Regional Cooperation against Terrorism in East Asia

This paper examines factors that promote and hinder regional cooperation against terrorism. The paper argues that counter-terror cooperation in the region is internally driven. The paper gives a particular focus to the Peoples Republic of China, Indonesia and Malaysia. Domestic political and economic concerns strongly influence counter-terror policies of these countries. Differences in attitude towards counter-terrorism cooperation between Malaysia and Indonesia are best explained by their different domestic political dynamics. The domestic balance of power between political parties and bureaucratic politics exerted positive influence in Malaysia while they influenced negatively in Indonesia

Managing Energy Insecurities in East Asia: Natural Resource Development and Sea-Lane Security

This paper looks at regional cooperation to manage energy scarcity, in particular efforts to develop unexplored fossil fuels such as oil and gas in the East China and South China Seas as well as efforts to secure the safety of sea lines of Communication (SLOCs). In both areas, the main barrier to cooperation is the states strong adherence to norms of sovereignty and domestic non-interference. At the same time, however, the paper finds that these Westphalian norms are not surmountable. In a comparative case study of Japanese-Russian and Japanese-Chinese energy cooperation in which both bilateral relations are plagued by territorial disputes, the former has made much more progress than the latter case. Strong leadership and dramatic improvement in political relations were significant factors that promoted Japanese-Russian energy cooperation

Determination of the onset of beta-methyl-digoxin action by potentiation of the adenosine response in guinea pigs.

The onset of beta-methyl-digoxin action was investigated by the potentiation of the adenosine response in guinea pigs and rats, and compared with that of digoxin and dipyridamole. A number of i.v. infusions of adenosine were given to determine the mean control adenosine response and its 95% confidence limits. After oral administration of the drugs, successive infusions of adenosine were continued until a drug-induced potentiation of the adenosine response was observed. The time of appearance of the potentiated adenosine response was marked as the onset of action of the drugs. The onset of action in guinea pigs was 9 to 12 min for 0.2 to 0.4 mg/kg of beta-methyl-digoxin, 90 to 100 min for 0.2 mg/kg of digoxin and 25 min for 5 mg/kg of dipyridamole. The maximal potentiation was 48.8 to 53.8% at 18 to 21 min for beta-methyl-digoxin, 74.5% at 130 min for digoxin and 74.8% at 80 min for dipyridamole. Adenosine infused i.v. into rats produced heart block, as in guinea pigs. However, in rats, the adenosine response was not potentiated by beta-methyl-digoxin and digoxin. Dipyridamole at a dose as high as 200 mg/kg produced 25.8% potentiation at 36 min after oral administration to rats.</p

Pharmacokinetic analysis of adriamycin (doxorubicin) and related fluorescent compounds in Ehrlich tumor-bearing mouse plasma and tissues.

Pharmacokinetic analysis of the distribution and concentration of adriamycin (ADM) in mouse plasma and tissues was carried out by differentiating the unmetabolized form from metabolized ones using high-performance liquid chromatography after a single intravenous injection. Marked differences between ADM and total ADM equivalent values (total ADM values) or its metabolized forms were observed in the pharmacokinetic behavior in plasma and tissue distributions. The ratios of tissue per plasma for total ADM and for ADM values in the liver, kidney and heart showed a two-digit magnitude each time they were examined. Twenty four h later, the ratios for ADM values in the liver, kidney, heart and lung were at high levels; 43.1, 48.1, 57.9 and 45.5 times, respectively. Twenty min after injection the ratios for total ADM values in the spleen, lung and tumors were comparatively small, but 24 h later, the ratio had increased 36.5, 45.5 and 6.8 times respectively.</p

In vitro evaluation method for screening of candidate prebiotic foods

AbstractThe aim of this work was to develop a simple and rapid in vitro evaluation method for screening and discovery of uncharacterised and untapped prebiotic foods. Using a NMR-based metabolomic approach coupled with multivariate statistical analysis, the metabolic profiles generated by intestinal microbiota after in vitro incubation with feces were examined. The viscous substances of Japanese bunching onion (JBOVS) were identified as one of the candidate prebiotic foods by this in vitro screening method. The JBOVS were primarily composed of sugar components, especially fructose-based carbohydrates. Our results suggested that ingestion of JBOVS contributed to lactate and acetate production by the intestinal microbiota, and were accompanied by an increase in the Lactobacillus murinus and Bacteroidetes sp. populations in the intestine and fluctuation of the host-microbial co-metabolic process. Therefore, our approach should be useful as a rapid and simple screening tool for potential prebiotic foods

Effect of tricyclic drugs on mitochondrial membrane.

The effects of tricyclic drugs (clomipramine, imipramine, chlorpromazine and promethazine) on isolated liver mitochondria of rats were examined. All the drugs tested accelerated state 4 respiration. Their stimulative potency at concentrations below 100 microM was in the order of chlorpromazine greater than clomipramine greater than imipramine, promethazine. On state 3 respiration, the chlorine containing drugs had an inhibitive effect at high concentrations, while the other drugs seemed to have a slightly stimulative effect. These drugs stimulated latent ATPase activity of mitochondria. Clomipramine and chlorpromazine inhibited 2, 4-dinitrophenol-stimulated ATPase activity in a dose-dependent fashion. Imipramine also inhibited 2, 4-dinitrophenol-stimulated ATPase activity at high concentrations. Promethazine, however, had almost no effect. All the drugs induced potassium release from mitochondrial vesicles, and their potency was in the order of clomipramine greater than chlorpromazine greater than imipramine greater than promethazine. These results suggest that clomipramine, imipramine, chlorpromazine and promethazine cause impediments in both mitochondrial respiration and ion compartmentation, and that the chlorine containing drugs are more toxic than others on the functions of the mitochondrial membrane.</p

Effects of aggregation on methamphetamine toxicity in mice.

Methamphetamine (MA) toxicity in aggregated mice was studied by varying the number of mice and the proportion of MA treated mice kept in the same confined space. The lethality was measured 24 h after intraperitoneal injections of MA at doses ranging from 10 to 100 mg/kg. MA lethality, over a wide dose range (15 to 50 mg/kg), was higher in aggregated mice than in those maintained in isolation. The greater the proportion of MA-treated mice in aggregation was, the higher the MA lethality was. In aggregations of 10 mice, MA was lethal at lower doses than in aggregations of 5 mice. These results indicate that the lethality of MA is influenced by confinement and aggregation.</p

In vitro release of tegafur from a fatty-base suppository and in vivo bioavailability of tegafur.

This study was designed to determine the in vitro release of tegafur from a suppository and the in vivo bioavailability of tegafur in rats. Two different suppository preparations (product A-1 and product A-2) containing 750 mg of tegafur were tested for in vitro release of tegafur by the Muranishi Method (membrane diffusion method) and the partially modified paddle method (permeability through dialysis tubing). When determined by either method, the amount of tegafur released from product A-2 during the whole experimental period was significantly greater than that released from product A-1. When tested by the Muranishi method, however, the difference in the amount released during the first 10-min period was not significant. A greater bioavailability of tegafur after rectal administration was obtained by product A-2 more than product A-1. A significant correlation was observed between the in vitro release and the in vivo bioavailability. The present results indicate that there are considerable differences in physiochemical characteristics between product A-1 and product A-2.</p