Electoral pressures for change: the effect of political reform

A cartoon in the Asahi Shinbun dated 11 August 1993 shows the leaders of the seven political parties participating in the Hosokawa coalition government formed two days before. They are wielding samurai swords and standing triumphant on the inert body of a dinosaur labeled ‘single party control’. One of the leaders is holding a banner that reads: ‘Next is political reform’, and the caption to the cartoon expresses the following sentiment: ‘By launching [the new Cabinet], “One Great Task” has been completed’ ( Asahi Shinbun, 11 August 1993). At the time it was easy to regard the formation of the first non-Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Cabinet for nearly 38 years as a heroic event. A party mired in corruption, preferring backstage deals to open government and massively influenced by irresponsible bureaucrats and self-serving interest groups had been vanquished by a coalition of far-sighted reformers. These reformers were proposing a coherent programme to democratise and modernise the political, economic and social systems and practices of Japan. As happens following most revolutions, however, what ensued was far more messy and confusing, the politics more murky and the achievements more ambiguous than the initial mood of euphoria would have predicted. Indeed, within a mere nine months of losing office, the LDP dinosaur had revived, and though much less powerful than before, was taking its first steps on the road to regaining its dominant political position. The Hosokawa Cabinet adumbrated a reform agenda whose principal elements were deregulation, decentralisation, economic reforms and a radical change to the electoral system for the House of Representatives. In the event, partly because the tenure of office of his government was so brief, Hosokawa’s only solid achievement in the area of political reform was a wholesale rewriting of the electoral law for the Lower House. Although, however, this was arguably the one really major political change that took place in the 1990s, to gauge its effects is far more problematic. Indeed, it is a central argument of this paper that the effects of changing the Lower House electoral system have been quite limited, and that the causes of the most crucial political changes of the 1990s must be sought largely elsewhere. (It is possible, of Pacific Economic Papers course, that the new electoral system may produce more substantial effects in the future, but in any case we cannot assume that the new system will not be further revised in the next few years.

The neutralist policy of the Japan Socialist Party

The Japanese socialist movement since Uorld Var II has been largely dominated by leaders schooled in the embryo socialist organisations of the 1920's, and the effect on their thinking of prewar experiences has been very strong. Some - mainly the left wing of the movement - resolutely opposed the militarist trend of Japanese government in the 1930's. Others, who preferred to compromise with militarism, were discredited after the war, thus leaving the way open for the ascendency of the left wing. It was a left wing faction which took the initiative in introducing neutralism to the Japan Socialist Party (JSP) in the early 1950's. This faction was distinct from the other factions by its consistent opposition to Japanese militarism, but shared with them a 'nationalist' sense of the international significance of Japan. This was indeed inherent in its own form of Marxist ideology which placed Japan in the category of an advanced capitalist nation. Despite the wave of pacifism following the defeat and implementation of the 'Pacifist Clause' of the Constitution, the JSP did not put forward a policy of neutrality in foreign affairs until the end of 1949. The introduction of such a policy was a reaction to the advent of the Cold War and was also probably connected with a shift to the left in the leadership of the Party. When the Korean War broke out in 1950, the JSP expressed cautious support for the United Nations action, but this issue and the concurrent question of rearmament caused a widening gulf between left and right wings of the Party, which split into two separate parties in October 1951. The Left Socialist Party (LSP) advocated 'third force' neutralism, which took on an increasingly anti-American and pro-Asian colouring after Japan regained independence in 1952. The Party was, however, able to resist the temptations of a pro-Communist 'peace forces' argument which gained temporary dominance in the trade unions in 1953» It was able to do so because of the appeal of its own non- Communist brand of Marxism, because of the discrediting of the Japan Communist Party (JCP), and because of relative factional harmony between its leaders. The Right Socialist Party (RSP), rejected the 'third force' neutralism of the LSP, chiefly owing to its own strong fear of communism, but it developed an analogous theory on the basis of worldwide 'democratic-socialism’. The RSP was less successful than was the LSP in maintaining its cohesion and unity, both because of the somewhat equivocal nature of its foreign policy and because of longstanding factional and ideological differences between its left and right wings, which were brought into the open with the relaxation of international tension following the death of Stalin. Negotiations for unification of the two socialist parties took place in 1954 and 1955. Despite favourable conditions in both the international and domestic scenes for unification, the negotiations proved very difficult, especially in their foreign policy aspects. The idea of a four-power treaty of guarantee for the security of a neutral Japan was introduced, largely as a device to facilitate agreement between the two sides. Success was achieved by the initiative of the moderate factions of each party but only because circumstances at the time happened to permit the conciliation of the extreme factions on each side. Although the term 'neutralism' was not used in the unified platform, the Right conceded to the Left the substance of its foreign policy. In 1959, however, the term was reintroduced, and the content of JSP foreign policy became more anti-American. This was in part associated with an increased sensitivity to the dangers of nuclear war, in part to domestic and foreign developments, and in part to a drift of Party leadership to the left since 1955. This caused the extreme right wing of the Party, together with some right wing moderates, to break away and found a new party in 1959. After the failure of the campaign to prevent revision of the Japan - United States Security Treaty in 1960, a more moderate neutralism was introduced, but the Party, experiencing radical changes in the character of its leadership, failed to maintain this moderation with consistency over the next three years. Neutralism has often been distinguished from neutrality by its 'positive1 nature. What really distinguishes it, however, is the existence of the Cold War and the poessession of nuclear weapons by a very few super-powers with which small nations cannot hope to compete. Increasing international pluralism and the spread of nuclear weapons could make it possible for Japan to develop an independent 'neutralist' foreign policy backed up by her own nuclear strike force. It could be argued that the nationalism which is an integral part of Japanese left wing neutralism might tempt some neutralists to advocate such a course. Their pacifism and distrust of the concept of nuclear deterrence, however, made this development unlikely.v.1. Text -- v.2. End notes, appendices and bibliograph

CD70 (TNFSF7) is expressed at high prevalence in renal cell carcinomas and is rapidly internalised on antibody binding

In order to identify potential markers of renal cancer, the plasma membrane protein content of renal cell carcinoma (RCC)-derived cell lines was annotated using a proteomics process. One unusual protein identified at high levels in A498 and 786-O cells was CD70 (TNFSF7), a type II transmembrane receptor normally expressed on a subset of B, T and NK cells, where it plays a costimulatory role in immune cell activation. Immunohistochemical analysis of CD70 expression in multiple carcinoma types demonstrated strong CD70 staining in RCC tissues. Metastatic tissues from eight of 11 patients with clear cell RCC were positive for CD70 expression. Immunocytochemical analysis demonstrated that binding of an anti-CD70 antibody to CD70 endogenously expressed on the surface of A498 and 786-O cell lines resulted in the rapid internalisation of the antibody–receptor complex. Coincubation of the internalising anti-CD70 antibody with a saporin-conjugated secondary antibody before addition to A498 cells resulted in 50% cell killing. These data indicate that CD70 represents a potential target antigen for toxin-conjugated therapeutic antibody treatment of RCC

Persistent alveolar soft-part sarcoma with liver metastasis: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Alveolar soft-part sarcomas are rare, slow-growing tumors that metastasize commonly via vascular routes to the lungs, bones, lymph nodes and brain, causing morbidity and mortality. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case describing metastasis to the liver reported from Nigeria.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 57-year-old man of the Urhobo ethnic group of Nigeria presented with a persistent mass in his left calf. It was initially diagnosed as soft-tissue sarcoma, and its associated systemic effects lead to his death before a histological diagnosis could be obtained.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Alveolar soft-part sarcoma with metastasis to the liver can occur in our region (northeast Africa), and a high index of suspicion is required to make an early diagnosis, followed by prompt surgical excision with clear margins in order to prevent mortality.</p

Gene expression profiling of alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS) is an extremely rare, highly vascular soft tissue sarcoma affecting predominantly adolescents and young adults. In an attempt to gain insight into the pathobiology of this enigmatic tumor, we performed the first genome-wide gene expression profiling study.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>For seven patients with confirmed primary or metastatic ASPS, RNA samples were isolated immediately following surgery, reverse transcribed to cDNA and each sample hybridized to duplicate high-density human U133 plus 2.0 microarrays. Array data was then analyzed relative to arrays hybridized to universal RNA to generate an unbiased transcriptome. Subsequent gene ontology analysis was used to identify transcripts with therapeutic or diagnostic potential. A subset of the most interesting genes was then validated using quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Analysis of patient array data versus universal RNA identified elevated expression of transcripts related to angiogenesis (ANGPTL2, HIF-1 alpha, MDK, c-MET, VEGF, TIMP-2), cell proliferation (PRL, IGFBP1, NTSR2, PCSK1), metastasis (ADAM9, ECM1, POSTN) and steroid biosynthesis (CYP17A1 and STS). A number of muscle-restricted transcripts (ITGB1BP3/MIBP, MYF5, MYF6 and TRIM63) were also identified, strengthening the case for a muscle cell progenitor as the origin of disease. Transcript differentials were validated using real-time PCR and subsequent immunohistochemical analysis confirmed protein expression for several of the most interesting changes (MDK, c-MET, VEGF, POSTN, CYP17A1, ITGB1BP3/MIBP and TRIM63).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Results from this first comprehensive study of ASPS gene expression identifies several targets involved in angiogenesis, metastasis and myogenic differentiation. These efforts represent the first step towards defining the cellular origin, pathogenesis and effective treatment strategies for this atypical malignancy.</p

Na+/K+-ATPase α1 Identified as an Abundant Protein in the Blood-Labyrinth Barrier That Plays an Essential Role in the Barrier Integrity

BACKGROUND:The endothelial-blood/tissue barrier is critical for maintaining tissue homeostasis. The ear harbors a unique endothelial-blood/tissue barrier which we term "blood-labyrinth-barrier". This barrier is critical for maintaining inner ear homeostasis. Disruption of the blood-labyrinth-barrier is closely associated with a number of hearing disorders. Many proteins of the blood-brain-barrier and blood-retinal-barrier have been identified, leading to significant advances in understanding their tissue specific functions. In contrast, capillaries in the ear are small in volume and anatomically complex. This presents a challenge for protein analysis studies, which has resulted in limited knowledge of the molecular and functional components of the blood-labyrinth-barrier. In this study, we developed a novel method for isolation of the stria vascularis capillary from CBA/CaJ mouse cochlea and provided the first database of protein components in the blood-labyrinth barrier as well as evidence that the interaction of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase α1 (ATP1A1) with protein kinase C eta (PKCη) and occludin is one of the mechanisms of loud sound-induced vascular permeability increase. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Using a mass-spectrometry, shotgun-proteomics approach combined with a novel "sandwich-dissociation" method, more than 600 proteins from isolated stria vascularis capillaries were identified from adult CBA/CaJ mouse cochlea. The ion transporter ATP1A1 was the most abundant protein in the blood-labyrinth barrier. Pharmacological inhibition of ATP1A1 activity resulted in hyperphosphorylation of tight junction proteins such as occludin which increased the blood-labyrinth-barrier permeability. PKCη directly interacted with ATP1A1 and was an essential mediator of ATP1A1-initiated occludin phosphorylation. Moreover, this identified signaling pathway was involved in the breakdown of the blood-labyrinth-barrier resulting from loud sound trauma. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:The results presented here provide a novel method for capillary isolation from the inner ear and the first database on protein components in the blood-labyrinth-barrier. Additionally, we found that ATP1A1 interaction with PKCη and occludin was involved in the integrity of the blood-labyrinth-barrier