Revisiting China’s climate policy

Edited by Akihisa MoriAgainst the emergence of multilateral climate governance, China showed a hostile stance, opposing the obligation to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. However, China has gradually changed its stance to accept a non-obligatory reduction of carbon intensity and become proactive in this reduction. Meanwhile, it has implemented a number of climate policy measures. Against this backdrop, this chapter aims to explore what changed China’s hostile stance to a proactive one through revisiting the policy process and outcomes the Chinese government has taken to address the climate-energy conundrum. The findings can be summarized as follows. First, China’s climate policy has been centered on energy development strategies, thus is framed as energy policy. However, detailed policy measures have been adjusted in order to make them realistic and effective, incorporating the vested interests of local governments and national oil companies (NOCs), the government’s desire to create new growth points, and emerging health concerns. Second, the resultant climate-energy policy provokes conflicts of interest between provincial governments, NOCs, and distributed energy producers, blocking changes in the energy mix from accelerating and impairing the structural effect for CO₂ emission reductions. Such domestic conflicts of interest are shifting the government focus toward “going global” in coal and hydropower industries

Enhanced Expression of Integrin αvβ3 Induced by TGF-β Is Required for the Enhancing Effect of Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 (FGF1) in TGF-β-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in Mammary Epithelial Cells.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a critical role in cancer metastasis, and is regulated by growth factors such as transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and fibroblast growth factors (FGF) secreted from the stromal and tumor cells. However, the role of growth factors in EMT has not been fully established. Several integrins are upregulated by TGF-β1 during EMT. Integrins are involved in growth factor signaling through integrin-growth factor receptor crosstalk. We previously reported that FGF1 directly binds to integrin αvβ3 and the interaction was required for FGF1 functions such as cell proliferation and migration. We studied the role of αvβ3 induced by TGF-β on TGF-β-induced EMT. Here, we describe that FGF1 augmented EMT induced by TGF-β1 in MCF10A and MCF12A mammary epithelial cells. TGF-β1 markedly amplified integrin αvβ3 and FGFR1 (but not FGFR2). We studied if the enhancing effect of FGF1 on TGF-β1-induced EMT requires enhanced levels of both integrin αvβ3 expression and FGFR1. Knockdown of β3 suppressed the enhancement by FGF1 of TGF-β1-induced EMT in MCF10A cells. Antagonists to FGFR suppressed the enhancing effect of FGF1 on EMT. Integrin-binding defective FGF1 mutant did not augment TGF-β1-induced EMT in MCF10A cells. These findings suggest that enhanced integrin αvβ3 expression in addition to enhanced FGFR1 expression is critical for FGF1 to augment TGF-β1-induced EMT in mammary epithelial cells

Tapping but Not Massage Enhances Vasodilation and Improves Venous Palpation of Cutaneous Veins

This paper investigated whether tapping on the median cubital vein or massaging the forearm was more effective in obtaining better venous palpation for venipuncture. Forty healthy volunteers in their twenties were subjected to tapping (10 times in 5 sec) or massage (10 strokes in 20 sec from the wrist to the cubital fossa) under tourniquet inflation on the upper arm. Venous palpation was assessed using the venous palpation score (0-6, with 0 being impalpable). Three venous factors―venous depth, cross-sectional area, and elevation―were also measured using ultrasonography. The venous palpation score increased significantly by tapping but not by massage. Moreover, all 3 venous measurements changed significantly by tapping, while only the depth decreased significantly by massage. The three venous measurements correlated significantly with the venous palpation score, indicating that they are useful objective indicators for evaluating vasodilation. We suggest that tapping is an effective vasodilation technique

Relationship between Tourniquet Pressure and a Cross-Section Area of Superficial Vein of Forearm

This study investigated the appropriate tourniquet pressure (TP) and duration of tourniquet application for venipuncture by calculating the venous cross-section (VCS) area on ultrasonography. Twenty healthy volunteers without cardiovascular risk factors were enrolled in this study. A target vein (either a cephalic or median cubital vein) was selected on ultrasonography. The pneumatic tourniquet was inflated using a rapid cuff inflator system at setting pressure for 120sec. TP strength was varied from 20mmHg to 100mmHg, in 20mmHg increments. The order of TP was randomized. Compari-sons among more than 3 groups were performed by one-way repeated-measures ANOVA and the Bonferroni method. The VCS area increased rapidly until 10sec after tourniquet inflation. The VCS area then increased gradually until 30sec after tourniquet inflation. After that, the VCS area did not increase remarkably. The VCS area increased with TP strength up to 80mmHg, but the VCS area at TP 100mmHg decreased to less than that at TP 40mmHg. Based on these results, we recommend a tourniquet pressure of 60mmHg, and duration of tourniquet application is 30 to 60sec for venipuncture

Impact of real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography on procedural success for mitral valve repair

13301甲第4341号博士（医学）金沢大学博士論文本文Full 以下に掲載：Journal of Echocardiography 13(3) pp.100-106 2015. Springer Japan. 共著者：Mika Mori, Tsuyoshi Yoshimuta, Miho Ohira, Mariko Yagi, Kenji Sakata, Tetsuo Konno, Masa-aki Kawashiri, Shigeyuki Tomita, Go Watanabe, Kenji Iino, Hirofumi Takemura, Masakazu Yamagishi, Kenshi Hayash

Effect of prostaglandin on human platelet

Based on the previous report concerning the structure-activity relationship in which inhibiting and stimulating agents for platelet aggregation were able to bind both receptors of human platelet for aggregation and its inhibition, the present experiment was performed to study on the effect of prostaglandins (PGE1, PGI2 and PGD2) on the aggregation and its inhibition of human platelets. Assuming that PGE1 and PGD2 have conformations for inhibition of platelet aggregation and those for aggregation, changes of cyclic AMP (cAMP) content and of ultrastructure of platelets in the presence of 2', 5'-dideoxyadenosine (DDA, an inhibitor of adenyl cyclase), PGE1 and PGD2 were investigated. When treated with physiological saline, PGE1, PGD2 or DDA alone, aggregation of the platelets was not observed. The platelets were solitarily dispersed. Though most of the platelets showed smooth surface, some platelets showed slight, small elevation and conical depression on the surface. A few platelets possessed one or two short projection at the margin, but no long projection was observed. The platelets treated with PGE1 or PGD2 in combination with DDA showed markedly elongated projections which is one of the ultrastructural characteristics of activated form of platelets, and were finally aggregated. The most platelets gathered in groups were discoid in form and others showed irregular forms. They had one or sometimes several long pseudopods. It was noted that the pseudopods protruded from the marginal region of the platelets, and were contact with pseudopods of other platelets. The long pseudopods supposed to be the elongation of the spiny and short projections described above. At first, small protrusions appeared on the entire surface of the platelets. They showed a clear tendency to adhere to each other, formed small and larger aggregates, and resulted in more and more firm aggregation. This feature may represent the first stage of transformation for aggregation of platelets. The round protrusion became large in size and increase in number. The present study pointed out the importance of the concomitant presence of receptors for the aggregation and its inhibition in the platelet plasma membrane

FOLFIRI Is Tolerable after Subtotal Colectomy – A Patient with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Who Developed Advanced Rectal Cancer

A 40-year-old female with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) had a subtotal colectomy at 16 years of age. At 39 years, she had low anterior resection due to advanced rectal carcinoma. Thereafter, we administrated per os uracil and tegafur for 9 months. Metastatic rectal carcinoma was detected in the liver (S8) by computed tomography (CT). 2-[(18)F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) data did not show any other metastasis. This report presents a first case of a patient undergoing subtotal colectomy administered FOLFIRI (CPT-11 180 mg/m2 as a 90-minute infusion on day 1; leucovorin 400 mg/m2 as a 2-hour infusion during CPT-11, immediately followed by 5-FU bolus 400 mg/m2 and 46-hour continuous infusion of 2,400 mg/m2 every 2 weeks). This regimen was administered without grade 3 or 4 of any adverse reaction for 6 months, although there was a possibility that this patient with subtotal colectomy may have the cause for severe diarrhea. Further investigations are needed to assess the safety in clinical trials of FOLFIRI regimen for patients with subtotal colectomy