Dynamic changes in mechanical properties of the adult rat spinal cord after injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI), a debilitating medical condition that can cause irreversible loss of neurons and permanent paralysis, currently has no cure. However, regenerative medicine may offer a promising treatment. Given that numerous regenerative strategies aim to deliver cells and materials in the form of tissue-engineered therapies, understanding and characterising the mechanical properties of the spinal cord tissue is very important.

Stem cell quiescence and its clinical relevance.

Quiescent state has been observed in stem cells (SCs), including in adult SCs and in cancer SCs (CSCs). Quiescent status of SCs contributes to SC self-renewal and conduces to averting SC death from harsh external stimuli. In this review, we provide an overview of intrinsic mechanisms and extrinsic factors that regulate adult SC quiescence.

Genetic factors related to the widespread dissemination of ST11 extensively drug-resistant carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains within hospital.

Background: Carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (CP-Kp) poses distinct clinical challenges due to extensively drug resistant (XDR) phenotype, and sequence type (ST) 11 is the most dominant blaKPC-2-bearing CP-Kp clone in China. The purpose of this current retrospective study was to explore the genetic factors associated with the success of XDR CP-Kp ST11 strains circulated in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a Chinese tertiary hospital.

Methods: Six ST11 XDR CP-Kp strains were identified between May and December 2014 and validated by minimum inhibitory concentration examination, polymerase chain reaction, and pyrosequencing.

[A study of in vitro activity of daptomycin against 2679 Gram-positive cocci].

Objective: To evaluate the in vitro activity of daptomycin against 2679 Gram-positive cocci.

Methods: A total of 2679 non-duplicate Gram-positive cocci isolates were collected from 17 teaching hospitals during January, 2010 and December, 2011. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of daptomycin and other anti-microbial agents against 4 Gram-positive cocci were determined by micro-broth dilution method and agar dilution respectively.

Development and validation of an attenuated Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae aerosol vaccine.

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyopneumoniae) causes a chronic respiratory disease with high morbidity and low mortality in swine, and has been presented as a major cause of growth retardation in the swine industry. Aerosol vaccination presents a needle free, high throughput, and efficient platform for vaccine delivery, and has been widely applied in poultry vaccination.

[An analysis of resistance of nosocomial infection pathogens isolated from 13 teaching hospitals in 2011].

Objective: To investigate the pathogen profile of nosocomial infection in China, and to survey the susceptibility rates of these pathogens to the clinical common antibiotics.

Methods: The non-repetitive nosocomial pathogens isolated from bloodstream infection (BSI), hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP) and intra-abdominal infection (IAI) and the case data were collected from 13 teaching hospitals in different areas of China and sent to a central laboratory for re-identification and susceptibility testing. The levels of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the common antibiotics were determined by agar dilution method.

Serological and molecular capsular typing, antibiotic susceptibility and multilocus sequence typing of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from invasive and non-invasive infections.

Background: Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is a major causative agent of severe infections, including sepsis, pneumonia, meningitis, and otitis media, and has become a major public health concern. We report the pneumococcal serotype and sequence type (ST) distribution, and antimicrobial resistance of 39 S.

[Antimicrobial resistance and serotype distribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from multi-centers across China, 2010 - 2011].

Objective: To investigate the trends of resistance of S. pneumoniae and to evaluate the potential coverage of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

Methods: The antibiotic susceptibility and serotype distribution of 471 pneumococcal strains isolated from pneumococcal diseases in 13 hospitals across China during 2010 to 2011 were studied.

[Adult hospital acquired pneumonia: a multicenter study on microbiology and clinical characteristics of patients from 9 Chinese cities].

Objective: To investigate the etiology and clinical characteristics of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) in China and to provide evidence for appropriate therapy.

Methods: We performed a prospective multicenter study in 13 Chinese urban tertiary hospitals. All HAP cases diagnosed at respiratory general ward and respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) from August 2008 to December 2010 were studied.

Drug-resistant genes carried by Acinetobacter baumanii isolated from patients with lower respiratory tract infection.

Background: Acinetobacter baumanii (A. baumanii ) remains an important microbial pathogen resulting in nosocomial acquired infections with significant morbidity and mortality. The mechanism by which nosocomial bacteria, like A.