Pharmaceuticalization and Biomedicalization： An Examination of Problems Relating to Depression in Japan

The growing number of people suffering from depression has become a social problem in Japan. The problems associated with depression in Japan have been influenced by the pharmaceuticalization of mental health. Since selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were introduced to Japan＇s pharmaceutical market in 1999, demand for anti-depressant medications has rapidly expanded. It seems likely then that the efforts of pharmaceutical companies, as part of their marketing strategies, to increase people＇s awareness of mental illness have led people who are not actually depressed to have medical consultations and drug treatments for it. This phenomenon is known as ＂disease mongering＂ and has been reported on. Problems exist from the medical perspective also and include the following： expansion of the diagnostic criteria for depression as formulated in the American Psychiatric Association＇s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; treatments that rely heavily on drugs; and biomedicalization. Another reason for the increase in medical consultations is the declining function of communal bodies. This has resulted in individuals struggling psychologically, for example, with anxiety, worry, and depression. In summary, this sociological research analyzed the problems of depression in ｜apan and revealed how the pharmaceuticalization of mental health accelerates the individualization of social problem.

Recent Progress in Shape Memory Polymers for Biomedical Applications

Shape memory polymers （SMPs） as one type of the most important smart materials have attracted increasing attention due to their promising application in the field of biomedicine, textiles, aerospace et al. Following a brief intoduction of the conception and classification of SMPs, this review is focused on the progress of shape memory polymers for biomedical applications. The progress includes the early researches based on thermo-induced SMPs, the improvement of the stimulus, the development of shape recovery ways and the expansion of the applications in biomedical field. In addition, future perspectives of SMPs in the field of biomedicine are also discussed.

Concerning the Use of Western Medical Terms to Represent Traditional Chinese Medical Concepts——Answer to Prof. XIE and His Colleagues

This paper strongly rejects the notion that the use of biomedical terms to represent traditional Chinese medical concepts is helpful to the internationalization of Chinese medicine. It further argues that this practice destroys the integrity and independence of Chinese medical concepts. Taking the term 风火眼 fěng huǒ yǎn as an example, it shows that the biomedical term ＂acute conjunctivitis＂ often suggested as the translation for this term is unsatisfactory, because （ 1 ） the clinical reference is not identical, （2） it introduces the concepts of ＂conjunctiva＂ and ＂inflammation＂, which are not Chinese medical concepts, and （3） destroys the Chinese medical concepts ＂wind＂ and ＂fire＂ expressed in the Chinese, which reflect the way the disease is traditionally diagnosed and treated. While for English readers not familiar with Chinese medicine, ＂acute conjunctivitis＂ may be immediately intelligible, for those seeking a deep understanding of the subject, the literal translation （loan translation） ＂wind-fire eye＂ is much more helpful. This paper supports these arguments with numerous other examples.