target components or suffered severe DNA degradation, resulting in failed amplification. Combined with morphological identification studies, it was found that out of the 180 samples, 141 were authentic, accounting for 78.33% of the total samples, while 31 samples showed adulteration and 8 samples lacked the target components, accounting for 21.67% of the total samples. Additionally, water testing revealed that 5 samples of Carthamus tinctorius herbal tea exhibited the phenomenon of weight adulteration. This study exposed the presence of adulteration and weight adulteration in scented herbal tea products, highlighting the need for regulatory authorities to expedite the establishment of quality standards in scented herbal tea industry. These findings provide valuable insights for the rapid development of the scented herbal tea industry.

Icariin,which belongs to the class of flavonoids,is the main active ingredient of the traditional tonic Chinese herb Epimedii Folium.Modern studies have shown that icariin has a wide range of effects on the male reproductive system.It has various pharmacological activities such as regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis,antioxidants,promoting testosterone secretion,improving erectile function,inhibiting prostate cancer cell migration,invasion,and regulating cell cycle.It has research value and application prospects in the field of urology and assisted reproduction.Therefore,Icariin's pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms on the male reproductive system are reviewed in this paper combined with literature visualization analysis.It is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the therapeutic value development and application of icariin in male reproductive health.

AIM To compare the components difference between Lonicera fragrantissima Lindl.et Paxt.(LFL)and Lonicerae japonicae Flos(LJF),and to evaluate the medicinal value of LFL,so as to provide reference for the development and utilization of LFL and LJF.METHODS With 70%methanol as extraction solvent,the components were analyzed by UPLC-TOF-MS,and the contents of 20 components were determined by HPLC-QQQ-MS.The components difference was determined by multivariate statistical analysis.RESULTS A total of 52 components were identified in the buds of LFL and LJF.There were 4 different components in LJF,and the contents of 20 quantitative components were significantly different.The contents of isochlorogenic acid C,ferulic acid,luteolin and rutin in the buds of LFL were more than 2 times that of LJF,and the contents of marchanic acid and marchanin were 11.96 times and 37.23 times that of LJF respectively.Maganin,isochlorogenic acid A,maganic acid,rutin and dicomachanic acid are the key differentiating components of LFL and LJF.CONCLUSION The buds of LFL and LJF have similar species,but the content difference is obvious.The buds of LFL have important medicinal value,which need further development and utilization.

Objective:To test the validity and reliability of the Chinese version of the Pre-sleep Arousal Scale(PSAS)in patients with brief insomnia disorder(BID).Methods:Totally 170 patients with BID and 150 normal sleepers(NS)were recruited.All participants were assessed with the PSAS,Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS)and Insomnia Severity Index(ISI).After 3 months,72 patients with BID were retested with the PSAS,HADS and ISI.Results:The PSAS scores of BID group were characteristic of a normal distribution.The PSAS total scores were positively correlated with the scores of HADS and ISI(r=0.55,0.40,Ps＜0.01).Two factors of so-matic and cognitive arousal were extracted in PSAS by the exploratory factor analysis and parallel analysis,interval variance value was 55.84％,and the load scores of items were 0.46-0.89.The scores of PSAS and its subscales were higher in the BID group than in the NS group(Ps＜0.001).The best cut-off score for the overall PSAS was found at 32/33 and had high sensitivity(0.72)and specificity(0.81).The Cronbach's α coefficient and the Spearman Brown split reliability were 0.91 and 0.76,respectively,the correlation coefficients between the items and total score ranged from 0.46 to 0.89(Ps＜0.01),and the test-retest reliability was 0.37(P＜0.01).Addi-tionally,rate of change of PSAS scores was positively correlated with the rate of change of HADS scores and ISI scores(Ps＜0.05).Conclusion:The Chinese version of PSAS is a reliable and valid instrument to assess pre-sleep arousal in patients with brief insomnia disorder.

Objective:To investigate the clinical value immature granulocyte percentage(IG％)and other inflammatory indicators in the severity of acute appendicitis.Methods:A total of 201 pediatric patients undergoing appendicitis surgery admitted to Zhoukou Central Hospital from June 2022 to August 2023 were included.Patients with pathologically confirmed actue appendici-tis were divided two subgroups:actue simple appendicitis(ASA)group and actue complicated ap-pendicitis(ACA)group,The variables that included IG％,white blood cell(WBC)count,absolute neutrophil count(ANC),absolute lymphocyte count(ALC),neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio(NLR),pro-calcitonin(PCT),C-reactive protein(CRP),platelet to lymphocyte(PLR)and other indexes were ana-lyzed between ASA and ACA group.The logistic regression model for diagnosis of ACA was es-tablished,and the diagostic value of this model and other inflammtory indicators for ACA was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.Results:The levels of IG％,WBC,ANC,ALC,NLR,PCT and PLR were higher and the level of ALC was lower in ACA group than those in ASA group(all P＜0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that IG％,NLR and CRP were three diagnostic determinants of ACA(all P＜0.05).The AUC of the established logistic model and IG％,NLR,CRP were 0.868,0.821,0.691 and 0.790(all P＜0.001).The logistic model was vali-dated by independent cohorts,and the AUC was 0.872,the sensitivity was 90.0％and the speci-ficity was 75.6％.Conlusions:The IG％value can early indicator for pediatric ACA,and the es-tablished logistic regression model based on biomarkers including IG％,NLR and CRP has clinical value in diagnosing ACA in children.