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The translations in the periodical Current Affairs played an important role in the late Qing. Kojo Teikichi joined the paper at the request of Huang Zunxian and produced its "Japanese News Translations" column. During the life of the paper, Kojo produced 56 columns (issues) containing more than 600 translated articles, or about 340,000 characters in total. His translations comprised a large proportion of those published both in Current Affairs and in "Overseas News Translations." The translations covered a wide spectrum of issues and had a topical flavor. At the time, the Japanese News Translations column was the largest platform for introducing to China new vocabulary that had originated in Japan. It brought in a large number of new words and ideas, transmitted modern theories and knowledge, and enriched the Chinese people's knowledge of the west. The positive role played by Kojo Teikichi and his "Japanese News Translations" cannot be written off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: With NH4H2PO4 and NH4F glycerin/water mixed solvent as electrolyte, through the anodic oxidation and calcium hydroxide hydrothermal treatment, TiO2 nanotube arrays containing calcium and phosphorus were prepared. Moreover, the influence of the processing time, titania crystalline phase and pH value of the solution were investigated. And the bioactivity of the nanotube arrays were examined by soaking in simulated body fluid. The results showed that the TiO2 nanotube arrays prepared in the phosphate-containing glycerin system can contain a small amount of phosphorus. When the processing time <0.5h, the nanotube arrays maintained the original tubular structure, but the quantity of Ca element reduces. When the processing time was ≥2h, the original tubular structure of the anatase nanotube arrays was transferred into nano four pillars, and with extending the processing time, the sizes of nano four pillars were slightly increased. But the morphology of the as-prepared nanotube arrays changed very slightly. And a content of Ca element increased with the increase in the hydrothermal treatment time. The existence form of Ca element is calcium titanate. The samples after hydrothermal treatment in saturated Ca(OH)2 solution are clearly more efficient in promoting apatite formation than the as-prepared or anatase nanotube arrays. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Examines the role of nitric oxide in the activation of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells among patients with bladder cancer in China. Cytotoxicity of LAK cells; Determination of the activity of nitric oxide synthase in LAK cells; Inhibition of sodium nitroprusside.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) take on pivotal and complex roles in the tumor microenvironment (TME); however, their heterogeneity in the TME remains incompletely understood. ETS proto-oncogene 1 (ETS1) is a transcription factor that is mainly expressed in lymphocytes. However, its expression and immunoregulatory role in colorectal cancer (CRC)-associated macrophages remain unclear. In the study, the expression levels of ETS1 in CD68+ macrophages in the CRC microenvironment were significantly higher than those in matched paracarcinoma tissues. Importantly, ETS1 increased the levels of chemokines C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated THP-1 cells. It also boosted the migration and invasion of CRC cells during the in vitro co-culture. In the ETS1 conditional knockout mouse model, ETS1 deficiency in macrophages ameliorated the histological changes in DSS-induced ulcerative colitis mouse models and prolonged the survival in an azomethane/dextran sodium sulfate (AOM/DSS)-induced CRC model. ETS1 deficiency in macrophages substantially inhibited tumor formation, reduced F4/80+TIM4+ macrophages in the mesenteric lymph nodes, and decreased CCL2 and CXCL10 protein levels in tumor tissues. Moreover, ETS1 deficiency in macrophages effectively prevented liver metastasis of CRC and reduced the infiltration of TAMs into the metastasis sites. Subsequent studies have indicated that ETS1 upregulated the expression of T-cell immunoglobulin mucin receptor 4 in macrophages through the signal transducer and activator of the transcription 1 signaling pathway activated by the autocrine action of CCL2/CXCL10. Collectively, ETS1 deficiency in macrophages potentiates antitumor immune responses by repressing CCL2 and CXCL10 expression, shedding light on potential therapeutic strategies for CRC., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Introduction: This study aimed to explore the effect of perceived entrepreneurial environment among Chinese college students' entrepreneurial intention and its underlying mechanism., Methods: Based on a survey of 445 college students from 5 universities with the perceived entrepreneurial environment assessment scale, the achievement motivation scale, the entrepreneurial self-efficacy scale, and the entrepreneurial intention questionnaire., Results: There were significant correlations among perceived entrepreneurial environment, achievement motivation, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and entrepreneurial intention, and perceived entrepreneurial environment could significantly positively predict entrepreneurial intention. Achievement motivation and entrepreneurial self-efficacy played significant mediating roles between the perceived entrepreneurial environment and entrepreneurial intention. There were three paths that perceived entrepreneurial environment to influence entrepreneurial intention: One was the mediating role of achievement motivation; The second was the mediating role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy; The third was the chain-mediated role of both achievement motivation and entrepreneurial self-efficacy., Discussion: The internal mechanism of the relationship between perceived entrepreneurial environment and entrepreneurial intention enriches the research results of entrepreneurial psychology among college students and provides a theoretical basis for training and guiding the entrepreneurship of college students., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Lin, Chen, Lai and Zhang.)

Previous studies have demonstrated that adipocytes promote prostate cancer (PCa) cell progression, which facilitates the development of PCa into castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC); however, the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a group of proteases responsible for the degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) and the activation of latent factors. In our study, we detected that MMP11 expression was increased in PCa patients and that a high level of MMP11 was correlated with poor prognosis. Furthermore, siRNA knockdown of MMP11 in CRPC cells not only blocked the delipidation and dedifferentiation of mature adipocytes but also reduced the lipid uptake and utilization of CRPC cells in a cell co-culture model. The number of mitophagosomes and the expression level of Parkin were increased in MMP11-silenced CRPC cells. Moreover, we found that simultaneous downregulation of MMP14 and MMP11 expression may benefit patient survival. Indeed, MMP11/14 knockdown in CRPC cells significantly decreased lipid metabolism and cell invasion, at least partly through the mTOR/HIF1α/MMP2 signaling pathway. Importantly, MMP11/14 knockdown dramatically delayed tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model. Consistently, the decreased lipid metabolism, Ki67 and MMP2 expression, as well as the increased Parkin level were also confirmed in in vivo experiments, further demonstrating the mechanisms responsible for the tumor-promoting effects of MMP11/14. Collectively, our study elucidated the role of MMP11 and MMP14 in the bidirectional crosstalk between adipocytes and CRPC cells and provided the rationale of targeting MMP11/14 for the treatment of CRPC patients., Competing Interests: None., (AJCR Copyright © 2023.)

The digital economy and ecological environment are two major issues related to high-quality economic development. Scholars have not yet reached a unified conclusion about the link between the digital economy and pollution emissions, and the impact mechanism of the former on the latter needs further study. Using data from 278 Chinese cities from 2010 to 2019, this research employs coupling coordination analysis, fixed effect analysis and mediation analysis to examine the heterogeneous impact mechanisms of the expansion of the digital economy on urban pollution reduction from many angles. It discovers that, first, the growth of the digital economy has decreased the discharge of urban pollutants overall. Second, the impact mechanisms of the digital economy are heterogeneous. From a regional perspective, industrial structure supererogation plays an intermediary role in the relationship between digital economy development and pollution reduction in the eastern and central regions, but the mediating effect is not significant in the western and northeastern regions. In terms of the city development level, industrial structure supererogation has significantly mediated the relationship between the growth of the digital economy and the reduction of pollution in first- and second-tier cities, but this mediating effect is not significant in third-tier and other cities. Third, the above conclusions are still valid after the robustness test is carried out using instrumental variable estimation, replacement of the estimation method, and replacement of explanatory variables. This study is a useful contribution to research on the effects of the digital economy and the factors influencing pollution reduction. The results advance the study of the digital economy and also have practical implications for improving China's ecological environment and fostering high-quality economic growth. Finally, we provide policy suggestions for the coordinated promotion of the digital economy's development, industrial structure supererogation and environmental pollution reduction., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Yang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Accurate cancer diagnosis and effective drug therapy entail sensitive and dynamic monitoring of intracellular key enzymes, since their expression level is closely related to disease progression. Simultaneous monitoring of correlated enzymes is promising to help unveiling mystery of cytobiological events during tumor progression and drug response, while is challenged by lacking of a robust and simple simultaneous detection strategy. In order to construct a simple and smart strategy which is complex design-avoided and doesn't need other auxiliary enzyme, here we develop an AND-gate strategy for simultaneously monitoring correlated enzymes which both are upregulated in cancer cells (telomerase and apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1). An innovative AND-gate DNA nanoprobe has been designed to avoid mutual interference and background noise, guaranteeing an enhanced fluorescent signal output upon catalyzation of dual enzymes. This AND-gate strategy achieves sensitive detection of two enzymes in an individual manner in test tube, through which the diagnostic potential of bladder cancer has been validated by telomerase detection in clinical urine sample. The AND-gate strategy enables specific intracellular imaging of dual enzymes in different cancer cell lines. Importantly, in contrast to traditional single-targeting strategies, AND-gate imaging of dual enzymes significantly improves cancer cell selectivity. Moreover, this strategy dynamically monitors enzymatic activity changes during chemoresistance induced by chemotherapeutic treatment. This simple and smart strategy has foreseeable prospect in the fields of disease diagnosis, drug prognosis evaluation, and precise fluorescence-guided surgery., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Decursin possesses the potential to alleviate transforming growth factor (TGF)-β-induced hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation. However, the mechanisms by which decursin alleviates hepatic fibrosis remain not fully understood. Our aim is to explore the function of decursin on regulating HSCs' activation and hepatic fibrosis. The anti-fibrotic effect of decursin was evaluated by Masson and Sirius red staining, and immunohistochemical (IHC) and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analyses for alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen type I (Col1α1) expression. Ferroptosis was assessed by measuring iron concentration, glutathione peroxidase 4 (Gpx4), and prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2 (Ptgs2) expression, glutathione (GSH) level, lipid peroxidation, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. We found that decursin treatment decreased carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 )-induced liver fibrosis. The primary HSCs isolated from decursin-treated group showed an increased Fe 2+ , lipid ROS level, and decreased Gpx4 and GSH levels compared with HSCs from the model group. Moreover, decursin promoted ferroptosis in activated HSCs in vitro, as evidenced by declined Gpx4 and GSH levels, increased Fe 2+ , ROS, and Ptgs2 levels compared with control. More important, ferroptosis inhibitor destroyed the anti-fibrosis effect of decursin on HSCs. In summary, these data suggest that decursin has potential to treat hepatic fibrosis.

Exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) have been demonstrated to be credible biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of tumors. Nevertheless, developing simple, rapid, and stable biosensing strategies that are capable of accurately detecting exosomal miRNAs remains a challenge. Herein, an accelerated and biostable three-dimensional (3D) nanomachine based on Janus wireframe DNA cube was constructed for sensitive fluorescence measurement of exosomal miRNA. The Janus wireframe DNA cube could propel target exosomal miRNA-21 rapid movement on its surface by catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA), releasing a massive fluorescence signal. Benefiting from the Janus wireframe DNA cube, the developed 3D nanomachine exhibited significantly improved reaction rate and enhanced biostability in complex biofluids compared to conventional CHA. As a result, this fluorescence biosensing strategy achieved rapid, stable, and single-step detection of exosomal miRNA-21 with the detection limit down to the picomole level. Therefore, this work offers a brief sensing tool for nucleic acid biomarkers detection, which has great application potential in tumor diagnosis., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Schizophrenia places a great humanistic and financial burden to patients, families, and societies, and the burden is substantially impacted by comorbid conditions. This study aimed to estimate the lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia and to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL), work productivity, and indirect cost among schizophrenia patients with and without comorbidities (depressive symptoms, sleep disturbances, and anxiety problems)., Methods: This is a secondary analysis of existing data collected in 2019 from the Japan National Health and Wellness Survey. The schizophrenia patients were categorized based on their Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score, self-reported experience of sleep disturbances, and anxiety problems. The lifetime prevalence was estimated using the total number of diagnosed schizophrenia patients as the numerator and the total number of respondents as the denominator. The HRQoL was evaluated through the Short Form 12-Item (version 2) Health Survey and EuroQoL 5-dimensions scale. Work productivity and annual indirect costs were evaluated through the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment instrument and monthly wage rates. Multivariate analyses included the comparison of outcomes using generalized linear models., Results: The study was conducted with 178 schizophrenia patients with an average age of 42.7 years old and an estimated lifetime prevalence of 0.59% (95% CI: 0.51%, 0.68%). Patients who experienced sleep disturbances, more severe depressive symptoms, and anxiety problems had lower HRQoL, higher levels of absenteeism, presenteeism, total work productivity and activity impairment, and almost twice more indirect costs, compared to those without these conditions., Conclusion: Comorbid conditions among patients with schizophrenia impact significantly on their quality of life, work productivity as well as indirect costs., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Hepatic fibrosis is the final pathway of chronic liver disease characterized by excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM), which eventually develop into cirrhosis and liver cancer. Emerging studies demonstrated that Saikosaponin-d (SSd) exhibits a protective role in liver fibrosis. However, the mechanism underlying anti-liver fibrosis of SSd in vivo and in vitro remains unclear., Methods and Results: Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) were used for creating liver fibrosis model in vitro and in vivo, respectively. The role of SSd in regulating liver fibrosis was assessed through Sirius red and Masson staining, and IHC assay. We found that SSd attenuated remarkably CCl 4 -induced liver fibrosis as evidenced by decreased collagen level, and decreased expression of fibrotic markers Col 1 and α-SMA. Meanwhile, SSd repressed autophagy activation as suggested by decreased BECN1 expression and increased p62 expression. Compared with HSCs from CCl 4 -treated group, the primary HSCs from SSd-treated mice exhibited a marked inactivation of autophagy. Mechanistically, SSd treatment enhanced the expression of GPER1 in primary HSCs and in TGF-β-treated LX-2 cells. GPER1 agonist G1 repressed autophagy activation, whereas GPER1 antagonist G15 activated autophagy and G15 also damaged the function of SSd on suppressing autophagy, leading to subsequent increased levels of fibrotic marker level in LX-2 cells., Conclusions: Our findings highlight that SSd alleviates hepatic fibrosis by regulating GPER1/autophagy pathway., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Ureteral stent removal by an extraction string is advantageous. However, the increased risk of complications attributed to the continuous exposure of the string outside the urethra must be managed. This paper introduces a method to decrease the exposure time, and conducts a retrospective study to verify its efficiency and safety. A total of 231 male patients undergoing routine ureteroscopy (URS) were included, and all of them accepted indwelling ureteral stents with strings. Among them, 123 patients (Normal-S group) underwent the normal method to determine the length of string (L string ), which was shortened to 4 cm (cm) past the urethral meatus; 108 patients (Novel-S group) underwent the novel method (L string  = L urethra  + 2 cm), the length of urethra (L urethra ) was measured during ureteroscopy by ureteroscope body. The demographic characteristics, stent indwelling and removal-related variables, complications, and medical costs in each group were recorded. There was no significant difference in demographic characteristics, the rate of UTI, the operative duration of URS, or the VAS pain scores for stent removal between the 2 groups. For the Novel-S group, the stent dwelling time was longer, the self-rated discomfort and symptom, the stent dislodgement rate, the numbers of clinic or emergency visits and the overall medical cost post operation was lower in comparison with the Normal-S group, while the rate of removal of stents by hand was lower, the time for removing ureteral stents was longer. This novel method improved stenting comfort, avoided ureteral stent dislodgement, decreased complications, and lowered medical costs, it was safe and reliable and merits widespread application., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The chronic eye disorder, neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), is a common cause of permanent vision impairment and blindness among the elderly in developed countries, including Japan. This study aimed to investigate the disease burden of nAMD patients under treatment, using data from the Japan National Health and Wellness surveys 2009-2014. Out of 147,272 respondents, 100 nAMD patients reported currently receiving treatment. Controls without nAMD were selected by 1:4 propensity score matching. Healthcare Resource Utilisation (HRU), Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), and work productivity loss were compared between the groups. Regarding HRU, nAMD patients had significantly increased number of visits to any healthcare provider (HCP) (13.8 vs. 8.2), ophthalmologist (5.6 vs. 0.8), and other HCP (9.5 vs. 7.1) compared to controls after adjusting for confounding factors. Additionally, nAMD patients had reduced HRQoL and work productivity, i.e., reduced physical component summary (PCS) score (46.3 vs. 47.9), increased absenteeism (18.14% vs. 0.24%), presenteeism (23.89% vs. 12.44%), and total work productivity impairment (33.57% vs. 16.24%). The increased number of ophthalmologist visits were associated with decreased PCS score, increased presenteeism and total work productivity impairment. The current study highlighted substantial burden for nAMD patients, requiring further attention for future healthcare planning and treatment development.

Purpose: Sixteen percent (16%) of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) show no bone metastasis at diagnosis. However, 33% will become metastatic within 2 years. The goal of treatment in patients with nonmetastatic CRPC (nmCRPC), therefore, is to delay symptomatic metastases without undue toxicity. With novel antiandrogen treatments of different strengths and limitations available, physician preferences for nmCRPC treatment in Japan should be understood., Methods: A discrete choice experiment was conducted. Physicians chose between two hypothetical treatments in nmCRPC defined by six attributes: risk of fatigue, falls or fracture, cognitive impairment, hypertension, rashes as side effects of treatment, and extension of time until cancer-related pain occurs. Relative preference weights and relative importance were estimated by hierarchical Bayesian logistic regression. Physicians were also asked to make treatment decisions based on four hypothetical patient profiles to understand the most important factors driving decision making., Results: A total of 151 physicians completed the survey. Extension of time until cancer-related pain occurs was the most important attribute (relative importance, 32.3%; CI, 31.3% to 33.3%). Based on summed preference weights across all attributes, preferences for hypothetical treatment profiles I, II, and III were compared. A hypothetical treatment profile with better safety though shorter extension time was preferred (I: mean [standard deviation] = 1.7 [1.6 to 2.1]) over treatment profiles with lower safety but longer extension time (II: -2.7 [-2.8 to -2.6] and III: -0.2 [-0.3 to -0.1]). Treatment characteristics were more important factors for physicians' decision making than patient characteristics in prescribing treatment., Conclusion: Physicians preferred a treatment with better safety profile, and treatment characteristics were the most important factors for decision making. This might have implications in physicians' decision making for nmCRPC treatment in the future in Japan.

Objective: The antibacterial activity of copper (Cu)-alloy biomaterials has shown a great potential in clinical application. Here, we evaluated the osteogenesis and antibacterial effects of Ti6Al4V-6.5wt%Cu alloy in an in vivo model of infected bone defects and determine their responsible proteins and pathways using proteomics., Methods: After bone defects were filled with Ti6Al4V and Ti6Al4V-6.5wt%Cu implants for 6 week, the tissue and bone samples around the implants were harvested for radiographic, micro-CT, histological, and bone-related gene expression analyses. An iTRAQ-based protein identification/quantification approach was used to analyze the osteogenic and antibacterial effects of Ti6Al4V-6.5wt%Cu alloy., Results: Imaging and histological results showed Ti6Al4V alloy induced a stronger inflammatory response than Ti6Al4V-6.5wt%Cu alloy; imaging results and osteogenic protein levels showed Ti6Al4V-6.5wt%Cu alloy exerted a stronger osteogenic effect. In vitro experiment, we found the Ti6Al4V-6.5wt%Cu had significant antibacterial effects and inhibited the activity of Staphylococcus aureus in the early stage. In addition, the bacterial biofilm formed in Ti6Al4V-6.5wt%Cu group was significantly lower than that in Ti6Al4V group. Proteomic screening of 4279 proteins resulted in 35 differentially expressed proteins for further examination which were mainly associated with the cellular process, metabolic process, stimulus response, and cellular component organization. In further exploration of the mechanism of osteogenic mineralization of Ti6Al4V-6.5wt%Cu alloy, we found out SDC4 and AGRN were the top two target proteins associated with osteogenic differentiation and bone mineralization., Conclusion: Ti6Al4V-6.5wt%Cu alloy shows a great potential as a bone implant material due to its positive effects against bacterial infection and on bone formation., The Translational Potential of This Article: At present, titanium alloys and other non-antibacterial metal materials are used in orthopedic internal fixation operations. Our study demonstrates that Ti6Al4V-6.5wt%Cu alloy has good antibacterial and osteogenic effects in vivo and in vitro. This means that Ti6Al4V-6.5wt%Cu alloy may become a new kind of antimicrobial metallic material as internal fixation material to continuously exert its antimicrobial effects and reduce the infection rate after clinical internal fixation., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose in relation to this article., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

Objective: The objective was to explore the relative indications of free vascularized fibular graft (FVFG) and Ilizarov bone transport (IBT) in the treatment of infected bone defects of lower extremities via comparative analysis on the clinical characteristics and efficacies., Methods: The clinical data of 66 cases with post-traumatic infected bone defects of the lower extremities who underwent FVFG (n = 23) or IBT (n = 43) from July 2014 to June 2018 were retrieved and retrospectively analyzed. Clinical characteristics, operation time, and intraoperative blood loss were statistically compared between two groups. Specifically, the clinical efficacies of two methods were statistically evaluated according to the external fixation time/index, recurrence rate of deep infection, incidence of complications, the times of reoperation, and final functional score of the affected extremities., Results: Gender, age, cause of injury, Gustilo grade of initial injury, proportion of complicated injuries in other parts of the affected extremities, and numbers of femoral/tibial defect cases did not differ significantly between treatment groups, while infection site distribution after debridement (shaft/metaphysis) differed moderately, with metaphysis infection little more frequent in the FVFG group (P = 0.068). Femoral/tibial defect length was longer in the FVFG group (9.96 ± 2.27 vs. 8.74 ± 2.52 cm, P = 0.014). More patients in the FVFG group presented with moderate or complex wounds with soft-tissue defects. FVFG treatment required a longer surgical time (6.60 ± 1.34 vs. 3.12 ± 0.99 h) and resulted in greater intraoperative blood loss (873.91 ± 183.94 vs. 386.08 ± 131.98 ml; both P < 0.05) than the IBT group, while average follow-up time, recurrence rate of postoperative osteomyelitis, degree of bony union, and final functional scores did not differ between treatment groups. However, FVFG required a shorter external fixation time (7.04 ± 1.72 vs. 13.16 ± 2.92 months), yielded a lower external fixation index (0.73 ± 0.28 vs. 1.55 ± 0.28), and resulted in a lower incidence of postoperative complications (0.87 ± 0.76 vs. 2.21±1.78, times/case, P < 0.05). The times of reoperation in the two groups did not differ (0.78 ± 0.60 vs. 0.98 ± 0.99 times/case, P = 0.615)., Conclusion: Both FVFG and IBT are effective methods for repairing and reconstructing infected bone defects of the lower extremities, with unique advantages and limitations. Generally, FVFG is recommended for patients with soft tissue defects, bone defects adjacent to joints, large bone defects (particularly monocortical defects), and those who can tolerate microsurgery.

Background: Limited studies have measured the burden of migraine in Japan. This study aimed at estimating the disease burden of migraine in Japan and identifying factors associated with the burden using the 2017 National Health and Wellness Survey., Methods: Migraine patients were defined by ICHD-3 like criteria with ≥4 monthly headache days (MHDs), and non-migraine respondents were selected using 1:4 propensity score matching. Multivariate analyses were conducted to compare Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL), work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI), healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs between the two groups, and to identify factors associated with these outcomes in migraine patients., Results: In 30,001 respondents, 378 migraine patients were identified. Compared to matched controls (N = 1512), migraine patients had lower physical (45.17 vs. 49.89), mental (42.28 vs. 47.71) and role/social (37.91 vs. 44.19) component summary scores (p < 0.001). Migraine patients had higher absenteeism (6.4% vs. 2.2%), presenteeism (40.2% vs. 22.5%), total work productivity impairment (44.3% vs. 24.5%), total activity impairment (45.0% vs. 23.9%), indirect costs (1,492,520 JPY vs. 808,320 JPY) and more visits to healthcare providers in the past 6 months (7.23 vs. 3.96) (p < 0.001). More MHDs was associated with worse HRQoL, and higher HRU and indirect costs., Conclusions: Japanese migraine patients experience an incremental burden. This demonstrates the unmet needs among Japanese migraine patients.

An anoxic/oxic membrane bioreactors (AO-MBR) and three identical anaerobic side-stream reactor coupled with anoxic/oxic membrane bioreactors (ASSR-MBR) were constructed and operated in parallel to investigate the appropriate filling fraction of carriers packed in ASSR, influences on pollutants removal, sludge reduction, membrane fouling and microbial community of ASSR-MBR. Inserting ASSR achieved efficient COD removal and nitrification, and packing carriers in ASSR obtained the highest sludge reduction efficiency of 50.5 % at filling fraction of 25 %. Compared to AO-MBR, inserting ASSR without carriers induced the release of viscous components in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and the formation of calcium carbonate-related bacteria on membrane surface, and thus deteriorated membrane fouling. Packing carriers with 25 % filling fraction promoted the hydrolysis of soluble microbial products and EPS, whilst reduced the viscoelasticity of sludge flocs. Higher filling fraction of 50 % increased the shear forces to the biofilm and biomarkers related to membrane fouling, and thus showed little improvement to alleviate membrane fouling. MiSeq sequencing revealed that although it enriched in the bulk sludge of conventional ASSR-MBR and the coupled reactor with filling fraction of 50 %, the floc-forming, hydrolytic and fermentative bacteria were more inclined to attach on the membrane surface and alleviate fouling process., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in China. However, identifying patients has proved challenging, resulting in widespread under-diagnosis of the condition. We examined the prevalence of COPD diagnosis and COPD risk among adults in urban mainland China, the factors associated with having a COPD diagnosis or COPD risk, and the healthcare resource use and health outcomes of these groups compared with controls., Methods: Respondents to the 2017 National Health and Wellness Survey in China (n = 19,994) were classified into three groups: 'COPD Diagnosed', 'COPD Risk (undiagnosed)', and Control (unaffected), based on their self-reported diagnosis and Lung Function Questionnaire (LFQ) score. The groups were characterised by sociodemographic, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), productivity impairment, and healthcare resource use. Pairwise comparisons (t tests and chi-squared tests) and multivariable regression analyses were used to investigate factors associated with being at risk of, or diagnosed with, COPD., Results: 3320 (16.6%) respondents had a suspected risk of COPD but did not report receiving a diagnosis. This was projected to 105.3 million people, or 16.9% of adult urban Chinese. Of these respondents with an identified risk, only 554 (16.7%) were aware of COPD by name. Relative to those without COPD, those with a risk of COPD (undiagnosed) had significantly greater healthcare resource use, lower productivity and lower HRQoL not only compared to those without COPD, but also compared to people with a COPD diagnosis. Factors associated with increased odds of being at risk of COPD were older age, smoking, alcohol consumption, overweight BMI, occasional exercise, higher comorbidities, asthma diagnosis, being female, lower education, not being employed, and living in a high pollution province (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: There is a substantial group of individuals, undiagnosed, but living with a risk of COPD, who have impaired HRQoL, lower productivity and elevated healthcare resource use patterns. Case-detection tools such as the LFQ may prove a quick and cost-effective approach for identifying these at-risk individuals for further definitive testing and appropriate treatment in China.

Introduction: Accurate and timely prediction for endemic infectious diseases is vital for public health agencies to plan and carry out any control methods at an early stage of disease outbreaks. Climatic variables has been identified as important predictors in models for infectious disease forecasts. Various approaches have been proposed in the literature to produce accurate and timely predictions and potentially improve public health response., Methods: We assessed how the machine learning LASSO method may be useful in providing useful forecasts for different pathogens in countries with different climates. Separate LASSO models were constructed for different disease/country/forecast window with different model complexity by including different sets of predictors to assess the importance of different predictors under various conditions., Results: There was a more apparent cyclicity for both climatic variables and incidence in regions further away from the equator. For most diseases, predictions made beyond 4 weeks ahead were increasingly discrepant from the actual scenario. Prediction models were more accurate in capturing the outbreak but less sensitive to predict the outbreak size. In different situations, climatic variables have different levels of importance in prediction accuracy., Conclusions: For LASSO models used for prediction, including different sets of predictors has varying effect in different situations. Short term predictions generally perform better than longer term predictions, suggesting public health agencies may need the capacity to respond at short-notice to early warnings., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: We studied the biological safety, biomechanics, and tissue compatibility of calcium phosphate cement and Polymethyl Methacrylate composite bone cement mixed in different ratios., Material/methods: CPC and PMMA were mixed in different ratios (3:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, 1:5, 1:10, 1:15, and 1:20). PMMA solvent is a general solvent containing a dissolved preparation of the composite bone cement specific to a given specimen to determine biological safety, biomechanics, and tissue compatibility., Results: The CPC/PMMA (33%) group, CPC/PMMA (50%) group, CPC/PMMA (67%) group, and CPC/PMMA (75%) group were more in line with the composite bone cement without cytotoxicity requirements. The compressive strength of the CPC/PMMA (67%) group and CPC/PMMA (75%) group was 20 Mpa-30 Mpa, while that of the CPC/PMMA (4.8%) group, CPC/PMMA (6.25%) group, CPC/PMMA (9.1%) group, CPC/PMMA (16.7%) group, CPC/PMMA (33%) group, and CPC/PMMA (50%) group was 40 Mpa-70 Mpa. Curing time was longer in the CPC group (more than 11 min) and shorter in the PMMA group (less than 2 min). The results of weight loss rate showed that there were no significant differences between the CPC/PMMA group (4.8%, 6.25%, 9.1%, 16.7%, 33%) and PMMA control group (p>0.05). With the decrease of CPC content, the rate of weight loss gradually decreased., Conclusions: The CPC/PMMA (50%) group, CPC/PMMA (67%) group, and CPC/PMMA (75%) group provide greater variability and selectivity for the composite bone cement in obtaining better application.

Objective: To detect the expression profile of bladder cancer and to delineate the interaction network of these genes in invasive bladder cancer., Methods: A total of 126 differentially expressed genes were identified, and input into STRING online database to delineate interaction network. The network data were screened with central nodes. The expression of genes with the most evident change in the exfoliated cells of urine was detected. RNA markers with over-expression in stage Ta tumor and/or T1 to T4 tumors but low expression in blood or inflammatory cells were characterized., Results: On the basis of assay of 21,639 whole-genome oligonucleotide microarray, a total of 126 differentially expressed genes were identified, of which 69 had up-regulated expression and 57 had down-regulated expression. STRING screening showed there were interactions among 103 genes in the bladder cancer which formed a complex network. A total of 23 central nodes were screened with Cytoscape and are involved in multiple signaling pathways related to tumorigenesis. The test specificity was 80% for the 30 control patients with urinary tract infections. The combination of BLCA-4 and HOXA13 could distinguish between low and high grade tumors, with specificity and sensitivity of 80%., Conclusion: The interaction network of differentially expressed genes, especially the central nodes of this network, can provide evidence for the early diagnosis and molecular targeted therapy of invasive bladder cancer, and combined detection of IGF-1, hTERT, BLCA-4 and HOXA13 genes is helpful to evaluate BTCC at different stages.

This article describes a novel Multifunctional and Transparent Urinary System Model (MTUSM), which can be applied to anatomy teaching, operational training of clinical skills as well as simulated experiments in vitro. This model covers kidneys, ureters, bladder, prostate, male and female urethra, bracket and pedestal, etc. Based on human anatomy structure and parameters, MTUSM consists of two transparent layers i. e. transparent organic glass external layer, which constraints the internal layer and maintains shape of the model, and transparent silica gel internal layer, which possesses perfect elasticity and deformability. It is obvious that this model is preferable in simulating the structure of human urinary system by applying hierarchical fabrication. Meanwhile, the transparent design, which makes the inner structure, internal operations and experiments visual, facilitates teaching instruction and understanding. With the advantages of simple making, high-findelity, unique structure and multiple functions, this model will have a broad application prospect and great practical value.

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the small double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) mediated anti-tumor effects of p21WAF1/ClP1 (p21) transcriptional activation in vitro in the human glioma SHG-44 cell line., Materials and Methods: Human glioma SHG-44 cells were transfected with dsRNA using LipofectAMINE 2000 transfection reagent. Real-time PCR and Western blot analysis were conducted to detect p21 and survivin mRNA and protein levels, respectively. Cell proliferation was examined by MTT assay. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were detected by flow-cytometric analysis., Results: We found that dsRNA targeting p21 promoter (dsP21) significantly induced the expression of p21 at transcription and protein levels, and reduced the expression of survivin. AS well, dsP21 transcription significantly inhibited human glioma SHG-44 cell proliferation. Analysis of cell cycle distribution revealed that dsP21 transfection increased accumulation of cells in the G0/G1 phase and reduced accumulation of cells in the S phase. Further analysis revealed that dsP21 transcription led to an increase in both early and late stages of apoptosis in human glioma SHG-44 cells., Conclusion: In the present study, P21 activation by RNA-induced gene activation (RNAa) induced anti-tumor activity in vitro in a human glioma SHG-44 cell line. The results suggested that RNAa could be used for human glioma treatment by targeted activation of tumor suppressor genes.

Objective: The melamine urinary stones are uric acid-based and amenable to alkalization and extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL). However, a significant percentage of stones failed in alkalization and ESWL. To predict it before a likely deemed failed treatment, we attempt to confirm their clinical characteristics., Methods: A total of 6 refractory- and 9 sensitive-melamine-related renal calculi were included from 15 children (age 6-51 months, mean 14). Renal function, and blood calcium and uric acid level were measured before treatment. Stone composition was determined qualitatively using Fourier transform infrared. Stone computed tomography (CT)-attenuation value, stone melamine and cyanuric acid level, and stone calcium level were performed quantitatively using spiral CT, high-performance liquid chromatography, and flame atomic absorption spectrum, respectively., Results: Blood biochemical parameters in all children within the normal reference range and no difference was observed between refractory melamine stones and sensitive melamine stones (P >.05). Compared with sensitive melamine stones, stone calcium level and stone CT-attenuation value in refractory melamine stones were significantly higher (21.58 ± 5.76% vs 1.37 ± 1.47%, P = .000; 1037 ± 341HU vs 156 ± 61HU, P = 0.000). Multivariate regression analysis indicated stone calcium level had more impact on alkalization failure than other factors (P(children's age) = .670, P(feedingtime) = .826, P(stonesize) = .376, and P(stonecalcium level) = .000, and P(regressionmodel) = .000)., Conclusion: Higher stone calcium level is the essential change of refractory melamine stones. The stones from children older than 2 years or stones with in vivo CT-attenuation value >700 Hounsfield units in clinical setting should be strong suspected for alkalization- and ESWL-resistance because they most likely contain >10.88% calcium level., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To observe the synergistic effects of paclitaxel and gemcitabine on prostate cancer cell line PC-3 in vitro., Methods: Cell morphology, MTU, flow cytometer and immunocytochemical method were used to observe the effects of 10(-6), 10(-7), 10(-8) mol/L paclitaxel and 10(-7), 10(-8), 10(-9) mol/L gemcitabine on prostate cancer cell line PC-3 by single or synergistic administration for 48 hours in vitro., Results: Gemcitabine above 10(-8) mol/L enhanced the growth suppression [suppression ratio > or = (50.8 +/- 4.2)%, P < 0.05] and apoptosis [apoptosis ratio > or = (22.9 +/- 2.3)%, P < 0.05] and down-regulation of the expression of cyclin D1 [expression ratio < or = (9.6 +/- 1.6)%, P < 0.01] induced by paclitaxel above 10(-7) mol/L in PC-3 cells. Gemcitabine changed the ratio of G2/M cell arrest induced by paclitaxel from (70.3 +/- 9.7)% to (38.2 +/- 4.2)%, and reversed the G2/M arrest partially (P < 0.01)., Conclusion: Paclitaxel and gemcitabine can enhance the growth suppression and apoptosis induced by paclitaxel in a synergistic way. They show great potential in the treatment of androgen-independent carcinoma of the prostate.

Objective: To compare the apoptosis and hemodynamic changes of the penile tissue in diabetic and healthy rats., Methods: Sixteen chronic diabetic and 10 matched normal control rats were injected with a single dose of streptozotocin (STZ) 65 mg/kg and the diabetic model established. Eight weeks later the rats were killed, their haemoglobin Alc( HbAlc) measured, and their penises harvested. TUNEL assay (in situ nick end-labeling) and flow cytometry were used to analyse the penile cells for apoptosis. The thickness and diameter of the arteries were measured., Results: TUNEL showed apoptosis in the chronic diabetic rats. Flow cytometric analysis showed the apoptotic peak in the penile cells of the chronic diabetic rats when compared with the controls (P < 0.05). There was significant difference between the diabetic and healthy rats. Morphological analysis revealed that the thickness of the artery wall increased while the artery diameter decreased in the diabetes group compared with the controls., Conclusion: Diabetes can lead to increasing apoptosis of the penile tissue, cause a decrease in the penile artery diameter and the thickening of the penile artery wall.

Objective: Considering that the complement C3d plays a stronger positive role in the control of immunologic system, we constructed the recombinant plasmid of the molecular-adjuvant gene of the complement C3d in order to enhance the immunologic efficacy of the gene vaccine., Methods: The main points were amplifying the segment of complement C3d gene by using of PCR; inserting it into PGEM-T; detecting it by digesting with Eco RI and sequencing; the whole length being 897 bp; then sub-cloning it into pVAX1., Results: The DNA sequencing confirmed the C3d sequence., Conclusion: We have successfully cloned the gene of C3d and constructed the recombinant plasmid of pVAX1 C3d.