Cell-center-based model for simulating three-dimensional monolayer tissue deformation

The shape of the epithelial monolayer can be depicted as a curved tissue in three-dimensional (3D) space, where individual cells are tightly adhered to one another. The 3D morphogenesis of these tissues is governed by cell dynamics, and a variety of mathematical modeling and simulation studies have been conducted to investigate this process. One promising approach is the cell-center model, which can account for the discreteness of cells. The cell nucleus, which is considered to correspond to the cell center, can be observed experimentally. However, there has been a shortage of cell-center models specifically tailored for simulating 3D monolayer tissue deformation. In this study, we developed a mathematical model based on the cell-center model to simulate 3D monolayer tissue deformation. Our model was confirmed by simulating the in-plane deformation, out-of-plane deformation, and invagination due to apical constriction

Steel Industries in Japan Achieve Most Efficient Energy Cut - off Chemical Absorption Process for Carbon Dioxide Capture from Blast Furnace Gas

AbstractThe most efficient energy cut-off chemical absorption process has been developed in the project of COURSE50 (CO2 Ultimate Reduction in Steelmaking process by innovative technology for cool Earth 50). Through each long hours running by the use of several kinds of newly developed absorbents, high energy saving, utilization of far lower temperature, and extremely low influence of the process to steel making facilities downstream of the process have been tested and verified using of actual blast furnace gas in the steel works

Impact of Body Mass Index on Survival of Pancreatic Cancer Patients in Japan

The impact of body mass index (BMI) on postoperative survival in Japanese patients with pancreatic cancer is unclear. We examined the relationship between preoperative BMI and the prognosis of Japanese patients who underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer to determine whether BMI affects these patients’ prognosis. Of the patients who underwent pancreatectomy between January 2004 and August 2015 at our institution, 246 were pathologically diagnosed with pancreatic tubular adenocarcinoma; the cancer was located in the pancreatic head (n=161) and in the body and tail (n=85). We classified the patients by BMI: underweight (n=22), normal weight (n=190), and overweight/obese (n=34) groups. We retrospectively analyzed medical records for patient characteristics, lesion location, disease stage, postoperative complications, chemotherapy, and prognosis. Lesion location, disease stage, postoperative complications, and chemotherapy were not significantly different among the BMI groups. The median survival times were as follows (days): all patients, 686; underweight, 485; normal weight, 694; and overweight/obese, 839. In a multivariate analysis, after adjusting for competing risk factors, low BMI was associated with an increased risk of death (normal weight: HR 0.58, p=0.038; overweight/obese: HR 0.54, p=0.059). High BMI was not found to be a postoperative factor for poor prognosis in Japanese pancreatic cancer patients

An analysis of DNA ploidy pattern of hepatocellular carcinoma.

To determine whether a relationship exists between DNA ploidy and the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), flow cytometric DNA analysis was performed in paraffin-embedded specimens obtained from 44 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy. There were 26 diploid (59%) and 18 aneuploid (41%) tumors. No correlation was shown between DNA ploidy pattern and patient age, sex, liver cirrhosis, hepatitis B virus antigen and serum alpha-fetoprotein level. The ploidy pattern had no significant correlation with the presence of vascular invasion or intrahepatic metastasis. Only Edmondson's grade was well correlated with the ploidy pattern. We noted a significant correlation between survival rates and the presence of vascular invasion or intrahepatic metastasis (p &#60; 0.05). In contrast, no significant correlation was found between DNA ploidy pattern and the prognosis of HCC. The results of this study indicate that DNA ploidy pattern may not be a useful indicator for the prognosis of HCCs after hepatic resection, unlike the results of gastric and colon cancers. </p

Effects of malalignment and disease activity on osteophyte formation in knees of rheumatoid arthritis patients.

PURPOSE:Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with secondary osteoarthritis (OA) in a knee joint following a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedure have been increasing. Here, we investigated osteophyte formation in knee joints of RA patients and associated factors.METHODS:We retrospectively examined findings of 35 knees in 30 RA patients (26 females, 4 males; mean age: 63.0 years; median disease duration: 15 years) who underwent TKA, including preoperative anteroposterior view radiographs of the knee joint. Using the ImageJ software package, osteophyte size in the medial femur (MF), medial tibia (MT), lateral femur (LF), and lateral tibia (LT) regions was also determined.RESULTS:The mean femorotibial angle was 179°, while Larsen grade was 2 in 1, 3 in 12, 4 in 18, and 5 in 2 patients. Osteophyte sizes in the MF, MT, LF, and LT regions were 37.2, 17.0, 27.2, and 4.57 mm2, respectively, and significantly greater in the medial compartment (MC; MF+MT) than the lateral compartment (LC; LF+LT) (p < 0.001). In varus cases, osteophyte size in the MC was significantly larger than normal and valgus cases (p = 0.0016). Furthermore, osteophyte size in the MC was negatively correlated with the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (r = -0.492, p = 0.0027) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = -0.529, p = 0.0016), whereas that in the LC was negatively correlated with disease activity (r = -0.589, p = 0.0023).CONCLUSION:Our results suggest that alignment and disease activity influence osteophyte formation in RA patients, with secondary OA a more prominent symptom in RA patients with controlled inflammation

Effect of dynamic compressive loading and its combination with a growth factor on the chondrocytic phenotype of 3-dimensional scaffold-embedded chondrocytes

Background and purpose Three-dimensionally (3D-) embedded chondrocytes have been suggested to maintain the chondrocytic phenotype. Furthermore, mechanical stress and growth factors have been found to be capable of enhancing cell proliferation and ECM synthesis. We investigated the effect of mechanical loading and growth factors on reactivation of the 3D-embedded chondrocytes

A Case Report of Implant Fracture of Extensively Porous-Coated, Distally Fixated Cementless Long Stem: Detailed Course of Stem Bending Development

We report the fracture of a cementless long stem in a distally fixated, extensively porous-coated femoral prosthesis used for revisional total hip arthroplasty (THA) 9 years previously in a 48-year-old woman, measuring 58 kg in weight and 155 cm in height. Following resolution of an infection 7 years after the revisional THA, a series of posterior dislocations occurred up until 7 months before sudden stem fracture. Extensive radiographic imaging evidence indicated a gradual progression of bending in the stem, and scanning electron microscope energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed oxygen in the medial and lateral sections, suspecting in vivo corrosion. We retrospectively examined the detailed course of stem bending development prior to stem fracture. The stem bending immediately after the revisional THA, at the first dislocation, and immediately before the stem fracture was 0°, 1.9°, and 5.2°, respectively. We consider that the cyclic loading with poor proximal bone support, distal fixation, and small diameter were the potential risk of this implant fracture. However, the course of stem bending development suggested that repeated operations and several dislocations might have aggravated the implant fatigue in the present case

Online Hate Speech Laws in Japan

仇恨言論現象從2010年代初盛行日本，除街頭示威場合，網路上也常出現呼籲排斥特定群體的言論。民眾將仇恨的矛頭，主要指向居住日本國內的朝鮮民族人士及中國人。鑑於日本社會快速邁入國際化、群體人口結構正趨多元化，中央政府2016年6月施行「仇恨言論消除法」，大阪市同年7月實施「大阪市仇恨言論應對條例」，使日本成為在東亞最先有反仇恨言論法規的國家。 「仇恨言論」時常表達外交、歷史或群體相關議題的看法，含有促進公共討論的成分，不宜貿然強制，以免侵犯民主國家憲法的核心權利——言論自由。而網路高度普及日本，既是促進民主對話、又是跋扈過激言論之空間。於是，日本兩部新法規，在權衡保護民眾的言論自由、及保障受害者人格權之前提下，究竟能多少有效減少網路仇恨言論，實屬值得探討。因此，本文分析兩部法規的特色、成效及問題，再來基於法學及網路傳播效應的理論，提出法規未來改善方案。 此外，經營社群網站的網路服務提供者（Internet service provider，簡稱ISP）對網路資訊握有直接管理權，其角色不僅是傳載使用者資訊的平台(platform)，又可能是資訊的發布者(publisher)，對無疆界流竄、不停擴大傷害的網路仇恨言論，應承擔部分責任。因此，本文另以日本「ISP責任限制法」為例，探討促成ISP自主對抗仇恨言論資訊的模式。 本文發現，兩部反仇恨言論法規，目前未設置任何禁止事項或罰則款項，僅以透過教育啟發提升民眾之人權概念，定為減少仇恨言論的主要方法，故可稱之為「理念法」。於是，兩部法規的共同問題，可整理為兩項：一、政府單位或司法機構，會依照法規中對「仇恨言論」的籠統定義，因判定者個人觀念，對表意人的言論做出「擴大解釋」，僅以「理念法」為依據，不當限制表達活動；二、減少仇恨言論的「實效性」不足，尤其面對快速傳播、無限複製的網路仇恨言論，更為如此。 鑑於上述問題，本文建議法規視日本未來圍繞敏感群體之社會情勢，入罪化嚴重煽動群體敵對氛圍，足以威脅憲法保障的社會利益及個人權利之仇恨言論。屆時，系爭言論構罪與否，可適用「明顯而立即危險」標準，以判斷言論是否對公共秩序及個人尊嚴，很快且有可能造成實質傷害。而判定達標與否，必須客觀公正，因此本文提出九項「仇恨言論判定要件」，供以從保護言論自由及維護憲法利益之兩個面向，綜觀言論發表及流傳當下的具體脈絡，判定系爭言論是否仇恨言論，以符民主憲政價值要求限制精神自由權之「明確性原則」。 本文另外建議，「ISP責任限制法」訂定本文「仇恨言論判定要件」，將ISP用以判定資訊有否達到「明顯而立即危險」標準，得以客觀證明不得已相信如此，作為ISP不被視為資訊發布者，亦即獲得免責的主要條件