Chondroitinase ABC combined with Schwann cell transplantation enhances restoration of neural connection and functional recovery following acute and chronic spinal cord injury

Schwann cell transplantation is considered one of the most promising cell-based therapy to repair injured spinal cord due to its unique growth-promoting and myelin-forming properties.A the Food and Drug Administration-approved Phase I clinical trial has been conducted to evaluate the safety of transplanted human autologous Schwann cells to treat patients with spinal cord injury.A major challenge for Schwann cell transplantation is that grafted Schwann cells are confined within the lesion cavity,and they do not migrate into the host environment due to the inhibitory barrier formed by injury-induced glial scar,thus limiting axonal reentry into the host spinal cord.Here we introduce a combinatorial strategy by suppressing the inhibitory extracellular environment with injection of lentivirus-mediated transfection of chondroitinase ABC gene at the rostral and caudal borders of the lesion site and simultaneously leveraging the repair capacity of transplanted Schwann cells in adult rats following a mid-thoracic contusive spinal cord injury.We report that when the glial scar was degraded by chondroitinase ABC at the rostral and caudal lesion borders,Schwann cells migrated for considerable distances in both rostral and caudal directions.Such Schwann cell migration led to enhanced axonal regrowth,including the serotonergic and dopaminergic axons originating from supraspinal regions,and promoted recovery of locomotor and urinary bladder functions.Importantly,the Schwann cell survival and axonal regrowth persisted up to 6 months after the injury,even when treatment was delayed for 3 months to mimic chronic spinal cord injury.These findings collectively show promising evidence for a combinatorial strategy with chondroitinase ABC and Schwann cells in promoting remodeling and recovery of function following spinal cord injury.

Activation of adult endogenous neurogenesis by a hyaluronic acid collagen gel containing basic fibroblast growth factor promotes remodeling and functional recovery of the injured cerebral cortex

The presence of endogenous neural stem/progenitor cells in the adult mammalian brain suggests that the central nervous system can be repaired and regenerated after injury.However,whether it is possible to stimulate neurogenesis and reconstruct cortical layers II to VI in non-neurogenic regions,such as the cortex,remains unknown.In this study,we implanted a hyaluronic acid collagen gel loaded with basic fibroblast growth factor into the motor cortex immediately following traumatic injury.Our findings reveal that this gel effectively stimulated the proliferation and migration of endogenous neural stem/progenitor cells,as well as their differentiation into mature and functionally integrated neurons.Importantly,these new neurons reconstructed the architecture of cortical layers II to VI,integrated into the existing neural circuitry,and ultimately led to improved brain function.These findings offer novel insight into potential clinical treatments for traumatic cerebral cortex injuries.

Pharmacological targeting cGAS/STING/NF-κB axis by tryptanthrin induces microglia polarization toward M2 phenotype and promotes functional recovery in a mouse model of spinal cord injury

The M1/M2 phenotypic shift of microglia after spinal cord injury plays an important role in the regulation of neuroinflammation during the secondary injury phase of spinal cord injury.Regulation of shifting microglia polarization from M1(neurotoxic and proinflammatory type)to M2(neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory type)after spinal cord injury appears to be crucial.Tryptanthrin possesses an anti-inflammatory biological function.However,its roles and the underlying molecular mechanisms in spinal cord injury remain unknown.In this study,we found that tryptanthrin inhibited microglia-derived inflammation by promoting polarization to the M2 phenotype in vitro.Tryptanthrin promoted M2 polarization through inactivating the cGAS/STING/NF-κB pathway.Additionally,we found that targeting the cGAS/STING/NF-κB pathway with tryptanthrin shifted microglia from the M1 to M2 phenotype after spinal cord injury,inhibited neuronal loss,and promoted tissue repair and functional recovery in a mouse model of spinal cord injury.Finally,using a conditional co-culture system,we found that microglia treated with tryptanthrin suppressed endoplasmic reticulum stress-related neuronal apoptosis.Taken together,these results suggest that by targeting the cGAS/STING/NF-κB axis,tryptanthrin attenuates microglia-derived neuroinflammation and promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury through shifting microglia polarization to the M2 phenotype.

Enhancement of motor functional recovery in thoracic spinal cord injury: voluntary wheel running versus forced treadmill exercise

Spinal cord injury necessitates effective rehabilitation strategies, with exercise therapies showing promise in promoting recovery. This study investigated the impact of rehabilitation exercise on functional recovery and morphological changes following thoracic contusive spinal cord injury. After a 7-day recovery period after spinal cord injury, mice were assigned to either a trained group(10 weeks of voluntary running wheel or forced treadmill exercise) or an untrained group. Bi-weekly assessments revealed that the exercise-trained group, particularly the voluntary wheel exercise subgroup, displayed significantly improved locomotor recovery, more plasticity of dopaminergic and serotonin modulation compared with the untrained group. Additionally, exercise interventions led to gait pattern restoration and enhanced transcranial magnetic motor-evoked potentials. Despite consistent injury areas across groups, exercise training promoted terminal innervation of descending axons. In summary, voluntary wheel exercise shows promise for enhancing outcomes after thoracic contusive spinal cord injury, emphasizing the role of exercise modality in promoting recovery and morphological changes in spinal cord injuries. Our findings will influence future strategies for rehabilitation exercises, restoring functional movement after spinal cord injury.

Transplantation of fibrin-thrombin encapsulated human induced neural stem cells promotes functional recovery of spinal cord injury rats through modulation of the microenvironment

Recent studies have mostly focused on engraftment of cells at the lesioned spinal cord,with the expectation that differentiated neurons facilitate recovery.Only a few studies have attempted to use transplanted cells and/or biomaterials as major modulators of the spinal cord injury microenvironment.Here,we aimed to investigate the role of microenvironment modulation by cell graft on functional recovery after spinal cord injury.Induced neural stem cells reprogrammed from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells,and/or thrombin plus fibrinogen,were transplanted into the lesion site of an immunosuppressed rat spinal cord injury model.Basso,Beattie and Bresnahan score,electrophysiological function,and immunofluorescence/histological analyses showed that transplantation facilitates motor and electrophysiological function,reduces lesion volume,and promotes axonal neurofilament expression at the lesion core.Examination of the graft and niche components revealed that although the graft only survived for a relatively short period(up to 15 days),it still had a crucial impact on the microenvironment.Altogether,induced neural stem cells and human fibrin reduced the number of infiltrated immune cells,biased microglia towards a regenerative M2 phenotype,and changed the cytokine expression profile at the lesion site.Graft-induced changes of the microenvironment during the acute and subacute stages might have disrupted the inflammatory cascade chain reactions,which may have exerted a long-term impact on the functional recovery of spinal cord injury rats.

Activation of cerebral Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate(Rac) 1 promotes post-ischemic stroke functional recovery in aged mice

Brain functional impairment after stroke is common;however,the molecular mechanisms of post-stroke recovery remain unclear.It is well-recognized that age is the most important independent predictor of poor outcomes after stroke as older patients show poorer functional outcomes following stroke.Mounting evidence suggests that axonal regeneration and angiogenesis,the major forms of brain plasticity responsible for post-stroke recovery,diminished with advanced age.Previous studies suggest that Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate(Rac)1 enhances stroke recovery as activation of Rac1 improved behavior recovery in a young mice stroke model.Here,we investigated the role of Rac1 signaling in long-term functional recovery and brain plasticity in an aged(male,18 to 22 months old C57BL/6J)brain after ischemic stroke.We found that as mice aged,Rac1 expression declined in the brain.Delayed overexpression of Rac1,using lentivirus encoding Rac1 injected day 1 after ischemic stroke,promoted cognitive(assessed using novel object recognition test)and sensorimotor(assessed using adhesive removal tests)recovery on days 14–28.This was accompanied by the increase of neurite and proliferative endothelial cells in the periinfarct zone assessed by immunostaining.In a reverse approach,pharmacological inhibition of Rac1 by intraperitoneal injection of Rac1 inhibitor NSC23766 for 14 successive days after ischemic stroke worsened the outcome with the reduction of neurite and proliferative endothelial cells.Furthermore,Rac1 inhibition reduced the activation of p21-activated kinase 1,the protein level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor,and increased the protein level of glial fibrillary acidic protein in the ischemic brain on day 28 after stroke.Our work provided insight into the mechanisms behind the diminished plasticity after cerebral ischemia in aged brains and identified Rac1 as a potential therapeutic target for improving functional recovery in the older adults after stroke.

Influences of Horticultural Therapy and Functional Recovery Training at a Day-Care Center for the Elderly and Text Mining of Care Records by AI

Background: In Japan, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, various behavioral restrictions were implemented from March 2020, resulting in an increased number of elderly people with reduced participation in care and rehabilitation. As a result, the decline in motor and cognitive functions became more pronounced. Purpose: The study examined how activities combining passive horticultural therapy, which is always introduced, with active functional recovery training, which is used in the functional recovery training of patients with hemiplegia, influence the behavior of elder people using the facility. Methods: 36 elder people with care need 1 or 2 who regularly used the day-care facilities after the pandemic ended and who agreed to participate in the study was included. The assessment data were every three months from December 2021 to December 2023 after the COVID-19 pandemic, the MMSE and Moca-J, TMIG-Index, and GDS15. AI-based text mining was used to compare changes in visit reports before and after the introduction of the Posture Chart and Red Code, and the relationship between the language used. Results: The results of MMSE and Moca-J were both significantly higher in Group B and C than in Group A. TIMG assessment, was significantly higher in Group B and C than in Group A, and Group C was significantly higher than Group B. The GDS, an assessment of depression in old age, tended to be significantly higher in Group A than in Groups B and C. In the “Co-Occurrence Network Analysis” shown after the introduction of the latest functional recovery training equipment such as the Red Cord, its results showed a high association between the words Bathing and CARE and words such as POSTURE, Red-Code, and AI, App, which are used in functional training and rehabilitation, and their analysis. Conclusion: At day-care facilities specializing in functional recovery training and rehabilitation, a combination of horticultural therapy and the latest functional training equipment found to help maintain the physical and mental health of elderly people certified as requiring nursing care. Since this is a short-term study following behavioral restrictions, long-term research should continue to study the effects of adding functional training, handled by rehabilitation professionals, to horticultural therapy.

Ruxolitinib improves the inflammatory microenvironment,restores glutamate homeostasis,and promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury

The inflammatory microenvironment and neurotoxicity can hinder neuronal regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord injury.Ruxolitinib,a JAK-STAT inhibitor,exhibits effectiveness in autoimmune diseases,arthritis,and managing inflammatory cytokine storms.Although studies have shown the neuroprotective potential of ruxolitinib in neurological trauma,the exact mechanism by which it enhances functional recovery after spinal cord injury,particularly its effect on astrocytes,remains unclear.To address this gap,we established a mouse model of T10 spinal cord contusion and found that ruxolitinib effectively improved hindlimb motor function and reduced the area of spinal cord injury.Transcriptome sequencing analysis showed that ruxolitinib alleviated inflammation and immune response after spinal cord injury,restored EAAT2 expression,reduced glutamate levels,and alleviated excitatory toxicity.Furthermore,ruxolitinib inhibited the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3 in the injured spinal cord and decreased the phosphorylation level of nuclear factor kappa-B and the expression of inflammatory factors interleukin-1β,interleukin-6,and tumor necrosis factor-α.Additionally,in glutamate-induced excitotoxicity astrocytes,ruxolitinib restored EAAT2 expression and increased glutamate uptake by inhibiting the activation of STAT3,thereby reducing glutamate-induced neurotoxicity,calcium influx,oxidative stress,and cell apoptosis,and increasing the complexity of dendritic branching.Collectively,these results indicate that ruxolitinib restores glutamate homeostasis by rescuing the expression of EAAT2 in astrocytes,reduces neurotoxicity,and effectively alleviates inflammatory and immune responses after spinal cord injury,thereby promoting functional recovery after spinal cord injury.

Hypidone hydrochloride(YL-0919)ameliorates functional deficits after traumatic brain injury in mice by activating the sigma-1 receptor for antioxidation

Traumatic brain injury involves complex pathophysiological mechanisms,among which oxidative stress significantly contributes to the occurrence of secondary injury.In this study,we evaluated hypidone hydrochloride(YL-0919),a self-developed antidepressant with selective sigma-1 receptor agonist properties,and its associated mechanisms and targets in traumatic brain injury.Behavioral experiments to assess functional deficits were followed by assessment of neuronal damage through histological analyses and examination of blood-brain barrier permeability and brain edema.Next,we investigated the antioxidative effects of YL-0919 by assessing the levels of traditional markers of oxidative stress in vivo in mice and in vitro in HT22 cells.Finally,the targeted action of YL-0919 was verified by employing a sigma-1 receptor antagonist(BD-1047).Our findings demonstrated that YL-0919 markedly improved deficits in motor function and spatial cognition on day 3 post traumatic brain injury,while also decreasing neuronal mortality and reversing blood-brain barrier disruption and brain edema.Furthermore,YL-0919 effectively combated oxidative stress both in vivo and in vitro.The protective effects of YL-0919 were partially inhibited by BD-1047.These results indicated that YL-0919 relieved impairments in motor and spatial cognition by restraining oxidative stress,a neuroprotective effect that was partially reversed by the sigma-1 receptor antagonist BD-1047.YL-0919 may have potential as a new treatment for traumatic brain injury.

Resting-state brain network remodeling after different nerve reconstruction surgeries:a functional magnetic resonance imaging study in brachial plexus injury rats

Distinct brain remodeling has been found after different nerve reconstruction strategies,including motor representation of the affected limb.However,differences among reconstruction strategies at the brain network level have not been elucidated.This study aimed to explore intranetwork changes related to altered peripheral neural pathways after different nerve reconstruction surgeries,including nerve repair,endto-end nerve transfer,and end-to-side nerve transfer.Sprague–Dawley rats underwent complete left brachial plexus transection and were divided into four equal groups of eight:no nerve repair,grafted nerve repair,phrenic nerve end-to-end transfer,and end-to-side transfer with a graft sutured to the anterior upper trunk.Resting-state brain functional magnetic resonance imaging was obtained 7 months after surgery.The independent component analysis algorithm was utilized to identify group-level network components of interest and extract resting-state functional connectivity values of each voxel within the component.Alterations in intra-network resting-state functional connectivity were compared among the groups.Target muscle reinnervation was assessed by behavioral observation(elbow flexion)and electromyography.The results showed that alterations in the sensorimotor and interoception networks were mostly related to changes in the peripheral neural pathway.Nerve repair was related to enhanced connectivity within the sensorimotor network,while end-to-side nerve transfer might be more beneficial for restoring control over the affected limb by the original motor representation.The thalamic-cortical pathway was enhanced within the interoception network after nerve repair and end-to-end nerve transfer.Brain areas related to cognition and emotion were enhanced after end-to-side nerve transfer.Our study revealed important brain networks related to different nerve reconstructions.These networks may be potential targets for enhancing motor recovery.

Preparation and applications of calcium ferrite as a functional material:A review

Calcium ferrite(CF)is recognized as a potential green and efficient functional material because of its advantages of magnetism,electrochemistry,catalysis,and biocompatibility in the fields of materials chemistry,environmental engineering,and biomedicine.There-fore,the obtained research results need to be systematically summarized,and new perspectives on CF and its composite materials need to be analyzed.Based on the presented studies of CF and its composite materials,the types and structures of the crystal are summarized.In addition,the current application technologies and theoretical mechanisms with various properties in different fields are elucidated.Moreover,the various preparation methods of CF and its composite materials are elaborated in detail.Most importantly,the advantages and disadvantages of the synthesis methods of CF and its composite materials are discussed,and the existing problems and emerging challenges in practical production are identified.Furthermore,the key future research directions of CF and its composite materials have been prospected from the potential application technologies to provide references for its synthesis and efficient utilization.

Optimizing the key parameter to accelerate the recovery of AMOC under a rapid increase of greenhouse gas forcing

Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation(AMOC)plays a central role in long-term climate variations through its heat and freshwater transports,which can collapse under a rapid increase of greenhouse gas forcing in climate models.Previous studies have suggested that the deviation of model parameters is one of the major factors in inducing inaccurate AMOC simulations.In this work,with a low-resolution earth system model,the authors try to explore whether a reasonable adjustment of the key model parameter can help to re-establish the AMOC after its collapse.Through a new optimization strategy,the extra freshwater flux(FWF)parameter is determined to be the dominant one affecting the AMOC’s variability.The traditional ensemble optimal interpolation(EnOI)data assimilation and new machine learning methods are adopted to optimize the FWF parameter in an abrupt 4×CO_(2) forcing experiment to improve the adaptability of model parameters and accelerate the recovery of AMOC.The results show that,under an abrupt 4×CO_(2) forcing in millennial simulations,the AMOC will first collapse and then re-establish by the default FWF parameter slowly.However,during the parameter adjustment process,the saltier and colder sea water over the North Atlantic region are the dominant factors in usefully improving the adaptability of the FWF parameter and accelerating the recovery of AMOC,according to their physical relationship with FWF on the interdecadal timescale.

3D Printing of Tough Hydrogel Scaffolds with Functional Surface Structures for Tissue Regeneration

Hydrogel scaffolds have numerous potential applications in the tissue engineering field.However,tough hydrogel scaffolds implanted in vivo are seldom reported because it is difficult to balance biocompatibility and high mechanical properties.Inspired by Chinese ramen,we propose a universal fabricating method(printing-P,training-T,cross-linking-C,PTC&PCT)for tough hydrogel scaffolds to fill this gap.First,3D printing fabricates a hydrogel scaffold with desired structures(P).Then,the scaffold could have extraordinarily high mechanical properties and functional surface structure by cycle mechanical training with salting-out assistance(T).Finally,the training results are fixed by photo-cross-linking processing(C).The tough gelatin hydrogel scaffolds exhibit excellent tensile strength of 6.66 MPa(622-fold untreated)and have excellent biocompatibility.Furthermore,this scaffold possesses functional surface structures from nanometer to micron to millimeter,which can efficiently induce directional cell growth.Interestingly,this strategy can produce bionic human tissue with mechanical properties of 10 kPa-10 MPa by changing the type of salt,and many hydrogels,such as gelatin and silk,could be improved with PTC or PCT strategies.Animal experiments show that this scaffold can effectively promote the new generation of muscle fibers,blood vessels,and nerves within 4 weeks,prompting the rapid regeneration of large-volume muscle loss injuries.

Near-infrared brain functional characteristics of mild cognitive impairment with sleep disorders

BACKGROUND Mild cognitive impairment(MCI)has a high risk of progression to Alzheimer’s disease.The disease is often accompanied by sleep disorders,and whether sleep disorders have an effect on brain function in patients with MCI is unclear.AIM To explore the near-infrared brain function characteristics of MCI with sleep disorders.METHODS A total of 120 patients with MCI(MCI group)and 50 healthy subjects(control group)were selected.All subjects underwent the functional near-infrared spec-troscopy test.Collect baseline data,Mini-Mental State Examination,Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale,fatigue severity scale(FSS)score,sleep parameter,and oxyhemoglobin(Oxy-Hb)concentration and peak time of functional near-infrared spectroscopy test during the task period.The relationship between Oxy-RESULTS Compared with the control group,the FSS score of the MCI group was higher(t=11.310),and the scores of Pittsburgh sleep quality index,sleep time,sleep efficiency,nocturnal sleep disturbance,and daytime dysfunction were higher(Z=-10.518,-10.368,-9.035,-10.661,-10.088).Subjective sleep quality and total sleep time scores were lower(Z=-11.592,-9.924).The sleep efficiency of the MCI group was lower,and the awakening frequency,rem sleep latency period,total sleep time,and oxygen desaturation index were higher(t=5.969,5.829,2.887,3.003,5.937).The Oxy-Hb concentration at T0,T1,and T2 in the MCI group was lower(t=14.940,11.280,5.721),and the peak time was higher(t=18.800,13.350,9.827).In MCI patients,the concentration of Oxy-Hb during T0 was negatively correlated with the scores of Pittsburgh sleep quality index,sleep time,total sleep time,and sleep efficiency(r=-0.611,-0.388,-0.563,-0.356).It was positively correlated with sleep efficiency and total sleep time(r=0.754,0.650),and negatively correlated with oxygen desaturation index(r=-0.561)and FSS score(r=-0.526).All comparisons were P<0.05.CONCLUSION Patients with MCI and sleep disorders have lower near-infrared brain function than normal people,which is related to sleep quality.Clinically,a comprehensive assessment of the near-infrared brain function of patients should be carried out to guide targeted treatment and improve curative effect.

Boosting high-performance in Zr-rich side protonic solid oxide electrolysis cells by optimizing functional interlayer

Protonic solid oxide electrolysis cells(P-SOECs)are a promising technology for water electrolysis to produce green hydrogen.However,there are still challenges related key materials and anode/electrolyte interface.P-SOECs with Zr-rich electrolyte,called Zr-rich side P-SOECs,possess high thermodynamically stability under high steam concentrations but the large reaction resistances and the current leakage,thus the inferior performances.In this study,an efficient functional interlayer Ba_(0.95)La_(0.05)Fe_(0.8)Zn_(0.2)O_(3-δ)(BLFZ)in-between the anode and the electrolyte is developed.The electrochemical performances of P-SOECs are greatly enhanced because the BLFZ can greatly increase the interface contact,boost anode reaction kinetics,and increase proton injection into electrolyte.As a result,the P-SOEC yields high current density of 0.83 A cm^(-2) at 600℃ in 1.3 Vamong all the reported Zr-rich side cells.This work not only offers an efficient functional interlayer for P-SOECs but also holds the potential to achieve P-SOECs with high performances and long-term stability.

Experimental Study and a Modified Model for Temperature-Recovery Stress of Shape Memory Alloy Wire under Different Temperatures

To investigate the performance of utilizing the shape memory effect of SMA(Shape Memory Alloy)wire to generate recovery stress,this paper performed single heating recovery stress tests and reciprocating heating-cooling recovery stress tests on SMA wire under varying initial strain conditions.The effects of various strains and different energized heating methods on the recovery stress of SMA wires were explored in the single heating tests.The SMA wire was strained from 2%to 8%initially,and two distinct heating approaches were employed:one using a large current interval for rapid heating and one using a small current interval for slower heating.The experimental outcomes reveal that during a single heating cycle,the temperature-recovery stress relationship of SMA wire exhibits three distinct stages:the martensite phase stage,the transition stage from martensite to austenite phase,and the austenite phase stage.Notably,the choice of heating method does not influence the maximum recovery stress value,and the correlation between initial strain and maximum recovery stress is predominantly linear.Moreover,conducting the reciprocating temperature rise and fall performance test is important to better simulate the scenario in practical engineering where multiple recovery stress in SMA wires for structural repair.In this test,two temperature cycling methods were studied:interval rise and fall,as well as direct rise and fall.In the case of utilizing the interval temperature rise and fall method,it was observed that the recovery stress associated with cooling was significantly higher than that corresponding to heating at the same temperature.Furthermore,the recovery stress was lower upon subsequent heating than that measured during the previous heating cycle.Based on the experimental results,a prediction model for the temperature-recovery stress relationship has been proposed to simplify numerical calculations.It is hoped that an approximate temperaturerecovery stress curve can be obtained from the parameters of the SMA wire.The calculated values derived from this model show good alignment with the measured values,indicating its reliability.

Clinical significance of perioperative probiotic intervention on recovery following intestinal surgery

Restoring the balance of gut microbiota has emerged as a critical strategy in treating intestinal disorders,with probiotics playing a pivotal role in maintaining bacterial equilibrium.Surgical preparations,trauma,and digestive tract reconstruction associated with intestinal surgeries often disrupt the intestinal flora,prompting interest in the potential role of probiotics in postoperative recovery.Lan et al conducted a prospective randomized study on 60 patients with acute appendicitis,revealing that postoperative administration of Bacillus licheniformis capsules facilitated early resolution of inflammation and restoration of gastrointestinal motility,offering a novel therapeutic avenue for accelerated postoperative recovery.This editorial delves into the effects of perioperative probiotic supplementation on physical and intestinal recovery following surgery.Within the framework of enhanced recovery after surgery,the exploration of new probiotic supplementation strategies to mitigate surgical complications and reshape gut microbiota is particularly intriguing.

Addressing functional constipation in children:A call for comprehensive and collaborative management

Functional constipation(FC)is the most common gastrointestinal disorder in children,with a global prevalence of 14.4%based on Rome IV criteria.This editorial explores the multifactorial pathogenesis and diagnostic complexity of FC,emphasizing the importance of early and accurate diagnosis.Effective management of FC hinges on child-oriented toilet training and the use of osmotic laxatives,particularly polyethylene glycol.Emerging therapies,including probiotics,serotonin 5-HT4 receptor agonists,chloride channel activators,and herbal remedies,offer promising options but require further research.Lifestyle modifications,such as adequate fiber and fluid intake and physiotherapy,are crucial in supporting pharmacological treatments.For intractable cases,a multidisciplinary approach involving pediatric specialists,nutritionists,physiotherapists,and psychologists is essential.This comprehensive strategy aims to improve the quality of life for children with FC and their families through continuous research,education,and collaborative care.

The Dantzig Selector:Sparse Signals Recovery via l_(1-q)Minimization Model

We propose the Dantzig selector based on the l_(1-q)(1<q≤2)minimization model for the sparse signal recovery.First,we discuss some properties of l_(1-q)minimization model and give some useful inequalities.Then,we give a sufficient condition based on the restricted isometry property for the stable recovery of signals.The l_(1-2)minimization model of Yin-Lou-He is extended to the l_(1-q)minimization model.

Alterations of interhemispheric functional connectivity in patients with hypertensive retinopathy using voxelmirrored homotopic connectivity:a resting state fMRI study

AIM:To analyze whether alterations of voxel mirror homology connectivity(VMHC)values,as determined by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rsfMRI),occur in cerebral regions of patients with hypertensive retinopathy(HR)and to determine the relationship between VMHC values and clinical characteristics in patients with HR.METHODS:Twenty-one patients with HR and 21 agematched healthy controls(HCs)were assessed by rsfMRI scanning.The functional connectivity between the hemispheres of the cerebrum was assessed by measuring VMHC,with the ability of VMHC to distinguish between the HR and HC groups assessed using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.Differences in the demographic and clinical characteristics of the HR and HC groups were analyzed by independent sample t-tests.The relationship between average VMHC in several brain areas of HR patients and clinical features was determined using Pearson correlation analysis.RESULTS:Mean VMHC values of the bilateral cuneus gyrus(BA19),bilateral middle orbitofrontal gyrus(BA47),bilateral middle temporal gyrus(BA39)and bilateral superior medial frontal gyrus(BA9)were lower in the HR than in the HC group.CONCLUSION:VMHC values can predict the development of early HR,prevent the transformation of hypertensive microangiopathy,and provide useful information explaining the changes in neural mechanism associated with HR.