Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosis of intervertebral disc degeneration of the cervico-thoracic junction: a pilot study.

This study aimed to appraise two quantitative magnetic resonance imaging techniques, T2* imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), for the diagnosis of the intervertebral disc degeneration of the cervico-thoracic junction. Influence of specific factors and diagnostic accuracy of both techniques were particularly explored. Sixty-one volunteers with neck and upper back pain were recruited and evaluated with both T2* imaging and DWI.

YM155 enhances docetaxel efficacy in ovarian cancer.

YM155 (Sepantronium bromide) is a potent small molecule inhibitor of survivin by suppression of survivin expression and shows the promising anticancer activity in many types of cancers. Docetaxel (Taxotere) is a member of the taxane drugs used in the treatment of a number of cancers in clinic. Despite the therapeutic efficacy of docetaxel is encouraging, the emergent resistance is an urgent issue.

Isocorydine suppresses doxorubicin-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition via inhibition of ERK signaling pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a conventional and effective chemotherapeutic used in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, doxorubicin administration may induce EMT, which results in the development of chemoresistance in HCC. Recent studies report that Isocorydine (ICD) selectively inhibits human cancer stem cells (CSCs), which have an important role in the development of chemoresistance.

The role of sildenafil in the development of transplant arteriosclerosis in rat aortic grafts.

Chronic rejection (CR), which is characterized histologically by progressive graft arteriosclerosis, remains a significant barrier to the long-term survival of a graft. Sildenafil has been shown to protect vascular endothelial cells. In this study, we found that sildenafil significantly reduces the thickness of transplant vascular intima in a rat aortic transplant model.

A Meta-Analysis of Folic Acid in Combination with Anti-Hypertension Drugs in Patients with Hypertension and Hyperhomocysteinemia.

Folic acid is generally used to lower homocysteine concentrations and prevent stroke and cardiovascular disease (CVD) at present. However, the efficacy of therapies that lower homocysteine concentrations in reducing the risk of CVD and stroke remains controversial. Our objective was to do a meta-analysis of relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the efficacy of folic acid supplementation among patients with hypertension and Hyperhomocysteinemia (HT/HHcy).

Long noncoding RNA MEG3 suppressed endothelial cell proliferation and migration through regulating miR-21.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) act critical roles in many biological processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, development, invasion and migration. LncRNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) is found to be downregulated in several tumors; however, its role in the atherosclerosis is still unknown. In the present study, we demonstrated that MEG3 expression level was downregulated in the coronary artery disease (CAD) tissues compared to in the control tissues.

Extensively Drug-Resistant Causing Nosocomial Bloodstream Infections in China: Molecular Investigation of Antibiotic Resistance Determinants, Informing Therapy, and Clinical Outcomes.

The rise in diversity of antimicrobial resistance phenotypes seen in is becoming a serious antibiotic management problem. We sought to investigate the molecular characteristics and clinical implications of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) isolated from different nosocomial bloodstream infections (BSIs) patients from July 2013 to November 2015. Even in combination treatment, meropenem did not protect against mortality of BSIs patients ( = 0.

Outbreak by Hypermucoviscous ST11 Isolates with Carbapenem Resistance in a Tertiary Hospital in China.

Hypervirulent and multidrug resistant strains pose a significant threat to the public health. In the present study, 21 carbapenem-resistant isolates (CRKP) were determined by the string test as hypermucoviscous (HMKP), with the prevalence of 15.0% (21/140) among CRKP, and 1.

Crizotinib synergizes with cisplatin in preclinical models of ovarian cancer.

Crizotinib, a small molecule inhibitor of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), c-ros oncogene 1 (ROS1) and c-MET (also called MET or hepatocyte growth factor receptor), has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors have rearrangements in the ALK or ROS1 gene. However, the anticancer effect of crizotinib on ovarian cancer is still unclear. In this study, our data show that crizotinib can actively induce cell growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and apoptosis with the decreasing phosphorylation of the downstream signaling effectors AKT and ERK in human ovarian cancer cells.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is highly associated with giant idiopathic esophageal ulcers in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients.

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) exists in giant idiopathic esophageal ulcers in the patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Methods: 16 AIDS patients with a primary complaint of epigastric discomfort were examined by gastroscopy. Multiple and giant esophageal ulcers were biopsied and analyzed with pathology staining and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to determine the potential pathogenic microorganisms, including HIV, cytomegalovirus (CMV) and herpes simplex viruses (HSV).

Sphingolipids in spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating condition that affects millions of individuals worldwide. Despite progress over the last few decades, the molecular mechanisms of secondary SCI that continue to occur days and weeks after the original trauma remain poorly understood. As a result, current therapies for SCI are only marginally effective.

Epidemiology and transmission characteristics of human adenovirus type 7 caused acute respiratory disease outbreak in military trainees in East China.

Background: Human adenovirus type 7 (HAdV7) is globally attracting great concern as its high morbidity and severity in respiratory diseases, especially in Asia.

Objective: To investigate the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of HAdV7 infection outbreak in East China.

Methods: The clinical samples were collected from the patients of an ARD outbreak in East Chinafor the detection of causative pathogens by multiplex PCR.

UCH-LI acts as a novel prognostic biomarker in gastric cardiac adenocarcinoma.

Gastric cardiac adenocarcinoma (GCA) accounts for a majority of gastric cancer population and harbors unfavorable outcome. Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) belongs to the deubiquitinating enzyme family, which could regulate cell growth in human cancers. In the present study, expression of UCH-L1 was evaluated in 196 GCAs by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarray and its function on gastric cancer cells was measured.