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Background The study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of COVID-19 strategies adopted by China, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. Methods We extracted publicly available data from various official websites, summarized the strategies implemented in these four countries, and assessed the effectiveness of the prevention and control measures adopted by these countries. Results As of October 28, 2020, the growth of daily new confirmed cases has stabilized in China, Singapore, and South Korea. In Japan, the daily new confirmed cases increased sharply since it lifted a state of emergency, but case-fatality maintains at a lower level. The growth of total cases is near stagnant in China and Singapore, with a case-fatality of 5.39 and 0.05% respectively. The case-fatality rate between Japan and South Korea is identical at 1.76%, however, Japan’s growth rate of cases has increased more rapidly than South Korea. Conclusion This study found that China, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea accessed the situation within their own borders and implemented different intervention strategies to curb the spread of COVID-19 and maintain lower rates of case-fatality. China, Singapore, and South Korea adopted the containment strategy, while Japan adopted the mitigation strategy. Although Japan’s case-fatality maintained at a low level, daily new cases increased faster than the other three countries. This result indicated that a mitigation strategy could be inferior to a containment strategy.

TMP improved neurovascular recovery by preventing NV and protecting retinal astroglia cells and neurons from ischemia-induced cell death partially due to its downregulation of HIF-1α and VEGF mRNA expression.

Objective: To identify the association between the interleukin (IL) 6 (IL-6) rs1800795 (-174 G>C), IL-8 rs4073 (-251T>A), and matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) rs2252070 (-77G>A) gene polymorphisms and knee osteoarthritis (KOA) susceptibility in the Chinese Han population. Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from a total of 400 KOA patients and 400 healthy subjects. Sanger sequencing was performed to determine the genotypes of the IL-6 rs1800795 (-174 G/C), IL-8 rs4073 (-251A/T), and MMP-13 rs2252070 (-77A/G) loci. The mRNA expression levels of IL-6, IL-8, and MMP-13 in osteoblasts and the protein expression levels of IL-6, IL-8, and MMP-13 in the synovial fluids of KOA patients were analyzed. Results: The recessive model of IL-6 rs1800795 locus was found to be associated with KOA risk (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.657, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.396–1.866, P<0.001). The IL-8 rs4073 locus dominant and recessive model showed no significant association with KOA risk (P>0.05). The dominant and recessive models of the MMP-13 rs2252070 locus showed higher risk for developing KOA (dominant model: adjusted OR = 1.271, 95%CI = 1.095–1.480, P=0.001; recessive model: adjusted OR = 1.361 95%CI = 1.151–1.569, P<0.001). The G>C mutation in IL-6 rs1800795 and the G>A mutation in MMP-13 rs2252070 were associated with significantly higher KOA disease severity. The G>C mutation in the IL-6 rs1800795 locus was associated with up-regulation of IL-6 expression. The G>A mutation in the MMP-13 rs2252070 locus was associated with up-regulation of MMP-13 expression. Conclusion: The IL-8 rs4073 (-251T>A) mutation was not associated with KOA susceptibility. The IL-6 rs1800795 (-174 G>C) and MMP-13 rs2252070 (-77G>A) mutations were associated with KOA susceptibility, increased disease severity, and up-regulation of IL-6 and MMP-13 expression levels.

ABSTRACT.Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the longterm results of phacovitrectomy and foldable intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in eyes with significant cataract and co-existing vitreoretinal diseases. Methods: We carried out a retrospective study of 186 eyes of 149 patients with various vitreoretinal abnormalities and visually significant cataracts. Vitreoretinal surgery was combined with phacoemulsification and foldable IOL implantation. Main outcome measures were visual acuity (VA), preoperative data, and intraoperative and postoperative complications. Results: The most common indications for surgery were non-diabetic vitreous haemorrhage and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Preoperative vision ranged from 0.6 to light perception; postoperative vision ranged from 1.2 to no light perception. Postoperatively, in 162 eyes (87.1%) VA improved by ‡ 3 lines on the decimal chart. In 14 eyes (7.5%), vision remained within 3 lines of preoperative levels and in 10 eyes (5.3%), vision had decreased by the last follow-up. Postoperative complications included elevated intraocular pressure and posterior capsule opacification, corneal edema, macular edema, fibrinous reaction, vitreous hemorrhage, corneal epithelial defects, anterior chamber hyphema, choroidal detachment, persistent macular hole, posterior synechiae, recurrent retinal detachment, rubeosis iridis, neovascular glaucoma. Conclusions: Combined vitreoretinal surgery and phacoemulsification with foldable IOL implantation is safe and effective in treating vitreoretinal abnormalities co-existing with cataract. Based on extensive experience with the combined procedure, we suggest that combined surgery is recommended in selected patients with simultaneous vitreoretinal pathological changes and cataract.

Postoperative complications did not increase significantly in the combined phacoemulsification and vitreoretinal surgery. Combined vitreoretinal surgery and phacoemulsification with foldable IOL implantation is safe and effective in treating vitreoretinal abnormalities coexisting with cataract. Based on extensive experience with the combined procedure, the authors suggest that combined surgery is recommended in select patients having simultaneous vitreoretinal pathologic changes and cataract.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of containment strategies and mitigation strategies to provide a reference for controlling the ongoing global spread of the pandemic.Methods: We extracted publicly available data from various official websites between January 1 and December 31, 2020, summarized the strategies implemented in China, South Korea, Singapore, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, and assessed the effectiveness of the prevention and control measures adopted by these countries with the daily new cases and mortality rate per 100,000 population.Results: China, South Korea, and Singapore adopted containment strategies, which maintained a proactive approach by identifying and managing cases, tracking and isolating close contacts. China and Singapore had a similar epidemic curve and the new daily cases. As of December 31, 2020, the new daily cases of China and Singapore were below 100 with the mortality rates per 100,000 population of 0.3 and 0.5, respectively. But the new daily case of South Korea was as high as 1,029, with a mortality rate per 100,000 population of 1.8. In contrast, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France responded with mitigation strategies that focus on treating severe cases and those with underlying conditions. They had similar epidemic curves and mortality rates per 100,000 population. The United States had up to 234,133 new confirmed cases per day, and the mortality rate per 100,000 population was 107, while the United Kingdom had 56,029 new confirmed cases per day and the mortality rate per 100,000 population was 108, and France had 20,042 new cases per day, with a mortality rate per 100,000 population of 99.Conclusions: China, Korea, and Singapore, which implemented strict containment measures, had significant outbreak control. Meanwhile, the successful practices in China, Singapore, and South Korea show that the containment strategies were practices that work especially at the individual level identifying and managing the infected patients and their close contacts. In the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, which implemented the mitigation policies, the effect of epidemic prevention and control was not significant that the epidemic continued or even increased epidemic relatively quickly.

Objective In order to provide experiences for international epidemic control, this study systematically summarized the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention and control policies in Japan, Italy, China and Singapore, and also analyzed the possible inequalities that exist in these response approaches to improve global infectious disease control. Methods We summarized the epidemic prevention and control policies in Japan, Italy, China, and Singapore, and analyzed the policy effects of these four countries by using the data published by Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. Results As of May 27, 2020, the growing trend of new cases in Japan, Italy, China and Singapore has stabilized. However, the cumulative number of confirmed cases (231139) and case-fatality rate (14.3%) in Italy far exceeded those in the other three countries, and the effect of epidemic control was inferior. Singapore began to experience a domestic resurgence after April 5, with a cumulative number of confirmed cases reaching 32,876, but the case-fatality rate remained extremely low (0.1%). The growth of cumulative confirmed cases in China (84547) was almost stagnant, and the case-fatality rate was low (5.5%). The growth of cumulative confirmed cases in Japan (16661) increased slowly, and the case-fatality rate (4.8%) was slightly lower than that in China. Conclusion This study divided the epidemic prevention and control policies of the four countries into two categories: the blocking measures adopted by China and Singapore, and the mitigation measures adopted by Japan and Italy. According to the Epidemic control results of these four countries, we can conclude that the blocking measures were generally effective. As the core strategy of blocking measures, admitting mild patients into hospital and cases tracing helped curb the spread of the outbreak in Singapore and China. Countries should choose appropriate response strategies on the premise of considering their own situation, increase investment in health resources to ensure global health equity, and eventually control the spread of infectious diseases in the world effectively.