Functional constipation （FC） is a clinically common functional bowel disorder characterized by a protracted course and associations with various chronic disorders and psychological abnormalities. Although not life-threatening， FC significantly impairs patients' quality of life. FC subtypes include slow-transit constipation （STC）， defecatory disorder （DD）， and normal-transit constipation （NTC）. The pathological mechanisms underlying FC have not been fully elucidated， and overall clinical efficacy remains unsatisfactory. Animal models of FC serve as essential tools for the study of disease mechanisms and the development of novel therapeutics. This article systematically reviews the current state of research on the animal models of FC and identifies that rodents， particularly rats and mice， are the most commonly used species. Dogs and pigs are also employed in complex intervention studies due to their physiological similarities to humans， though their use is limited by housing challenges and ethical considerations. Induction methods vary across different FC subtypes. STC models are primarily established with chemical agents such as loperamide or compound diphenoxylate. DD modeling often involves low-fiber diets combined with methylene blue injection or rectal narrowing. NTC modeling mainly relies on low-fiber dietary interventions. In addition， disease-syndrome combination models based on traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） theory have been developed， encompassing excess patterns such as heat accumulation， cold accumulation， and Qi stagnation， as well as deficiency patterns including Qi deficiency， blood deficiency， Yin deficiency， and Yang deficiency. These are achieved through an approach of disease model + syndrome induction， enabling the integration of mechanisms from both Western and TCM perspectives. Models are evaluated from two aspects： disease and syndrome manifestations （e.g.， colonic transit， secretory function， and TCM syndrome indicators such as mental state and body weight） and disease mechanisms （e.g.， enteric nervous system， interstitial cells of Cajal， smooth muscle cells， gut microbiota， and metabolites）. However， current research still faces challenges such as poor consistency in some models， non-specific interference in mechanism interpretation， insufficient studies on NTC， and lack of TCM tongue and pulse diagnosis in evaluation. Future efforts should focus on optimizing model stability and specificity to provide a more reliable experimental basis for investigating the pathological mechanisms of FC and developing therapeutic agents.

Background: and Purpose Live cell-based assays (LCBA) are increasingly used for serological antibody detection due to their ability to preserve antigen conformation, offering moderately higher sensitivity than fixed cell-based assays. However, the clinical necessity of prioritizing LCBA for the detection of aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG) in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) remains unclear, especially when compared to its established role in diagnosing myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease. Methods: We compared the performance of live cell-based assays using immunofluorescence (LCBA-IF) and fixed cell-based assays using immunofluorescence (FCBA-IF) in detecting AQP4-IgG in 90 cases of NMOSD meeting 2015 International Panel for Neuromyelitis Optica Diagnosis criteria, alongside 40 controls. Additionally, we further investigated the relationship between AQP4-IgG titers as measured by LCBA-IF and FCBA-IF and clinical parameters in NMOSD patients. Results: Results showed 96.9% agreement between LCBA-IF and FCBA-IF (Cohen’s κ=0.935), with a strong Spearman correlation (0.977, p<0.001). Both methods demonstrated 100% specificity, with LCBA-IF showing slightly higher sensitivity compared to FCBA-IF. Within LCBAIF-tested groups, statistically significant differences in annualized relapse rates were observed across all pairwise comparisons (low-titer vs. moderate-titer, low-titer vs. high-titer, and moderate-titer vs. high-titer; all p<0.050). However, this association reached statistical significance in some FCBA-IF-tested groups. Conclusions Overall, there is a strong concordance between LCBA-IF and FCBA-IF in detecting AQP4-IgG, where LCBA-IF shows slightly higher sensitivity. Furthermore, there is a potential link between elevated AQP4-IgG titers and an increased risk of relapse, and this correlation may appear more pronounced when using LCBA-IF.

[摘 要] 目的：探讨RNA结合基序蛋白15（RBM15）是否通过含跨膜Bax抑制基序蛋白6（TMBIM6）/TGF-β/Smad轴促进宫颈癌细胞增殖、迁移及侵袭。方法：收集2023年1月至2025年1月在苏州大学附属张家港医院接受手术治疗的82例宫颈癌患者的肿瘤组织与癌旁组织。应用R语言分析癌症基因组图谱（TCGA）数据库中RBM15、TMBIM6 mRNA的表达；采用免疫组织化学法和Western blotting法检测RBM15、TMBIM6蛋白表达；采用Kaplan-Meier曲线分析RBM15、TMBIM6 mRNA表达与宫颈癌患者预后的关系；采用CCK-8法、划痕实验及Transwell侵袭实验检测RBM15、TMBIM6对宫颈癌细胞增殖、迁移及侵袭的影响；利用基于序列的RNA腺苷甲基化位点预测工具（SRAMP）预测TMBIM6 mRNA的N6-甲基腺苷（m6A）修饰位点；采用RNA免疫共沉淀（RIP）实验、RNA衰变和挽救实验鉴定RBM15与TMBIM6 mRNA的相互作用；采用甲基化RNA免疫共沉淀定量PCR（MeRIP-qPCR）检测TMBIM6 mRNA的m6A富集；采用Western blotting法检测RBM15通过TMBIM6对宫颈癌细胞TGF-β/Smad通路相关蛋白表达的影响。结果：宫颈癌组织中RBM15 mRNA、TMBIM6 mRNA表达均高于癌旁组织（均P < 0.05），癌组织RBM15、TMBIM6阳性率均高于癌旁组织（均P < 0.001）。宫颈癌细胞系HeLa、MS-751、SiHa中RBM15、TMBIM6蛋白表达均高于正常宫颈上皮细胞系Ect1/E6E7（均P < 0.05）。国际妇产科联盟（FIGO）分期ⅠB2～ⅡB期宫颈癌组织中RBM15、TMBIM6蛋白阳性率高于ⅠA～ⅠB1期（P均 < 0.05）。RBM15 mRNA高表达组、TMBIM6 mRNA高表达组5年无进展生存率分别低于各自的低表达组（均P < 0.05）。宫颈癌组织中RBM15 mRNA与TMBIM6 mRNA表达呈正相关（P < 0.05）。SRAMP预测结果显示，TMBIM6 mRNA序列的960、24876、25203位点为高可信度m6A修饰位点。在HeLa、SiHa细胞中过表达RBM15后，TMBIM6 mRNA和蛋白表达升高（P < 0.05）；敲低RBM15后，TMBIM6 mRNA和蛋白表达降低（P < 0.05）。与IgG组相比，RBM15抗体免疫沉淀物中TMBIM6 mRNA显著富集。MeRIP-qPCR结果显示，TMBIM6 mRNA的960、24876、25203位点均存在明显的m6A富集。敲低RBM15可缩短TMBIM6 mRNA半衰期并降低其稳定性。敲低RBM15可抑制宫颈癌细胞增殖、迁移及侵袭，过表达TMBIM6可逆转上述影响。在HeLa、SiHa细胞中过表达TMBIM6后，TGF-β1、Smad2、Smad3蛋白表达升高；敲低RBM15后，上述蛋白表达降低，过表达TMBIM6可逆转该影响。结论：RBM15可能通过m6A修饰提高TMBIM6 mRNA稳定性并激活TGF-β/Smad通路，从而促进宫颈癌细胞增殖、迁移及侵袭。

Objective To investigate the application value of spectral CT multi-quantitative parameters combined with clinical characteristics in predicting high-risk gastroesophageal varices(GOV)in patients with liver cirrhosis.Methods The results of upper abdominal spectral CT enhancement and electronic gastroscopy in 112 patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis were analyzed retrospec-tively,and the clinical data were collected.According to the gastroscopic manifestations,the patients were divided into high-risk GOV group(n=74)and low-risk GOV group(n=38).Univariate analysis was used to compare the spectral CT quantitative parameters and clinical characteristics between the two groups.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to screen the independent risk factors for high-risk GOV.R software was used to construct a nomogram model for predicting high-risk GOV,and the differentia-tion,calibration and clinical practicability of the prediction model were evaluated.Results The normalized iodine concentration(NIC)of liver left lobe,prothrombin time(PT),albumin(ALB)and liver function grading were independent risk factors for high-risk GOV(P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve of predicting high-risk GOV in nomo-gram model was 0.893.Calibration curve showed that the predicted results were basically consistent with the actual results.Decision curve analysis(DCA)showed that the prediction model had good clinical practicability.Conclusion The nomogram model based on NIC of liver left lobe,PT,ALB and liver function grading is helpful to predict patients with high-risk GOV in liver cirrhosis,and pro-vides a reference for clinical prevention and treatment of esophagogastric variceal bleeding(EVB).

This study was aimed at identifying the pathogenic bacteria responsible for the death of a young tiger at the Fujian Meihua Mountain South China Tiger Breeding Research Institute.Tissue samples from the lungs,liver,and intestines of the deceased tiger were collected,and the bacteria were cultured inasterile environment.The bacterial strains were characterized according to their morphological and molecular biological properties,including assessment of virulence genes and antibiotic resistance genes,mouse lethality tests,and antibiotic susceptibility evaluations.A predominant bacterial strain isolated from the liver of the deceased tiger was identified as enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(ETEC)strain Tiger22513F.Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that the Tiger22513F strain exhibited close genetic similarity to the reference strain ETEC(MF919609.1),with 99.9%nucleotide similarity,and resided on the same evolutionary branch.The Tiger22513F strain contained 11 antibiotic resistance genes(tetA,sul1,sul3,cmlA,floR,blaTEM,blaSHV,blaCMY-2,qnrA,qnrS,and qnrD)along with five virulence genes(VT1,fyuA,tsh,iucD,and ST).Mouse lethality tests indicated significant pathogenicity toward mice,affecting primarily the lungs,liver,and intestines.Antibiotic susceptibility testing demonstrated that this strain exhibited resistance to various classes of beta-lactam antibiotics,as well as quinolones and aminoglycosides.This investigation successfully isolated a multi-drug resistant enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strain with pronounced pathogenicity from the liver of a deceased tiger;thus providing valuable scientific insights for clinical diagnosis,as well as prevention and control measures,against ETEC infections in South China tigers.

Objective:To investigate the impact of sliding distance of the fmoral neck system (FNS) on the curative efficacy of displaced femoral neck fractures.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of the 179 patients with displaced femoral neck fracture who had been treated by FNS fixation at Department of Orthopaedics, The Second General Hospital of Fuzhou between September 2019 and September 2023. Based on the FNS sliding distance measured on X-ray films on the day after surgery or one day after surgery, the patients were assigned into 2 groups: a short sliding distance group [sliding distance ≤5 mm, n=55; 35 males, 20 females; median age: 50.0 (34.0, 59.0) years; body mass index (BMI): (24.0±2.4) kg/m 2] and a long sliding distance group [5 mm 0.05). At postoperative 3, 6, and 12 months, the distances of femoral neck shortening in the short sliding distance group [2.5 (0.7, 3.5) mm, 2.6 (0.7, 3.5) mm, and 2.7 (0.7, 3.5) mm] were significantly shorter than those in the long sliding distance group [3.2 (1.3, 5.7) mm, 3.2 (1.3, 7.1) mm, and 3.2 (1.4, 7.1) mm] ( P<0.05). The incidence of moderate-to-severe shortening at one year after surgery in the long sliding distance group [26.6% (33/124)] was significantly higher than that in the short sliding distance group [3.6%(2/55)] ( P<0.05). No significant differences were found between the 2 groups in tip-apex distance, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, fracture reduction quality, fracture healing time, or incidence of complications ( P>0.05). At the last follow-up, the Harris Hip Score in the short sliding distance group [93.5 (88.7, 96.2) points] was significantly higher than that in the long sliding distance group [90.1 (82.9, 94.9) points] ( P<0.05). Conclusion:In the treatment of displaced femoral neck fractures with FSN fixation, compared with those with a long sliding distance, the patients with a short sliding distance demonstrate superior outcomes in postoperative femoral neck shortening and functional recovery of the hip, but no significant difference in the incidence of complications.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical outcomes of combined complete preservation of chordal structure mitral valve replacement (C-MVR) with total anatomical arterial myocardial revascularization (TACR) in coronary patients with moderate-to-severe or severe ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR).Methods:This is a retrospective multi-center case series study. Data were retrospectively collected from 127 patients with coronary artery disease with moderate to severe or severe IMR who received TACR with C-MVR from July 2015 to April 2024 in 13 hospitals in China. There were 90 males and 37 females, aged (56.5±10.7) years (range: 33 to 74 years). Perioperative data and follow-up data including left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, and patency rate of arterial grafts of patients were collected. Comparisons were made using paired sample t-test or χ2 test. Results:In this cohort of 127 patients, 67 underwent concurrent tricuspid valve repair. During surgery, 113 grafts of the left internal mammary artery (LIMA), 127 grafts of the left radial artery, 80 grafts of the right radial artery, and 110 grafts of the right internal mammary artery (RIMA) were harvested. The number of the distal anastomosis was 4.2±0.4 (range: 3 to 5). The aortic cross-clamp time and cardiopulmonary bypass time were (97.5±23.4) minutes (range: 90 to 161 minutes) and (145.4±19.2) minutes (range: 101 to 210 minutes), respectively. There was one operative death. Intraoperative placement of an intra-aortic balloon pump was performed in 21 patients to improve the left ventricular ejection. No sternal ischemic occurred. All patients completed follow-up, with a mean follow-up period of (64.3±7.5) months (range: 4 to 110 months). No major cerebrovascular events occurred during the follow-up period, and all patients survived. Left ventricular ejection fraction improved postoperatively (55.0%±5.3% vs. 41.0%±15.3%, t=17.23, P<0.01). The proportion of patients with New York Heart Association functional class ≤2 increased postoperatively (23.6% (30/127) vs. 87.3% (110/126), χ2=103.77, P<0.01). The proportion of patients with Canadian Cardiovascular Society Angina Classification ≤3 decreased postoperatively (4.8% (6/126) vs. 78.7% (100/127), χ2=142.19, P<0.01). The left ventricular end-diastolic diameter decreased postoperatively ((5.70±4.50) cm vs. (6.10±0.23) cm, t=12.15, P<0.01). Coronary multi-detector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) follow-up was conducted for (60.5±11.7) months (range: 6 to 109 months) postoperatively. MDCTA confirmed the patency rates of the grafts: 96.4% (108/112) for the LIMA grafts, 88.9% (112/126) for the left radial artery grafts, 93.7% (74/79) for the right radial artery grafts, and 90.9% (100/110) for the free RIMA grafts. No significant differences in graft patency rates were observed between the arterial grafts ( χ2=5.24, P=0.155). Conclusion:The results of this multi-centre study demonstrate satisfactory mid-term results of C-MVR with TACR for the treatment of coronary artery disease with moderate to severe or severe IMR.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical outcomes of combined complete preservation of chordal structure mitral valve replacement (C-MVR) with total anatomical arterial myocardial revascularization (TACR) in coronary patients with moderate-to-severe or severe ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR).Methods:This is a retrospective multi-center case series study. Data were retrospectively collected from 127 patients with coronary artery disease with moderate to severe or severe IMR who received TACR with C-MVR from July 2015 to April 2024 in 13 hospitals in China. There were 90 males and 37 females, aged (56.5±10.7) years (range: 33 to 74 years). Perioperative data and follow-up data including left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, and patency rate of arterial grafts of patients were collected. Comparisons were made using paired sample t-test or χ2 test. Results:In this cohort of 127 patients, 67 underwent concurrent tricuspid valve repair. During surgery, 113 grafts of the left internal mammary artery (LIMA), 127 grafts of the left radial artery, 80 grafts of the right radial artery, and 110 grafts of the right internal mammary artery (RIMA) were harvested. The number of the distal anastomosis was 4.2±0.4 (range: 3 to 5). The aortic cross-clamp time and cardiopulmonary bypass time were (97.5±23.4) minutes (range: 90 to 161 minutes) and (145.4±19.2) minutes (range: 101 to 210 minutes), respectively. There was one operative death. Intraoperative placement of an intra-aortic balloon pump was performed in 21 patients to improve the left ventricular ejection. No sternal ischemic occurred. All patients completed follow-up, with a mean follow-up period of (64.3±7.5) months (range: 4 to 110 months). No major cerebrovascular events occurred during the follow-up period, and all patients survived. Left ventricular ejection fraction improved postoperatively (55.0%±5.3% vs. 41.0%±15.3%, t=17.23, P<0.01). The proportion of patients with New York Heart Association functional class ≤2 increased postoperatively (23.6% (30/127) vs. 87.3% (110/126), χ2=103.77, P<0.01). The proportion of patients with Canadian Cardiovascular Society Angina Classification ≤3 decreased postoperatively (4.8% (6/126) vs. 78.7% (100/127), χ2=142.19, P<0.01). The left ventricular end-diastolic diameter decreased postoperatively ((5.70±4.50) cm vs. (6.10±0.23) cm, t=12.15, P<0.01). Coronary multi-detector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) follow-up was conducted for (60.5±11.7) months (range: 6 to 109 months) postoperatively. MDCTA confirmed the patency rates of the grafts: 96.4% (108/112) for the LIMA grafts, 88.9% (112/126) for the left radial artery grafts, 93.7% (74/79) for the right radial artery grafts, and 90.9% (100/110) for the free RIMA grafts. No significant differences in graft patency rates were observed between the arterial grafts ( χ2=5.24, P=0.155). Conclusion:The results of this multi-centre study demonstrate satisfactory mid-term results of C-MVR with TACR for the treatment of coronary artery disease with moderate to severe or severe IMR.

Early identification of adolescent depression requires objective biomarkers. This study investigated the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) activation patterns and mismatch negativity (MMN) characteristics in adolescents with first-episode mild-to-moderate depression. We enrolled 33 patients and 33 matched healthy controls, measuring oxyhemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) concentration in the frontal cortex during verbal fluency tasks via fNIRS, and recording MMN latency/amplitude at Fz/Cz electrodes using event-related potentials (ERP). Compared with healthy controls, the depression group showed significantly prolonged MMN latency [Fz: (227.88 ± 31.08) ms vs. (208.70 ± 25.35) ms, P < 0.01; Cz: (223.73 ± 29.03) ms vs. (204.18 ± 22.43) ms, P < 0.01], and obviously reduced Fz amplitude [(2.42 ± 2.18) μV vs. (5.65 ± 5.59) μV, P = 0.03]. A significant positive correlation was observed between MMN latencies at Fz and Cz electrodes ( P < 0.01). Oxy-Hb in left frontopolar prefrontal channels (CH15/17) was significantly decreased in patient group ( P < 0.05). Our findings suggest that adolescents with depression exhibit hypofunction in the left prefrontal cortex and impaired automatic sensory processing. The combined application of fNIRS and ERP techniques may provide an objective basis for early clinical identification.
Humans ; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared/methods* ; Adolescent ; Prefrontal Cortex/physiopathology* ; Evoked Potentials/physiology* ; Depression/physiopathology* ; Female ; Male ; Oxyhemoglobins ; Electroencephalography

In animal navigation, head direction is encoded by head direction cells within the olfactory-hippocampal structures of the brain. Even in darkness or unfamiliar environments, animals can estimate their head direction by integrating self-motion cues, though this process accumulates errors over time and undermines navigational accuracy. Traditional strategies rely on visual input to correct head direction, but visual scenes combined with self-motion information offer only partially accurate estimates. This study proposed an innovative calibration mechanism that dynamically adjusts the association between visual scenes and head direction based on the historical firing rates of head direction cells, without relying on specific landmarks. It also introduced a method to fine-tune error correction by modulating the strength of self-motion input to control the movement speed of the head direction cell activity bump. Experimental results showed that this approach effectively reduced the accumulation of self-motion-related errors and significantly enhanced the accuracy and robustness of the navigation system. These findings offer a new perspective for biologically inspired robotic navigation systems and underscore the potential of neural mechanisms in enabling efficient and reliable autonomous navigation.
Animals ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Calibration ; Spatial Navigation/physiology* ; Head Movements/physiology* ; Neurons/physiology* ; Models, Neurological ; Head/physiology* ; Action Potentials/physiology*