Investigator-initiated clinical trials （IIT） are an important part of scientific and technological activities involving human study participants. Among them， high-quality IIT can be used to support the marketing and registration application of drugs， medical devices， and other products when conditions permit. Currently， there is a huge gap between IIT and industry-initiated clinical trials. The use of unlisted products in IIT has problems， such as lack of regulatory support， insufficient research funding support， the need to improve the ability of clinical research management departments， the weakness of professional clinical research teams， and the difficulty of ethics review to match the demands. The challenges could be addressed by improving regulations and conducting pilot trials on a small scale， guaranteeing adequate research funding， strengthening the construction of clinical research management systems， building professional clinical research teams， ensuring the quality of ethical reviews and strict follow-up reviews， shifting from ethical reviews to a system for protecting research participants， and reinforcing training for researchers. Ethics committees should strictly review key points， such as the risk-benefit ratio， informed consent， research funding， compensation for damages， qualifications and equipment of research team members， and management of conflict of interest.

BACKGROUND:Erythropoietin has anti-inflammatory,anti-apoptotic,and pro-bone defect repair effects.To date,fewer studies have been conducted on its effects and molecular mechanism underlying restorative dentin formation after pulp injury. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of erythropoietin on restorative dentin formation after pulp injury. METHODS:(1)Animal experiment:Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into control group(n=16)and experimental group(n=16).In the experimental group,collagen sponges containing erythropoietin were used to directly cap the pulp at the pulp injury,and in the control group,collagen sponges containing PBS were used to directly cap the pulp at the exposed pulp injury.The cavity was then closed with glass ionomer adhesive.After 2 and 4 weeks of treatment,the maxillary bones of the two groups were collected,and the expression of nestin in dentin was detected by immunohistochemistry,and the reparative dentin production was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining.The maxillae of four Sprague-Dawley rats were taken for immunohistochemical detection of erythropoietin expression in molar and incisor teeth.(2)Cell experiment:Human dental pulp cells,human periodontal ligament cells and human gingival fibroblasts were obtained from human dental tissue,periodontal ligament,and gingival tissue.Real-time reverse transcription PCR(RT-PCR)was used to detect the mRNA expression of erythropoietin.Erythropoietin,dentin sialophosphoprotein,dentin matrix protein 1,and nestin mRNA levels in human pulp cells were detected by RT-PCR under induced or uninduced odontoblastic differentiation.After down-regulation of erythropoietin expression or exogenous administration of erythropoietin intervention under induced or uninduced differentiation odontoblastic differentiation,the relative mRNA expression of dentin sialophosphoprotein and dentin matrix protein 1 in human pulp cells was detected by RT-PCR,and the formation of mineralized nodules was detected by alizarin red S staining,and mRNA and protein expressions of bone morphogenetic protein 2 were detected by RT-PCR and western blot,respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Animal experiment:Compared with the control group,the restorative dentin production and nestin expression were higher in the experimental group after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment.The expression of erythropoietin was weakly positive in pulp,odontoblastic cell layer and periodontal membrane of the rat's first maxillary molar,and strongly positive in odontoblasts.(2)Cell experiment:The mRNA expression of erythropoietin was higher in human dental pulp cells than in the other two types of cells.The mRNA expressions of dentin sialophosphorin,dentin matrix protein 1,nestin,erythropoietin and bone morphogenetic protein 2 in human pulp cells increased and the formation of mineralized nodules during odontoblastic differentiation under induction compared with non-induction conditions.The mRNA expression of dentin sialophosphoprotein,dentin matrix protein 1,nestin,bone morphogenetic protein 2 and the formation of mineralized nodules were decreased in human pulp cells after downregulation of erythropoietin under induced odontoblastic differentiation,and the protein expression of bone morphogenetic protein 2 was also decreased.After exogenous erythropoietin intervention,the expression of the above indexes in human dental pulp cells increased.To conclude,erythropoietin can promote the formation of dentin to some extent.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia, and no effective treatment has been developed for it thus far. Recently, the use of natural compounds in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases has garnered significant attention owing to their minimal adverse reactions. Accordingly, the potential therapeutic effect of pterostilbene (PTS) on AD has been demonstrated in multiple in vivo and in vitro experiments. In this study, we systematically reviewed and summarized the results of these studies investigating the use of PTS for treating AD. Analysis of the literature revealed that PTS may play a role in AD treatment through various mechanisms, including anti-oxidative damage, anti-neuroinflammation, anti-apoptosis, cholinesterase activity inhibition, attenuation of β-amyloid deposition, and tau protein hyperphosphorylation. Moreover, PTS interferes with the progression of AD by regulating the activities of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α), monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B), silent information regulator sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), and phosphodiesterase 4A (PDE4A). Furthermore, to further elucidate the potential therapeutic mechanisms of PTS in AD, we employed network pharmacology and molecular docking technology to perform molecular docking of related proteins, and the obtained binding energies ranged from -2.83 to -5.14 kJ/mol, indicating that these proteins exhibit good binding ability with PTS. Network pharmacology analysis revealed multiple potential mechanisms of action for PTS in AD. In summary, by systematically collating and summarizing the relevant studies on the role of PTS in treatment of AD, it is anticipated that this will serve as a reference for the precise targeted prevention and treatment of AD, either using PTS or other developed drug interventions.

Screening carbonyl reductases with the ability to catalyze the reduction of complex carbonyl compounds is of great significance for the biosynthesis of R-tolvaptan(R-TVP). In this study, the target carbonyl reductase in the crude enzyme extract of rabbit liver was separated, purified, and identified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel-filtration chromatography, ion exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography, and protein mass spectrometry. With the rabbit liver genome as the template, the gene encoding the carbonyl reductase rlsr5 was amplified by PCR and the recombinant strain was successfully constructed. After RLSR5 was purified by affinity chromatography, its enzymatic properties were characterized. The results indicated that the gene sequence of rlsr5 was 972 bp, encoding a protein with a molecular weight of 40 kDa. RLSR5 was a dimeric protein, and each monomer was composed of a (α/β)₈-barrel structure. RLSR5 could asymmetrically reduce 7-chloro-1-[2-methyl-4-[(2- methylbenzoyl)amino]benzoyl]-5-oxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-1-benzazepine (prochiral ketone, PK) to synthesize R-TVP. The specific activity of the enzyme was 36.64 U/mg, and the optical purity of the product was 99%. This enzyme showcased the optimal performance at pH 6.0 and 30 °C. It was independent of metal ions, with the activity enhanced by Mn²⁺. This study lays a foundation for the biosynthesis of tolvaptan of optical grade.
Animals ; Rabbits ; Alcohol Oxidoreductases/biosynthesis* ; Recombinant Proteins/metabolism* ; Escherichia coli/metabolism* ; Liver/enzymology*

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) significantly impact clinical medication safety. The timely identification and prediction of ADRs rely on the efficient analysis of real-world data, such as electronic health records, social media, and spontaneous reporting databases. In recent years, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, particularly large language models, in natural language processing, causal reasoning, and complex data mining has provided new technological means for real-time ADRs monitoring and individualized prediction. This paper summarizes the latest research achievements in AI-driven ADRs monitoring. Focusing on diverse data sources, including structured databases and electronic health records, it elaborates on the advantages andchallenges of AI in ADRs event extraction, relationship identification, causal analysis, and risk prediction. The aim is to provide a theoretical reference for constructing more intelligent and efficient ADRs monitoring systems.

Surgical position is very important in upper urinary calculi surgery.The correct surgical position can provide a good surgical field of view,shorten the operation time,reduce the incidence of complications,and ensure the safety of patients'airway and comfort.Endoscopic surgery is the preferred treatment for kidney and ureteral stones.As the traditional position causes higher recurrence rate and more complications,more positions have been experimented.This article reviews the application and therapeutic effects of different surgical positions in percutaneous nephrolithotomy(PCNL),retrograde intrarenal flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy(RIRS)as well as their combined use,and summarizes the advantages and disadvantages for clinical reference.

In the implementation of exemption from ethical review,medical institutions equate exemption from ethical review with no ethical review or simple review,misunderstand the scope of exemption from ethical review,confuse the concepts of de-identification and anonymization,and equate privacy with personal information.The implementation faced challenges such as the coordination of conditions for exempt review with other regulations,the lack of clear decision-making subjects for exempting from ethical review,the legality and compliance of using general informed consent for biological samples and information data,as well as non-traceability and the risk of being re-identified of anonymous information for exemption from ethical review.Measures such as improving relevant laws and regulations,perfecting the construction and management of information databases and biological sample libraries,strengthening the project management and process supervision of exemption from ethical review,and implementing scientific review can ensure the legal and compliant implementation of exemption from ethical review by medical and health institutions.

Objective:To analyze the results of prenatal diagnosis and outcome of pregnancy for women with a high risk for fetal aneuploidies.Methods:A total of 747 cases of prenatal diagnosis by amniocentesis due to high risks by non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) were selected from January 2015 to March 2022 in the Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University Medical School. The amniotic fluid samples were subjected to chromosomal karyotyping and/or chromosomal microarray analysis. All cases were followed up by searching the birth information or telephone calls, and the results were recorded. 2 test or F test were used for comparing the difference between the groups.Results:Among the 747 pregnant women with a high risk by NIPT, 387 were true positives, and the overall positive predictive value (PPV) was 51.81%. The PPVs for trisomy 21 (T21), trisomy 18 (T18), trisomy 13 (T13) and sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCA) were 80.24% (199/248), 60% (48/80), 14% (7/50) and 38.97% (106/272), respectively. The PPV for T21 was significantly higher than T18 and T13 ( χ2= 85.216, P<0.0001). The PPV for other chromosomal aneuploidies and copy number variations (CNVs) were 11.11% (5/45) and 40.74% (22/52), respectively. The PPV for increased X chromosomes was significantly higher than X chromosome decreases (64.29% vs. 22.22%, χ2= 5.530, P<0.05). The overall PPV for elder women (≥ 35 years old) was significantly higher than younger women (69.35% vs. 42.39%, χ2= 49.440, P<0.0001). For T21 and T18, the PPV of Z ≥ 10 group was significantly higher than that for 3 ≤ Z < 5 group or 5 ≤ Z < 10 group ( P<0.05). Among 52 cases with a high risk for CNVs, the PPV for the ≤ 5 Mb group was significantly higher than the 5 Mb < CNVs < 10 Mb or > 10 Mb groups (60% vs. 30%和60% vs. 23.53%, P<0.05). Among the 387 true positive cases, 322 had opted for induced labor, 53 had delivered with no abnormal growth and development, and 12 were lost during the follow-up. Conclusion:The PPVs for common chromosomal aneuploidies are related to the age and Z value of the pregnant women, which were higher in the elder group and higher Z value group. In addition, the PPV is associated with high risk types. The PPV for T21 was higher than T18 and T13, and that for 45, X was lower than 47, XXX, 47, XYY or 47, XXY syndrome. NIPT therefore has relatively high PPVs for the identification of chromosomal CNVs.

The relevant data reported by laboratories carrying out serological prenatal screening in Jiangsu Province from 2021 to 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, and the provincial inter-ventricular quality assessment was realized by comparing the internal quality control data of laboratories. The quality control analysis platform of prenatal screening in Jiangsu Province was used to collect the determination methods, quality control data results of three concentrations, instrument platform, reagents and other relevant information of maternal serological screening quality control in early and middle pregnancy in each laboratory from 2021 to 2022. Firstly, the test results of each laboratory were statistically analyzed, and the precision of each laboratory was evaluated by the variation coefficient of indoor quality control. Secondly, the consistency was evaluated by comparing laboratories with different experimental platforms. The results showed that the passing rate of PAPP-A(pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A) precision test in 2021 and 2022 was 87.5% (7/8) and 92.3% (12/13), respectively. The accuracy pass rate of the Free β-hCG (free beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin)(early pregnancy) test in 2021 and 2022 was 97.5% (39/40) and 95.5% (42/44), and the accuracy pass rate of the AFP(alpha-fetal protein) test in 2021 and 2022 was 100% (40/40) and 90.9% (40/44), respectively. The accuracy pass rate of Free β-hCG (middle pregnancy) test in 2021 and 2022 was 100% (40/40) and 95.5% (42/44), respectively. The consistency of each index was 100%. In conclusion, the relevant data reported by laboratories carrying out serological prenatal screening in Jiangsu Province has a high consistency, and for a small number of laboratories with poor stability, it is necessary to make periodic evaluation and rectification according to the data analysis results, so as to improve the quality control management of maternal serological prenatal screening.

Objective:To study the diagnostic value of artificial intelligence B-ultrasound image computer-aided diagnosis system (hereinafter referred to as intelligent ultrasound system) in adult goiter.Methods:In June 2022 and March 2023, two phases of thyroid disease survey were carried out in 4 cities in Anhui Province. One village was selected in each city, and 250 adults were selected as survey subjects in each village. Adult bilateral thyroid area was scanned by both intelligent ultrasound system and conventional ultrasound scanning equipment, and the effectiveness of intelligent ultrasound system in the diagnosis of goiter was analyzed based on the results of conventional ultrasound examination. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn, and Kappa test was used to analyze the consistency between intelligent ultrasound system and conventional ultrasound examination in the diagnosis of goiter. At the same time, Spearman correlation analysis and Bland-Altman method were used to evaluate the consistency of the two methods in measuring thyroid volume.Results:After screening and removing outliers and missing values, a total of 910 adults were included, including 253 males (27.80%) and 657 females (72.20%). The age was (45.92 ± 10.20) years old, ranging from 18 to 60 years old. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the intelligent ultrasound system for diagnosing adult goiter were 80.00%, 99.67%, and 99.56%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.996, which was consistent with the results of conventional ultrasound examination for diagnosing goiter ( κ = 0.67, P < 0.001). After controlling for variables such as gender, thyroid function, and thyroid nodules, the intelligent ultrasound system showed good consistency with conventional ultrasound examination in the diagnosis of goiter in females, adults with thyroid dysfunction, and adults without thyroid nodules ( κ = 0.66, 0.80, 0.80, P < 0.001). The consistency in the diagnosis of goiter in adults with thyroid nodules was moderate ( κ = 0.56, P < 0.001). Spearman correlation analysis showed a highly positive correlation between the measurement results of adult thyroid volume by intelligent ultrasound system and conventional ultrasound examination ( r = 0.88, P < 0.001). The Bland-Altman method results showed that only 4.62% (42/910) of points in adults were outside the 95% consistency limit, indicating good consistency between intelligent ultrasound system and conventional ultrasound examination in measuring thyroid volume (< 5%). The proportion of points outside the 95% consistency limit in males, adults with thyroid dysfunction, and adults with thyroid nodules was 6.72% (17/253), 5.83% (12/206), and 6.45% (12/186), respectively. Conclusions:The intelligent ultrasound system has certain diagnostic value for adult goiter and has good consistency with conventional ultrasound examination for thyroid volume measurement. However, the accuracy of diagnosis for males and adults with thyroid nodules still needs to be improved.