Trade effects of ASEAN-plus-China and -Japan free trade agreements by production stage and industry

This article examines the trade creation and diversion effects of ASEAN-Plus-China (ACFTA) and -Japan (AJFTA) free trade agreements with focuses on production stage and machinery industry by estimating the gravity trade model for the recent two decades between 1993 and 2015. The purpose for focusing on the trade flows by production stages (final goods and intermediate goods) and by industries (machinery and non-machinery) is to uncover the effects of ACFTA and AJFTA on the expanding international production networks in East Asia. The main findings are summarized as follows. First, regarding industry total, the trade creation effects of ACFTA and AJFTA are identified not in intermediate goods but in final goods. It might come from the larger tariff gaps between the Most Favored Nation (MFN) rates and the preferential rate for ASEAN in final goods than in intermediate goods, reflecting the structure of “tariff escalation”. Comparing the effects of ACFTA and AJFTA, the larger trade creation effects are found in ACFTA than in AJFTA, probably due to the larger tariff gaps with the higher MFN rates in China. As for machinery industry, the trade creation effects are verified on ACFTA probably due to the large tariff gaps with the still-existing high MFN in China, while no trade creation effects are found because of no tariff gaps with almost zero MFN rates in Japan

Trade effects of ASEAN-plus-China and -Japan free trade agreements by production stage and industry

This article examines the trade creation and diversion effects of ASEAN-Plus-China (ACFTA) and -Japan (AJFTA) free trade agreements with focuses on production stage and machinery industry by estimating the gravity trade model for the recent two decades between 1993 and 2015. The purpose for focusing on the trade flows by production stages (final goods and intermediate goods) and by industries (machinery and non-machinery) is to uncover the effects of ACFTA and AJFTA on the expanding international production networks in East Asia. The main findings are summarized as follows. First, regarding industry total, the trade creation effects of ACFTA and AJFTA are identified not in intermediate goods but in final goods. It might come from the larger tariff gaps between the Most Favored Nation (MFN) rates and the preferential rate for ASEAN in final goods than in intermediate goods, reflecting the structure of “tariff escalation”. Comparing the effects of ACFTA and AJFTA, the larger trade creation effects are found in ACFTA than in AJFTA, probably due to the larger tariff gaps with the higher MFN rates in China. As for machinery industry, the trade creation effects are verified on ACFTA probably due to the large tariff gaps with the still-existing high MFN in China, while no trade creation effects are found because of no tariff gaps with almost zero MFN rates in Japan

Search for Tetraneutron by Pion Double Charge Exchange Reaction at J-PARC

Tetraneutron ($^4n$) has come back in the limelight, because of recent observation of a candidate resonant state at RIBF. We propose to investigate the pion double charge exchange (DCX) reaction, i.e. $^4\mathrm{He}({\pi}^- , {\pi}^+)$, as an alternative way to populate tetraneutron. An intense ${\pi}^-$ beam with the kinetic energy of ~850 MeV, much higher than that in past experiments at LAMPF and TRIUMF, will open up a possibility to improve the experimental sensitivity of the formation cross section, which will be much smaller than hitherto known DCX cross sections such as $^9\mathrm{Be}({\pi}^-, {\pi}^+)^9\mathrm{He}\ (g.s.)$.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure; proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Meson-Nucleon Physics and the Structure of the Nucleon (MENU2016), Kyoto, Japan, 25-30 July 201

The Notes on Mammal Carcasses Collected in Pangandaran Nature Reserve, West Java, Indonesia

A field survey was conducted in Pangandaran Nature Reserve (PNR), West Java, Indonesia between 2011 and 2015, during which fresh carcasses of wild mammals were collected. Body sizes of these carcasses were performed. This paper reports relevant data for future applications

Autonomic function measurements for evaluating fatigue and quality of life in patients with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy: a prospective longitudinal study

Background: Fatigue during radiation therapy in women with breast cancer can decrease quality of life (QOL), yet it is often underestimated and needs to be evaluated objectively. This longitudinal study aimed to evaluate fatigue and QOL of women with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy with a simple autonomic function measurement. Methods: Women with breast cancer who underwent postoperative radiotherapy in eight cancer care hospitals in Chubu and Kinki regions in Japan were recruited between October 2021 and June 2022. The women underwent a self-administered questionnaire that included the Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS) and the Short Form-8 Health Survey (SF-8) and an autonomic nervous function measurement using a simple, non-invasive device before (T0, baseline), mid (T1), and at the end (T2) of treatment. Results: The 57 women showed similar trends, with CFS scores and log LF/HF ratio being the highest at T0 and significantly decreasing at T1 (both p < 0.05). The log LF/HF trends differed between those with high and low baseline log LF/HF values. Women with mental component summary (MCS) score improvement (T0 to T2) had the highest log LF/HF ratio at T0 and had significantly lower log LF/HF values at T1 and T2 than at T0 (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). The change of (⊿) MCS from T0 to T1 was negatively correlated with ⊿log LF/HF from T0 to T1 (r = − 0.36, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Measurement of autonomic nerve function with a simple device is useful for objective fatigue assessment during radiotherapy. Psychological support is important as improvement in mental health helps improve autonomic nerve function and, in turn, fatigue.Aoki M., Kuratsune H., Yamamoto S., et al. Autonomic function measurements for evaluating fatigue and quality of life in patients with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy: a prospective longitudinal study. Radiation Oncology 18, 171 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1186/S13014-023-02362-W

Effect of SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine on thyroid autoimmunity: A twelve-month follow-up study

ObjectivesGraves’ disease (GD) has been highlighted as a possible adverse effect of the respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine. However, it is unknown if the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine disrupts thyroid autoimmunity. We aimed to present long-term follow-up of thyroid autoimmunity after the SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine.MethodsSerum samples collected from seventy Japanese healthcare workers at baseline, 32 weeks after the second dose (pre-third dose), and 4 weeks after the third dose of the vaccine were analyzed. The time courses of anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody, thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody (TRAb), and thyroid function were evaluated. Anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) were additionally evaluated in thirty-three participants.ResultsThe median age was 50 (IQR, 38-54) years and 69% were female. The median anti-spike IgG antibody titer was 17627 (IQR, 10898-24175) U/mL 4 weeks after the third dose. The mean TRAb was significantly increased from 0.81 (SD, 0.05) IU/L at baseline to 0.97 (SD, 0.30) IU/L 4 weeks after the third dose without functional changes. An increase in TRAb was positively associated with female sex (β = 0.32, P = 0.008) and low basal FT4 (β = -0.29, P = 0.02) and FT3 (β = -0.33, P = 0.004). TgAb was increased by the third dose. Increase in TgAb was associated with history of the thyroid diseases (β = 0.55, P &lt;0.001).ConclusionsSARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine can disrupt thyroid autoimmunity. Clinicians should consider the possibility that the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine may disrupt thyroid autoimmunity

Receptor Sorting within Endosomal Trafficking Pathway Is Facilitated by Dynamic Actin Filaments

Early endosomes (EEs) are known to be a sorting station for internalized molecules destined for degradation, recycling, or other intracellular organelles. Segregation is an essential step in such sorting, but the molecular mechanism of this process remains to be elucidated. Here, we show that actin is required for efficient recycling and endosomal maturation by producing a motile force. Perturbation of actin dynamics by drugs induced a few enlarged EEs containing several degradative vacuoles and also interfered with their transporting ability. Actin repolymerization induced by washout of the drug caused the vacuoles to dissociate and individually translocate toward the perinuclear region. We further elucidated that cortactin, an actin-nucleating factor, was required for transporting contents from within EEs. Actin filaments regulated by cortactin may provide a motile force for efficient sorting within early endosomes. These data suggest that actin filaments coordinate with microtubules to mediate segregation in EEs

Enzymatic Properties of Candida (I)

Part I O(2) Uptake of the Fresh Cells Using Candida albicans, C. krusei, C. parakrusei and C. tropicalis, the author studied the O(2) uptakes of the organisms at the expense of various carbon compounds or amino acids as substrate and the environmental factors to this. The following results were obtained. 1) The endogenous respiration of each strain was fairly high, and this respiration tended to decrease by the shaking of cell suspension without addition of substrates. Since prolonged shaking of the cell suspension may cause the inactivation of enzyme activity, the most advantage were given on the cell suspension that was previously shaken for 1-2 hrs. in order to study the enzymatic properties of the organisms. 2) Generally, the O(2) uptakes of Candida were high at the expense of glucose, acetate and citrte. Besides this, the O(2) uptake of C. albicans was also high at the expense of lactate and pyruvate. 3) As a whole, it could say that the greater enzyme activity was found on the cells of shorter cultivation compared with that of longer cultivation. And the organism cultured by shaking method showed more accelerated O(2) uptake at the oxidation of lactate, pyruvate and acetate than the cultured in still-standing method, this fact possibly implied that the metabolism of the former organism was carried out very satisfactory. Part II Properties of Freezing-dried Cell Preparation andFraction of Ground Fresh Cell As in the previous report, part I, using 4 strains of Candida, C. albicans, C. krusei, C. krusei, C. parakrusei and C. tropicalis, the author prepared the freezing-dried cell preparation and the fractions of ground fresh cells, studied O(2) uptake, catalase activity and action of inhibitors to these. The results obtained were following. 1) The freezing-dried cells showed an catalase activity in a same extent as the living cells, and a large amount of O(2) uptake with glucose, lactate, citrate and succinate; while a marked decrease of O(2) uptakes were found with pyruvate and acetate. 2) The supernatant fraction obtained from ground fresh cell at 40,000 rpm showed greater catalase activity, and greater oxidative capacity for pyruvate, acetate and citrate, and also accelerated endogenous respiration. On the other hand, the sediment separated by centrifugation at 40,000 rpm had no catalase activity; but revealed specifically much greater oxidative capacity for lactate and succinate. 3) It was confirmed that the action of inhibiter was more effective on the freezing-dried cells and the cell free extract than on the intact living cells; by an addition of KCN the O(2) upteak was not affected on the living cells, but was serionsly inhibited on the freezing-dried cells and the cell free extract

High maltose sensitivity of sweet taste receptors in the Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata).

ニホンザルの甘味受容体がすごい : ヒトが感じられない麦芽糖の甘みにも敏感. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2016-12-26.Taste sensitivity differs among animal species depending on feeding habitat. To humans, sucrose is one of the sweetest natural sugars, and this trait is expected to be similar in other primates. However, previous behavioral tests have shown that some primate species have equal preferences for maltose and sucrose. Because sweet tastes are recognized when compounds bind to the sweet taste receptor Tas1R2/Tas1R3, we evaluated the responses of human and Japanese macaque Tas1R2/Tas1R3 to various natural sugars using a heterologous expression system. Human Tas1R2/Tas1R3 showed high sensitivity to sucrose, as expected; however, Japanese macaque Tas1R2/Tas1R3 showed equally high sensitivity to maltose and sucrose. Furthermore, Japanese macaques showed equally high sensitivity to sucrose and maltose in a two-bottle behavioral experiment. These results indicate that Japanese macaques have high sensitivity to maltose, and this sensitivity is directly related to Tas1R2/Tas1R3 function. This is the first molecular biological evidence that for some primate species, sucrose is not the most preferable natural sugar, as it is for humans