Chinese Medicine for Treatment of COVID-19: A Review of Potential Pharmacological Components and Mechanisms.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute infectious respiratory disease that has been prevalent since December 2019. Chinese medicine (CM) has demonstrated its unique advantages in the fight against COVID-19 in the areas of disease prevention, improvement of clinical symptoms, and control of disease progression. This review summarized the relevant material components of CM in the treatment of COVID-19 by searching the relevant literature and reports on CM in the treatment of COVID-19 and combining with the physiological and pathological characteristics of the novel coronavirus. On the basis of sorting out experimental methods in vivo and in vitro, the mechanism of herb action was further clarified in terms of inhibiting virus invasion and replication and improving related complications. The aim of the article is to explore the strengths and characteristics of CM in the treatment of COVID-19, and to provide a basis for the research and scientific, standardized treatment of COVID-19 with CM.

Low-level viremia episodes appear to affect the provirus composition of the circulating cellular HIV reservoir during antiretroviral therapy.

Low-level viremia (LLV) ranging from 50 to 1,000 copies/ml is common in most HIV-1-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, the source of LLV and the impact of LLV on the HIV-1 reservoir during ART remain uncertain. We hypothesized that LLV may arise from the HIV reservoir and its occurrence affect the composition of the reservoir after LLV episodes. Accordingly, we investigated the genetic linkage of sequences obtained from plasma at LLV and pre-ART time points and from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) at pre-ART, pre-LLV, LLV, and post-LLV time points. We found that LLV sequences were populated with a predominant viral quasispecies that accounted for 67.29%∼100% of all sequences. Two episodes of LLV in subject 1, spaced 6 months apart, appeared to have originated from the stochastic reactivation of latently HIV-1-infected cells. Moreover, 3.77% of pre-ART plasma sequences were identical to 67.29% of LLV-3 plasma sequences in subject 1, suggesting that LLV may have arisen from a subset of cells that were infected before ART was initiated. No direct evidence of sequence linkage was found between LLV viruses and circulating cellular reservoirs in all subjects. The reservoir size, diversity, and divergence of the PBMC DNA did not differ significantly between the pre- and post-LLV sampling points (P > 0.05), but the composition of viral reservoir quasispecies shifted markedly before and after LLV episodes. Indeed, subjects with LLV had a higher total PBMC DNA level, greater viral diversity, a lower proportion of variants with identical sequences detected at two or more time points, and a shorter variant duration during ART compared with subjects without LLV. Overall, our findings suggested that LLV viruses may stem from an unidentified source other than circulating cellular reservoirs. LLV episodes may introduce great complexity into the HIV reservoir, which brings challenges to the development of treatment strategies.

Advances in the application of auxiliary imaging techniques in parathyroid diseases.

Hypoparathyroidism is one of the main complications after total thyroidectomy, severely affecting patients' quality of life. How to effectively protect parathyroid function after surgery and reduce the incidence of hypoparathyroidism has always been a key research area in thyroid surgery. Therefore, precise localization of parathyroid glands during surgery, effective imaging, and accurate surgical resection have become hot topics of concern for thyroid surgeons. In response to this clinical phenomenon, this study compared several different imaging methods for parathyroid surgery, including nanocarbon, indocyanine green, near-infrared imaging techniques, and technetium-99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile combined with gamma probe imaging technology. The advantages and disadvantages of each method were analyzed, providing scientific recommendations for future parathyroid imaging. In recent years, some related basic and clinical research has also been conducted in thyroid surgery. This article reviewed relevant literature and provided an overview of the practical application progress of various imaging techniques in parathyroid surgery.

Optimization of genetic distance threshold for inferring the CRF01_AE molecular network based on next-generation sequencing.

Introduction: HIV molecular network based on genetic distance (GD) has been extensively utilized. However, the GD threshold for the non-B subtype differs from that of subtype B. This study aimed to optimize the GD threshold for inferring the CRF01_AE molecular network. Methods: Next-generation sequencing data of partial CRF01_AE pol sequences were obtained for 59 samples from 12 transmission pairs enrolled from a high-risk cohort during 2009 and 2014. The paired GD was calculated using the Tamura-Nei 93 model to infer a GD threshold range for HIV molecular networks. Results: 2,019 CRF01_AE pol sequences and information on recent HIV infection (RHI) from newly diagnosed individuals in Shenyang from 2016 to 2019 were collected to construct molecular networks to assess the ability of the inferred GD thresholds to predict recent transmission events. When HIV transmission occurs within a span of 1-4 years, the mean paired GD between the sequences of the donor and recipient within the same transmission pair were as follow: 0.008, 0.011, 0.013, and 0.023 substitutions/site. Using these four GD thresholds, it was found that 98.9%, 96.0%, 88.2%, and 40.4% of all randomly paired GD values from 12 transmission pairs were correctly identified as originating from the same transmission pairs. In the real world, as the GD threshold increased from 0.001 to 0.02 substitutions/site, the proportion of RHI within the molecular network gradually increased from 16.6% to 92.3%. Meanwhile, the proportion of links with RHI gradually decreased from 87.0% to 48.2%. The two curves intersected at a GD of 0.008 substitutions/site. Discussion: A suitable range of GD thresholds, 0.008-0.013 substitutions/site, was identified to infer the CRF01_AE molecular transmission network and identify HIV transmission events that occurred within the past three years. This finding provides valuable data for selecting an appropriate GD thresholds in constructing molecular networks for non-B subtypes.

Zedoary turmeric oil injection ameliorates lung inflammation via platelet factor 4 and regulates gut microbiota disorder in respiratory syncytial virus-infected young mice.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-induced lung inflammation is one of the main causes of hospitalization and easily causes disruption of intestinal homeostasis in infants, thereby resulting in a negative impact on their development. However, the current clinical drugs are not satisfactory. Zedoary turmeric oil injection (ZTOI), a patented traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been used for clinical management of inflammatory diseases. However, its in vivo efficacy against RSV-induced lung inflammation and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. PURPOSE: The present study was designed to confirm the in vivo efficacy of ZTOI against lung inflammation and intestinal disorders in RSV-infected young mice and to explore the potential mechanism. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Lung inflammation was induced by RSV, and cytokine antibody arrays were used to clarify the effectiveness of ZTOI in RSV pneumonia. Subsequently, key therapeutic targets of ZTOI against RSV pneumonia were identified through multi-factor detection and further confirmed. The potential therapeutic material basis of ZTOI in target tissues was determined by non-target mass spectrometry. After confirming that the pharmacological substances of ZTOI can reach the intestine, we used 16S rRNA-sequencing technology to study the effect of ZTOI on the intestinal bacteria. RESULTS: In the RSV-induced mouse lung inflammation model, ZTOI significantly reduced the levels of serum myeloperoxidase, serum amyloid A, C-reactive protein, and thymic stromal lymphoprotein; inhibited the mRNA expression of IL-10 and IL-6; and decreased pathological changes in the lungs. Immunofluorescence and qPCR experiments showed that ZTOI reduced RSV load in the lungs. According to cytokine antibody arrays, platelet factor 4 (PF4), a weak chemotactic factor mainly synthesized by megakaryocytes, showed a concentration-dependent change in lung tissues affected by ZTOI, which could be the key target for ZTOI to exert anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, sesquiterpenes were enriched in the lungs and intestines, thereby exerting anti-inflammatory and regulatory effects on gut microbiota. CONCLUSION: ZTOI can protect from lung inflammation via PF4 and regulate gut microbiota disorder in RSV-infected young mice by sesquiterpenes, which provides reference for its clinical application in RSV-induced lung diseases.

3D-printed Bi2Te3-based Thermoelectric Generators for Energy Harvesting and Temperature Response.

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are environmentally friendly energy harvesting technologies that hold great promise in the field of self-powered electronics and sensing. However, the current development of thermoelectric (TE) devices has largely lagged behind the development of thermoelectric materials, especially in the preparation of thermoelectric components with customizable shapes and excellent properties, which largely limits their practical applications. These issues can be effectively addressed by using 3D printing technology. Here, we print multiple p-type thermoelectric legs (pins) consecutively with this simple technique, and the printed TEGs have excellent thermal potential (288 µV K-1 at room temperature) and excellent temperature response properties, which exhibited an output voltage of 127.94 mV at a temperature difference (ΔT) of 40 K. The 3D-printed thermoelectric generator enables the collection of thermal energy. In addition, the device has excellent temperature sensing characteristics, and this temperature signal to electrical signal conversion is very rapid, which enables temperature sensing alarms in a wide temperature domain. Combining these features, an energy harvesting and electrical alarm concept for home-scale applications is proposed, which is expected to provide a diverse research idea for the application of next-generation thermoelectric devices.

Dust-phase phthalates in university dormitories in Beijing, China: pollution characteristics, potential sources, and non-dietary oral exposure.

This study aimed to determine dust-phase phthalate levels in 112 dormitories of 14 universities during autumn and winter, investigate their potential sources, and estimate phthalate exposure via dust ingestion. Twelve phthalates were detected, among which di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) were the most abundant, followed by di-isobutyl phthalate (DiBP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP). The median concentrations and contributions of DCHP and DEHP were the highest. The contributions of di-n-octyl phthalate and di-nonyl phthalate were higher in winter than in autumn. Potential sources included iron furniture, chemical fiber textiles, clothes, and personal care products. Medium-density fiberboard furniture is a potential sink for phthalates. In two seasons, DEHP, DCHP, DiBP, and DnBP were the main phthalates ingested by college students . The median oral exposure of ten phthalates was higher in females than in males. College students have a high risk of exposure to DEHP in dormitories.

Approaches for Performance Verification Toward Standardization of Peripheral Blood Regulatory T-Cell Detection by Flow Cytometry.

CONTEXT.­: Regulatory T-cell (Treg) detection in peripheral blood, based on flow cytometry, is invaluable for diagnosis and treatment of immune-mediated diseases. However, there is a lack of reliable methods to verify the performance, which is pivotal towards standardization of the Tregs assay. OBJECTIVE.­: To conduct standardization studies and verify the performance of 3 commercially available reagent sets for the Tregs assay based on flow cytometry and agreement analysis for Treg detection across the different reagent sets. DESIGN.­: The analytical performance of Tregs assay using reagent sets supplied by 3 manufacturers was evaluated after establishing the gating strategy and determining the optimal antibody concentration. Postcollection sample stability was evaluated, as well as the repeatability, reproducibility, reportable range, linearity, and assay carryover. Agreement between the different assays was assessed via Bland-Altman plots and linear regression analysis. The relationship between the frequency of CD4+CD25+CD127low/- Tregs and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs was evaluated. RESULTS.­: The postcollection sample stability was set at 72 hours after collection at room temperature. The accuracy, repeatability, reproducibility, and accuracy all met the requirements for clinical analysis. Excellent linearity, with R2 ≥0.9 and no assay carryover, was observed. For reportable range, a minimum of 1000 events in the CD3+CD4+ gate was required for Tregs assay. Moreover, the results for Tregs labeled by antibodies from the 3 manufacturers were in good agreement. The percentage of CD4+CD25+CD127low/- Tregs was closely correlated with CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs. CONCLUSIONS.­: This is the first study to evaluate systematically the measurement performance of Tregs in peripheral blood by flow cytometry, which provides a practical solution to verifying the performance of flow cytometry-based immune monitoring projects in clinical practice.

Organic Integration of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicines-Future of Clinical Practice Guidelines of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicines.

The transformation and implementation of clinical practice guidelines for integrated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine (WM) is crucial to the adoption of medical science and technological findings and is an important way for TCM to be made available to the world. First, clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) of TCM and WM integration in recent years was analyzed to clarify the current situation and problems in the existing guidelines according to the following four perspectives: (1) perspective of TCM and WM integration in guidelines, (2) diagnosis Using integrated TCM and WM, (3) integration of TCM and WM treatment, (4) promoting TCM and WM integration. Secondly, the information and quality evaluation of CPGs for integrated Chinese and Western medicine in 2020-2022 were analyzed to explore the degree and methods of integration of Chinese and Western medicine guidelines. And last this study aimed to lay a foundation for the further establishment of Chinese characteristic, repeatable, and calculable clinical practice guidelines of TCM and WM integration.

Willingness to take long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis among men who have sex with men who participated in the CROPrEP study: a cross-sectional online study.

INTRODUCTION: Evidence on the willingness of men who have sex with men (MSM) with oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) experience, especially those with suboptimal adherence, to take long-acting injectable PrEP (LAI-PrEP) is critical to guide future LAI-PrEP implementation. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess the willingness of MSM with oral PrEP experience to take LAI-PrEP. METHODS: MSM who participated in the China Real-world Study of Oral PrEP (CROPrEP) were enrolled in this study. Information on the willingness of MSM to take LAI-PrEP and potential correlates was collected using a structured online questionnaire. The main outcomes were the willingness of MSM to take LAI-PrEP and its association with HIV-related behaviours, sexually transmitted infections, and oral PrEP history. Logistic regression was used to identify correlates of the willingness of MSM to take LAI-PrEP. RESULTS: A total of 612 former CROPrEP participants (FCPs) were included in this study. There were 315 (51.5%) daily oral PrEP (D-PrEP) users and 297 (48.5%) event-driven oral PrEP (ED-PrEP) users at the last follow-up. Most FCPs (77.8%) were willing to take free LAI-PrEP. FCPs with no less than two sexual male partners (aOR = 1.54, [95% CI: 1.04, 2.29], P = 0.031), those with male partners with unknown HIV statuses (aOR = 2.04, [95% CI: 1.31, 3.18], P = 0.002), those with recreational drug use (aOR = 1.58, [95% CI: 1.05, 2.40], P = 0.030), and those with HSV-2 positivity (aOR = 2.15, [95% CI: 1.30, 3.57], P = 0.003) were more willing to take LAI-PrEP, while ED-PrEP users (aOR = 0.66, [95% CI: 0.45, 0.98], P = 0.037) and FCPs with suboptimal oral PrEP adherence (aOR = 0.58, [95% CI: 0.36, 0.94], P = 0.026) were less willing to take LAI-PrEP. CONCLUSION: LAI-PrEP has good prospects for expanding PrEP coverage. However, FCPs with suboptimal oral PrEP adherence are less likely to take LAI-PrEP. Further intervention and implementation efforts are needed to improve the willingness of MSM to use LAI-PrEP, and sexual health should be considered during the discussion about PrEP initiation.

Graphdiyne and Nitrogen-Doped Graphdiyne Nanotubes as Highly Efficient Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Electrocatalysts with high efficiency and low cost are always urgently needed for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). As a new carbon allotrope, graphdiyne (GDY) has received much attention due to its unique chemical structure containing sp- and sp2-hybridized carbons, and intrinsic electrochemical activity ascribed to its inherent conductivity. Herein, we prepared two graphdiyne materials named GDY nanotube and nitrogen-doped GDY (NGDY) nanotube via cross-coupling reactions on the surface of Cu nanowires. As metal-free catalysts, their electrocatalytic activities for ORR were demonstrated. The results showed that the NGDY nanotube presents more excellent electrochemical performance than that of the GDY nanotube, including more positive potential and faster kinetics and charge transfer process. The improvement can be ascribed to the greater number of structural electrocatalytic active sites from nitrogen atoms as well as the hollow nanotube morphology, which is beneficial to the adsorption of oxygen and acceleration of the catalytic reaction. This work helps develop high-quality graphdiyne-based electrocatalysts with well-defined chemical structures and morphologies for various electrochemical reactions.

Inhibitory receptor CD47 binding to plasma TSP1 suppresses NK-cell IFN-γ production via activating the JAK/STAT3 pathway during HIV infection.

BACKGROUND: Natural killer (NK) cells play an important first-line role against tumour and viral infections and are regulated by inhibitory receptor expression. Among these inhibitory receptors, the expression, function, and mechanism of cluster of differentiation 47 (CD47) on NK cells during human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection remain unclear. METHODS: Fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from people living with HIV (PLWH) and HIV negative controls (NC) subjects. Soluble ligand expression levels of CD47 were measured using ELISA. HIV viral proteins or Toll-like receptor 7/8 (TLR7/8) agonist was used to investigate the mechanisms underlying the upregulation of CD47 expression. The effect of CD47 on NK cell activation, proliferation, and function were evaluated by flow cytometry. RNA-seq was used to identify downstream pathways for CD47 and its ligand interactions. A small molecule inhibitor was used to restore the inhibition of NK cell function by CD47 signalling. RESULTS: CD47 expression was highly upregulated on the NK cells from PLWH, which could be due to activation of the Toll-like receptor 7/8 (TLR7/8) pathway. Compared with NC subjects, PLWH subjects exhibited elevated levels of CD47 ligands, thrombospondin-1 (TSP1), and counter ligand signal regulatory protein-α (SIRPα). The TSP1-CD47 axis drives the suppression of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) production and the activation of the Janus kinase signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway in NK cells. After treatment with a STAT3 inhibitor, the NK cells from PLWH showed significantly improved IFN-γ production. CONCLUSIONS: The current data indicate that the binding of the inhibitory receptor CD47 to plasma TSP1 suppresses NK cell IFN-γ production by activating the JAK/STAT3 pathway during HIV infection. Our results suggest that CD47 and its related signalling pathways could be targets for improving NK cell function in people living with HIV.

Online distribution of HIV self-testing kits to promote HIV testing among men who have sex with men discontinuing pre-exposure prophylaxis after demonstration project completion in China: a multicentre open-label randomized controlled trial.

Background: HIV self-testing (HIVST) offers potential solutions to challenges associated with site-based HIV testing (SBHT). However, the effectiveness of HIVST as an HIV prevention strategy for men who have sex with men (MSM) discontinuing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) after the completion of PrEP demonstration project has rarely been assessed. Methods: The China Real-world Study of Oral PrEP (CROPrEP) project was conducted in four cities in China. Participants were directed to community resources to continue their PrEP medication after the discontinuation of project-provided PrEP at the last CROPrEP visit. We conducted a multicentre open-label randomized controlled trial among MSM who had discontinued PrEP induced by the completion of CROPrEP. Eligible participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group (1:1). Participants received regular health education and behavioural interventions throughout the trial. The intervention group was given a link to order free HIVST kits online, while the control group received information about free SBHT. Both groups completed internet-based follow-up surveys at three and six months. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants who underwent HIV testing during the six-month follow-up period. This trial was registered at chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2000038416). Findings: Between November 2020 and January 2021, we recruited a total of 620 participants (300 in the intervention group and 320 in the control group). The follow-up completion rates were 99·0% and 95·0% in the intervention and control groups, respectively. At baseline, the median age of participants was 32 (interquartile range: 26-37), and 77·7% underwent HIV testing in the past three months. The proportion of participants who underwent HIV testing in the past three months was higher in the intervention group than in the control group at both the three-month (adjusted risk difference [RD]: 36·7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 35·1-38·5, p < 0·001) and six-month (RD: 26·7, 95% CI: 24·6-28·7 p < 0·001) follow-up periods. Interpretation: Our study suggests that providing online distribution of HIVST kits for MSM with PrEP discontinuation induced by completion of the PrEP project effectively promoted HIV testing. This digital approach improves access to HIV testing for MSM and can be applicable to other settings where MSM turn to online public health services. Funding: The study was funded by the Fund of National Natural Science Foundation of China; the Mega-Projects of National Science Research for the 13th Five-Year Plan; and the Liaoning Revitalization Talents Program, China.

Recurrent steroid cell tumor not otherwise specified with elevated testosterone and prolactin concentrations and impaired glucose metabolism: a case report.

Steroid cell tumor not otherwise specified (SCT-NOS) is a rare type of sex cord-stromal tumor with malignant potential. A 19-year-old woman underwent laparoscopic bilateral cystectomy, and postoperative pathology showed bilateral ovarian SCT-NOS. She had recurrence of the right tumor 8 years after the surgery, with shortened menstrual cycles, elevated testosterone and prolactin concentrations, and impaired glucose metabolism. We performed a laparoscopic right salpingo-oophorectomy. Testosterone and prolactin concentrations rapidly decreased and returned to the normal range after surgery. Subsequently, she had regular menstrual cycles and good glycemic control. The findings in our case suggest that there is a possibility of late recurrence in SCT-NOS. Therefore, we suggest that the postoperative follow-up period should be 10 years for this condition.

A phthalocyanine-based porous organic polymer for a lithium-ion battery anode.

Porous organic polymers (POPs) are a novel class of polymeric materials with high flexibility and designability for building structures. Herein, a phthalocyanine-based porous organic polymer (PcPOP) was constructed in situ on copper foil from H2Pc(ethynyl)4 [Pc(ethynyl)4 = 2(3),9(10),16(17),23(24)-tetra(ethynyl)phthalocyanine] by the coupling reaction. Benefiting from the uniformly distributed electron-rich nitrogen atoms in the Pc structure and the sp-hybridized carbons in the acetylenic linkage, Li intercalation in the porous organic polymer would be improved and stabilized. As a result, PcPOP showed remarkable electrochemical performance in lithium-ion batteries as the anode, including high specific capacity (a charge capacity of 1172 mA h g-1 at a current density of 150 mA g-1) and long cycling stability (a reversible capacity of 960.1 mA h g-1 can be achieved even after 600 cycles at a current density of 1500 mA g-1). The result indicates that the intrinsic doping of electron-rich sites of the building molecules is beneficial for the electrochemical performance of the porous organic polymer.

Research on the development methodology for clinical practice guidelines for organic integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

Integrated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine (WM) is a new medical science grounded in the knowledge bases of both TCM and WM, which then forms a unique modern medical system in China. Integrated TCM and WM has a long history in China, and has made important achievements in the process of clinical diagnosis and treatment. However, the methodological defects in currently published clinical practice guidelines limit its development. The organic integration of TCM and WM is a deeper integration of TCM and WM. To realize the progression of "integration" to "organic integration", a targeted and standardized guideline development methodology is needed. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to establish a standardized development procedure for clinical practice guidelines for the organic integration of TCM and WM to promote the systematic integration of TCM and WM research results into clinical practice guidelines in order to achieve optimal results as the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Xuebijing injection, a Chinese patent medicine, against severe pneumonia: Current research progress and future perspectives.

Severe pneumonia is one of the most common infectious diseases and the leading cause of sepsis and septic shock. Preventing infection, balancing the patient's immune status, and anti-coagulation therapy are all important elements in the treatment of severe pneumonia. As multi-target agents, Xuebijing injection (XBJ) has shown unique advantages in targeting complex conditions and saving the lives of patients with severe pneumonia. This review outlines progress in the understanding of XBJ's anti-inflammatory, endotoxin antagonism, and anticoagulation effects. From the hundreds of publications released over the past few years, the key results from representative clinical studies of XBJ in the treatment of severe pneumonia were selected and summarized. XBJ was observed to effectively suppress the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, counter the effects of endotoxin, and assert an anticoagulation effect in most clinical trials, which are consistent with experimental studies. Collectively, this evidence suggests that XBJ could play an important and expanding role in clinical medicine, especially for sepsis, septic shock and severe pneumonia. Please cite this article as: Zhang M, Zheng R, Liu WJ, Hou JL, Yang YL, Shang HC. Xuebijing injection, a Chinese patent medicine, against severe pneumonia: Current research progress and future perspectives. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(5): 413-422.

Clinical evidence of three traditional Chinese medicine drugs and three herbal formulas for COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread worldwide. Integrated Chinese and Western medicine have had some successes in treating COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of three traditional Chinese medicine drugs and three herbal formulas (3-drugs-3-formulas) in patients with COVID-19. SEARCH STRATEGY: Relevant studies were identified from 12 electronic databases searched from their establishment to April 7, 2022. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), non-RCTs and cohort studies that evaluated the effects of 3-drugs-3-formulas for COVID-19. The treatment group was treated with one of the 3-drugs-3-formulas plus conventional treatment. The control group was treated with conventional treatment. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Two evaluators screened and selected literature independently, then extracted basic information and assessed risk of bias. The treatment outcome measures were duration of main symptoms, hospitalization time, aggravation rate and mortality. RevMan 5.4 was used to analyze the pooled results reported as mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for continuous data and risk ratio (RR) with 95% CI for dichotomous data. RESULTS: Forty-one studies with a total of 13,260 participants were identified. Our analysis suggests that compared with conventional treatment, the combination of 3-drugs-3-formulas might shorten duration of fever (MD = -1.39; 95% CI: -2.19 to -0.59; P < 0.05), cough (MD = -1.57; 95% CI: -2.16 to -0.98; P < 0.05) and fatigue (MD = -1.36; 95% CI: -2.21 to -0.51; P < 0.05), decrease length of hospital stay (MD = -2.62; 95% CI -3.52 to -1.72; P < 0.05), the time for nucleic acid conversion (MD = -2.92; 95% CI: -4.26 to -1.59; P < 0.05), aggravation rate (RR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.38 to 0.64; P < 0.05) and mortality (RR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.19 to 0.62; P < 0.05), and increase the recovery rate of chest computerized tomography manifestations (RR = 1.22; 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.3; P < 0.05) and total effectiveness (RR = 1.24; 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.42; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The 3-drugs-3-formulas can play an active role in treating all stages of COVID-19. No severe adverse events related to 3-drugs-3-formulas were observed. Hence, 3-drugs-3-formulas combined with conventional therapies have effective therapeutic value for COVID-19 patients. Further long-term high-quality studies are essential to demonstrate the clinical benefits of each formula. Please cite this article as: You LZ, Dai QQ, Zhong XY, Yu DD, Cui HR, Kong YF, Zhao MZ, Zhang XY, Xu QQ, Guan ZY, Wei XX, Zhang XC, Han SJ, Liu WJ, Chen Z, Zhang XY, Zhao C, Jin YH, Shang HC. Clinical evidence of three traditional Chinese medicine drugs and three herbal formulas for COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the Chinese population. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(5): 441-454.

Effectiveness and safety of community-led assisted partner service among HIV-diagnosed men who have sex with men: a multicentre, randomized controlled trial in China.

Background: No randomized controlled trials have involved established HIV-diagnosed men who have sex with men (MSM) diagnosed for more than 6 months into the assisted partner service (aPS). We compared voluntary aPS involving community-based organizations (CBOs) and HIV self-testing (aPSST) with regular partner service (rPS) in HIV-diagnosed MSM irrespective of diagnosis time. Methods: In this unblinded, multicentre trial, we enrolled HIV-diagnosed MSM irrespective of diagnosis time in three cities in northern China. Index patients were randomly assigned to aPSST or rPS. Index patients in the aPSST group were additionally provided a comprehensive intervention package including HIV self-testing and CBO-based aPS compared with rPS group. The primary outcome was the number of index patients whose any sexual partner tested for HIV during the 6-month study. Completion of HIV testing was defined as sexual partners taking a clinic-based HIV test or HIV self-testing. Safety was assessed preliminary at the end of the 6-month follow-up. This study has been registered at chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2000038784). Findings: From March to December 2021, 325 of HIV-diagnosed MSM were enrolled (90⋅2% were established HIV-diagnosed MSM) and randomly assigned to receive aPSST (n = 167) or rPS (n = 158). At 6 months, 110 (65⋅9%) index patients in the aPSST group had at least one sexual partner tested for HIV compared with 50 (31⋅6%) in the rPS group (hazard ratio 2⋅86; 95% confidence interval 2⋅03-4⋅03; p < 0⋅001). No significant difference was observed in effects of aPSST on HIV testing promotion between established and newly HIV-diagnosed MSM. Self-reported harms were infrequently observed in both groups (approximately 2⋅0%). Interpretation: Among HIV-diagnosed MSM regardless of diagnosis time, voluntary aPS involving CBOs and HIV self-testing was effective and safe for promoting partner HIV testing. Funding: This work was supported by the Mega-Projects of National Science Research, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Liaoning Revitalization Talents Program, China.

Rational Fabrication of Ionic Covalent Organic Frameworks for Chemical Analysis Applications.

The rapid development of advanced material science boosts novel chemical analytical technologies for effective pretreatment and sensitive sensing applications in the fields of environmental monitoring, food security, biomedicines, and human health. Ionic covalent organic frameworks (iCOFs) emerge as a class of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with electrically charged frames or pores as well as predesigned molecular and topological structures, large specific surface area, high crystallinity, and good stability. Benefiting from the pore size interception effect, electrostatic interaction, ion exchange, and recognizing group load, iCOFs exhibit the promising ability to extract specific analytes and enrich trace substances from samples for accurate analysis. On the other hand, the stimuli response of iCOFs and their composites to electrochemical, electric, or photo-irradiating sources endows them as potential transducers for biosensing, environmental analysis, surroundings monitoring, etc. In this review, we summarized the typical construction of iCOFs and focused on their rational structure design for analytical extraction/enrichment and sensing applications in recent years. The important role of iCOFs in the chemical analysis was fully highlighted. Finally, the opportunities and challenges of iCOF-based analytical technologies were also discussed, which may be beneficial to provide a solid foundation for further design and application of iCOFs.