Objectives:To investigate the incidence and related risk factors of mid-term postoperative cognitive impairment by a single cognitive function test among heart transplant recipients.Methods:The heart transplant recipients who visited our heart transplant outpatient department from May to October of 2019 were recruited and received cognitive function test.Their heart transplantation,anesthesia,cardiopulmonary bypass and immunosuppressive therapy were performed by the same heart transplant team.Mini-mental state examination(MMSE)and Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA)were used to test the study population and diagnose cognitive impairment.The patients were divided into cognitive impairment group and non-cognitive impairment group,and the clinical characteristics,perioperative characteristics of heart transplantation,hospital outcomes and donor characteristics were compared between the two groups.After excluding those with missing data(n=34),48 patients in the cognitive impairment group and 50 patients in the non-cognitive impairment group were analyzed.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the potential influencing factors of cognitive impairment diagnosed by a single assessment after heart transplantation.Results:The median time of cognitive test after surgery was 2(1,4)years.The incidence of mid-term postoperative cognitive impairment by a single test among heart transplant recipients was 50.0%(66/132).Compared with the non-cognitive impairment group,patients in the cognitive impairment group were older at heart transplant([40.2±13.4]years vs.[46.4±11.0]years)and at cognitive test([42.3±13.0]years vs.[49.2±11.2]years),with a higher proportion of males(68.0%vs.87.5%),a higher proportion of those with lower education(less than high school)(31.9%vs.63.8%),and a longer postoperative hospital stay(32.0[26.0,38.8]d vs.38.0[20.3,50.0]d),and the differences between groups were statistically significant(all P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that older age at cognitive test(OR=1.067,95%CI:1.019-1.117,P=0.005),longer postoperative in-hospital stay(OR=1.051,95%CI:1.006-1.097,P=0.025)were associated with higher risk of mid-term postoperative cognitive impairment by a single test,while the education level higher than high school was an independent protective factor(OR=0.132,95%CI:0.029-0.607,P=0.009)of mid-term postoperative cognitive impairment.Conclusions:The incidence of mid-term postoperative cognitive impairment by a single test among heart transplant recipients is high.Patients with an older age,low education level,long postoperative in-hospital stay face increased risk of mid-term postoperative cognitive impairment,these patients need to be monitored for cognitive function during follow up to achieve early recognition and treatment of cognitive decline.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the presence or absence of improvement in chronic severe functional constipation (CSFC) at the early stage of treatment with electroacupuncture predicts subsequent response or non-response, and to determine the optimal treatment duration for assessing subsequent responses to electroacupuncture. METHODS: This is a post hoc analysis using data pooled from two large-scale randomized controlled trials. Patients with CSFC were recruited, and those in the electroacupuncture groups were included in the present study. Early improvement was defined as a weekly increase of ≥1 complete spontaneous bowel movement (CSBM) compared to baseline. Three treatment response criteria were evaluated: ≥ 3 CSBMs per week, overall CSBM response, and sustained CSBM response. Predictive statistics, including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value, were calculated at weeks 1-4. Receiver operating characteristic curves and accuracy rates were used to determine the optimal timepoint for differentiation between responders and non-responders. RESULTS: Cases from a total of 813 participants who received electroacupuncture were analyzed. The proportion of improvers was 40.34% by week 1, increasing to 52.52% by week 4. After 8 weeks of treatment, the response rates were 30.14%, 25.83% and 25.58% according to the three aforementioned criteria, respectively. Early improvement was a strong predictor of treatment response, with week 3 demonstrating the highest predictive accuracy. CONCLUSION Early improvement with electroacupuncture, especially at week 3, can predict subsequent outcomes. Our findings suggest that acupuncturists may identify non-responders who might require adjustments to therapeutic strategies early in treatment. Please cite this article as: Xiong ZY, Yan SY, Liu SX, Liu ZS. Early improvement to electroacupuncture at week 3 predicts ultimate response in patients with chronic severe functional constipation. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 274-281.
Humans ; Constipation/physiopathology* ; Electroacupuncture ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Adult ; Treatment Outcome ; Aged

OBJECTIVE: Poxviruses are zoonotic pathogens that infect humans, mammals, vertebrates, and arthropods. However, the specific role of ticks in transmission and evolution of these viruses remains unclear. METHODS: Transcriptomic and metatranscriptomic raw data from 329 sampling pools of seven tick species across five continents were mined to assess the diversity and abundance of poxviruses. Chordopoxviral sequences were assembled and subjected to phylogenetic analysis to trace the origins of the unblasted fragments within these sequences. RESULTS: Fifty-eight poxvirus species, representing two subfamilies and 20 genera, were identified, with 212 poxviral sequences assembled. A substantial proportion of AT-rich fragments were detected in the assembled poxviral genomes. These genomic sequences contained fragments originating from rodents, archaea, and arthropods. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that ticks play a significant role in the transmission and evolution of poxviruses. These viruses demonstrate the capacity to modulate virulence and adaptability through horizontal gene transfer, gene recombination, and gene mutations, thereby promoting co-existence and co-evolution with their hosts. This study advances understanding of the ecological dynamics of poxvirus transmission and evolution and highlights the potential role of ticks as vectors and vessels in these processes.
Animals ; Poxviridae/physiology* ; Ticks/virology* ; Phylogeny ; Transcriptome ; Evolution, Molecular ; Poxviridae Infections/virology* ; Genome, Viral

In recent years,the potential role of mitochondrial dynamics imbalance in the pathogenesis of various psychiatric disorders has attracted growing attention.Mitochondria regulate energy metabolism,oxidative stress,apoptosis,and neuronal function through dynamic processes such as fission and fusion.Disruption of these processes may impair synaptic function and neural network stability.In schizophrenia,depression,bipolar disorder,Alzheimer disease,and autism spectrum disorders,studies have reported dysregulated expression of mitochondrial fission-related proteins DRP1 and FIS1,as well as fusion-related proteins MFN1,MFN2,and OPA1,accompanied by structural and functional mitochondrial impairments,neuronal apoptosis,and synaptic loss.Evidence from clinical studies,animal models,and cell experiments further supports that these mitochondrial dynamics abnormalities are closely associated with cognitive deficits,emotional disturbances,and neurodegenerative changes.Although mitochondrial dynamic dysfunction alone cannot fully explain the onset of psychiatric disorders,it may represent a potential biological mechanism that offers new insights into disease mechanisms and provide a theoretical basis for developing targeted intervention strategies.

Objective To retrospectively analyze the distribution and differences of oral behavior among patients with acute and chro-nic painassociated with temporomandibular disorders(TMD).Methods A total of 212 patients with pain TMD in West China Hospital of Stomatology completed oral behaviors checklist(OBC).SPSS statistical software was used to analyze all the data.Results The pa-tients with pain-related TMD had specific oral behaviors,such as"pressure on the jaw during sleep"(49.5%),"unilateral chewing"(49.5%),"upper and lower teeth contact when not eating"(37.7%),etc.Scores of"upper and lower teeth contact when not eating"and"muscle tension when teeth are not clenched or teeth are not in contact"in patients with chronic pain TMD were higher than those of acute patients,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The total OBC scores and daytime OBC scores of chronic pain TMD patients were higher than those of acute pain patients,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in OBC scores of patients with acute and chronic pain TMD during sleep(P＞0.05).Conclusion Pain-related TMD patients had specific oral behaviors,and patients with chronic pain TMD exhibited higher levels of total OBC,daytime OBC,"upper and lower teeth contact when not eating"and"muscle tension when teeth do not bite or teeth are not in contact"oral behavior than acute pain TMD patients.In the treatment of patients with painful TMD,correcting the patient's bad oral behavior can help the treatment of pain-related TMD.

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) leads to reproductive aging in young women, such as reduced fertility and reduced hormone levels, which seriously affects women's physical and mental health and quality of life. The pathogenesis of POI is still unclear, and there is a large unknown space. In-depth exploration of its etiology and mechanism using animal models has important clinical significance, which can help identify and avoid risk factors in advance, and formulate targeted prevention and treatment strategies. Through the analysis and study of different POI mouse models, this paper can provide a reference for the basic research of POI and a new idea for improving the fertility of women of childbearing age.

As an important tissue of the body(accounting for approximately 40％of body weight),skel-etal muscle is composed of various cell types such as muscle fibers,muscle stem cells,and endothelial cells.It participates in physiological processes including movement,energy metabolism,and internal en-vironment homeostasis through temporal and spatial specific regulation.Its development is divided into two critical stages:embryonic and postnatal periods.Abnormal development can lead to diseases such as muscular dystrophy and directly affect the yield and quality of livestock meat.In recent years,the combi-nation of single-cell transcriptomics(scRNA-seq)and spatial omics(single-cell spatial omics technolo-gy)has provided a high-resolution research tool for analyzing the spatiotemporal dynamic regulatory net-work and intercellular interactions in skeletal muscle development.This article reviews the molecular mechanisms of skeletal muscle development and its application value in animal husbandry breeding,and systematically combs the research progress,analysis processes,data resources,and future directions of single-cell omics,spatial omics,and single-cell spatial omics technology in skeletal muscle development.Among them,single-cell omics can reveal the heterogeneity of skeletal muscle cells,myofiber differentia-tion trajectories in different livestock and poultry(such as cattle,pigs,and Tibetan chickens)through methods like pseudotime analysis and RNA velocity analysis.Furthermore,single-cell omics can identify key transcription factors(e.g.,MYF5,MYOD1)and cell communication pathways(e.g.,FGF7-FG-FR2),and simultaneously clarify the molecular differences in myoblast differentiation timing and cell composition ratio among different breeds.Relying on technologies such as Visium and Seq-Scope,spatial omics realizes the spatial localization of gene expression in pathological models of mice,Atlantic salmon,and broiler chickens.Spatial omics also clarifies the spatial distribution laws of neuromuscular junction region-specific genes and inflammation-fibrosis cascade reactions,and makes up for the defect of losing spatial context in single-cell technology.Although there are limited direct application cases of single-cell spatial omics technology,it has already analyzed the abnormal fate of myoblasts in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy through MERFISH technology.In terms of technology selection,it is necessary to consider research objectives,molecular modalities,and resolution requirements.At the same time,data analysis needs to address challenges such as data sparsity through methods like DCA denoising and RCTD cell type mapping.In addition,this article summarizes 16 muscle development-related databases inclu-ding HCA and PanglaoDB.This review further discusses the potential applications of these three types of technologies in the directional regulation of myoblast fate,precise intervention in the growth cycle,im-provement of microenvironment interactions,and the development of multi-omics genetic breeding mod-els.This paper is providing a more comprehensive and detailed theoretical reference and technical sup-port for basic research on skeletal muscle development and practical applications in the animal husbandry industry.

Objective:To investigate the effects of curcumin,berberine,and puerarin combination therapy on lipid levels in hyperlipidemic mice.Methods:A total of 40 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into eight groups:normal control group(A),high-fat control group(B),curcumin group(C),berberine group(D),puerarin group(E),low-dose combination group of curcumin,berberine,and puerarin(F),high-dose combination group of curcumin,berberine,and puerarin(G),and positive control group(H),with 5 mice in each group.The normal control group was fed a standard diet,while the other groups were given a high-fat diet.After establishing the hyperlipidemic model,the mice were administered with physiological saline,curcumin(200 mg/kg),berberine(200 mg/kg),puerarin(300 mg/kg),low-dose combination of curcumin(50 mg/kg),berberine(50 mg/kg),and puerarin(100 mg/kg),high-dose combination of curcumin(200 mg/kg),berberine(200 mg/kg),and puerarin(300 mg/kg),or simvastatin(6 mg/kg)via gavage for three weeks.After treatment,serum was collected from the mice for biochemical analysis of lipid levels and liver function.Liver tissues were subjected to HE staining,Western blot analysis and real-time quantitative PCR.Results:Curcumin,berberine,and puerarin,whether administered individually or in combination,can reduce the body weight of hyperlipidemic mice(P＜0.01).Treatment with curcumin,berberine,and puerarin individually significantly reduced lipid levels in hyperlipidemic mice(P＜0.05)and alleviated liver damage caused by hyperlipidemia(P＜0.05).Furthermore,the high-dose combination of curcumin,berberine,and puerarin exhibited a more pronounced effect on improving lipid levels(P＜0.01)and provided greater protective effects on the liver compared to the positive control group(P＜0.05).Additionally,curcumin,berberine,and puerarin administered individually can each promote the expression of the LDLR gene in high-fat diet mice(increased by 90％,85％,and 98％,respectively)and reduce the expression of the ACC gene(decreased by 42％,45％,and 43％,respectively).The combination of all three compounds enhances the expression of the LDLR gene in high-fat diet mice(increased by 90％with low-dose combination and 169％with high-dose combination)and reduces the expression of the ACC gene(decreased by 38％with low-dose combination and 42％with high-dose combination).Conclusion:The combination of curcumin,berberine,and puerarin significantly improves lipid levels in hyperlipidemic mice and mitigates liver damage associated with hyperlipidemia.

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) leads to reproductive aging in young women, such as reduced fertility and reduced hormone levels, which seriously affects women's physical and mental health and quality of life. The pathogenesis of POI is still unclear, and there is a large unknown space. In-depth exploration of its etiology and mechanism using animal models has important clinical significance, which can help identify and avoid risk factors in advance, and formulate targeted prevention and treatment strategies. Through the analysis and study of different POI mouse models, this paper can provide a reference for the basic research of POI and a new idea for improving the fertility of women of childbearing age.

Objective:To observe the efficacy of plasma beam combined with intense pulsed light on facial burn scars and its impact on scar score and pain level.Method:This study was a prospective study,and a random number table method was used to divided 92 patients with facial burn scars who were admitted to Maoming People's Hospital from March 2024 to August 2024 into control group(received intense pulsed light treatment,46 cases)and study group(received plasma beam treatment in addition to the control group,46 cases).The efficacy,related scale scores,scar recovery and incidence of adverse reaction rates between two groups were compaerd.Result:Compared with control group after treatment,the clinical total effective rate and the chinese version of the simplified burn health scale(BSHS-B)score of the study group were higher,while vancouver scar scale(VSS),visual analogue scale(VAS)scores,scar thickness,and scar blood flow perfusion were lower(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reaction rates between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion:Plasma beam combined with intense pulsed light on facial burn scars,can improve clinical efficacy,improve scar thickness and blood flow perfusion,alleviate scar itching and pain,and has good safety in treating facial burn scar patients.