The Chinese Behavior Pain Scale for critically ill patients: translation and psychometric testing.

Background: Common pain assessment tools might not be the suitable tools to measure ventilated, critically ill patients' pain. The Behavioral Pain Scale measures observable behavior indicative of pain experienced by mechanically ventilated patients.

Objective: This study was conducted to generate a Chinese-language version of the Behavioral Pain Scale and to test its psychometric properties.

Anticancer activity of botanical alkyl hydroquinones attributed to topoisomerase II poisoning.

Cytotoxic alkyl hydroquinone compounds have been isolated from many plants. We previously isolated 3 structurally similar cytotoxic alkyl hydroquinone compounds from the sap of the lacquer tree Rhus succedanea L. belonging to the sumac family, which have a long history of medicinal use in Asia.

Plasma matrix metalloproteinase-9 level is better than serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 level to predict gastric cancer evolution.

Purpose: Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in blood is a promising new tumor marker. The aims of the present study are to compare the usefulness of plasma and serum MMP-9 levels for predicting gastric cancer development, invasion, and survival.

Experimental Design: In this nested case-control study, 114 gastric cancer patients and 87 healthy controls were enrolled.

Elevated plasma osteopontin associated with gastric cancer development, invasion and survival.

Objective: Osteopontin (OPN) has been found to be valuable in diagnosis and predicting the prognosis of a variety of malignancies. The aims of the present study are to evaluate the usefulness of plasma OPN level for predicting gastric cancer development, invasion and survival.

Patients And Methods: One hundred and thirty two gastric cancer patients and 93 healthy controls were enrolled.