Implications of the currency crisis for exchange rate arrangements in emerging East Asia

The authors examine the implications of the East Asian currency crisis for exchange rate arrangements in the region's emerging market economies. They focus on the roles of the U.S. dollar, the Japanese yen, and the euro in the emerging East Asian economies'exchange rate policies. They claim that these economies are particularly susceptible to large exchange rate fluctuations because they have been pursuing financial deregulation, opening markets, and liberalizing capital accounts, and becausethey face increased risk of sudden capital flow reversals, with attendant instability in their financial system and foreign exchange market. The authors find that the dollar's role as the dominant anchor currency in East Asia was reduced during the recent currency crisis but has become prominent again since late 1998. It is too early for conclusions, but the economies seem likely to maintain more flexible exchange rate arrangements, at least officially. At the same time, these economies presumably will continue to prefer to maintain exchange rate stability without fixed rate commitments. They are better off choosing a balanced currency basket system in which the yen and the euro play a more important role than before. The ASEAN countries have a special incentive to avoid harmful fluctuations in exchange rates within the region, which could suddenly alter their international price competitiveness and make prospective free trade agreements unsuitable. So they may stabilize their exchange rates against similar currency baskets, to ensure intraregional exchange rate stability.Economic Stabilization,Economic Theory&Research,Foreign Trade Promotion and Regulation,Fiscal&Monetary Policy,Macroeconomic Management

The Environment for Microdata Access in Japan: A Comparison with the United States and Britain and Future Issues

For most of the post]war period, Japan's administration of statistics was governed by the framework provided by the Statistics Act from 1947. However, because the Act remained largely unchanged since it was originally introduced, it increasingly failed to reflect important changes in economic and social circumstances over time, resulting in various problems, including with regard to the secondary use of various kinds of microdata. To help resolve these problems, the New Statistics Act was enacted in 2007 and came fully into force in April 2009. Among other things, the New Statistics Act provides for a substantial revision of the system of secondary data use. An important element of this is a change in the basic philosophy underlying the legal framework from "statistics for the purpose of administration" to "statistics as an information resource for society." A central aim is ensuring the gusefulnessh of public statistics, and regulations concerning the use of statistics, such as provisions for secondary use, were incorporated in the Act. One important change is that the system of approval by the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications for secondary data use was abolished. Instead, secondary data use can now be directly approved by the survey implementer and procedures have been simplified, so in the new system secondary data use now is considerably easier. Moreover, the New Statistics Act now allows for the provision of anonymized data and for custom tabulations for the purpose of academic research and higher education.

A study on the flowering of Brassica Rapa L. : Mainly on the so-called "Photophase"

1.1965年春秋2回にわたり早期抽苔型代表品種として聖護院カブ及び晩抽型代表品種として札幌紫カブを用い花成と日長の段階に関連し1つの試験を行った.2.実験の結果両品種ともに短日操作区における花芽分化期は若干日数が遅れるが長日環境下のものと同様正常な花成の進行が行はれ.聖護院カブの春播においては着蕾開花の段階に迄達した.3.短日区においては栄養器官の生育が相当遅れた.4.以上の事実からBiassica Rapa L.においては短日はある程度花成の進行を遅らせるが,"Photophase"の段階は花成の要因としては必須条件でないと云うことがいえる

Characterization of TRPA channels in the starfish Patiria pectinifera: involvement of thermally activated TRPA1 in thermotaxis in marine planktonic larvae.

The vast majority of marine invertebrates spend their larval period as pelagic plankton and are exposed to various environmental cues. Here we investigated the thermotaxis behaviors of the bipinnaria larvae of the starfish, Patiria pectinifera, in association with TRPA ion channels that serve as thermal receptors in various animal species. Using a newly developed thermotaxis assay system, we observed that P. pectinifera larvae displayed positive thermotaxis toward high temperatures, including toward temperatures high enough to cause death. In parallel, we identified two TRPA genes, termed PpTRPA1 and PpTRPA basal, from this species. We examined the phylogenetic position, spatial expression, and channel properties of each PpTRPA. Our results revealed the following: (1) The two genes diverged early in animal evolution; (2) PpTRPA1 and PpTRPA basal are expressed in the ciliary band and posterior digestive tract of the larval body, respectively; and (3) PpTRPA1 is activated by heat stimulation as well as by known TRPA1 agonists. Moreover, knockdown and rescue experiments demonstrated that PpTRPA1 is involved in positive thermotaxis in P. pectinifera larvae. This is the first report to reveal that TRPA1 channels regulate the behavioral response of a marine invertebrate to temperature changes during its planktonic larval period

Two chitinase-like proteins abundantly accumulated in latex of mulberry show insecticidal activity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Plant latex is the cytoplasm of highly specialized cells known as laticifers, and is thought to have a critical role in defense against herbivorous insects. Proteins abundantly accumulated in latex might therefore be involved in the defense system.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We purified latex abundant protein a and b (LA-a and LA-b) from mulberry (<it>Morus </it>sp.) and analyzed their properties. LA-a and LA-b have molecular masses of approximately 50 and 46 kDa, respectively, and are abundant in the soluble fraction of latex. Western blotting analysis suggested that they share sequence similarity with each other. The sequences of LA-a and LA-b, as determined by Edman degradation, showed chitin-binding domains of plant chitinases at the N termini. These proteins showed small but significant chitinase and chitosanase activities. Lectin RCA120 indicated that, unlike common plant chitinases, LA-a and LA-b are glycosylated. LA-a and LA-b showed insecticidal activities when fed to larvae of the model insect <it>Drosophila melanogaster</it>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results suggest that the two LA proteins have a crucial role in defense against herbivorous insects, possibly by hydrolyzing their chitin.</p

Symbiotic Growth of a Thermophilic Sulfide-Oxidizing Photoautotroph and an Elemental Sulfur-Disproportionating Chemolithoautotroph and Cooperative Dissimilatory Oxidation of Sulfide to Sulfate

A thermophilic filamentous anoxygenic photosynthetic bacterium, Chloroflexus aggregans, is widely distributed in neutral to slightly alkaline hot springs. Sulfide has been suggested as an electron donor for autotrophic growth in microbial mats dominated with C. aggregans, but remarkable photoautotrophic growth of isolated C. aggregans has not been observed with sulfide as the sole electron source. From the idea that sulfide is oxidized to elemental sulfur by C. aggregans and the accumulation of elemental sulfur may have an inhibitory effect for the growth, the effects of an elemental sulfur-disproportionating bacterium that consumes elemental sulfur was examined on the autotrophic growth of C. aggregans, strain NA9-6, isolated from Nakabusa hot spring. A sulfur-disproportionating bacterium, Caldimicrobium thiodismutans strain TF1, also isolated from Nakabusa hot spring was co-cultured with C. aggregans. C. aggregans and C. thiodismutans were successfully co-cultured in a medium containing thiosulfate as the sole electron source and bicarbonate as the sole carbon source. Quantitative conversion of thiosulfate to sulfate and a small transient accumulation of sulfide was observed in the co-culture. Then the electron source of the established co-culture was changed from thiosulfate to sulfide, and the growth of C. aggregans and C. thiodismutans was successfully observed with sulfide as the sole electron donor for the autotrophic growth of the co-culture. During the cultivation in the light, simultaneous consumption and accumulation of sulfide and sulfate, respectively, were observed, accompanied with the increase of cellular DNAs of both species. C. thiodismutans likely works as an elemental sulfur scavenger for C. aggregans, and C. aggregans seems to work as a sulfide scavenger for C. thiodismutans. These results suggest that C. aggregans grows autotrophically with sulfide as the electron donor in the co-culture with C. thiodismutans, and the consumption of elemental sulfur by C. thiodismutans enabled the continuous growth of the C. aggregans in the symbiotic system. This study shows a novel symbiotic relationship between a sulfide-oxidizing photoautotroph and an elemental sulfur-disproportionating chemolithoautotroph via cooperative dissimilatory sulfide oxidation to sulfate

CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL STUDY OF CEREBRAL SUBCORTICAL CAVERNOUS ANGIOMA AS EPILEPTOGENIC FOCUS

The authors conducted a comparative histological study of two groups of patients with cerebral subcortical cavernous angioma. One group was composed of 5 asymptomatic cases detected accidentally. The other group was composed of 4 patients presenting as epilepsy. The results obtained may be summarized as follows ; 1) Hemosiderin deposit and gliosis were seen in all cases examined ; 2) Granulomatous change was a histological finding associated with epileptogenesis ; 3) The histological changes, starting with proliferation of collagen fibers and leading to hyaline degeneration, calcification, and then hemangioma calcificans, seem to represent a course of spontaneous healing, when viewed from epileptogenesis

Para-psychobiotic CP2305

Aims: To confirm the stress-relieving effects of heat-inactivated, entericcolonizing Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 (paraprobiotic CP2305) in medical students taking a cadaver dissection course. Methods and Results: Healthy students (21 males and 11 females) took paraprobiotic CP2305 daily for 5 weeks during a cadaver dissection course. The General Health Questionnaire and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were employed to assess stress-related somatic symptoms and sleep quality respectively. The aggravation of stress-associated somatic symptoms was observed in female students (P = 0･029). Sleep quality was improved in the paraprobiotic CP2305 group (P = 0･038), particularly in men (P = 0･004). Among men, paraprobiotic CP2305 shortened sleep latency (P = 0･035) and increased sleep duration (P = 0･048). Diarrhoea-like symptoms were also effectively controlled with CP2305 (P = 0･005) in men. Thus, we observed sex-related differences in the effects of paraprobiotic CP2305. In addition, CP2305 affected the growth of faecal Bacteroides vulgatus and Dorea longicatena, which are involved in intestinal inflammation. Conclusions: CP2305 is a potential paraprobiotic that regulates stress responses, and its beneficial effects may depend on specific cell component(s). Significance and Impact of the Study: This study characterizes the effects of a stress-relieving para-psychobiotic in humans

Daily intake of Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 improves mental, physical, and sleep quality among Japanese medical students enrolled in a cadaver dissection course

Increasing recognition of the interaction between the brain and gut microbiota has spurred interest in the efficacy of probiotics on stress-related behaviours. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 (CP2305) on mental and physical states in healthy male students enrolled in a cadaver dissection course in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover-designed trial. Daily administration of CP2305 for 4 weeks significantly improved anxiety, depressive mood and global sleep quality compared with placebo. CP2305 also suppressed salivary cortisol release. In the faecal microbiota, CP2305 suppressed the growth of Enterobacteriaceae. Differential changes in gene expression in peripheral blood leukocytes during the administration period were observed between the placebo and CP2305 groups. Eukaryotic initiation factor 2-related genes were down-regulated only in the placebo group. Thus, the ingestion of CP2305 may have beneficial effects on stress-associated behaviours

Thrombin Activates Ca2+-permeating Nonselective Cation Channels through Protein Kinase C in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

We analyzed Ca-permeating nonselective cation channels (NSCs)mediating thrombin-induced contraction of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). A Ca chelater, BAPTA-AM (10μM), significantly inhibited the thrombin-induced contraction of HUVECs.Thrombin induced inward currents at -60 mV in the presence of intracellular MgATP. Removal of extracellular Caﾌﾞｸﾞsignificantly decreased the currents. A selective phospholipase C inhibitor, U73122 (1μM) but not its inactive analogue, U73343 (1μM) almost completely inhibited the currents. Neither a selective inhibitor of Caﾌﾞｸﾞ-ATPase of endoplasmic reticulum, thapsigargin (1μM)nor a diacylglycerol analogue, 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-glycerol (30μM)activated the currents. However, a selective protein kinase C inhibitor, bisindolylmaleimide I (500 nM) significantly inhibited the currents.The thrombin-induced currents were significantly inhibited by SKF96365 (50μM)but not by La(1mM), ruthenium red (10μM) or flufenamic acid (100μM). As assessed with RT-PCR, HUVECs expressed transient receptor potential(TRP)M4,7,TRPV1,2,4,TRPC1,4 and 6 subunits of NSCs.These results indicate that thrombin activates Ca-permeating NSCs containing TRPC4 through protein kinase C in HUVECs. Thus,drugs specifically inhibiting TRPC4-containing channels might be effective to control fatal diseases such as sepsis where thrombin mediates the vicious cycle between inflammation and coagulation.Article信州医学雑誌 59(1): 13-26(2011)departmental bulletin pape