Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG triggers intestinal epithelium injury in zebrafish revealing host dependent beneficial effects.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), the well-characterized human-derived probiotic strain, possesses excellent properties in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis, immunoregulation and defense against gastrointestinal pathogens in mammals. Here, we demonstrate that the SpaC pilin of LGG causes intestinal epithelium injury by inducing cell pyroptosis and gut microbial dysbiosis in zebrafish. Dietary SpaC activates Caspase-3-GSDMEa pathways in the intestinal epithelium, promotes intestinal pyroptosis and increases lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-producing gut microbes in zebrafish. The increased LPS subsequently activates Gaspy2-GSDMEb pyroptosis pathway. Further analysis reveals the Caspase-3-GSDMEa pyroptosis is initiated by the species-specific recognition of SpaC by TLR4ba, which accounts for the species-specificity of the SpaC-inducing intestinal pyroptosis in zebrafish. The observed pyroptosis-driven gut injury and microbial dysbiosis by LGG in zebrafish suggest that host-specific beneficial/harmful mechanisms are critical safety issues when applying probiotics derived from other host species and need more attention.

A Robust Pyro-phototronic Route to Markedly Enhanced Photocatalytic Disinfection.

Photocatalysis offers a direct, yet robust, approach to eradicate pathogenic bacteria. However, the practical implementation of photocatalytic disinfection faces a significant challenge due to low-efficiency photogenerated carrier separation and transfer. Here, we present an effective approach to improve photocatalytic disinfection performance by exploiting the pyro-phototronic effect through a synergistic combination of pyroelectric properties and photocatalytic processes. A set of comprehensive studies reveals that the temperature fluctuation-induced pyroelectric field promotes photoexcited carrier separation and transfer and thus facilitates the generation of reactive oxygen species and ultimately enhances photocatalytic disinfection performance. It is worth highlighting that the constructed film demonstrated an exceptional antibacterial efficiency exceeding 95% against pathogenic bacteria under temperature fluctuations and light irradiation. Moreover, the versatile modulation role of the pyro-phototronic effect in boosting photocatalytic disinfection was corroborated. This work paves the way for improving photocatalytic disinfection efficiency by harnessing the synergistic potential of various inherent material properties.

Hydrodynamic behavior of freshwater-saltwater mixing zone in the context of subsurface physical barriers.

The seawater intrusion (SWI) process lasts for decades in real world, thus the research on dynamic process of SWI is essential. The freshwater-saltwater mixing zone plays a crucial role in governing the groundwater movement and the solute transport in coastal aquifers. To date, there has been a lack of research on the hydrodynamic behavior of the mixing zone in the presence of subsurface physical barriers. In this work, we employed laboratory experiments and numerical simulations to investigate the dynamics of the mixing zone, comparing scenarios with and without subsurface physical barriers. The findings indicate that the construction of a subsurface physical barrier will not immediately slow down the seawater intrusion velocity and change the salinity distribution of mixing zone. The block effect of subsurface physical barriers with different heights or bottom opening sizes became apparent only when the wedge toe approached the physical barriers. The widening effect of increasing longitudinal dispersivity on the mixing zone width was more pronounced during the dynamic process compared to the steady state. Furthermore, the widening effect of increasing longitudinal dispersivity on the mixing zone was more significant compared to transverse dispersivity in both the SWI and subsurface dam scenarios throughout the intrusion process. However, in the cutoff wall scenarios, the widening effect of increasing transverse dispersivity became more obvious during the later intrusion period. Our conclusions provide a reference for the groundwater management in coastal aquifers. According to the current seawater intrusion situation, the local water bureau can predict the seawater intrusion velocity and the temporal changes of mixing zone after the construction of physical barriers.

Polar Organic Charge-Transfer Complex of the Asymmetrical Component for Flexible Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting and Self-Powered Wearable Sensors.

Organic piezomaterials have attracted much attention because of their easy processing, lightweight, and mechanic flexibility properties. Developing new smart organic piezomaterials is highly required for new-generation electronic applications. Here, we found a novel organic piezomaterial of organic charge-transfer complex (CTC) consisting of dibenzcarbazole analogue (DBCz) and tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) in the molecular-level heterojunction stacking mode. The DBCz-TCNQ complex exhibited ferroelectric properties (the saturated polarization of ∼1.23 µC/cm2) at room temperature with a low coercive field. The noncentrosymmetric alignment (Pc space group) led to a spontaneous polarization of this architecture and thus was the origin of the piezoelectric behavior. Lateral piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) based on the thermal evaporated CTC thin-film exhibited significant energy conversion behavior under mechanical agitation with a calculated piezoelectric coefficient (d31) of ∼33 pC/N. Furthermore, such a binary CTC thin-film constructed single-electrode PENG could show steady-state sensing performance to external stimuli as this flexible wearable device precisely detected physiological signals (e.g., finger bending, blink movement, carotid artery, etc.) with a self-powered supply. This work provides that the polar CTCs can act as efficient piezomaterials for flexible energy harvesting, conversion, and wearable sensing devices with a self-powered supply, enabling great potential in healthcare, motion detection, human-machine interfaces, etc.

Efficacy and safety of leuprorelin 3-month depot (11.25 mg) for idiopathic central precocious puberty treatment of Chinese girls: a single-center retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 3-month leuprorelin acetate (3-month LA, 11.25 mg) for the treatment of idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) in Chinese girls. METHODS: We conducted a single-center retrospective study in China on 28 girls with ICPP who received at least one year of 3-month LA treatment. Data from anthropometry, biochemistry, bone age (BA), and pelvic ultrasonography were assessed before and every 6 months during medication. RESULTS: At CPP diagnosis, the mean chronological age (CA) was 7.8±0.8 years, with bone age advancement (BA-CA) of 1.5±0.8 years. After treatment initiation, growth velocity decreased significantly from 8.5±1.6 cm/year to 5.8±1.1 cm/year at month 12 (p<0.001). GnRH-stimulated peak LH ≤3IU/L, the primary efficacy criterion, was observed in 27 out of 28 (96.4 %) children at month 3. Basal estradiol <20 pg/mL was achieved by all 28 girls (100 %) at month 6 and remained stable at month 12. Basal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) decreased from 4.1±3.5 to 1.7±0.9 (p<0.001), and basal LH was also significantly reduced from 3.3±6.5 to 0.7±0.8 (p=0.035) at month 12. The mean predicted adult height (PAH) at treatment initiation was 152.7±5.8 cm, it increased significantly to 157.5±5.5 cm (p=0.007) after one-year treatment. Pubertal development was slowed in most patients, and in some cases, it was even reversed. Only one patient (3.6 %) reported local intolerance. CONCLUSIONS: Three-month leuprorelin acetate is a safe and effective treatment for suppressing the pituitary-gonadal axis and restoring impaired adult height in Chinese girls.

Fabrication of Laser-Induced Graphene Based Flexible Sensors Using 355 nm Ultraviolet Laser and Their Application in Human-Computer Interaction System.

In recent years, flexible sensors based on laser-induced graphene (LIG) have played an important role in areas such as smart healthcare, smart skin, and wearable devices. This paper presents the fabrication of flexible sensors based on LIG technology and their applications in human-computer interaction (HCI) systems. Firstly, LIG with a sheet resistance as low as 4.5 Ω per square was generated through direct laser interaction with commercial polyimide (PI) film. The flexible sensors were then fabricated through a one-step method using the as-prepared LIG. The applications of the flexible sensors were demonstrated by an HCI system, which was fabricated through the integration of the flexible sensors and a flexible glove. The as-prepared HCI system could detect the bending motions of different fingers and translate them into the movements of the mouse on the computer screen. At the end of the paper, a demonstration of the HCI system is presented in which words were typed on a computer screen through the bending motion of the fingers. The newly designed LIG-based flexible HCI system can be used by persons with limited mobility to control a virtual keyboard or mouse pointer, thus enhancing their accessibility and independence in the digital realm.

Physically and Chemically Compartmentalized Polymersomes for Programmed Delivery and Biological Applications.

Multicompartment polymersomes (MCPs) refer to polymersomes that not only contain one single compartment, either in the membrane or in the internal cavity, but also mimic the compartmentalized structure of living cells, attracting much attention in programmed delivery and biological applications. The investigation of MCPs may promote the application of soft nanomaterials in biomedicine. This Review seeks to highlight the recent advances of the design principles, synthetic strategies, and biomedical applications of MCPs. The compartmentalization types including chemical, physical, and hybrid compartmentalization are discussed. Subsequently, the design and controlled synthesis of MCPs by the self-assembly of amphiphilic polymers, double emulsification, coprecipitation, microfluidics and particle assembly, etc. are summarized. Furthermore, the diverse applications of MCPs in programmed delivery of various cargoes and biological applications including cancer therapy, antimicrobials, and regulation of blood glucose levels are highlighted. Finally, future perspectives of MCPs from the aspects of controlled synthesis and applications are proposed.

Investigation of sponge medium for efficient concurrent tumor treating fields and radiotherapy for glioblastomas.

Realizing precise therapy for glioblastomas (GBMs), a kind of high-frequency malignant brain tumor, is of great importance in improving the overall survival (OS) of patients. With relentless efforts made in the past few years, a sponge medium has been introduced into concurrent tumor treating fields (TTFields) and radiotherapy to enhance therapy efficacy for GBMs, and some progresses have been witnessed. However, the specific physical and chemical characteristics of the sponge that can be used for GBMs have not been reported as far as we know. Therefore, this study aims to develop a simple yet robust method to select a candidate sponge medium and verify its safety in advanced concurrent TTFields and radiotherapy for GBMs through interdisciplinary investigation among materials science, medical physics, and clinical radiation oncology. Significantly, latex-free polyurethane (PU) sponges with a Hounsfield unit (HU) value lower than -750, which exhibit almost no negative influence on planning computed tomography (CT) imaging and radiotherapy dosimetry, are demonstrated to be available for concurrent TTFields and radiotherapy for GBMs. Moreover, in clinical research, the achieved clear CT images, negligible scalp toxicity, lower residual positioning errors, and high compliant rate of 82% over the selected representative sponge sample corroborate the availability and safety of PU sponges in practical applications for GBM treatment.

Polymeric Toroids Derived from the Fusion-Induced Particle Assembly of Anisotropic Bowl-Shaped Nanoparticles.

Polymeric toroids are fascinating soft nanostructures due to their unique geometry and properties, which have shown potential applications in the fields of nanoreactors, drug delivery, cancer therapy, etc. However, facile preparation of polymeric toroids is still challenging. Herein, we propose a fusion-induced particle assembly (FIPA) strategy to prepare polymeric toroids using anisotropic bowl-shaped nanoparticles (BNPs) as a building block. The BNPs are prepared in ethanol by the self-assembly of an amphiphilic homopolymer, poly(N-(2,2'-bipyridyl)-4-acrylamide) (PBPyAA), synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Upon incubation in ethanol above the glass transition temperature (Tg) of PBPyAA, the BNPs gradually aggregate to form trimers and tetramers due to the disturbance of the colloidal stability. With the increase in incubation time, the aggregated BNPs fuse with each other and then form toroids. Notably, we find that only anisotropic BNPs can aggregate and fuse to form toroids rather than spherical compound micelles due to high surface free energy and curvature at the edge of the BNPs. Besides, mathematical calculations further confirm the formation of trimers and tetramers during the FIPA process and the driving force for the formation of toroids. Overall, we propose a fresh insight for the facile preparation of polymeric toroids by the FIPA of anisotropic BNPs.

Polymeric Bowl-Shaped Nanoparticles: Hollow Structures with a Large Opening on the Surface.

Polymeric bowl-shaped nanoparticles (BNPs) are anisotropic hollow structures with large openings on the surface, which have shown advantages such as high specific area and efficient encapsulation, delivery and release of large-sized cargoes on demand compared to solid nanoparticles or closed hollow structures. Several strategies have been developed to prepare BNPs based on either template or template-free methods. For instance, despite the widely used self-assembly strategy, alternative methods including emulsion polymerization, swelling and freeze-drying of polymeric spheres, and template-assisted approaches have also been developed. It is attractive but still challenging to fabricate BNPs due to their unique structural features. However, there is still no comprehensive summary of BNPs up to now, which significantly hinders the further development of this field. In this review, the recent progress of BNPs will be highlighted from the perspectives of design strategies, preparation methods, formation mechanisms, and emerging applications. Moreover, the future perspectives of BNPs will also be proposed.

Repulsion driven by groundwater level difference around cutoff walls on seawater intrusion in unconfined aquifers.

Cutoff walls have been widely used to prevent seawater intrusion (SWI) in coastal regions. Previous studies generally concluded that the ability of cutoff walls to prevent seawater intrusion depends on the higher flow velocity at the wall opening, which we have shown is not the most critical mechanism. In this work, we implemented numerical simulations to explore the driving force of cutoff walls on the repulsion of SWI in both homogeneous and stratified unconfined aquifers. The results delineated that the inland groundwater level was raised by cutoff walls, which generated a significant groundwater level difference beside two sides of the wall and thus provided a large hydraulic gradient to repel SWI. We further concluded that by increasing inland freshwater influx, the construction of cutoff wall could result in a high inland freshwater hydraulic head and fast freshwater velocity. The high inland freshwater hydraulic head posed a large hydraulic pressure to push the saltwater wedge seawards. Meanwhile, the fast freshwater flow could rapidly carry the salt from the mixing zone to the ocean and induce a narrow mixing zone. This conclusion explained the reason that the cutoff wall can improve the efficiency of SWI prevention through recharging freshwater upstream. With a defined freshwater influx, the mixing zone width and saltwater pollution area mitigated with the increase of the ratio between high and low hydraulic conductivity values (KH/KL) of the two layers. This was because the increase of KH/KL caused a higher freshwater hydraulic head, a faster freshwater velocity in the high-permeability layer, and the prominent change of flow direction at the interface between the two layers. According to the above findings, we deduced that any way to increase the inland hydraulic head upstream of the wall would improve the efficiency of cutoff walls, such as the freshwater recharge, the air injection, and the subsurface dam.

A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis exploration of multiple paths to users' continuous use behavior of diabetes self-management apps.

BACKGROUND: Despite the obvious potential benefits of diabetes self-management apps, users' continuous use of diabetes self-management apps is still not widespread. Influential factors coexisted in information ecologies are likely to have a synthetic effect on users' continuous use behavior. However, it is less clear how factors in information ecologies combine to influence users' continuous use behavior. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study are to explore combinations of factors (perceived severity, information quality, service quality, system quality, and social influence) in information ecologies that lead to users' continuous use behavior of diabetes self-management apps and which combination is the most important. METHODS: Purpose sampling was used to recruit diabetes self-management app users from July 1, 2021 to January 31, 2022. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was then employed by conducting necessity and sufficiency analysis. RESULTS: In total 280 diabetes self-management app users participated. The necessity analysis indicated that no single factor was necessary to cause users' continuous use behavior, and the sufficiency analysis identified five different combinations of factors that lead to users' continuous use behavior. Of these five, the combination of high information quality, high service quality, and high social influence was found to be the most important path. CONCLUSIONS: Users' continuous use behavior of diabetes self-management apps results from the synergistic effects of factors in information ecologies. The five paths that directly contribute to users' continuous use, as well as the four user types preliminarily identified in this study may provide a reference for healthcare providers and app developers.

Prevalence and predictors in self-neglect: A cross-sectional study of domestic migrant older adults in China.

Insufficient information is available on the prevalence and predictors of self-neglect among Chinese domestic migrant older adults resulting from rapid aging and mass population migration. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 597 older adults in four districts of Wenzhou from May to November 2020. A self-neglect scale was used to assess the prevalence of self-neglect among such adults. Sixteen potential predictors were considered in the domains of sociodemographic, health condition, socioeconomic, social isolation, intergenerational relationship, and filial piety. The prevalence of self-neglect within this population was 72.7%. Social isolation (OR = 0.823; 95%CI 0.684-0.990), physical health (OR = 0.966; 95%CI 0.941-0.992), intergenerational ambivalence (OR = 1.240; 95%CI 1.013-1.519), and affective-cognitive solidarity (OR = 0.796; 95%CI 0.719-0.880) were found to be independent predictors of self-neglect in this population. We suggest that community health service organizations should prioritize migrant older adults with a poor health status and those with intergenerational ambivalence to reduce self-neglect in migrant older adults. Such older adults should also be encouraged to participate in community activities for more social integration.

ARID2, a rare cause of Coffin-Siris syndrome: A novel microdeletion at 12q12q13.11 causing severe short stature and literature review.

Coffin-Siris syndrome (CSS) 6 is caused by heterozygous pathogenic variants in the AT-rich interaction domain 2 (ARID2) gene on 12q12. Currently, only 26 cases with both detailed clinical and genetic information have been documented in the literature. Microdeletions of the entire ARID2 gene are rare. In this study, we report a 5-year-7-month-old Chinese female who underwent whole-exome sequencing to discover that she had a de novo 1.563 Mb heterozygous copy number loss at 12q12q13.11, involving an entire deletion of ARID2. The female had severe short stature with obvious dysmorphic facial features, global developmental delay and hypoplastic fingers and toes. Her growth hormone level was normal, with reduced IGF-1 and increased CA19-9 levels. After a review of the 27 patients with ARID2 deficiency, a significant positive correlation was observed between age and height standard deviation score (SDS) (r = 0.71, p = 0.0002), suggesting a possibility of growth catch-up. This study expands the genetic and phenotypic spectrum of CCS6 and provides a decision-making reference for growth hormone therapy.

Recent Advances in Efficient Photocatalysis via Modulation of Electric and Magnetic Fields and Reactive Phase Control.

The past several years has witnessed significant progress in enhancing photocatalytic performance via robust electric and magnetic fields' modulation to promote the separation and transfer of photoexcited carriers, and phase control at reactive interface to lower photocatalytic reaction energy barrier and facilitate mass transfer. These three research directions have received soaring attention in photocatalytic field. Herein, recent advances in photocatalysis modulated by electric field (i.e., piezoelectric, pyroelectric, and triboelectric fields, as well as their coupling) with specific examples and mechanisms discussion are first examined. Subsequently, the strategy via magnetic field manipulation for enhancing photocatalytic performance is scrutinized, including the spin polarization, Lorentz force, and magnetoresistance effect. Afterward, materials with tailored structure and composition design enabled by reactive phase control and their applications in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and carbon dioxide reduction are reviewed. Finally, the challenges and potential opportunities to further boost photocatalytic efficiency are presented, aiming at providing crucial theoretical and experimental guidance for those working in photocatalysis, ferroelectrics, triboelectrics, piezo-/pyro-/tribo-phototronics, and electromagnetics, among other related areas.

Fluid Field Modulation in Mass Transfer for Efficient Photocatalysis.

Mass transfer is an essential factor determining photocatalytic performance, which can be modulated by fluid field via manipulating the kinetic characteristics of photocatalysts and photocatalytic intermediates. Past decades have witnessed the efforts and achievements made in manipulating mass transfer based on photocatalyst structure and composition design, and thus, a critical survey that scrutinizes the recent progress in this topic is urgently necessitated. This review examines the basic principles of how mass transfer behavior impacts photocatalytic activity accompanying with the discussion on theoretical simulation calculation including fluid flow speed and pattern. Meanwhile, newly emerged viable photocatalytic micro/nanomotors with self-thermophoresis, self-diffusiophoresis, and bubble-propulsion mechanisms as well as magnet-actuated photocatalytic artificial cilia for facilitating mass transfer will be covered. Furthermore, their applications in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, carbon dioxide reduction, organic pollution degradation, bacteria disinfection and so forth are scrutinized. Finally, a brief summary and future outlook are presented, providing a viable guideline to those working in photocatalysis, mass transfer, and other related fields.

Online health management continuance and the moderating effect of service type and age difference: A meta-analysis.

Numerous empirical studies have been carried out to explore factors of online health management continuance. However, results were not unified. We thus conducted a meta-analysis to identify influential factors and potential moderators. A systematic literature search was performed in nine databases (PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Ovid of JBI, CINAHL, Embase, CNKI, VIP, and CBM) published up to December 2020 in the English or Chinese language. Meta-analysis of combined effect size, heterogeneity, moderator analysis, publication bias assessment, and inter-rater reliability was conducted. Totally 41 studies and 12 pairwise relationships were identified. Confirmation, perceived usefulness, satisfaction, information quality, service quality, perceived ease of use, and trust were all critical predictors. Service type and age difference showed their moderating effects respectively. The perceived usefulness was more noteworthy in medical service than health and fitness service. The trust was more noteworthy in young adults. The results confirmed the validity and robustness of the Expectation Confirmation Model, Information Systems Success Model, and trust theory in online health management continuance. Moderators included but are not limited to age difference and service type. The elderly research in the healthcare context and other analytical methods such as qualitative comparative analysis should be applied in the future.

Individual factors in dignified care: A cross-sectional study of critical care nurses.

AIM: To determine the level of dignified care provided by critical care nurses, and explore the associated individual factors. BACKGROUND: Dignity is a fundamental right of human beings. Critically ill patients are dependent on nurses. Their need for respect and dignity is liable to be neglected in intensive care unit settings. Both critically ill survivors and dying patients suffer mental anguish due to loss of dignity. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study of 526 critical care nurses working at intensive care units for adults in Zhejiang Province, China. Data were collected from February 2021 to May 2021 using the Intensive Care Unit Dignified Care Questionnaire, Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professional and Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised. RESULTS: The total score of dignified care was 67.37 (8.83), with the standard score as 74.07 (12.99). Participants who performed poorly in absolute and relative dignity accounted for 8.4% and 31.2% of the total sample, respectively. Emotional intelligence (ß = .379, p < .001), empathy (ß = .319, p < .001), professional values (ß = .147, p < .001), age (ß = .075, p = .003) and training in dignified care (ß = .074, p = .010) were associated with dignified care, explaining 67.6% of the variance. CONCLUSION: The average level of participants' behaviours of maintaining patient dignity was medium. Critical care nurses need to improve their ability to maintain relative dignity of patients. Emotional intelligence, empathy, professional values, age level and training in dignified care were predictors of dignified care. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Improving emotional intelligence, empathy and professional values of critical care nurses and training them (especially less experienced nurses) will enhance their ability in dignified care. This study provides a novel perspective to help nursing managers develop interventions to promote humanized care in the intensive care unit.

Can empowering leadership promote employees' pro-environmental behavior? Empirical analysis based on psychological distance.

Leadership styles, especially empowering leadership, affect the psychological relationship between employees and organizations, and then affect employees' positive behavior in the organization. In this research, we studied the effects of empowering leadership and psychological distance on employees' pro-environmental behavior and explored the mechanism of green organizational climate (GOC). By adopting correlation analysis, statistical analysis, and regression analysis, we conducted a multisource field study of 873 valid employee questionnaires to verify our theoretical model. The results showed that empowering leadership had a significant positive impact on psychological distance and employees' pro-environmental behavior; and psychological distance played a partly intermediation role in the relationship between empowering leadership and employees' pro-environmental behavior. Moreover, GOC can promote employees' pro-environmental behavior, but it cannot regulate between psychological distance and employees' pro-environmental behavior. The findings obtained some intriguing insights that could help to better guide employees toward pro-environmental behavior.

An Unexpected Alteration Colonic Mucus Appearance in the Constipation Model via an Intestinal Microenvironment.

Due to the lack of research between the inner layers in the structure of colonic mucous and the metabolism of fatty acid in the constipation model, we aim to determine the changes in the mucous phenotype of the colonic glycocalyx and the microbial community structure following treatment with Rhubarb extract in our research. The constipation and treatment models are generated using adult male C57BL/6N mice. We perform light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to detect a Muc2-rich inner mucus layer attached to mice colon under different conditions. In addition, 16S rDNA sequencing is performed to examine the intestinal flora. According to TEM images, we demonstrate that Rhubarb can promote mucin secretion and find direct evidence of dendritic structure-linked mucus structures with its assembly into a lamellar network in a pore size distribution in the isolated colon section. Moreover, the diversity of intestinal flora has noticeable changes in constipated mice. The present study characterizes a dendritic structure and persistent cross-links have significant changes accompanied by the alteration of intestinal flora in feces in models of constipation and pretreatment with Rhubarb extract.