A Nomogram for Predicting the Effectiveness of Consultations on Multi-Drug Resistant Infections: An Exploration for Clinical Pharmacy Services.

Purpose: The increasing multi-drug resistance (MDR) is a serious threat to human health. The appropriate use of antibiotics can control the progression of MDR and clinical pharmacists play an important role in the rational use of antibiotics. There are many factors that influence the effectiveness of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO) infection consultations.

Development of a Self-Luminescent Living Bioreactor for Enhancing Photodynamic Therapy in Breast Cancer.

The penetration ability of visible light (<2 mm) and near-infrared (NIR) light (∼1 cm) remarkably impairs the therapeutic efficacy and clinical applications of photodynamic therapy (PDT). To address the limitation of light penetration depth, a novel self-luminescent bacterium, teLuc.FP-EcN, has been engineered through transfection of a fusion expression plasmid containing the luciferase gene teLuc and bright red fluorescent protein mScarlet-I into Nissle 1917 ().

Enhanced anti-glioma activity of annonaceous acetogenins based on a novel liposomal co-delivery system with ginsenoside Rh2.

Annonaceous acetogenins (ACGs) have potent anti-tumor activity, and the problems of their low solubility, hemolysis, and delivery have been solved by encapsulation into nanoparticles. However, the high toxicity still limits their application in clinic. In this paper, the co-delivery strategy was tried to enhance the anti-tumor efficacy and reduce the toxic effects of ACGs.

Population pharmacokinetic analysis, renal safety, and dosing optimization of polymyxin B in lung transplant recipients with pneumonia: A prospective study.

This study aims to characterize the population pharmacokinetics of polymyxin B in lung transplant recipients and optimize its dosage regimens. This prospective study involved carbapenem-resistant organisms-infected patients treated with polymyxin B. The population pharmacokinetic model was developed using the NONMEM program.

Germline mutation analyses of malignant ground glass opacity nodules in non-smoking lung adenocarcinoma patients.

Background: Germline mutations play an important role in the pathogenesis of lung cancer. Nonetheless, research on malignant ground glass opacity (GGO) nodules is limited.

Methods: A total of 13 participants with malignant GGO nodules were recruited in this study.

Valtrate as a novel therapeutic agent exhibits potent anti-pancreatic cancer activity by inhibiting Stat3 signaling.

Background: Valtrate is a novel epoxy iridoid ester isolated from Chinese herbal medicine Valeriana jatamansi Jones with anti-proliferative activity against various human cancer cell lines. However, its efficacy and molecular mechanisms against pancreatic cancer (PC) cells are largely unclear.

Purpose: To investigate the anti-cancer effects of valtrate on PC cell lines and its underlying mechanisms.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Blood to Distinguish Lung Cancer Patients from Healthy Subjects.

Objective: Inflammation-driven markers play a crucial role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in blood are systemic inflammatory response markers. Some reports have showed that NLR and PLR are related to a poor prognosis in patients with lung cancer.

Population pharmacokinetics and dosing regimen optimization of tacrolimus in Chinese lung transplant recipients.

We aimed to (i) develop a population pharmacokinetic model of tacrolimus in Chinese lung transplant recipients and (ii) propose model-based dosing regimens for individualized treatment. We obtained 807 tacrolimus steady-state whole blood concentrations from 52 lung transplant patients and genotyped CYP3A5*3. Population pharmacokinetic analysis was performed using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling.

Myasthenia gravis and specific immunotherapy: monoclonal antibodies.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an acquired autoimmune disease affecting the postsynaptic membrane of neuromuscular junctions and characterized by antibody-mediated T cell dependence and complement involvement. Cholinesterase inhibitors (e.g.

Evaluation of A Novel GLP-1R Ligand for PET Imaging of Prostate Cancer.

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) is an important biomarker for diagnosis and therapy of the endocrine cancers due to overexpression. Recently, in human prostate cancer cell lines the receptor was also observed, therefore it may be a potential target for the disease. 18F-Al-NOTA-MAL-Cys39- exendin-4 holds great promise for GLP-1R.

MiR-22 may Suppress Fibrogenesis by Targeting TGFβR I in Cardiac Fibroblasts.

Background/aims: Cardiac fibrosis after myocardial infarction (MI) has been identified as a key factor in the development of heart failure, but the mechanisms undelying cardiac fibrosis remained unknown. microRNAs (miRNAs) are novel mechanisms leading to fibrotic diseases, including cardiac fibrosis. Previous studies revealed that miR-22 might be a potential target.

Neurokinin-1 receptor is a novel positive regulator of Wnt/ β-catenin signaling in melanogenesis.

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is essential for melanogenesis in melanocytes. Neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) has recently been demonstrated to be involved in melanin production. However, the cross talk between NK-1R and Wnt/β-catenin is poorly understood.

5d, a novel analogue of 3-n-butylphthalide, decreases NADPH oxidase activity through the positive regulation of CK2 after ischemia/reperfusion injury.

5d, a novel analogue of the racemic 3-n-butylphthalide (NBP), has been reported for its free radical scavenging activity in vitro and preventive neuroprotection in vivo. Nevertheless, the mechanism by which 5d attenuated ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is still unknown. Our results showed that 5d significantly increased CK2 activity as well as CK2α and 2α' protein levels after I/R injury.

[Chemical Constituents from Rhizome of Valeriana jatamansi].

Objective: To study the chemical constituents from the rhizome of Valeriana jatamansi.

Methods: The chemical constituents were separated and purified by silica gel, medium pressure column chromatography, and preparative HPLC. Their structures were determined by physicochemical properties and spectral data.

Efficacy of kidney-tonifying traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions in hypoplastic uterus treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aim: To review and evaluate the efficacy of kidney-tonifying traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions (KT-TCMP) in hypoplastic uterus (HU) treatment.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), WANFANG and VIP databases until 14 December 2013 independently with two investigators. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) involving KT-TCMP as a combined or monotherapy in the treatment of HU were reviewed and analyzed.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy comparison of taxanes and platinum versus 5-fluorouracil and platinum in nasopharyngeal carcinoma treatment.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a squamous-cell carcinoma especially prevailing among the natives of southern China. The regimen of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) that include platinum and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is considered to be the standard treatment for NPC. However, its clinical use is limited by its toxicity.

Bilobetin ameliorates insulin resistance by PKA-mediated phosphorylation of PPARα in rats fed a high-fat diet.

Background And Purpose: The amelioration of insulin resistance by bilobetin is closely related to its hypolipidaemic effect. The aim of the present study was to determine the insulin-sensitizing mechanism of bilobetin by elucidating its effect on lipid metabolism.

Experimental Approach: Rats fed a high-fat diet were treated with bilobetin for either 4 or 14 days before applying a hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamp.