Factors associated with menopausal symptoms among middle-aged registered nurses in Beijing.

OBJECTIVE: To determine factors related to menopause symptoms among middle-aged registered nurses in Beijing. METHODS: Self-administered questionnaires that included closed-ended questions on many factors possibly related to menopausal symptoms were distributed to 2100 registered nurses aged 40-55 at 20 hospitals in Beijing, China. RESULTS: Menopausal status was most associated with menopausal symptoms (p < 0.01), including hot flashes and sweating, paresthesiae, insomnia, arthralgia/myalgia, palpitations, skin formication and an unsatisfactory sexual life. The odds ratios (ORs) were highest for hot flashes and sweating. Upsetting events in the past year and being pessimistic were significantly inversely correlated with almost all the symptoms analyzed. Hot flashes and sweating (p < 0.01), paresthesiae (p < 0.01), unsatisfactory sexual life (p < 0.01), irritability (p < 0.05), depression or suspicion (p < 0.05) and dizziness (p < 0.05) were negatively correlated with the frequency of sexual activity. CONCLUSION: Many factors may influence symptoms of the menopause. We found that menopausal status was most strongly associated with most menopausal symptoms, especially hot flashes and sweating. Psychosocial factors also played an important role. A higher frequency of sexual activity negatively correlated with most menopausal symptoms.

Comparative analysis of bile culture and blood culture in patients with malignant biliary obstruction complicated with biliary infection.

OBJECTIVE: This study is aimed to provide a clinical basis for the identification and treatment of patients with malignant biliary obstruction (MBO) complicated with biliary infection by comparing pathogenic bacteria detected in bile and blood cultures from these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 380 patients with MBO who received percutaneous transhepatic cholangic drainage from January 2004 to January 2019 were included in the study. A total of 90 patients were diagnosed with having MBO complicated with biliary infection, and bile and blood culture were simultaneously performed on these patients. The patients included 58 men and 32 women, ranging in age from 33 to 86 years old, with a mean age of 60.69 years. RESULTS: The detection rate using bile bacterial culture in patients with MBO complicated with biliary infection was significantly higher than that using blood culture, and there were significant differences in the two kinds of bacterial culture found positive bile and blood cultures from the same patients. Gram-positive cocci were dominant in the bile cultures and Gram-negative bacilli were dominant in the blood cultures. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct simultaneous bile bacterial culture and blood culture for patients with MBO complicated with biliary infection, especially those with severe or critical diseases. CONCLUSIONS: It is vital to enable simultaneous bile bacterial culture and blood culture in patients with MBO complicated with biliary infection. Existing guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of benign biliary infection are not applicable to patients with MBO complicated with biliary infection.

[Experimental study of anti-tumor immunologic response induced by cryoablation for prostate cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the anti-tumor immune response of cryoablation for prostate cancer. METHODS: Mouse model of prostate cancer was established. And the tumor-bearing mice were divided into three groups: control group (Group A), surgery group (Group B) and cryoablation group (Group C). Blood samples were withdrawn before and at Days 7, 14, 21 post-treatment. IFN-gamma and IL-4 were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Th1/Th2 ratio was estimated from the IFN-gamma/IL-4 ratio. Lymphocytes of draining lymph node (DLN) and spleen were isolated. And the post-therapeutical number of tumor-specific IFN-gamma+CD4+ Th cells was measured by the method of enzyme link immunological spot (ELISPOT). And tumor-specific cytolytic activity of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) was measured by LDH assay. The rate of metastasis was assessed. RESULTS: At Day 7 post-treatment in Groups A, B and C, Th1/Th2 ratio was 4.97+/-0.31, 10.07+/-0.62 and 13.71+/-0.57 respectively (P<0.05); the number of IFN-gamma+ cells every 10(6) CD4+ Th cells in DLN 22.3+/-1.0, 24.0+/-1.2 and 243.4+/-46.2 respectively; cytolytic activity of cytotoxic T lymphocyte against prostate cancer cells (14.6+/-1.1)%, (15.2+/-0.8)% and (62.6+/-2.3)% respectively (P<0.05). But for T cells derived from spleen, there were no difference in IFN-gamma+CD4+ Th cells or cytolytic activity of CTL among the groups. At Day 28 post-treatment, the rate of DLN metastasis was 100%, 80% and 40% respectively. And the rates of lung metastasis were all 100%. CONCLUSION: Cryoablation for prostate cancer can induce the Th1 advantage of anti-tumor immunity and generate the tumor-specific immune response in DLN. But the response remains limited. Further studies are warranted.

[Percutaneous verterbreplasty combined with radiotherapy treating malignant vertebrate metastasis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate retrospectively the treatment effects and side effects of malignant vertebrate metastasis who had received radiotherapy or percutaneous verterbreplasty (PVP) or PVP combined with radiotherapy. METHODS: Two hundred and sixty-three patients who had been diagnosed as malignant tumor with vertebrate metastasis received PVP (87 patients) or radiotherapy (111 patients) or PVP combined with radiotherapy (65 patients). Radiotherapy was done one week after PVP procedure in PVP combined with radiotherapy group. All patients received regular follow-up. The changes of pain scale were analyzed by NRS. The improvement of quality of life was evaluated by inquiry questionnaire of EORTC QLQ-C30. The side effects were also observed. RESULTS: All defects in vertebrate metastasis in PVP treating were fully filled by polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) under CT examination. The NRS number decreased significantly after 6 hours after treating in PVP Group and PVP combined with radiotherapy Group (P < 0.01), which shows basement of pain was rapid. The NRS number decreased significantly after one month after treating in radiotherapy Group (P < 0.01), which shows basement of pain was slow. The score of EORTC QLQ-C30 inquiry questionnaire in three Groups reduced, which indicated that the quality of life had been improved. In PVP Group and PVP combined with radiotherapy Group, the score of EORTC QLQ-C30 changed most significantly (P < 0.01). There were no severe clinical complications. CONCLUSIONS: It is safe and effective to treat malignant tumor patients with vertebrate metastasis by PVP combined with radiotherapy and quality of life had been improved significantly with long catabasis.

Multifactorial analysis of biliary infection after percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage treatment of malignant biliary obstruction.

BACKGROUND: The symptoms of patients with malignant biliary obstruction (MBO) could be effectively alleviated with percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD). Postoperative infections were considered as challenging issues for clinicians. In this study, the risk factors of biliary infection in patients after PTBD were analyzed. METHODS: From July 2003 to September 2010, 694 patients with MBO received PTBD treatment. Bile specimens were also collected during PTBD. All relevant information and results were collected, including gender, age, obstruction time, types of primary tumor, sites of obstruction, drainage style, tumor stage, hemoglobin, phenotype of peripheral blood monocyte (Treg), total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, albumin, Child-Pugh score, and results of bile bacterial culture. RESULTS: For the 694 patients involved in this study, 485 were male and 209 were female, with a mean age of 62 years (ranged 38-78 years). For the bile culture, 57.1% patients (396/649) were negative and 42.9% patients showed positive (298/694), and then 342 strains of microorganism were identified. The risk factors of biliary system infection after PTBD included: age (χ2 = 4.621, P = 0.032), site of obstruction (χ2 = 17.450, P < 0.001), drainage style (χ2 = 14.452, P < 0.001), tumor stage (χ2 = 4.741, P = 0.029), hemoglobin (χ2 = 3.914, P = 0.048), Child-Pugh score (χ2 = 5.491, P = 0.019), phenotype of peripheral blood monocyte (Treg) (χ2 = 5.015, P = 0.025), and results of bile bacterial culture (χ2 = 65.381, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis suggested that high-risk factors were drainage style, Child-Pugh score, and results of bile culture. CONCLUSIONS: The risk factors of biliary infection after PTBD included: age, site of obstruction, drainage style, tumor stage, hemoglobin, Child-Pugh score, phenotype of peripheral blood monocyte (Treg), and results of bile culture. It was further concluded that drainage style, Child-Pugh score, and results of bile culture were independent risk factors.

Bile culture and susceptibility testing of malignant biliary obstruction via PTBD.

PURPOSE: To assess the information obtained by bile culture and susceptibility testing for malignant biliary obstruction by a retrospective one-center study. METHODS: A total of 694 patients with malignant biliary obstruction received percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage during the period July 2003 to September 2010, and subsequently, bile specimens were collected during the procedure. Among the 694 patients, 485 were men and 209 were women, ranging in age from 38 to 78 years (mean age 62 years). RESULTS: A total of 42.9% patients had a positive bile culture (298 of 694). Further, 57 species of microorganisms and 342 strains were identified; gram-positive bacteria accounted for 50.9% (174 of 342) and gram-negative bacteria accounted for 41.5% (142 of 342) of these strains. No anaerobes were obtained by culture during this study. The most common microorganisms were Enterococcus faecalis (41 of 342, 11.9%), Escherichia coli (34 of 342, 9.9%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (28 of 342, 8.2%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (19 of 342, 5.5%), Enterococcus (18 of 342, 5.3%), and Enterobacter cloacae (16 of 342, 4.7%). The percentage of ß-lactamase-producing gram-positive bacteria was 27.6% (48 of 174), and the percentage of gram-negative bacteria was 19.7% (28 of 142). The percentage of enzyme-producing Escherichia coli was 61.7% (21 of 34). CONCLUSION: The bile cultures in malignant biliary obstruction are different from those in the Tokyo Guidelines and other benign biliary obstruction researches, which indicates that a different antibacterial therapy should be applied. Thus, knowledge of the antimicrobial susceptibility data could aid in the better use of antibiotics for the empirical therapy of biliary infection combined with malignant biliary obstruction.

A review of mechanochemistry applications in waste management.

Mechanochemistry is defined to describe the chemical and physicochemical transformation of substances during the aggregation caused by the mechanical energy. Mechanochemical technology has several advantages, such as simple process, ecological safety and the possibility of obtaining a product in the metastable state. It potentially has a prospective application in pollution remediation and waste management. Therefore, this paper aims to give an overall review of the mechanochemistry applications in waste management and the related mechanisms. Based on our study, the modification of fly ash and asbestos-containing wastes (ACWs) can be achieved by mechanochemical technology. Waste metal oxides can be transformed into easily recyclable sulfide by mechanochemical sulfidization. Besides, the waste plastics and rubbers, which are usually very difficult to be recycled, can also be recycled by mechanochemical technology.