Programmable Pump for Intrathecal Morphine Delivery to Cisterna Magna: Clinical Implications in Novel Management of Refractory Pain Above Middle Thoracic Vertebrae Level Utilizing a Prospective Trial Protocol and Review.

Background: The cisterna Intrathecal Drug Delivery system (IDDS) with morphine has proven to be effective in treating refractory cancer pain above the middle thoracic vertebrae level in some countries. However, it has not been fully investigated in others. We designed the current project to investigate the efficacy and safety of cisterna IDDS for pain relief in refractory pain above the middle thoracic vertebrae level in advanced cancer patients.

Intrathecal Morphine Delivery at Cisterna Magna to Control Refractory Cancer-Related Pain: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: For patients suffering from primary or metastatic cancer above the middle thoracic vertebrae, refractory pain management still remains a great challenge. Theoretically, inserting a catheter tip into the cisterna magna may be a promising solution. However, at present, there have been no reliable data regarding this novel technique.

Sleep Disordered Breathing Diagnosis and Treatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Survey in China.

Background And Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has markedly impacted the distribution of medical resources and healthcare delivery systems. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of the pandemic on the diagnosis and treatment of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in China.

Methods: A retrospective online survey of sleep centers from the assembly of SDB of the Chinese Thoracic Society was conducted from July 1 to July 20, 2020.

Clinical characteristics of the first cases of invasive candidiasis in China due to pan-echinocandin-resistant and isolates with delineation of their resistance mechanisms.

Echinocandin antifungal agents have become the first-line therapy for invasive candidiasis (IC) in many countries. Despite their increasing use, resistance to this class of drug is, overall, still uncommon. Here, we report two patients from the People's Republic of China with IC, one with infection caused by pan-echinocandin-resistant and the other by pan-echinocandin-resistant .

Update of incidence and antimicrobial susceptibility trends of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from Chinese intra-abdominal infection patients.

Background: To evaluate in vitro susceptibilities of aerobic and facultative Gram-negative bacterial (GNB) isolates from intra-abdominal infections (IAIs) to 12 selected antimicrobials in Chinese hospitals from 2012 to 2014.

Methods: Hospital acquired (HA) and community acquired (CA) IAIs were collected from 21 centers in 16 Chinese cities. Extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) status and antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined at a central laboratory using CLSI broth microdilution and interpretive standards.

Efficacy and Safety of Tamsulosin in Medical Expulsive Therapy for Distal Ureteral Stones with Renal Colic: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial.

Background: Recent large high-quality trials have questioned the clinical effectiveness of medical expulsive therapy using tamsulosin for ureteral stones.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tamsulosin for distal ureteral stones compared with placebo.

Design, Setting, And Participants: We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 3296 patients with distal ureteral stones, across 30 centers, to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tamsulosin.

Antimicrobial susceptibilities of aerobic and facultative gram-negative bacilli isolated from Chinese patients with urinary tract infections between 2010 and 2014.

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the distribution and susceptibility of aerobic and facultative Gram-negative bacilli isolated from Chinese patients with UTIs collected within 48 h (community acquired, CA) or after 48 h (hospital acquired, HA) of hospital admission.

Methods: From 2010 to 2014, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 12 antibiotics for 4,332 aerobic and facultative Gram-negative bacilli, sampled in 21 hospitals in 16 cities, were determined by the broth microdilution method.

Results: Enterobacteriaceae composed 88.

Development of Novel Erythromycin Derivatives with Inhibitory Activity against Proliferation of Tumor Cells.

In our continuing structure-activity relationship study of a new class of erythromycin A (EM-A) derivatives with antiproliferative activity, a new series of de(N-methyl) EM-A dimers jointed by a four-atom linker, -CH2CH = CHCH2-, were prepared and their antiproliferative activity against three human tumor cell lines was evaluated by MTT assay. The most active EM-A dimer, compound 1b, that carrying C6 methoxyl groups was further investigated and showed potent antiproliferative activity in six other human tumor cell lines. Flow cytometry analysis of 1b treated HeLa and MCF-7 cells indicated that the four-atom EM-A dimers induced the SubG1 phase cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis, in time- and dose-dependent manners.

In vitro activity of flomoxef and comparators against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases in China.

The objective of this study was to better understand the in vitro activity of flomoxef against clinical extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae. A total of 401 ESBL-producing isolates, including 196 Escherichia coli, 124 Klebsiella pneumoniae and 81 Proteus mirabilis, were collected consecutively from 21 hospitals in China in 2013. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by broth microdilution methods.

Guideline for diagnosis, prophylaxis and treatment of invasive fungal infection post burn injury in China 2013.

Invasive fungal infection is one of the major complication of severe burns which can induce local or systemic inflammatory response and cause serious substantial damage to the patient. The incidence of fungal infection for burn victims is increasing dramatically during recent years. This guideline, organized by Chinese Society of Burn Surgeons, aims to standardize the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of burn invasive fungal infection.

Bufalin induces lung cancer cell apoptosis via the inhibition of PI3K/Akt pathway.

Bufalin is a class of toxic steroids which could induce the differentiation and apoptosis of leukemia cells, and induce the apoptosis of gastric, colon and breast cancer cells. However, the anti-tumor effects of bufalin have not been demonstrated in lung cancer. In this study we used A549 human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cell line as the experimental model to evaluate the potential of bufalin in lung cancer chemotherapy.

In vitro effects of erythromycin on RANKL and nuclear factor-kappa B by human TNF-alpha stimulated Jurkat cells.

The receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL) and its signal downstream nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) are critical regulators for immune responses as well as bone remodeling. The present study aimed to examine the effects of erythromycin (EM) on the activation of RANKL, correlation with NF-kappaB expression, proliferation and apoptosis of human Jurkat T cells. Jurkat T cells were pretreated with 100 pmol/l tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) for 1 h followed by various concentrations of EM for 24 h.

[Changes of serum BAFF and IL-21 levels in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and their clinical significance].

Aim: To investigate the changes of serum BAFF and IL-21 levels in the patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and explore their clinical significance.

Methods: The serum levels of BAFF and IL-21 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results: The levels of serum BAFF and IL-21 in the patients with SLE were obviously higher than those in healthy control group.

[Study on the influencing factors to cerebral stroke in a region with high prevalence rate of hypertension].

Objective: To investigate the influencing factors on cerebral stroke in Zhangwu county, Liaoning province, a region with high hypertension prevalence rate.

Methods: By cluster sampling method, 5208 adults ( > 18y. ) from 11 villages of 6 towns were registered.

[Serum IL-21 level in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome and clinical significance of IL-21].

Aim: To investigate the relation between the change of serum IL-21 level and other laboratory indexes by detecting serum IL-21 level from patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) and explore the role of IL-21 in pSS.

Methods: The level of serum IL-21 from 40 pSS patients diagnosed according to 2002 revised international classification criteria for pSS and 30 healthy persons were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) respectively. Meanwhile, FT3, FT4, TSH, TgAb, TPOAb were detected by Immunochemiluminescent technique.