Monetary and Fiscal Policy in a Liquidity Trap: The Japanese Experience 1999-2004

We characterize monetary and fiscal policy rules to implement optimal responses to a substantial decline in the natural rate of interest, and compare them with policy decisions made by the Japanese central bank and government in 1999-2004. First, we find that the Bank of Japan's policy commitment to continuing monetary easing until some prespecified conditions are satisfied lacks history dependence, a key feature of the optimal monetary policy rule. Second, the term structure of the interest rate gap (the spread between the actual real interest rate and its natural rate counterpart) was not downward sloping, indicating that the Bank of Japan's commitment failed to have suffcient influence on the market's expectations about the future course of monetary policy. Third, we find that the primary surplus in 1999-2002 was higher than predicted by the historical regularity, implying that the Japanese government deviated from the Ricardian rule toward fiscal tightening. These findings suggest that inappropriate conduct of monetary and fiscal policy during this period delayed the timing to escape from the liquidity trap.

Validation of a Vocabulary Learning Strategy Scale and Its Relationship to Vocabulary Level Test Scores

The purpose of this study is two-fold: firstly, to validate a questionnaire of self-regulated vocabulary learning strategies (VLS), based on a strategic self-regulation(S2R) model of language learning (Oxford,2011), and secondly, to investigate the relationships between self-regulated VLS and vocabulary size. An explanatory factor analysis on the data of 216 Japanese EFL students yielded the following seven factors. which could reflect constructs hypothesized from the S2R model to a reasonable extent: (a) planning for goal achievement, (b) obtaining and using preferred resources, (c) conceptualizing by linking/combining related vocabulary, (d) planning for positive affective strategies, (e) using auditory sense to understand and remember, (f) generating and maintaining extrinsic motivation, and (g) increasing instrumental motivation. Among the seven strategic vocabulary learning constructs, (b), (c) and (g) were moderately correlated to vocabulary size. Furthermore, these strategies were strongly correlated with self-regulatory and planning strategies. The results suggest an integral role for these variables in vocabulary learning

Frequent Consumption of Vegetables and The Decreased Risk of Ovarian Cancer

A case-control study was conducted to assess the relationship of dietary habits to ovarian cancer. A uniform questionnaire was filled out by 44 ovarian cancer cases hospitalized at Sapporo Medical University or 2 other hospitals in Sapporo between August and norember, 1990. Two hundred twenty individually locality-matched controls were selected from telephone books and sent the same questionnaire ; 156 (70.9%) responded. The conditional logistic regression anal-ysis was used to compare the data of 44 ovarian cancer cases and the 156 individ-ually age-matched controls. Univariate analysis revealed that single marital sta-tus was significantly associated with the increased risk of ovarian cancer (odds ratio, or OR=3.45, 95% confidence interval, or 95%CI 1.13-10.84). Frequent intake of midnight meals was also significantly related to the increased risk (trend, OR=1.56, 95%CI 1.01-2.41), and frequent intake of vegetables other than yellow or red was significantly related to the decreased risk (trend, OR= 0.58, 95%CI 0.37-0.91). These odds ratios concerning dietary habits were not substantially altered even after adjustment for potentially distorting variables such as marital status, the number of parities, and family history for uterine, ovarian, or breast cancer with the multivariate analysis. No other dietary habits, including frequent consumption of meat, fish, or milk, were associated with the increase or decrease of the risk of ovarian cancer

Frequent Loss of Genome Gap Region in 4p16.3 Subtelomere in Early-Onset Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

A small portion of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is familial, but the majority occurs as sporadic disease. Although causative genes are found in some rare forms, the genetic basis for sporadic T2DM is largely unknown. We searched for a copy number abnormality in 100 early-onset Japanese T2DM patients (onset age <35 years) by whole-genome screening with a copy number variation BeadChip. Within the 1.3-Mb subtelomeric region on chromosome 4p16.3, we found copy number losses in early-onset T2DM (13 of 100 T2DM versus one of 100 controls). This region surrounds a genome gap, which is rich in multiple low copy repeats. Subsequent region-targeted high-density custom-made oligonucleotide microarray experiments verified the copy number losses and delineated structural changes in the 1.3-Mb region. The results suggested that copy number losses of the genes in the deleted region around the genome gap in 4p16.3 may play significant roles in the etiology of T2DM

Prognostic sub-classification of intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter cohort study with propensity score analysis

There is significant heterogeneity in the clini- copathological characteristics of intermediate hepatocellu- lar carcinoma (IHCC). This also translates to treatment as transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is used as first- line therapy for patients with IHCC; however, in Asia liver resection (LR) is preferred. Prognostic tools are required to help guide clinicians in deciding treatment options. This study evaluates the prognostic impact of the Intermediate Stage Score (ISS) on overall survival (OS) in a large, multicenter cohort study of patients with IHCC treated with TACE or surgery LR. Consecutive patients from centers in Japan, Korea, Italy and the United Kingdom who under- went TACE or LR between 2001 and 2015 were enrolled. Propensity score (PS) adjustment was used to remove residual confounding and applied to LR (n=162) and TACE ( n = 449) to determine the prognostic significance of ISS. Among 611 patients, 75 % were men and 25 % women, with a mean age of 70 years. ISS is a valid prognostic tool in the BCLC-B population with a median OS ISS 1–51, 2–38.3, 3–24.3, 4–15.6, 5–16 months ( p \ 0.0001). ISS was analyzed within each treatment modality, and this was a valid prognostic score among those treated with TACE and LR ( p \ 0.001 vs. p = 0.008). In the PS-adjusted model, ISS retained its prognostic utility in TACE and LR groups (p\0.001 vs.p=0.007). ISS optimizes prognostic prediction in IHCC, reducing clinical heterogeneity, and is a useful tool for patients treated for TACE or LR

Spontaneous Occurrence of Various Types of Hepatocellular Adenoma in the Livers of Metabolic Syndrome-Associated Steatohepatitis Model TSOD Mice

Male Tsumura-Suzuki Obese Diabetes (TSOD) mice, a spontaneous metabolic syndrome model, develop non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and liver tumors by feeding on a standard mouse diet. Nearly 70% of liver tumors express glutamine synthetase (GS), a marker of hepatocellular carcinoma. In contrast, approximately 30% are GS-negative without prominent nuclear or structural atypia. In this study, we examined the characteristics of the GS-negative tumors of TSOD mice. Twenty male TSOD mice were sacrificed at 40 weeks and a total of 21 tumors were analyzed by HE staining and immunostaining of GS, liver fatty acid-binding protein (L FABP), serum amyloid A (SAA), and beta-catenin. With immunostaining for GS, six (29%) tumors were negative. Based on the histological and immunohistological characteristics, six GS-negative tumors were classified into several subtypes of human hepatocellular adenoma (HCA). One large tumor showed generally similar findings to inflammatory HCA, but contained small atypical foci with GS staining and partial nuclear beta-catenin expression suggesting malignant transformation. GS-negative tumors of TSOD mice contained features similar to various subtypes of HCA. Different HCA subtypes occurring in the same liver have been reported in humans; however, the diversity of patient backgrounds limits the ability to conduct a detailed, multifaceted analysis. TSOD mice may share similar mechanisms of HCA development as in humans. It is timely to review the pathogenesis of HCA from both genetic and environmental perspectives, and it is expected that TSOD mice will make further contributions in this regard

Periostin is essential for cardiac healingafter acute myocardial infarction

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a common and lethal heart disease, and the recruitment of fibroblastic cells to the infarct region is essential for the cardiac healing process. Although stiffness of the extracellular matrix in the infarct myocardium is associated with cardiac healing, the molecular mechanism of cardiac healing is not fully understood. We show that periostin, which is a matricellular protein, is important for the cardiac healing process after AMI. The expression of periostin protein was abundant in the infarct border of human and mouse hearts with AMI. We generated periostin−/− mice and found no morphologically abnormal cardiomyocyte phenotypes; however, after AMI, cardiac healing was impaired in these mice, resulting in cardiac rupture as a consequence of reduced myocardial stiffness caused by a reduced number of α smooth muscle actin–positive cells, impaired collagen fibril formation, and decreased phosphorylation of FAK. These phenotypes were rescued by gene transfer of a spliced form of periostin. Moreover, the inhibition of FAK or αv-integrin, which blocked the periostin-promoted cell migration, revealed that αv-integrin, FAK, and Akt are involved in periostin signaling. Our novel findings show the effects of periostin on recruitment of activated fibroblasts through FAK-integrin signaling and on their collagen fibril formation specific to healing after AMI

ジンブンガク シャカイカガクテキ シュホウ ヲ モチイタ カガク ギジュツ ト シャカイ ニ カンスル ケンキュウ ジッセン ヲ ツウジタ コウド ハンヨウリョク カンヨウ ノ ココロミ ケンキュウ プロジェクト ノ コレマデ ト コレカラ

大阪大学COデザインセンターにおいて著者らが提供する『研究プロジェクト』は、科学技術と社会を架橋する人材の育成を目指す大学院副専攻プログラムである『公共圏における科学技術政策』での学びを締めくくる必修科目である。同科目は、受講生がそれまでに副専攻プログラムで身につけた科学技術と社会、公共政策との関係性についての理解をさらに深めると同時に、高度汎用力の定着をはかるために、科学技術と社会の関係性を主題とした研究活動に人文学・社会科学的な手法を用いて取り組み、研究論文を執筆するものである。本稿では、著者らの『研究プロジェクト』への取り組みについて報告し、受講生のより深い学びの実現に向けて同科目がどのように運営・提供されているのかについて、その設計上の理念や開発の経緯と併せて論じる。“Research Project” is a course the authors run at the Center for the Study of Co* Design, as the concluding part of its postgraduate minor programme “Science and Technology Policy in the Public Sphere”. In the course, students conduct their own research project over a period of one year, in which they design the project, collect and analyse data, present results and findings in a research seminar and compose a research thesis. While conducting the research project, the students drawn on what they have learnt from their preceding study in the programme, whereby they deepen and further extend their understanding of the relationships between science and technology, society and public policy and also develop transferable skills. In this paper we share with the readers how we have been developing and running the “Research Project” course since its commencement in 2013

カガク リテラシー ノ シンコウ カツドウ ニ オケル キョウドウ ノ ヒツヨウセイ ニ ツイテ ノ ケントウ

本稿では、科学リテラシーの振興活動における、多様なアクターによる「協働」の必要性およびそのあり方についての検討を行う。第1節では、日本における科学リテラシー振興のための最も規模の大きな協働であった「科学技術の智」プロジェクトを振り返り、第2節以降は、今後の科学リテラシーの振興のためには、社会の様々なアクターによる協働がより一層必要であることを3つの関連する視点から論じる。まず第2節では、科学リテラシー振興活動の目指す社会と科学技術との間の関係性や、それを支える公共的な価値観について、協働で検討する必要性があることについて論じる。第3節では、個人やコミュニティ、社会といった様々な主体が相互補完的な形で科学リテラシー資源へのアクセスを支え合うような協働について論じる。第4節では、科学リテラシー振興活動の掲げる公共的な価値を実現するためには、仕組みや制度、システムを担う人たちと協働し、それらの整備と併せて科学リテラシーを考える必要があることについて論じる。そして最後に第5節では、前節までに述べた協働を推進するための具体的な活動の例について紹介する。In this paper, the authors argue for the necessity of multi-actor collaboration in discussing and promoting science literacy in our society. First we look back at the Science for All Japanese project − the largest national project for presenting a grand picture of science literacy for the Japanese society − and highlight its nature as a large-scale multi-actor collaboration. We then examine the reasons for which such multi-actor collaboration is even more important today in discussing and promoting science literacy from three inter-related perspectives that include: openly deliberating on public values of science communication; sharing science literacy resources in/among individuals, communities and societies; and exercising science literacy to realise desired science-society relations. The paper concludes with some examples of activities from our previous and current projects on science literacy for putting the ideas presented in this paper into practice