Barrett’s esophagus: Review of natural history and comparative efficacy of endoscopic and surgical therapies

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is the precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Progression to cancer typically occurs in a stepwise fashion through worsening dysplasia and ultimately, invasive neoplasia. Established EAC with deep involvement of the esophageal wall and/or metastatic disease is invariably associated with poor long-term survival rates. This guides the rationale of surveillance of Barrett’s in an attempt to treat lesions at an earlier, and potentially curative stage. The last two decades have seen a paradigm shift in management of Barrett’s with rapid expansion in the role of endoscopic eradication therapy (EET) for management of dysplastic and early neoplastic BE, and there have been substantial changes to international consensus guidelines for management of early BE based on evolving evidence. This review aims to assist the physician in the therapeutic decision-making process with patients by comprehensive review and summary of literature surrounding natural history of Barrett’s by histological stage, and the effectiveness of interventions in attenuating the risk posed by its natural history. Key findings were as follows. Non-dysplastic Barrett’s is associated with extremely low risk of progression, and interventions cannot be justified. The annual risk of cancer progression in low grade dysplasia is between 1%-3%; EET can be offered though evidence for its benefit remains confined to highly select settings. High-grade dysplasia progresses to cancer in 5%-10% per year; EET is similarly effective to and less morbid than surgery and should be routinely performed for this indication. Risk of nodal metastases in intramucosal cancer is 2%-4%, which is comparable to operative mortality rate, so EET is usually preferred. Submucosal cancer is associated with nodal metastases in 14%-41% hence surgery remains standard of care, except for select situations.     

翁连解毒汤治疗浊毒内蕴型溃疡性结肠炎的疗效观察

目的：探究翁连解毒汤治疗浊毒内蕴型溃疡性结肠炎（Ulcerative Colitis，UC）临床疗效及可能的作用机制。方法：选取2016年2月至2018年12月在攀枝花学院附属医院收治的浊毒内蕴型UC患者130例作为研究对象，按照入院先后顺序分为对照组和观察组，每组65例。对照组常规西医治疗，观察组加用翁连解毒汤，观察2组治疗前、完成治疗后T细胞、NK细胞、炎性反应因子、凝血功能、生命质量变化，完成治疗后总结疗效。结果：观察组患者在NK细胞、T淋巴细胞组成、CR、TNF-α、IL-1 β、ESR、内毒素、IL-10、FIB、PLT、APTT改善方面的效果较对照组更优，组间差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。观察组患者完成治疗后的生命质量量表各维度评分及总评分改善效果优于对照组患者（P<0.05），且临床总有效率和组织病理学疗效率均高于对照组患者（P<0.05）。结论：翁连解毒汤能抑制浊毒内蕴型UC炎性反应，改善高凝状态，提高机体免疫功能，从而提高疗效和生命质量。     

经自然腔道取标本手术在结直肠外科手术中的应用进展

随着腔镜技术的进一步发展以及微创理念应用于结直肠外科疾病的诊治中,结直肠相关疾病的诊治发生了翻天覆地的变化。由传统的经腹手术到腹腔镜手术、经自然腔道手术,再到经自然腔道取标本手术(NOSES),结直肠疾病的外科诊治在微创领域取得了巨大成果。NOSES技术是目前结直肠外科在微创领域前沿的手术方式之一,它通过经直肠、阴道取标本来避免了腹壁的辅助取标本切口,从而将结直肠外科手术进一步微创化。NOSES技术集传统腹腔镜手术的优势与现代微创外科的理念于一体,它在确保手术效果的基础上集中体现了微创、加速康复外科、功能外科、"无疤"等理念的特点。本文主要就国内外各中心开展NOSES技术在结直肠外科诊治开展中的相关经验、心得和体会进行综述。     

EARLY COPD: determinantes de la aparición y progresión de la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica en adultos jóvenes. Protocolo de un estudio caso-control con seguimiento

Introduction and objectivesDeterminants of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the early stages of its natural history are not well known. Improving our knowledge of these factors will help to design interventions that can modify prognosis.Study objectives are: a) to characterize a COPD population of young adults aged 35-50 years from a multidimensional point of view; b) to compare these patients with smokers with normal lung function; and c) to create a cohort of young adults aged 35-50 years (smokers or former smokers), with and without COPD, who will be followed in the future to improve understanding of the natural history of the disease.Participants and methodThis is a case-control multicenter study aimed at establishing a well-characterized cohort of young adults, smokers or former-smokers, with and without COPD, for subsequent follow-up.A total of 311 participants (101 cases and 210 controls) were selected from approximately 30 primary care settings and 12 hospitals in 8 Spanish regions. Subjects were smokers or former smokers (> 10 pack-years) aged 35-50 years. Diagnosis of COPD was based on a post-bronchodilator result of FEV1/FVC < 70%.The main study variables were: questionnaires on health, symptoms, exacerbations and daily physical activity, lung function tests, blood and sputum samples, and low-dose computed tomography. In the statistical analysis, COPD patient characteristics will be described and compared with control subjects using a logistic regression analysis.     

产前分娩预演对初产妇自然分娩成功率及产后并发症的影响

[目的]探讨产前分娩预演对初产妇自然分娩成功率和产后并发症的影响.[方法]收集2016年9月至2018年10月在本院妇产科分娩的初产妇86例,按产前分娩教育方式分为观察组(n=42)和对照组(n=44).对照组孕妇产前接受常规产前健康教育课程培训,观察组在对照组的基础上进行分娩预演实践.比较两组自我效能感量表(GSES)、抑郁自评量表(SDS)和焦虑自评量表(SAS)评分及自然分娩成功率和产后并发症发生率等.[结果]与对照组相比,观察组分娩总产程和第一、二、三明显缩短;新生儿窒息率和产后SDS、SAS评分均明显降低;自然分娩成功率、GSES评分均明显提高,其差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05).观察组产后出血、感染、尿潴留、乳汁淤积发生率及总并发症发生率均低于对照组(P<0.05).[结论]采用常规产前健康教育培训结合产前分娩预演实践的产前管理方式,可有效提高初产妇自然分娩成功率,缩短产程,减少产后并发症的发生,值得临床推广应用.     

Academic–Industrial Collaboration: Toward the Consilience of Two Solitudes

Current major advances in drug discovery can be traced back to pioneering contributions originating from academics over a century ago. Living in a symbiotic yet noninvasive coexistence, the academic community and the pharmaceutical industry have strived, each in their own way, to develop the modern medicines that benefit humankind today. The subject is presented from a historical and personal perspective.     

The need for a revival of psychoanalytic investigations into premature ejaculation

Although psychoanalysis was the first-choice treatment for premature ejaculation (PE) between 1920 and 1960, hardly any reports on its efficacy have been published. Moreover, a scientific debate about its findings has never been fully developed. The recent progress that has been made in the classification of three different PE syndromes creates a new opportunity for psychoanalytic investigations of men with complaints of PE, distinguished by the actual duration of their intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT). The term premature-like ejaculatory dysfunction has been introduced to distinguish men with self-perceived PE at normal and long IELT durations from those men with lifelong, acquired and normal variable PE. Psychoanalytic research may contribute to a better understanding of the consequences of objective early ejaculations on the unconscious mental life of men with the four forms of PE. By integrating neurobiological, clinical and epidemiological data of ejaculatory performance, a revival of psychoanalytic research of PE in the four distinct, classified PE groups, will probably contribute to a deeper insight in to the unconscious mental life of men affected by PE.     

Management of pediatric pontine gliomas

We present 36 consecutive patients with intrinsic glioma of the pons. Tumors with exophytic expansion were excluded. There were 16 females and 20 males, ranging in age from 2 to 13 years, median 6 years. The most common presenting symptoms were cranial nerve dysfunction. unsteadiness of gait, and hemiparesis. Computed tomography (CT) showed a hypodense (17/21) or isodense (4/21) expansion of the pons. Five tumors had areas of contrast enhancement. Following information about prognosis and possible types of management, parents decided for or against radiation therapy: twentyfour children underwent irradiation and 12 did not. Median survival among children receiving a full course of irradiation was 280 days, compared to 140 days in an equivalent group of non-irradiated children. Hemiparesis presenting without cranial nerve symptoms and contrast enhancement on CT scan were poor prognostic factors, whereas sex, age, and duration of symptoms at diagnosis were unrelated to prognosis.