Objective To examine the expression of protein kinase C (PKC), connexin43(Cx43) and non-phosphorylated Cx43 in ovarian cancer, and discuss the role of phosphorylated of Cx43 in chemoresistance in ovarian cancer. Methods We examined the expression of Cx43, non-phosphorylated Cx43 and PKC in ovarian cancer tissue by immunohistochemistry, and compared their expression in chemosensitivity group and ehemoresistance group. Cisplatin resistant ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3/DDP cells were treated by staurosporine (a kind of PKC inhibitors). Then expression of Cx43, non-phosphorylated Cx43 and PKC were tested. Meanwhile, we tested chemosensitivity of SKOV3/DDP cells by ATP bioluminescence tumor chemosensifivity assay (ATP-TCA). Results (1) Immunohistochemically,the rates of positive expression of Cx43 and non-phospharylated Cx43 were 54%, 14% respectively in the chemoresistance group, which were 83%, 59% in the chemosensitivity group respectively (P<0.05). The rate of positive expression of PKC in 28 chemoresistance ovarian cancer cases (64%) was higher than that in 29 chemosensitivity cases (31% ,P<0.05). Both of them were significantly lower in ehemoresistanee group than in chemosensitivity group (P<0.05). In addition, the expression of PKC was negatively correlated with the expression of Cx43 and non-phosphorylated Cx43. The correlation coefficients were -0. 626 and -0. 714, respectively (P<0.05). (2) Immunohistochemically, PKC was down regulated, and Cx43 and non-phosphorylated Cx43 were up regulated in SKOV3/DDP cells after staurosporine treatment. The longer the staurosporine worked, the more expression of Cx43 was. (3) By ATP-TCA, SKOV3/DDP cells were resistant to paclitaxel and cisplatin. The tumor growth inhibition was higher in the group of paclitaxel or cisplatin combined staurosporine than in the group of paclitaxel or cisplatin alone. The sensitivity was intermediate in the group combined with low concentration staurosporine (1×10-8 moL/L), and the sensitivity was high in the group combined with high concentration staurosporine (1×10-7 mol/L). Conclusions Phosphorylation of Cx43 caused by PKC leads to decrease in the expression of Cx43. This effect makes ovarian cancer cells less chemosensitive. Phosphorylation of Cx43 caused by PKC can be inhibited by staurosporine.

For a long time, in the field of medical research, due to lack of proper methods, research decision-making process has not made the most of human experience, recommendations and different opinions, viewpoints, and expositions related to subjective interpretation. At present, this problem in the course of the standardized clinical research on traditional Chinese medicine is particularly prominent and needs to be solved urgently. Consensus methods can be used for studying different perspectives within the group and get different levels of "consent" in order to achieve "consensus", especially in the formation of a consensus of experts, which are widely used now. Consensus methods include three frequently used methods such as Delphi method, nominal group technique and consensus development conference. The research team of WHO Western Pacific Regional Primary Osteoporosis Clinical Practice Guideline of Traditional Medicine completed the preparation of good practice points in the first draft after three expert consensus meetings by using consensus development conference method. This article discusses the application of consensus development conference method in the developing process of clinical practice guidelines of traditional medicine.

It is not finally concluded how to standardize the use of qualitative research in the world. Qualitative researchers disagree with each other about this issue. As we know, there have been a large number of articles written in different ways about qualitative research due to the "flexibility", one of its features. Qualitative research is quite different from quantitative research which is easy to control its quality and quality assessment. A series of criteria has been set up for quantitative research. However qualitative research needs to be improved in these aspects, in which qualitative interviews are mostly used at home and abroad at present. Hence, it becomes an important and urgent issue for qualitative researchers to standardly control and assess the quality of qualitative interview.

Qualitative interview can collect data independently and can help modify and explain data when being combined with the quantitative research. The authors of this article introduced some kinds of qualitative interviews and their application in clinical research of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It emphasized some aspects of qualitative interview including the origin and definition, classification, basic standards, sampling, data analysis and report writing, quality evaluation and application for TCM clinical research.

The paper aims to explore basic steps, regulation and data analysis methods of semi-structured and in-depth interview studies of clinical research in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and to provide some helpful information obtained from the examples for decision making in TCM research field. A pilot study was made with eight interviewees and, based on which, a formal one with twelve interviewees was done in this study. All the recordings were transcribed into verbal manuscripts, categorized into different archives and labeled by letter from A to T. Grounded theory for analyzing qualitative data was used in this study, and cross-case analysis was also made on the basis of case-by-case analysis results. Nine theories with central categories were constructed by three coding procedures from grounded theory. Three kinds of relationships, three types of optimized attitude, and three concerns were obtained from the example study. Nine analyzing conceptual graphs and nine theories related to optimization of TCM clinical research program were established finally. The researchers of large national studies were included as interviewees in the study. A comprehensive and critical data analysis from twelve interviewees for in-depth interview was conducted in accordance with current international qualitative research, and a response theory model focused on optimization of TCM clinical research program was established. The study laid the foundation for using semi-structured and in-depth interview for TCM clinical research.

The Auditory Apperception Measurement Model (AAMM) is often used to test the ability of people's auditory learning. Through learning auditory signals,the testees' apperception abilities are tested under different process of learning. In this paper,the AAMM is built,and the design and realization of the software is introduced.

Objective: To investigate the effect of edaravone on the pain sensitivity in rats with spinal nerve ligated and to probe into the related mechanism. Methods: Male adult SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: a sham (Sham) group, a spinal nerve ligation (SNL) group and edaravone(Eda) group. The paw withdrawal mechanical threshold(PWMT) was measured before and after ligation (once daily for 7 days). Rats were sacrificed at specified time points and the left(operation side) L4 and L5 dorsal root ganglia(DRG) and the right (control side) L5 DRG were obtained and immunostained to observe the changes of pJNK in DRG neurons and spinal cords, so as to observe the effect of edaravone on pJNK. Results: Edaravone can reduce the mechanical hyperalgesia induced by spinal nerve ligation. Immunostaining showed that the SNL group had an increased pJNK in the ipsilateral DRG neurons (L5) 24 hours after ligation; double immunofluorescence indicated that the expression of pJNK in the ipsilateral spinal astrocytes was increased 3 days after ligation. Edaravone can reduce pJNK expression in DRG neurons and spinal cords at corresponding time points. Conclusion: Edaravone can relieve the neuropathic pain induced by spinal nerve ligation, and the mechanism might be related to the inhibition of pJNK expression in DRG neurons and spinal cords.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is a non-selective cation channel, which can be activated by multiple pathways during the course of the diseases. Recent studies indicate that primary sensory neurons of the pancreas express TRPV1 receptor and the activation of TRPV1 receptor promotes pancreatic inflammation. Moreover, blockade of these transient receptor potential channels can greatly ameliorate the pain response in experimental pancreatitis.

Comparative effectiveness research (CER) has gained more and more popularity, which brought great response in the USA and other developed Western countries. There is no doubt that CER is a new idea and a milestone in health care research. CER is also known as "patient-centered outcomes research", which means patient is the core element in the whole system of CER. Chinese medicine could make new achievements and further development by introducing CER into clinical research. This article mainly introduced the background, features and contents of CER and summarized how to conduct CER in Chinese medicine by referring to some published literature in order to enlighten Chinese medicine researchers.

OBJECTIVETo explore the role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores in effectiveness evaluation of clinical studies.

METHODSRandomized controlled trials (RCTs) of TCM published in five journals in 2013 were retrieved, including Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine (JTCM), Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine (CJITWM), Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine (CJIM), Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (ECAM), and American Journal of Chinese Medicine (AJCM). The details of TCM syndrome scores and other relevant factors reported in articles were extracted and analyzed. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used to describe general features of inclusive studies, ratios of reports on CM syndrome scores in each journal, formulated evidence, adopted evaluation rules, important degrees. The difference in the application rate of CM syndrome scores were compared in various diseases, diseases with or without CM syndrome typing, places where clinical studies were implemented, and different journals.

RESULTSA total of 240 RCTs were included, involving 178 published in Chinese version and 62 in English version. CM syndrome scores were used for effectiveness evaluation in 27.1% (65/240) of RCTs, of which, the highest application percentage was 35.3% (18/51) in RCTs published in CJITWM, and the lowest was 0 (0/7) in RCTs published in AJCM. There were 17 methods for grading TCM syndrome scores, of which Guideline for Clinical Research of New Chinese Herbal Medicine was most commonly used. Detailed grading standards for CM syndrome scores were reported in 46 RCTs, and CM syndrome scores were taken as primary or secondary outcomes in 6 RCTs. When describing the percentages of RCTs adopting TCM syndrome score by diseases classification, the lowest was 9.5% (2/21) in mental and behavioral disorders, and the highest was 39.1% (9/23) in endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases. RCTs with TCM syndrome differentiation had a higher percentage of adopting TCM syndrome score than those without TCM syndrome differentiation (P < 0.01). Statistical differences were also found among RCTs published in Chinese core journals (32.0%), domestic science citation index (SCI) journals (28.6%), and overseas SCI journals (4.9%) (χ2 = 12.4593, P < 0.01). For RCTs conducted by Chinese scholars, the percentage of using TCM syndrome score was 32.0% in three journals from China, while 7.1% in two foreign language journals, showing significant difference (χ2 =7.3615, P < 0.01); none of RCTs conducted by foreign scholars used TCM syndrome scores for effectiveness assessment.

CONCLUSIONSThere was a lack of agreeable and universal standards for TCM syndrome scores using in effectiveness evaluation. Therefore, it was not commonly used in domestic CM clinical studies. It was not so favorably agreed in overseas academic circles.