Applying the bacterial meningitis score in children with cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis: a single center's experience.

Purpose: The widespread introduction of bacterial conjugate vaccines has decreased the risk of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis due to bacterial meningitis (BM) in children. However, most patients with CSF pleocytosis are hospitalized and treated with parenteral antibiotics for several days. The bacterial meningitis score (BMS) is a validated multivariate model derived from a pediatric population in the postconjugate vaccine era and has been evaluated in several studies.

Cinnamon and its Components Suppress Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation by Up-Regulating Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitors.

Cinnamomum cassia bark has been used in traditional herbal medicine to treat a variety of cardiovascular diseases. However, the antiproliferative effect of cinnamon extract on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and the corresponding restenosis has not been explored. Hence, after examining the effect of cinnamon extract on VSMC proliferation, we investigated the possible involvement of signal transduction pathways associated with early signal and cell cycle analysis, including regulatory proteins.

Galla rhois exerts its antiplatelet effect by suppressing ERK1/2 and PLCβ phosphorylation.

Galla rhois and its components have various biological activities, including protective effects on liver cells as well as antimetastatic, antiplatelet, and antibacterial effects. In the present study, we identified the antiplatelet activity and possible mechanism of action of a G. rhois extract (GRE).

Fermented soshiho-tang with Lactobacillus plantarum enhances the antiproliferative activity in vascular smooth muscle cell.

Background: Soshiho-tang (SST) is a traditional medicine widely used for the treatment of chronic hepatitis. SST has been shown to confer a variety of pharmacological activities, including prevention of hepatotoxicity, promotion of liver regeneration, and modulation of liver fibrosis. In this study, we investigated the antiproliferative activity of native and fermented (FSST) formulations of SST in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and examined the potential underlying mechanisms driving these effects.

A case of twin pregnancy with complete hydatidiform mole and coexisting fetus following IVF-ET.

Twin pregnancy consisting of complete hydatidiform mole (H-mole) and a coexisting fetus occurs with an estimated incidence of 1 per 22,000-100,000 pregnancies. The incidence of this unusual twin pregnancy with complete H-mole and a coexisting fetus after in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) is not thought to be greater than that of general population. We present an unusual twin pregnancy with complete H-mole and a coexisting fetus that occurred following IVF-ET, which was terminated at 21 weeks of gestation and developed into nonmetastatic gestational trophoblastic tumor.