OBJECTIVE To investigate the correlation of component content with colorimetric values during the roasting process of Ziziphus jujuba ， and to provide criteria for discriminating the roasting degree of Z. jujuba . METHODS Samples were prepared by dry stir-frying for different roasting times. The eight main components in raw Z. jujuba and the samples stir-fried for different roasting times-namely adenosine， magnoflorine， jujuboside A， spinosin， 6-feruloylspinosin， betulinic acid， oleic acid， and linoleic acid-were quantitativel y analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography. The chromaticity values were determined using a UV spectrophotometer. The correlation and differences between the chromaticity values of Z. jujuba at different roasting times and their components content were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis， linear regression analysis， principal component analysis （PCA） ， cluster heatmap analysis （CHA）， and partial least squares discriminant analysis （PLS-DA） to clarify the processing endpoint. RESULTS As the roasting time increased， the contents of linoleic acid and oleic acid decreased， while the contents of other components exhibited an increasing trend. Concurrently， the colorimetric value L* and E*ab were observed to decline， whereas the a* value demonstrated a gradual increase. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that L* and E*ab exhibited a significant negative correlation with the contents of adenosine， spinosin， 6-feruloylspinosin， jujuboside A， betulinic acid and magnoflorine （ P ＜0.05）. The results of linear regression analysis indicate that the content of six components, including adenosine， in the medicinal material can be preliminarily predicted by analyzing the colorimetric values of Z. jujuba powder. PCA and CHA successfully classified raw and stir-fried samples. The PLS-DA results indicated that L*， E*ab， a*， linoleic acid content， and oleic acid content were the main parameters that differentiated the color and quality of Z. jujuba at different roasting times. After frying for 9 to 10 minutes， the colorimetric values L* and E*ab decreased to their minimum values and stabilized， while a* remained consistently high with little variation；simultaneously， the concentrations of the six major components， excluding linoleic acid and oleic acid， reached their peak levels. CONCLUSIONS A significant correlation between the colorimetric values of Z. jujuba and the contents of six components， including adenosine， is confirmed. The optimal roasting time range is determined to be 9-10 minutes. Furthermore， the colorimetric value-component content correlation analysis method established in this study proved to be practical and applicable for discriminating the roasting degree of Z. jujuba .

Diabetic macular edema(DME), a serious complication of diabetic retinopathy(DR), is a chronic condition caused by multiple factors. Throughout its progression, inflammatory factors and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)play a critical role. Anti-VEGF drugs have shown significant effectiveness in the treatment of DME; however, some patients may experience persistent DME after injection or require frequent injections. Dexamethasone intravitreal implants(DEX implants)serve as a sustained-release implant characterized by a reasonable release profile and high bioavailability. They offer safe, effective, and prolonged anti-inflammatory effects, aiding in the repair of retinal barrier and reduction of exudation. To further enhance patients' visual quality, exploring the efficacy of DEX implants in combination with existing treatment regimens has great clinical significance. This review primarily discusses the research advancements in DEX implants, focusing on their pharmacological properties, indications for use, and their combination with existing drugs and treatment methods. It also evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of combination therapy or switching to DEX implants compared to current standard treatments, aiming to provide guidance for personalized treatment options for patients with DME.

Objective:To analyze the association between standardized management of clinical research, initiated by investigators and guided by clinical research management policies in healthcare institutions, and changes in the research behavior of graduate students.Methods:Theses related to cardiovascular health published by graduate students in the Sichuan-Chongqing region of China between January 2019 and June 2024 were retrieved from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database. Multilevel models were used to analyze changes in ethical compliance awareness, research methodology standardization, and academic collaboration of graduate students before and after policy implementation. Using Shapiro Wilk test and percentage representation.Results:Among the 712 theses included in this study, the proportion of studies with ethical review reports increased from 44.50% to 55.32% following the implementation of standardized management [odds ratio ( OR)=1.80, P=0.017]. Standardized management significantly improved the quality scores of cross-sectional studies and randomized controlled trials ( P<0.001), as well as significantly increased the frequencies of multi-center collaboration ( OR=2.84, P=0.001) and intra-provincial collaboration ( OR=2.80, P=0.001). Conclusions:Standardized clinical research management shows significant association with positive changes in the research behavior of graduate students. Further optimization of management measures is recommended to comprehensively enhance the clinical research capabilities of graduate students.

AIM:To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of zinc ions on lung ischemia/reperfusion injury(LIRI)in rats.METHODS:SPF SD rats aged 6～8 weeks were divided randomly into 4 groups:control(control)group,ischemia/reperfusion(I/R)group,zinc chloride(ZnCl2)+I/R group,and PI3K inhibitor(LY294002)+ZnCl2+I/R group.Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS)was used to measure the concentration of zinc ions in lung tissues,while the degree of lung tissue injury was assessed by HE staining,the alveolar damage index,and the lung wet/dry weight ratio.qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of solute carrier family 39 member 8(SLC39A8/ZIP8),with the TUNEL assay used to determine the level of apoptosis in lung tissue.The phosphorylation levels of caspase3,PI3K,AKT,GSK-3β,ZIP8,and solute carrier family 30 member 9(SLC30A9/ZNT9)were detected by Western blot,while the mitochondrial membrane potential was measured by the mitochondrial extraction kit and JC-1 mitochondrial mem-brane potential detection kit.RESULTS:Compared with the I/R group,the zinc ion level in the ZnCl2+I/R group in-creased(P<0.01),with the qPCR results showing that the expression level of ZIP8 also increased(P<0.01).The West-ern blot results demonstrated that the phosphorylation levels of PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β and cleaved caspase-3/pro were both in-creased(P<0.01 or P<0.05).In addition,the level of caspase-3 was decreased(P<0.01),the ZIP8 level was increased(P<0.05),whereas the level of ZNT9 was not significantly different(P>0.05).The mitochondrial membrane potential was increased(P<0.01)and the level of apoptosis was decreased(P<0.01).The results of HE staining,total lung water(TLW),lung index of quantitative assessment of histology(IQA),and lung tissue wet/dry weight ratio showed that the de-gree of injury was reduced significantly(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Compared with the ZnCl2+I/R group,the LY294002+Zn-Cl2+I/R group had a significant reduction in zinc ion levels(P<0.05),while qPCR showed a significant reduction in ZIP8 expression(P<0.01).Western blot showed that the phosphorylation level of PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β was decreased(P<0.01),the level of caspase-3/pro-caspase-3 was increased(P<0.01)the level of ZIP8 was decreased(P<0.05),al-though there was no significant difference in ZNT9(P>0.05).Measurements of the mitochondrial membrane potential demonstrated a significant decrease(P<0.01),while the TUNEL results showed that the level of apoptosis had increased(P<0.05).HE staining,TLW,IQA and lung tissue wet/dry weight ratio indicated that the degree of injury was aggravated significantly(P<0.05 or P<0.01).CONCLUSION:Administration of zinc chloride in rats has a protective role in lung ischemia/reperfusion injury by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway,leading to inactivation of GSK-3β,stabilization of the mitochondrial membrane potential level,and inhibition of cell apoptosis.

Objective To investigate correlations of the ratio of specific brain region volume to total brain volume(ratio％),standard uptake value(SUV)of specific brain region based on 18F-FDG PET/MR examination in Alzheimer disease(AD)patients,as well as the relationship between changes of these two.Methods Fifty AD patients were retrospectively collected.Based on FDG PET/MR,the ratio％and the mean SUV(SUVmean)of 40 specific brain regions were obtained,and the correlation between ratio％and SUVmean for each region were evaluated.According to a database of normal brains,Z-scores for ratio％and SUVmean were calculated to represent structural and functional changes in AD patients,and the correlation between these 2 Z-scores was assessed.Results Correlations were found between ratio％and SUVmean,also between Z-scores of these two parameters in 29 brain regions(r=0.288 to 0.778,all P＜0.05).Among them 7 brain regions,i.e.bilateral middle temporal gyrus,right fusiform gyrus,right hippocampus,right precuneus,left lingual gyrus and right parahippocampal gyrus exhibited correlation coefficients greater than 0.6.Conclusion There were some relationships between brain structural and metabolic functions and their changes in AD patients showed on FDG PET/MR.

BACKGROUND:The AO12-C type middle-proximal humeral fractures are usually caused by high-energy injuries,accompanied by comminuted fractures and a large number of butterfly-shaped bone fragments.These fractures are difficult to achieve good reduction and effective fixation.With the increasing understanding of the biological characteristics of bone and soft tissue,surgical treatment is gradually shifting towards minimally invasive steel plates and intramedullary nail fixation.However,there has been no consensus on which is the best surgical technique for treating humeral fractures in minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis and intramedullary nail.OBJECTIVE:To compare the clinical effect of minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis and intramedullary nail for treating AO12-C type middle-proximal humeral fractures.METHODS:A retrospective analysis was performed in 36 patients with AO12-C type middle-proximal humeral fracture who met the inclusion criteria admitted to the Guizhou Hospital of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022.All patients were assigned to minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis group(18 cases)and intramedullary nail group(18 cases)according to the surgical treatment plan.The minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis group received minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis based on preoperative planning assisted by 3D printing,while the intramedullary nail group received intramedullary nail internal fixation.Operation time,intraoperative blood loss,hospital stay,and fracture healing time were compared between the two groups.Visual analog scale score at 1,3,and 6 months after surgery,shoulder joint function,Constant-Murley score,Quick Disabilities of the Arm,Shoulder and Hand(QuickDASH)score,and complications of the shoulder joint at the last follow-up were compared between the two groups.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)All patients were followed-up for average(15.56±4.05)months,and no difference was observed in hospital stay and fracture healing time between the two groups(P＞0.05).The minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis group had shorter operation time compared to the intramedullary nail group(P＜0.05).The intramedullary nail group had less intraoperative blood loss between the two groups of patients(P＜0.05).(2)In the intramedullary nail group,at 1 and 3 months after operation,the visual analog scale score was significantly lower than the minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis group(P＜0.05).No difference was observed in the visual analog scale in long-term follow-up,shoulder joint function,Constant-Murley score,Quick Disabilities of the Arm,Shoulder and Hand(QuickDASH)score at the last follow-up between the two groups(P＞0.05).(3)No complications such as nonunion or wound infection occurred in either group.Two cases of radial nerve palsy occurred in minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis group,both of which recovered within 3 months.The intramedullary nail group had 1 case of rotator cuff injury.There was no significant difference in the rate of complications between the two groups(P＞0.05).(4)To conclude,minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis and intramedullary nail can achieve good clinical efficacy in the treatment of AO12-C type middle-proximal humeral fractures,effectively improving shoulder joint function in patients.However,minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis exhibits obvious advantages in shorter surgical time with the assistance of 3D printing,which is a valuable,effective,and safe method for treating AO12-C type middle-proximal humeral fractures.

AIM:To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of zinc ions on lung ischemia/reperfusion injury(LIRI)in rats.METHODS:SPF SD rats aged 6～8 weeks were divided randomly into 4 groups:control(control)group,ischemia/reperfusion(I/R)group,zinc chloride(ZnCl2)+I/R group,and PI3K inhibitor(LY294002)+ZnCl2+I/R group.Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS)was used to measure the concentration of zinc ions in lung tissues,while the degree of lung tissue injury was assessed by HE staining,the alveolar damage index,and the lung wet/dry weight ratio.qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of solute carrier family 39 member 8(SLC39A8/ZIP8),with the TUNEL assay used to determine the level of apoptosis in lung tissue.The phosphorylation levels of caspase3,PI3K,AKT,GSK-3β,ZIP8,and solute carrier family 30 member 9(SLC30A9/ZNT9)were detected by Western blot,while the mitochondrial membrane potential was measured by the mitochondrial extraction kit and JC-1 mitochondrial mem-brane potential detection kit.RESULTS:Compared with the I/R group,the zinc ion level in the ZnCl2+I/R group in-creased(P<0.01),with the qPCR results showing that the expression level of ZIP8 also increased(P<0.01).The West-ern blot results demonstrated that the phosphorylation levels of PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β and cleaved caspase-3/pro were both in-creased(P<0.01 or P<0.05).In addition,the level of caspase-3 was decreased(P<0.01),the ZIP8 level was increased(P<0.05),whereas the level of ZNT9 was not significantly different(P>0.05).The mitochondrial membrane potential was increased(P<0.01)and the level of apoptosis was decreased(P<0.01).The results of HE staining,total lung water(TLW),lung index of quantitative assessment of histology(IQA),and lung tissue wet/dry weight ratio showed that the de-gree of injury was reduced significantly(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Compared with the ZnCl2+I/R group,the LY294002+Zn-Cl2+I/R group had a significant reduction in zinc ion levels(P<0.05),while qPCR showed a significant reduction in ZIP8 expression(P<0.01).Western blot showed that the phosphorylation level of PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β was decreased(P<0.01),the level of caspase-3/pro-caspase-3 was increased(P<0.01)the level of ZIP8 was decreased(P<0.05),al-though there was no significant difference in ZNT9(P>0.05).Measurements of the mitochondrial membrane potential demonstrated a significant decrease(P<0.01),while the TUNEL results showed that the level of apoptosis had increased(P<0.05).HE staining,TLW,IQA and lung tissue wet/dry weight ratio indicated that the degree of injury was aggravated significantly(P<0.05 or P<0.01).CONCLUSION:Administration of zinc chloride in rats has a protective role in lung ischemia/reperfusion injury by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway,leading to inactivation of GSK-3β,stabilization of the mitochondrial membrane potential level,and inhibition of cell apoptosis.

AIM:This study aimed to investigate the effect of ischemic post-conditioning(I-post-C)on lung ischemia-reperfusion injury(LIRI)in rats and relationship between I-post-C and zinc homeostasis.METHODS:SPF SD rats(6～8 weeks old)were randomly divided into four groups,with eight rats in each group:control group,ischemia/reper-fusion(I/R)group,I-post-C group and I-post-C+zinc ion chelator TPEN group.Inductively coupled plasma mass spec-trometry(ICP-MS)was used to measure the concentration of zinc ions in lung tissues.HE staining,lung wet/dry weight ra-tio(W/D),total lung water content(TLW),and index of quantitative assessment(IQA)of lung injury were used to detect the degree of lung tissue injury in each group.Mitochondrial membrane potential was measured using extraction and JC-1 mitochondrial membrane potential detection kits.TUNEL assay was used to detect the level of apoptosis in lung tissues.Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of caspase-3,solute carrier family 39 member 8(SLC39A8/ZIP8),solute carrier family 30 member 9(SLC30A9/ZNT9),and PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β in lung tissues of each group.RT-qPCR was used to detect ZIP8 and ZNT9.RESULTS:Compared to the control group,the I/R group showed significantly aggravated lung tissue injury(P<0.01),decreased zinc ion levels(P<0.01),enhanced cell apoptosis(P<0.05),re-duced mitochondrial membrane potential(P<0.01),decreased PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β phosphorylation levels(P<0.05,P<0.01),increased cleaved caspase-3/pro-caspase-3 ratio(P<0.01),and reduced ZIP8 expression(P<0.05).Compared to the I/R group,the I-post-C group exhibited alleviated injury(P<0.05 or P<0.01),increased zinc ion levels(P<0.01),reduced apoptosis(P<0.01),restored mitochondrial membrane potential(P<0.01),elevated PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β phosphorylation levels(P<0.05,P<0.01),decreased cleaved caspase-3/pro-caspase-3 ratio(P<0.05),and in-creased ZIP8 expression(P<0.05).Compared to the I-post-C group,the I-post-C+TPEN group demonstrated aggravated injury(P<0.01),decreased zinc ion levels(P<0.01),enhanced apoptosis(P<0.01),reduced mitochondrial membrane potential(P<0.05),decreased PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β phosphorylation levels(P<0.05,P<0.01),increased cleaved cas-pase-3/pro-caspase-3 ratio(P<0.05),and reduced ZIP8 expression(P<0.05).ZNT9 expression showed no significant differences among the groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION:Ischemic postconditioning can improve LIRI by regulating zinc homeostasis,activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway,inactivating glycogen synthase kinase 3β,inhibiting the de-cline of mitochondrial membrane potential,and antagonizing cell apoptosis in rats.

Objective:To explore the expression regulation of lipid metabolism gene ABHD5 in testes.Methods:Differential gene analysis was performed by integrating databases of TCGA and GTEx to identify the target gene ABHD5.The expression trends of ABHD5 gene in testicular carcinoma tissue were analyzed.Human testis single-cell atlases were obtained from the Human Protein Atlas and Male Health Atlas databases to determine the expression distribution of ABHD5 across different testicular cell types.Additionally,the GTEx database was utilized to visualize the expression pattern of ABHD5 in the testis,thereby enhancing the understanding of its transcriptional profile.The relationship between ABHD5 expression and age was assessed through integrated database analysis.Western blotting and immunofluorescence were performed to detect differential expressions of ABHD5 in testicular tissues of young and aged mice respectively.Results:The TCGA database indicated that the expression of ABHD5 in human testicular carcinoma tissue was significantly lower than that in normal testicular tissue which showed a negative correlation with patient survival.ABHD5 was highly ex-pressed in germ cells of the testis reveaked from Human Protein Atlas and Male Health Atlas databases.The stability of ABHD5 protein was crucial for testicular tissue,and its expression decreased with age.Furthermore,Western blot and immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that ABHD5 expression in the testicular tissue of aged mice was significantly lower than that in young mice.Conclu-sion:ABHD5 plays an important role in testicular tissue,and may be inseparable from testicular tumors and reproductive aging.How-ever,its mechanism of action remains to be further studied.

Objective:To explore the spatial correlation between gray matter volume (GMV) changes and neurotransmitter receptors/transporters in patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES) .Methods:Fifty-four FES patients(FES group) and fifty-nine healthy controls (HC group) were selected from June 2014 to May 2020 in the Psychiatry Department of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) was conducted on all subjects. Differences of GMV were compared across 400 cortical regions and 32 subcortical regions. Based on the positron emission tomography(PET) data from Neuromaps, which provides the density of 19 different neurotransmitter receptors and transporters, Spearman correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the spatial correlation between GMV changes and neurotransmitter systems.Results:Compared to the HC group, FES group exhibited significant GMV reductions in widespread cortical (90/400) and subcortical (6/32) regions (all FDR-corrected P<0.05). The effect size of GMV reduction (Cohen’s d) showed significant positive correlations with the density of 5-hydroxytryptamine 1a(5HT1a) ( r=0.400, Pspin=0.002), γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor(GABA A)( r=0.307, Pspin=0.002), and metabotropic glutamate receptor 5(mGluR5) ( r=0.275, Pspin=0.020) receptors (all FDR-corrected P<0.05). Conclusion:GMV reductions in a wide range of brain regions existed in patients with FES. There are significant correlations between 5HT1a, GABA A and mGluR5 receptors and gray matter reduction in patients with FES. The disorder of these neurotransmitter receptors may be the potential neurobiological mechanism of gray matter structural abnormalities in the early stage of schizophrenia.