Influence of COMT genotype and affective distractors on the processing of self-generated thought

The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme is a major determinant of prefrontal dopamine levels. The Val¹⁵⁸Met polymorphism affects COMT enzymatic activity and has been associated with variation in executive function and affective processing. This study investigated the effect of COMT genotype on the flexible modulation of the balance between processing self-generated and processing stimulus-oriented information, in the presence or absence of affective distractors. Analyses included 124 healthy adult participants, who were also assessed on standard working memory (WM) tasks. Relative to Val carriers, Met homozygotes made fewer errors when selecting and manipulating self-generated thoughts. This effect was partly accounted for by an association between COMT genotype and visuospatial WM performance. We also observed a complex interaction between the influence of affective distractors, COMT genotype and sex on task accuracy: male, but not female, participants showed a sensitivity to the affective distractors that was dependent on COMT genotype. This was not accounted for by WM performance. This study provides novel evidence of the role of dopaminergic genetic variation on the ability to select and manipulate self-generated thoughts. The results also suggest sexually dimorphic effects of COMT genotype on the influence of affective distractors on executive function.     

Simeprevir added to peginterferon and ribavirin lessens time with fatigue,depressive symptoms and functional limitations in patients with chronic hepatitis C compared with peginterferon and ribavirin: results from 1161 patients in the QUEST‐1, QUEST‐2 and PROMISE studies

The value of adding simeprevir (SMV) vs placebo (PBO) to peginterferon and ribavirin (PR) for treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection was examined using patient‐reported outcomes (PROs); further, concordance of PROs with virology endpoints and adverse events (AEs) was explored. Patients (n = 768 SMV/PR, n = 393 PBO/PR) rated fatigue (FSS), depressive symptoms (CES‐D) and functional impairment (WPAI: Hepatitis C Productivity, Daily Activity and Absenteeism) at baseline and throughout treatment in three randomised, double‐blind trials comparing the addition of SMV or PBO during initial 12 weeks of PR. PR was administered for 48 weeks (PBO group) and 24/48 weeks (SMV group) using a response‐guided therapy (RGT) approach. Mean PRO scores (except Absenteeism) worsened from baseline to Week 4 to the same extent in both groups but reverted after Week 24 for SMV/PR and only after Week 48 for PBO/PR. Accordingly, there was a significantly lower area under the curve (baseline–Week 60, AUC₆₀) and fewer weeks with clinically important worsening of scores in the SMV/PR group at any time point. Incidences of patients with fatigue and anaemia AEs were similar in both groups, but FSS scores showed that clinically important increases in fatigue lasted a mean of 6.9 weeks longer with PBO/PR (P < 0.001). PRO score subgroup analysis indicated better outcomes for patients who met the criteria for RGT or achieved sustained virological response 12 weeks post‐treatment (SVR12); differences in mean PRO scores associated with fibrosis level were only observed with PBO/PR. Greater efficacy of SMV/PR enabled reduced treatment duration and reduced time with PR‐related AEs without adding to AE severity.     

Interleukin-11 Overexpression and M2 Macrophage Density are Associated with Angiogenic Activity in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To investigate the expression of IL-11 and its receptor IL-11Rα and to quantify density of CD163⁺ M2 macrophages in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).     

中日友好医院分型股骨头坏死腓骨植入治疗的三维有限元分析

文题释义：股骨头坏死中日友好医院分型的有限元分析：根据李子荣等提出的中日友好医院分型，建立股骨头坏死三维模型，分为 M型(内侧型)、C型(中央型)和 L型(外侧型)，其中 L型包括L1型(次外侧型)、L2型(极外侧型)和 L3型(全头型)。通过对建立的模型进行有限元分析，为该分型的保髋治疗提供了一定力学依据，显示外侧柱的存留是精准预防塌陷的重要因素，为进一步实现个体化治疗提供力学基础。 腓骨支撑坏死股骨头保髋手术：是对于早中期股骨头坏死需要保留股骨头患者进行的一种手术方式。首先需对股骨头进行髓芯减压，清除一定坏死骨，空腔填塞松质骨(髂骨为主)，打压结实后植入腓骨(异体或自体)支撑，给坏死区的提供力学支撑及生物学修复，预防股骨头进一步坏死及塌陷。 背景：研究报道股骨头坏死的保髋疗效与外侧柱存留密切相关，中日友好医院分型是根据三柱结构确立的，对股骨头塌陷的预测准确性高。 目的：建立股骨头坏死中日友好医院分型各分型仿真的三维有限元模型，通过有限元分析各分型腓骨植入的力学变化，探讨外侧柱存留对保髋疗效的意义，为该分型的塌陷精准预测提供基础。 方法：建立正常股骨头、中日友好医院分型(M型、C型、L1型、L2型、L3型)股骨头坏死及其腓骨植入3组11种三维有限元模型，运用ANSYS软件进行有限元分析计算，观察各组模型的最大应力值、最大位移值及股骨头内部载荷传递模式。 结果与结论：①坏死组位移最大，应变最大，且因坏死分型不同而位移不同，位移变化如下：M型相似文献   

Chest wall pain following lung stereotactic body radiation therapy using 48 Gy in three fractions: A search for predictors

Purpose

Chest wall pain is an uncommon but bothersome late complication following lung stereotactic body radiation therapy. Despite numerous studies investigating predictors of chest wall pain, no clear consensus has been established for a chest wall constraint. The aim of our study was to investigate factors related to chest wall pain in a homogeneous group of patients treated at our institution.

Porocarcinoma coexisting at a site of Bowen disease in a 63‐year‐old woman

Porocarcinoma is an unusual, locally aggressive and potentially fatal neoplasm. Several cutaneous malignancies have been described in association with porocarcinoma, including squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and tricholemmal carcinoma. Previous reports have indicated that the occurrence of malignant tumours in combination with porocarcinoma is extremely rare, in particular with regard to Bowen disease (BD). We report an uncommon case of porocarcinoma occurring synchronously in a single BD lesion in a 63‐year‐old woman with multiple BD lesions. The clinical and histological findings confirmed this diagnosis.