多谢各位。大部分意见已经采用。有的地方可能英文看起来不太清楚或者不太顺，但是意思或者句式和中文反而比较接近，这样的地方我还是保留了。
除了术语拿不准，感觉译得最差的是郭应禄的那段，大家多挑一下刺。
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The cure rate of "Xiao procedure": 85% or 0%?
Di Li-hui, Science News (Chinese) Vol. 22, Nov. 23, 2009
Editor: In Volume 20, Oct. 28, this magazine reported "The Xiao reflex arc", the controversial surgical procedure, in article "Who will judge Xiao Chuan-guo?". After the article was published, our reporters have learned more information about this procedure.
Peng Jian, a commonweal lawsuit lawyer, continuous his busy work of collecting and collating evidence from different sources. Previously on Oct. 16, the mothers of the two children with spina bifida filed lawsuits against Henan Shen Yuan Urinary Surgery Hospital. At present, the court has set the date for hearing on Oct. 28. Peng Jian revealed that, before the end of the year, it was expected that about twenty more patients (or their akins) would bring their cases to the court.
Investigation restarted
"I realized, for this case, the only effective way was for many patients to come forwards together,
especially those who took the operation during the same period." Peng Jian told Science News that he started the effort to collect the names of the patients since 2006 - in this year, Fang Zhou-zi lost a case that was brought forward by Xiao Chuan-guo, for his harsh questioning on the validity of the theory of "Xiao reflex arc", as well as the academic credentials of Xiao, its inventor.
In the summer of 2007, when the names on his list had totaled a few dozens, Peng Jian arranged interns to start interviewing the patients over the phone. "At that time, we successfully got through to more than forty people, and learned that the outcomes of their operations were very bad. In most cases there was virtually no improvement. Some even led to disability." Liu Lin, who took part in the phone interviews, told Science News.
But further investigation was hindered by difficulties. The main one was the lack of financial support. Although several non-profit organizations expressed the intention to provide supports, none materialized in the end. Yet in the meantime, patients continuously visited the law firm where Peng Jian works, hoping to "accelerate the process of legal aid".
September 2009, when financial resource became less of a constraint, the investigation was started again. This time, among the 150 plus contacts obtained through the exchanges between the patients, more than eighty successful phone interviews were made, and fifteen were interviewed in person. Peng Jian said, "Now the 'number' is still increasing; we receive at least two, even three or four calls each day, that provide supporting evidence for the case."
Among the patients who have received the "Xiao procedure" and have been contacted so far, the survey finds no example of complete success. The percentage of patients with evident improvements is also low - This is a sheer contrast to the "85% cure rate" advertised by the hospital.
More contradictions
Lawyer Peng Jian also found another inexplicable contradiction.
The Neural Urinary Surgery Research Center at Zheng Zhou University issued a certificate to Xiao Chuan-guo on Feb. 28th, 2007, for his application to academian. The certificate claimed: Starting from Jan. of 2006, the Neural Urinary Surgery Research Center at Zheng Zhou University had applied the "人工体神经－内脏神经反射弧" technique invented by Professor Xiao Chuan-guo to 117 patients with neurogenic bladder caused by spina bifida or meningomyelocele. Sixty cases were followed up for more than eight months. 85% of the patients have obtained bowel movement and urination completely continent.
But Peng Jian found out that, it was reported on Aug. 14th of 2006 by Da He Bao:"Yesterday, little Shan-shan
received the operation at Zheng Zhou Shen Yuan Urinary Surgery Hospital ...... the operation for little Shan-shan was the first case in Henan ...... Dong Zi-ming, from Zheng Zhou University and the dean of Fundamental Medical School, said: Shan-shan's operation made a Henan record - the first 'Artificial reflex arc' in Henan. And Zheng Zhou Shen Yuan hospital made a national record - this was the first, in our nation, interdisciplinary, neural urinary surgery, hospital. It is a creation of Zhengzhou University by binding together research and clinical practice."
In other words, the center conducted the first "Xiao reflex arc" operation as late as Aug. 13th of 2006. It was merely six and a half months away from the time when the center provided the certificate of cure rate for Xiao Chuan-guo, which evidently contradicts with its claim that "Sixty cases were followed up for more than eight months".
Peng Jian and others sought out and visited more than a hundred patients who took the "Xiao reflex arc" operation at Zheng Zhou Shen Yuan Urinary Surgery Hospital between Aug. 2006 and the first six months of 2007. They found no case of bowel movement and urination completely continent. Instead, the conditions of many patients deteriorated after the operation. Judging from the time to take the operation, these patients should at least count for a considerable portion of the "117 cases" mentioned in the certificate issued by the center. This calls into serious question the hospital's claim that "85% of the patients have obtained bowel movement and urination completely continent".
"Let the patients say, it is the most objective way"
It is perhaps too shocking to believe the conclusion of the investigation that the cure rate is close to 0% - Is it related to the bias caused by the questions designed by people who are not medical professionals, such as Peng Jian?
"The statistical results obtained through amateur methods, though review is needed before being published officially, can already shed light on some questions." Professor Liao Li-min at Beijing Bo Ai Hospital commented in this way, "At present, only when the patients speak out can we expose the problems. Justice can be served only through the patients. If the operation succeeds, patients are the biggest beneficiary; if it fails, patients are the hardest-hit victims. Let the patients say, it is the most objective way."
To Peng Jian, spending money and man-power to interview the patients one by one is the most direct and, perhaps, the only viable way to collect evidence. "Peer review, while theoretically feasible, is impossible in reality. The current evaluation of the procedure was all made by the 'authoraties', including the evaluation of some scientific achievements. Isn't it too difficult to find other experts to draw a different conclusion? Moreover, I find that, the experts in the field are trying to stay away," Peng Jian said.
What Peng Jian said was acknowledged by experts in the field. "We experts don't want to be involved, although we do not like to see what the patients have turned to be." A well-known expert in urinary surgery told Science News, "It is not that we are not willing to (speak out), but that what we say probably won't have any effects. He can say we know nothing. So-called experts and colleagues, or anybody, in his eyes, can be dismissed as worthless."
Comments from peers
Nevetheless, there are experts who, in the end, are brave enough to speak out.
"I use two sentences to describe (my opinions): first, this procedure is absolutely not like what he described, that it has solved the problem of neurogenic bladder; second, the procedure may be effective for some patients, because there are some 适应症. Some patients can be treated with this (procedure), but absolutely not all." Professor Song Bo at the Chong Qing the Third Military Medical University held this opinion.
Song Bo indicated that he did not agree to blindly gloss over or promote this type of procedures, because,
after all, this was not a business activity. "I am all against the statement that it has solved the problem of neurogenic bladder; I did not agree with applying to the National Prize for Progress in Science and Technology based on this (procedure) either." In the meantime, he believe, there has not enough evidence so far to assert that the procedure is completely useless. "But his research is not finished yet. It is not even sure what is the 适应症. It is unfounded at this stage to say things like a grand problem has been solved." Song Bo said.
"He applied (neuro-surgery) techniques to urinary surgery. We could see only few clinical patients. We did not see actual operations either. We simply were not able to make any comments. Somebody brought the patients. I did not watch the operation. He had no papers at that time. We knew even less about his international reputation. All was from his own mouth. Couldn't see international comments. He said we would not be able to conduct the operation, but why they were not able to make people accept it either? we are also wondering." Guo Ying-lu, a professer of Beijing Medical University and an academian of China Engineering Academy, told Science News.
"When doing science, we should allow mistakes, exploration, and all kinds of efforts. But we should not allow claims such as what has been solved and what has been created, when there is no complete scientific evidence, nor a large amount of evidence-based medical data. They are not scientific. I am against them." Song Bo summed up.