Regulatory reform and market opening in Japan

This paper examines the nature of Japanese regulation, its effect on international trade, and the reasons for the slow progress of deregulation. It argues that theinformal and discretionary power of the Japanese bureaucracy, combined with acontinued protectionist, pro-producer, and pro-insider bias to the manipulation of the regulatory system, continues to maintain high prices and discourage imports into Japanese markets. The paper also argues that Japans weak anti-trust enforcementallows cartels to play an important role in regulating Japanese markets, particularly inindustries such as steel and chemicals. While liberal initiatives have introduced some important regulatory reforms, they have not fundamentally transformed the Japanese regulatory system because neither business nor the bureaucracy genuinely wantdrastic reform or free-wheeling markets. Liberal reformist measures in Japan are animportant corrective and supplement to mercantilist policy, but are not likely tofundamentally transform Japans political-economic system -- In dieser Studie werden Konzept und Realisierung der japanischen Regulationspraxis analysiert sowie ihre Auswirkungen auf den internationalen Handel und die Ursachen für den langsamen Fortschritt bei der Deregulation. Dabeiwird die Meinung vertreten, daß als Folge der informellen Macht der japanischenBürokratie mit ihrem großen Ermessensspielraum, kombiniert mit der fortdauernden protektionistischen, Unternehmer- und Insiderfreundlichen Grundeinstellung zur Beeinflussung des regulatorischen Systems, sowohl hohe Preise als auch die Abschottung der japanischen Märkte vor Importen aufrechterhalten werden.Außerdem ist zu berücksichtigen, daß die nur schwach entwickelte japanische Anti-Trust-Politik den Kartellen die Möglichkeit gibt, eine einflußreiche Rolle bei derRegulierung der Märkte zu spielen, vor allem in der Stahl- und Chemiebranche. Auchwenn einige Liberalisierungsinitiativen durchaus erkennbare regulatorische Reformen gebracht haben, so haben sie doch nicht das japanische regulatorische System in seiner prinzipiellen Wirkungsweise verändert. Weder die Unternehmen noch die Bürokratie wollen eine wirklich durchgreifende Reform oder freie Märkte. Liberale Reformmaßnahmen in Japan sind wichtig als Korrektiv und Ergänzung der merkantilistischen Politik, aber es ist unwahrscheinlich, daß sie Japans politikökonomisches System verändern.

Antitrust policy and Japan's international steel trade

How much has competition among Japanese firms changed? Have the tougher penalties provided under the Antimonopoly Law in 1992 pushed Japanese firms to compete more? A basic assumption behind our understanding of market systems is that firms compete over price to attract customers, spurring them to lower productions costs, improve productivity, and provide greater benefits to society. Assumptions about price competition also underlie international trade agreements. Parties to such agreements presume that if governments lower their barriers to trade, that the intrinsic competitiveness of markets will mean that price-competitive foreign firms will be able to sell their goods

Antitrust policy and Japan's international steel trade

How much has competition among Japanese firms changed? Have the tougher penalties provided under the Antimonopoly Law in 1992 pushed Japanese firms to compete more? A basic assumption behind our understanding of market systems is that firms compete over price to attract customers, spurring them to lower productions costs, improve productivity, and provide greater benefits to society. Assumptions about price competition also underlie international trade agreements. Parties to such agreements presume that if governments lower their barriers to trade, that the intrinsic competitiveness of markets will mean that price-competitive foreign firms will be able to sell their goods

Regulatory reform and market opening in Japan

"In dieser Studie werden Konzept und Realisierung der japanischen Regulationspraxis analysierr sowie ihre Auswirkungen auf den internationalen Handel und die Ursachen für den langsamen Fortschritt der Deregulation. Dabei wird die Meinung vertreten, dass als Folge der informellen Macht der japanischen Bürokratie mit ihrem großen Ermessensspielraum, kombiniert mit der fortdauernden Beeinflussung des regulatorischen Systems, sowohl hohe Preise als auch die Abschottung der japanischen Märkte vor Importen aufrechterhalten werden. Außerdem ist zu berücksichtigen, dass die nur schwach entwickelte japanische Anti-Trust-Politik den Kartellen die Möglichkeit gibt, eine einflussreiche Rolle bei der Regulierung der Märkte zu spielen, vor allem in der Stahl- und Chemiebranche. Auch wenn einige Liberalisierungsinitiativen durchaus erkennbare regulatorische Reformen gebracht haben, so haben sie doch nicht das japanische regulatorische System in seiner prinzipiellen Wirkungsweise verändert. Weder die Unternehmen noch die Bürokratie wollen eine wirklich durchgreifende Reform oder freie Märkte. Liberale Reformmaßnahmen in Japan sind wichtig als Korrektiv und Ergänzung der merkantilistischen Politik, aber es ist unwahrscheinlich, dass sie Japans politikökonomisches System verändern." (Autorenreferat)"This paper examines the nature of Japanese regulation, its effect on international trade, and the reasons for the slow progress of deregulation. It argues that the informal and discretionary power of the Japanese bureaucracy, combined with a continued protectionist, pro-producer, and pro-insider bias to the manipulation of the regulatory system, continues to maintain high prices and discourage imports into Japanese markets. The paper also argues that Japan's weak anti-trust enforcement allows cartels to play an important role in regulating Japanese markets, particularly in industries such as steel and chemicals. While liberal initiatives have introduced some important regulatory reforms, they have not fundamentally transformed the Japanese regulatory system because neither business nor the bureaucracy genuinely want drastic reform or free-wheeling markets. Liberal reformist measures in Japan are an important corrective and supplement to mercantilist policy, but are not likely to fundamentally transform Japan's political-economic system." (author's abstract

Preferential infection and depletion of Mycobacterium tuberculosis–specific CD4 T cells after HIV-1 infection

HIV-1 preferentially infects M. tuberculosis-specific CD4+ T cells due to their increased production of IL-2

Altered Retinoic Acid Metabolism in Diabetic Mouse Kidney Identified by 18O Isotopic Labeling and 2D Mass Spectrometry

Numerous metabolic pathways have been implicated in diabetes-induced renal injury, yet few studies have utilized unbiased systems biology approaches for mapping the interconnectivity of diabetes-dysregulated proteins that are involved. We utilized a global, quantitative, differential proteomic approach to identify a novel retinoic acid hub in renal cortical protein networks dysregulated by type 2 diabetes.Total proteins were extracted from renal cortex of control and db/db mice at 20 weeks of age (after 12 weeks of hyperglycemia in the diabetic mice). Following trypsinization, (18)O- and (16)O-labeled control and diabetic peptides, respectively, were pooled and separated by two dimensional liquid chromatography (strong cation exchange creating 60 fractions further separated by nano-HPLC), followed by peptide identification and quantification using mass spectrometry. Proteomic analysis identified 53 proteins with fold change >or=1.5 and p<or=0.05 after Benjamini-Hochberg adjustment (out of 1,806 proteins identified), including alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and retinaldehyde dehydrogenase (RALDH1/ALDH1A1). Ingenuity Pathway Analysis identified altered retinoic acid as a key signaling hub that was altered in the diabetic renal cortical proteome. Western blotting and real-time PCR confirmed diabetes-induced upregulation of RALDH1, which was localized by immunofluorescence predominantly to the proximal tubule in the diabetic renal cortex, while PCR confirmed the downregulation of ADH identified with mass spectrometry. Despite increased renal cortical tissue levels of retinol and RALDH1 in db/db versus control mice, all-trans-retinoic acid was significantly decreased in association with a significant decrease in PPARbeta/delta mRNA.Our results indicate that retinoic acid metabolism is significantly dysregulated in diabetic kidneys, and suggest that a shift in all-trans-retinoic acid metabolism is a novel feature in type 2 diabetic renal disease. Our observations provide novel insights into potential links between altered lipid metabolism and other gene networks controlled by retinoic acid in the diabetic kidney, and demonstrate the utility of using systems biology to gain new insights into diabetic nephropathy

Transient Nature of Long-Term Nonprogression and Broad Virus-Specific Proliferative T-Cell Responses with Sustained Thymic Output in HIV-1 Controllers

HIV-1(+) individuals who, without therapy, conserve cellular anti-HIV-1 responses, present with high, stable CD4(+) T-cell numbers, and control viral replication, facilitate analysis of atypical viro-immunopathology. In the absence of universal definition, immune function in such HIV controllers remains an indication of non-progression.CD4 T-cell responses to a number of HIV-1 proteins and peptide pools were assessed by IFN-gamma ELISpot and lymphoproliferative assays in HIV controllers and chronic progressors. Thymic output was assessed by sjTRECs levels. Follow-up of 41 HIV-1(+) individuals originally identified as "Long-term non-progressors" in 1996 according to clinical criteria, and longitudinal analysis of two HIV controllers over 22 years, was also performed. HIV controllers exhibited substantial IFN-gamma producing and proliferative HIV-1-specific CD4 T-cell responses to both recombinant proteins and peptide pools of Tat, Rev, Nef, Gag and Env, demonstrating functional processing and presentation. Conversely, HIV-specific T-cell responses were limited to IFN-gamma production in chronic progressors. Additionally, thymic output was approximately 19 fold higher in HIV controllers than in age-matched chronic progressors. Follow-up of 41 HIV-1(+) patients identified as LTNP in 1996 revealed the transitory characteristics of this status. IFN-gamma production and proliferative T-cell function also declines in 2 HIV controllers over 22 years.Although increased thymic output and anti-HIV-1 T-cell responses are observed in HIV controllers compared to chronic progressors, the nature of nonprogressor/controller status appears to be transitory

Regulatory reform and market opening in Japan

This paper examines the nature of Japanese regulation, its effect on international trade, and the reasons for the slow progress of deregulation. It argues that theinformal and discretionary power of the Japanese bureaucracy, combined with acontinued protectionist, pro-producer, and pro-insider bias to the manipulation of the regulatory system, continues to maintain high prices and discourage imports into Japanese markets. The paper also argues that Japan's weak anti-trust enforcementallows cartels to play an important role in regulating Japanese markets, particularly inindustries such as steel and chemicals. While liberal initiatives have introduced some important regulatory reforms, they have not fundamentally transformed the Japanese regulatory system because neither business nor the bureaucracy genuinely wantdrastic reform or free-wheeling markets. Liberal reformist measures in Japan are animportant corrective and supplement to mercantilist policy, but are not likely tofundamentally transform Japan's political-economic systemIn dieser Studie werden Konzept und Realisierung der japanischen Regulationspraxis analysiert sowie ihre Auswirkungen auf den internationalen Handel und die Ursachen für den langsamen Fortschritt bei der Deregulation. Dabeiwird die Meinung vertreten, daß als Folge der informellen Macht der japanischenBürokratie mit ihrem großen Ermessensspielraum, kombiniert mit der fortdauernden protektionistischen, Unternehmer- und Insiderfreundlichen Grundeinstellung zur Beeinflussung des regulatorischen Systems, sowohl hohe Preise als auch die Abschottung der japanischen Märkte vor Importen aufrechterhalten werden.Außerdem ist zu berücksichtigen, daß die nur schwach entwickelte japanische Anti-Trust-Politik den Kartellen die Möglichkeit gibt, eine einflußreiche Rolle bei derRegulierung der Märkte zu spielen, vor allem in der Stahl- und Chemiebranche. Auchwenn einige Liberalisierungsinitiativen durchaus erkennbare regulatorische Reformen gebracht haben, so haben sie doch nicht das japanische regulatorische System in seiner prinzipiellen Wirkungsweise verändert. Weder die Unternehmen noch die Bürokratie wollen eine wirklich durchgreifende Reform oder freie Märkte. Liberale Reformmaßnahmen in Japan sind wichtig als Korrektiv und Ergänzung der merkantilistischen Politik, aber es ist unwahrscheinlich, daß sie Japans politikökonomisches System verändern