ObjectiveTo verify the association between the Ddit3-Trib3-Akt signaling pathway and rat spermatogenesis by constructing an in vitro co-culture system of testis. MethodsTesticular tissue blocks from 20-25-day-old male rats were placed in an in vitro culture system， and the culture medium was replaced every 2 to 3 days. PCR was used to verify the expression of marker genes of various spermatogenic cells. RNA interference technology was employed to verify the correlation between the Ddit3-Trib3-Akt signaling pathway and rat spermatogenesis. ResultsThe co-culture system could be continuously cultured for more than 2.5 months in vitro. RT-PCR showed that specific marker genes of spermatogonia， spermatocyte and spermoblast were expressed. The RNA and protein expression of Trib3 and Akt changed after the knocking down of Ddit3 and Trib3， respectively. It demonstrated the existence of Ddit3-Trib3-Akt signaling pathway in rat spermatogenesis. ConclusionThe culture time of more than 2.5 months indicates that the culture system can temporarily maintain the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells， and simultaneously maintain and stabilize spermatogenesis in a simple system. The successful validation of the Ddit3-Trib3-Akt signaling pathway also confirms that this culture system can be used to study possible molecular mechanisms of spermatogenesis in vitro.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease. The heterotopic colonization of periodontal pathogens results in the development of several systemic diseases. Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), a key pathogen for periodontitis, has been linked to the development of various cancers, such as oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), lung cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, and prostate cancer. P. gingivalis promote the progression of tumor through various mechanisms, P. gingivalis regulates proteins targeting cell cycle and apoptosis to promote proliferation of tumor cells directly, enhances tumor stemness by upregulating the expression of cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) and cluster of differentiation 133 (CD133), activates inflammasome and p38/c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1(JNK) pathways, regulates tumor-associated neutrophil (TAN) polarization to remodel the tumor microenvironment, regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to promote tumor metastasis, remodel macrophage function to evade host immune response, and regulates multi-communicating with symbiotic bacteria. In addition, P. gingivalis accelerates the progression of esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer by promoting cell proliferation, inhibiting apoptosis, inducing chronic inflammation, and escaping immunity. However, the oral microbiome is a complex system, whether the interactions between oral bacteria affect tumor progression needs to be further investigated.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Jianghuanglian is one of the representative processed products of Coptidis Rhizoma for treating cold syndrome with drugs of heat nature， and ginger is used to restrict the bitter cold of Coptidis Rhizoma， which can be traced back to Bojifang， and it is suitable for stagnation of damp-heat in middle-jiao， cold-heat mutual knots and other symptoms. Jianghuanglian retains the alkaloids， phenylpropanoids and flavonoids of Coptidis Rhizoma， and also introduces gingerol components such as 6-gingerol in ginger， which has pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory， antibacterial， anti-tumor， and improving gastrointestinal function. The 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia and many local processing specifications have included the traditional processing process and quality standards of Jianghuanglian， but the specific process parameters and quality standards are incomplete， which limits the production and clinical application of this processed product. By summarizing the processing history， process research， quality evaluation， pharmacodynamic and medicinal property changes and application of Jianghuanglian in the past 20 years， there are differences in the processing methods and standards in various provinces and cities， which are mainly reflected in the preparation method， dosage， processing process and quantitative standards of ginger juice. In addition， there are also certain differences in the changes of the main components of Jianghuanglian prepared from ginger or dried ginger， as well as their efficacy and medicinal properties. The research on the processing process of Jianghuanglian plays an important role in improving its quality standards， and this review can provide a reference for improving the quality evaluation system of Jianghuanglian.

“Runner’s high” refers to a momentary sense of pleasure that suddenly appears during running or other exercise activities, characterized by anti-anxiety, pain relief, and other symptoms. The neurobiological mechanism of “runner’s high” is unclear. This review summarizes human and animal models for studying “runner’s high”, analyzes the neurotransmitters and neural circuits involved in runner’s high, and elucidates the evidence and shortcomings of researches related to “runner’s high”. This review also provides prospects for future research. Research has found that exercise lasting more than 30 min and with an intensity exceeding 70% of the maximum heart rate can reach a “runner’s high”. Human experiments on “runner’s high” mostly use treadmill exercise intervention, and evaluate it through questionnaire surveys, measurement of plasma AEA, miRNA and other indicators. Animal experiments often use voluntary wheel running intervention, and evaluate it through behavioral experiments such as conditional place preference, light dark box experiments (anxiety), hot plate experiments (pain sensitivity), and measurement of plasma AEA and other indicators. Dopamine, endogenous opioid peptides, endogenous cannabinoids, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and other substances increase after exercise, which may be related to the “runner’s high”. However, attention should be paid to the functional differences of these substances in the central and peripheral regions, as well as in different brain regions. Moreover, current studies have not identified the targets of the neurotransmitters or neural factors mentioned above, and further in-depth researches are needed. The mesolimbic dopamine system, prefrontal cortex-nucleus accumbens projection, ventral hippocampus-nucleus accumbens projection, red nucleus-ventral tegmental area projection, cerebellar-ventral tegmental area projection, and brain-gut axis may be involved in the regulation of runner’s high, but there is a lack of direct evidence to prove their involvement. There are still many issues that need to be addressed in the research on the neurobiological mechanisms of “runner’s high”. (1) Most studies on “runner’s high” involve one-time exercise, and the characteristics of changes in “runner’s high” during long-term exercise still need to be explored. (2) The using of scales to evaluate subjects lead to the lacking of objective indicators. However, some potential biomarkers (such as endocannabinoids) have inconsistent characteristics of changes after one-time and long-term exercise. (3) The neurotransmitters involved in the formation of the “runner’s high” all increase in the peripheral and/or central nervous system after exercise. Attention should be paid to whether peripheral substances can enter the blood-brain barrier and the binding effects of neurotransmitters to different receptors are completely different in different brain regions. (4) Most of the current evidence show that some brain regions are activated after exercise. Is there a functional circuit mediating “runner’s high” between these brain regions? (5) Although training at a specific exercise intensity can lead to “runner’s high”, most runners have not experienced “runner’s high”. Can more scientific training methods or technological means be used to make it easier for people to experience the “runner’s high” and thus be more willing to engage in exercise? (6) The “runner’s high” and “addiction” behaviors are extremely similar, and there are evidences that exercise can reverse addictive behaviors. However, why is there still a considerable number of people in the sports population and even athletes who smoke or use addictive drugs instead of pursuing the “pleasure” brought by exercise? Solving the problems above is of great significance for enhancing the desire of exercise, improving the clinical application of neurological and psychiatric diseases through exercise, and enhancing the overall physical fitness of the population.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective To establish a mouse model of infection with the minimum lethal dose of Vibrio vulnificus(V.vulnificus)and to evaluate the protective efficacy of inactivated whole-cell(IWC)vaccine using this model.Methods A mouse model of lethal-dose infection was established by intraperitoneal injection of different doses of V.vulnificus.Bacterial colonization in the organs was detected with tissue homogenate plating,and pathological changes in the organs were observed after tissue section staining.Flow cytometry was used to detect immune cell responses after liver tissues were digested into single-cell suspension.IWC vaccine of V.vulnificus was prepared,and the mice were immunized through different routes to observe the protective efficacy of the vaccine.Results A mouse model of infection with the minimum lethal dose at 1×106 CFU of V.vulnificus was successfully established.After infection,the bacteria were mainly colonized in the liver of mice and caused severe pathological damages.Compared with the uninfected mice,the proportion of neutrophils in the liver was significantly increased in the infected mice,whereas the proportions of B cells and T cells were correspondingly decreased(P<0.05).A single intramuscular or intraperitoneal injection of the IWC vaccine could protect the mice effectively against lethal infection of V.vulnificus in 7 d later(P<0.01),although the level of serum IgG having no significant increase.Conclusion A mouse model of lethal-dose infection with V.vulnificus is successfully established,with histopathological characteristics.The IWC vaccine of V.vulnificus rapidly mediates immune protection in this model probably independent of IgG.

Objective To analyze the composition characteristics and biological functions of tumor cell subpopulations in glioblastoma(GBM)through multi-transcriptomics sequencing technology,and explore the hypoxia characteristics and spatial localization features of the mesenchymal-like(MES-like)tumor cell subpopulation in GBM and the influence on malignant biological behaviors.Methods Multi-transcriptomics sequencing data,including single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)data(18 patients),bulk RNA sequencing(bulk RNA-seq)and spatial transcriptomics(ST)data of GBM,were employed to define cell subpopulations in GBM,and Gene Ontology(GO)and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis(GSEA)were utilized to analyze their functions.The proportions and locations of cell subpopulations in bulk RNA-seq data were evaluated with BayesPrism deconvolution.Immunofluorescence assay was conducted for verification on 12 paraffin samples of GBM from patients who visited the neurosurgical department of our hospital from 2015 to 2023 and met the pathological diagnostic criteria for GBM(10 males and 2 females,at an average age of 53.50 years and a median age of 54.50 years).pySCENIC was applied to predict specific transcription factors of tumor cell subpopulations.Results Tumor cells in GBM were highly heterogeneous,and could be mainly divided into 4 subpopulations:astrocyte-like(AC-like),neural progenitor-like(NPC-like),oligodendrocyte progenitor-like(OPC-like)and MES-like.Differential gene analysis found that the MES-like tumor cells highly expressed vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA),adrenomedullin(ADM),N-myc downstream regulated 1(NDRG1),insulin like growth factor binding protein 5(IGFBP5),and A-kinase anchoring protein 12(AKAP12)(P<0.001).pySCENIC transcription factor prediction found that the high-active transcription factors of the MES-like tumor cells were AT-rich interaction domain 3A(ARID3A),FOS like 2,AP-1 transcription factor subunit(FOSL2),endothelial PAS domain protein 1(EPAS1),CCAAT enhancer binding protein delta(CEBPD),and CCAAT enhancer binding protein beta(CEBPB)(P<0.05).GO and GSEA enrichment analyses found that the MES-like tumor cells were enriched in hypoxia-related pathways,especially the pathway of cell responses to hypoxia levels(NES=2.437,P<0.001).BayesPrism deconvolution showed that the MES-like tumor cells mainly existed in PAN(Pseudopalisading cells around necrosis)and perinecrotic zone.Immunofluorescence assay confirmed CD44+(CD44 antigen)MES-like tumor cells were mainly located in hypoxia areas with highly expression of hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha(HIF1α)(P<0.01).Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that the MES-like tumor cells were significantly correlated with the adverse prognosis of GBM patients(HR=1.71,95%CI:1.38～2.11,P<0.001).Conclusion Tumor cells in GBM are of highly heterogeneity.They could be mainly divided into 4 subpopulations:AC-like,NPC-like,OPC-like and MES-like.MES-like tumor cells,mainly locating in PAN and perinecrotic zone,are characterized by hypoxia,which can promote the malignant progression of GBM.

A centrifugation-free,single-reaction colorimetric method for detection of glucose,utilizing a dual nanozyme cascade system based on gold nanoparticles(AuNPs)and iron-doped carbon dots(FeCDs),was developed in this work.The AuNPs exhibited glucose oxidase-like activity to catalyze glucose oxidation for generation of H2O2,while the FeCDs demonstrated peroxidase-like activity to subsequently catalyze the H2O2-mediated oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine(TMB).To prevent interference from the blue signal generated by self-aggregation of AuNPs in subsequent quantitative detection,the reaction system was terminated with HCl,converting oxTMB into a stable yellow product.Based on changes in the absorbance at 450 nm of this yellow solution,a quantitative relationship was established between glucose concentration and absorbance at 450 nm(A450).Experimental results demonstrated that this sensor achieved a linear detection range of 44 μmol/L to 11.11 mmol/L(R2=0.993)with a detection limit of 30.68 μmol/L and spiked recoveries of 97.9%-104.7%.By integrating smartphone-based color recognition capabilities,a rapid visual detection platform was established for quantification of glucose through RGB analysis.The validation experimental results using commercial glucose injection samples further confirmed the practical application potential of this methodology.

Forensic medicine has been designated as a first-level discipline,presenting new opportunities and challenges for the development of forensic medicine.Since the 1980s,the establishment of foren-sic medicine discipline and the cultivation of high-level forensic talents have become hot topics in the development of forensic medicine in China.Since the 13th Five-Year Plan,the forensic team of Shanxi Medical University has been aiming at the forefront,proposing the development goals of"Five First-class"and the discipline development path"Six Major Achievements".It has selected benchmark disci-plines,identified gaps in disciplinary development,unified thoughts,formulated completion timelines,concentrated superior resources,assigned tasks to individuals,and created an"Organized Fill-in-the-Blank Format"forensic medicine discipline construction model with the characteristics of the new era.The construction model of forensic medicine has achieved good results in the goals,discipline frame-work,scientific research,talent cultivation,discipline team and platform construction,forming a rela-tively complete discipline construction and management system,and accumulating valuable experience for the construction of first-level discipline and high-level talent cultivation of forensic medicine.