Glutathione S-transferase Polymorphisms in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treated with Chemotherapy and/or Radiotherapy

Background/Aim: The Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are important carcinogen-metabolizing enzymes. Polymorphisms involved in these enzymes can modulate the development and treatment of head and neck cancer. To investigate the association of GSTs polymorphisms with head and neck cancer and risk factors, clinical-pathological features, and survival time of the patients treated with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Methods: The GST gene polymorphisms were evaluated in 197 cases and 514 controls by PCR-RFLP-Polymerase Chain Reaction Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism. Results: The GSTP-313 was associated with a decreased risk for HNSCC (p=0.050). The GSTP1 haplotype analysis revealed a higher frequency of the AC and AT haplotypes in the case group than in the control group (p=0.013 and p=0.019, respectively), and the opposite for G-C haplotype (p = 0.015). Yet, the different combinations between the genotypes were associated with an increased risk of cancer. The study showed no association between the polymorphisms and primary tumor site, clinical-pathological characteristics, treatment (chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy) and survival time of the patients. Conclusion: The GST polymorphisms combination showed an increased risk for carcinogenesis, and studies with larger casuistry can contribute to the clarification of the role in individual patient differences for the response to chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy and identify biomarkers of susceptibility.     

＊ 补充基金信息（立项部门，项目类型，课题名称，负责人信息）

病机是认识疾病病变的关键，抓住核心病机演变发展的规律，是中医临床诊疗的主旨和核心。病机兼化理论由中国中医科学院胡镜清研究员提出，用以从病机层面理解疑难复杂疾病病证关系和把握其演变规律，在明确疾病基本矛盾的同时，兼顾疾病的复杂性和多变性。文章通过构建新型冠状病毒肺炎病机兼化框架，揭示其病机演化规律，认为新冠肺炎属于“湿毒疫”范畴，湿毒始终是本病的病变核心，初期寒化，进展期热化，恢复期虚化是本病病机的传变方式。知本病之机，可未病先防，知病机传变，可截断扭转，有利于临床上增强对疾病发生发展趋势的预见性。     

Becoming Cognitive Science

Cognitive science continues to make a compelling case for having a coherent, unique, and fundamental subject of inquiry: What is the nature of minds, where do they come from, and how do they work? Central to this inquiry is the notion of agents that have goals, one of which is their own persistence, who use dynamically constructed knowledge to act in the world to achieve those goals. An agentive perspective explains why a special class of systems have a cluster of co‐occurring capacities that enable them to exhibit adaptive behavior in a complex environment: perception, attention, memory, representation, planning, and communication. As an intellectual endeavor, cognitive science may not have achieved a hard core of uncontested assumptions that Lakatos (1978) identifies as emblematic of a successful research program, but there are alternative conceptions according to which cognitive science has been successful. First, challenges of the early, core tenet of “Mind as Computation” have helped put cognitive science on a stronger foundation—one that incorporates relations between minds and their environments. Second, even if a full cross‐disciplinary theoretic consensus is elusive, cognitive science can inspire distant, deep, and transformative connections between pairs of fields. To be intellectually vital, cognitive science need not resemble a traditional discipline with its associated insularity and unchallenged assumptions. Instead, there is strength and resilience in the diverse perspectives and methods that cognitive science assembles together. This interdisciplinary enterprise is fragile and perhaps inherently unstable, as the looming absorption of cognitive science into psychology shows. Still, for many researchers, the excitement and benefits of triangulating on the nature of minds by integrating diverse cases cannot be secured by a stable discipline with an uncontested core of assumptions.     

新型冠状病毒(COVID-19)感染性肺炎现代中医诊疗建议方案与探讨

自2019年12月以来,以我国湖北武汉地区为中心,以人群集散辐射传播为特点,全国各地病例陆续出现增加。疫情发源地罹患患者早期以身热不扬、干咳气促、身楚乏力为主要症状,以脉濡缓、舌苔厚腻、胸部X线检查显示炎性反应性改变为特征的新型冠状病毒(COVID-19)感染性肺炎为主的新型传染病。疫情传入地的患者早期症状由于地域的不同,有所差异。各地传统中医、现代医学先后集体或个人出台了相关诊疗方法和建议方案。作为现代中医,按照习近平主席:“遵循中医发展规律,传承精华,守正创新”和“中西并重”的指示精神。为规范这一新型传染病“瘟疫”的认知和诊疗,综合相关资料,根据疫情演变规律,结合个人经验与体会,特此探讨COVID-19感染性肺炎的诊疗建议方案。     

柴葛芩连汤联合常规治疗对湿热闭肺型小儿支气管肺炎患者的临床疗效

目的考察柴葛芩连汤联合常规治疗对湿热闭肺型小儿支气管肺炎患者的临床疗效。方法 137例患者随机分为对照组(68例)和观察组(69例),对照组给予常规治疗(吸氧、布洛芬、头孢美唑钠、喜炎平注射液),观察组在对照组基础上加用柴葛芩连汤,疗程10 d。检测临床疗效、恢复情况、血清炎症因子(CRP、IL-6、IL-8、TNF-α)、中医证候评分变化。结果观察组总有效率高于对照组(P<0.05),恢复情况(除X线全胸片消失时间外)更明显(P<0.05)。治疗后,2组炎症因子水平、中医证候评分降低(P<0.05),以观察组更明显(P<0.05)。结论柴葛芩连汤可缓解湿热闭肺型小儿支气管肺炎患者症状,其机制可能与下调血清CRP、IL-6、IL-8、TNF-α水平有关。     

Misoprostol as an adjunct to overnight osmotic dilators prior to second trimester dilation and evacuation: A systematic review and meta-analysis,

ObjectiveTo understand effect of adjunct misoprostol on cervical preparation with overnight osmotic dilators for dilation and evacuation after 16 weeks gestation.MethodsWe searched on-line reference databases using search terms for second trimester, abortion, misoprostol, and dilators. Randomized controlled trials of cervical preparation for second trimester D&E using overnight osmotic dilators comparing adjunct misoprostol to placebo were included. Weighted mean with standard deviation (SD) and pooled binary outcomes were compared.ResultsAmong 84 articles identified, three met inclusion criteria (n = 457 subjects) adjunct misoprostol did not significantly decrease mean procedure times (8.5 ± 4.6 vs 9.6 ± 5.8 min, p = 0.78) or manual dilation (18% vs 28%, p = 0.23) when compared to placebo. There was no difference in total complications (p = 0.61), major complications (p = 0.44), or cervical lacerations (p = 0.87).ConclusionCurrent limited evidence suggests adjunct misoprostol with osmotic dilators after 16 weeks does not affect procedure time or need for manual dilation.ImplicationsFurther research is needed to determine the effect of adjunct misoprostol on major complications and blood loss.     

How to tackle complications in radial procedures: Tip and tricks

Transradial interventions (TRI) are becoming increasingly popular because of accumulating recent evidence suggesting improved survival and reduced morbidity. Complications, though rare, do occur, especially for operators on their learning curve. The complications are best prevented by utilization of proper technique. Forearm hematoma are preventable and easy to treat, but a delay in detecting and managing them can lead to disastrous consequences compartment syndrome being the most dreaded one. This review deals with tips and tricks to prevent as also treat the common and rare complications.     

感染性腹主动脉瘤的诊疗进展

感染性腹主动脉瘤(IAAA)是由于各种致病菌感染所致的一类特殊类型的动脉瘤。IAAA发病急、病情进展迅速、瘤体易于破裂、临床预后差,因此对其早诊早治十分关键。依据典型病史、实验室检查、CTA影像、术中所见、血培养或组织培养阳性结果可做出诊断。诊断明确后,应在足量应用抗生素的基础上尽早手术治疗。但有关抗生素具体使用方案、手术方案等治疗选择上尚未达成一致。目前推荐术后用抗生素至少6个月以上。伴随微创技术的发展,腔内修复术治疗IAAA的比例越来越高,且短期效果良好,未来有望成为首选的手术方式。     

Molecular typing and in vitro resistance of Cryptococcus neoformans clinical isolates obtained in Germany between 2011 and 2017

Cryptococcosis is a fungal infection of the central nervous system predominantly caused by Cryptococcus neoformans in immunocompromised patients. In several countries worldwide, up to 50% of isolates show in vitro resistance to clinically used antifungals including fluconazole. No prospective data on susceptibility to antifungal drugs are available for Germany. In this study, we characterised all C. neoformans isolates collected from individual patients’ samples at the German reference laboratory for cryptococcosis 2011 and 2017 (n = 133) by multi-locus sequence typing and phenotypic drug susceptibility testing. We identified serotype A/genotype VNI isolates belonging to clonal complexes previously described from Europe, Africa, Asia and South America as the most prevalent agents of cryptococcosis in Germany. Overall, we observed minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) above the epidemiological cut-offs (ECVs) in 1.6% of isolates regarding fluconazole and 2.3% of isolates regarding 5-flucytosine. Here, two C. neoformans var. grubii isolates displayed decreased drug susceptibility to fluconazole, one of them additionally to 5-flucytosine. We also found 5-flucytosine MICs above the ECV for two C. neoformans var. neoformans isolates. We identified a novel mutation in the ERG11 gene which might be associated with the elevated fluconazole MIC in one of the isolates. The clinical importance of the detected in vitro resistance is documented by patient histories showing relapsed infection or primary fatal disease. Of note, sertraline demonstrated antifungal activity comparable to previous reports. Systematic collection of susceptibility data in combination with molecular typing of C. neoformans is important to comprehensively assess the spread of isolates and to understand their drug resistance patterns.