Chapter 5 Changes in trade and economic structure during the past 25 years: have green growth, low carbon strategies made a signifi cant impact in Northeast Asia?

Edited by Fumikazu Yoshida and Akihisa MoriThis chapter made an empirical analysis on the change in the trade structures of environmental and pollution-intensive industries in Northeast Asia during the last 25 years. Both industries in South Korea and China have shifted to more export-oriented, in part due to China’s accession to the WTO. Green growth strategy has significantly increased export of goods related to renewable energy in South Korea while has ambiguous trade impacts in China. While Japan has been net exporter in both industries, its export surplus in environmental industry decreased gradually, implying Japan receives side effects of green growth strategy in South Korea and China

Observation of the FeO2 and FeIVO stretching Raman bands for dioxygen reduction intermediates of cytochrome bo isolated from Escherichia coli

AbstractReaction intermediates in dioxygen reduction by the E. coli cytochrome bo-type ubiquinol oxidase were studied by time-resolved resonance Raman spectroscopy using the artificial cardiovascular system. At 0–20 μs following photolysis of the enzyme—CO adduct in the presence of O2, we observed the FeO2 stretching Raman band at 568 cm−1 which shifted to 535 cm−1 with the 18O2 derivative. These frequencies are remarkably close to those of other oxyhemoproteins including dioxygen-bound hemoglobin and aa3-type cytochrome c oxidase. In the later time range (20–40 μs), other oxygen-isotope-sensitive Raman bands were observed at 788 and 361 cm−1. Since the 781 cm−1 band exhibited a downshift by 37 cm−1 upon 18O2 substitution, we assigned it to the FeIVO stretching mode. This band is considered to arise from the ferryl intermediate, but its appearance was much earlier than the corresponding intermediate of bovine cytochrome c oxidase (> 100 μs). The 361 cm−1 band showed the 16O/18O isotopic frequency shift of 14 cm−1 similar to the case of bovine cytochrome c oxidase reaction

Pretransplant serum hepatitis C virus RNA levels predict response to antiviral treatment after living donor liver transplantation.

[Background]Given the limited efficacy and high adverse event rate associated with treatment of recurrent hepatitis C after liver transplantation, an individualized treatment strategy should be considered. The aim of this study was to identify predictors of response to antiviral therapy for hepatitis C after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and to study the associated adverse events. [Methods]A retrospective chart review was performed on 125 hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive LDLT recipients who received interferon plus ribavirin and/or peginterferon plus ribavirin therapy at Kyoto University between January 2001 and June 2011. [Results]Serum HCV RNA reached undetectable levels within 48 weeks in 77 (62%) of 125 patients, and these patients were defined as showing virological response (VR). Of 117 patients, 50 (43%) achieved sustained VR (SVR). Predictive factors associated with both VR and SVR by univariate analysis included low pretransplant serum HCV RNA levels, a non-1 HCV genotype, and low pretreatment serum HCV RNA levels. In addition, LDLT from ABO-mismatched donors was significantly associated with VR, and white cell and neutrophil counts before interferon therapy were associated with SVR. Multivariate analysis showed that 2 variables–pretransplant serum HCV RNA level less than 500 kIU/mL and a non-1 HCV genotype–remained in models of both VR and SVR and that an ABO mismatch was associated with VR. No variables with a significant effect on treatment withdrawal were found. [Conclusions]Virological response to antiviral therapy in patients with hepatitis C recurring after LDLT can be predicted prior to transplant, based on pretransplant serum HCV-RNA levels and HCV genotype. LDLT from ABO-mismatched donors may contribute to more efficacious interferon therapy

The Shiga toxin 2 production level in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 is correlated with the subtypes of toxin-encoding phage

Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) causes diarrhea and hemorrhagic colitis with life-threatening complications, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome. Their major virulence factor is Shiga toxin (Stx), which is encoded by bacteriophages. Of the two types of Stx, the production of Stx2, particularly that of Stx2a (a subtype of Stx2), is a major risk factor for severe EHEC infections, but the Stx2 production level is highly variable between strains. Here, we define four major and two minor subtypes of Stx2a-encoding phages according to their replication proteins. The subtypes are correlated with Stx2a titers produced by the host O157 strains, suggesting a critical role of the phage subtype in determining the Stx2a production level. We further show that one of the two subclades in the clade 8, a proposed hyper-virulent lineage of O157, carries the Stx2 phage subtype that confers the highest Stx2 production to the host strain. The presence of this subclade may explain the proposed high virulence potential of clade 8. These results provide novel insights into the variation in virulence among O157 strains and highlight the role of phage variation in determining the production level of the virulence factors that phages encode

Nocapyrones: α- and γ-Pyrones from a Marine-Derived Nocardiopsis sp.

One new α-pyrone (nocapyrone R (1)), and three known γ-pyrones (nocapyrones B, H and L (2–4)) were isolated from the culture extract of a Nocardiopsis strain collected from marine sediment. Structures of these compounds were determined on the basis of spectroscopic data including NMR and MS. γ-Pyrones 2–4 were found to induce adiponectin production in murine ST-13 preadipocyte cells but the α-pyrone 1 had no activity. The absolute configuration of the anteiso-methyl branching in 4 was determined by HPLC comparison of a degraded product of 4 with standard samples as a 2:3 enantiomeric mixture of (R)- and (S)-isomers

The clinical significance of 5% change in vital capacity in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: extended analysis of the pirfenidone trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Our phase III clinical trial of pirfenidone for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) revealed the efficacy in reducing the decline of vital capacity (VC) and increasing the progression-free survival (PFS) time by pirfenidone. Recently, marginal decline in forced VC (FVC) has been reported to be associated with poor outcome in IPF. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of pirfenidone from the aspects of 5% change in VC.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Improvement ratings based on 5% change in absolute VC, i.e., "improved (VC ≥ 5% increase)", "stable (VC < 5% change)", and "worsened (VC ≥ 5% decrease)" at month 3, 6, 9 and 12 were compared between high-dose pirfenidone (1800 mg/day; n = 108) and placebo (n = 104) groups, and (high-dose and low-dose (1200 mg/day; n = 55)) pirfenidone (n = 163) and placebo groups. PFS times with defining the disease progression as death or a ≥ 5% decline in VC were also compared between high-dose pirfenidone and placebo groups, and low-dose pirfenidone and placebo groups. Furthermore, considering "worsened" and "non-worsened (improved and stable)" of the ratings at months 3 and 12 as "positive" and "negative", respectively, and the positive and negative predictive values of the ratings were calculated in each group.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the comparison of the improvement ratings, the statistically significant differences were clearly revealed at months 3, 6, 9, and 12 between pirfenidone and placebo groups. Risk reductions by pirfenidone to placebo were approximately 35% over the study period. In the comparison of the PFS times, statistically significant difference was also observed between pirfenidone and placebo groups. The positive/negative predictive values in placebo and pirfenidone groups were 86.1%/50.8% and 87.1%/71.7%, respectively. Further, the baseline characteristics of patients worsened at month 3 had generally severe impairment, and their clinical outcomes including mortality were also significantly worsened after 1 year.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The efficacy of pirfenidone in Japanese phase III trial was supported by the rating of 5% decline in VC, and the VC changes at month 3 may be used as a prognostic factor of IPF.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>This clinical trial was registered with the Japan Pharmaceutical Information Center (JAPIC) on September 13^th, 2005 (Registration Number: JAPICCTI-050121).</p

Omentin Prevents Myocardial Ischemic Injury Through AMP-Activated Protein Kinase- and Akt-Dependent Mechanisms

ObjectivesThis study examined the impact of omentin on myocardial injury in a mouse model of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) and explored its underlying mechanisms.BackgroundObesity is a major risk factor for ischemic heart disease. Omentin is a circulating adipokine that is down-regulated by obesity.MethodsIn patients who underwent successful reperfusion treatment after acute myocardial infarction, cardiac function and perfusion defect were assessed by using scintigraphic images. Mice were subjected to myocardial ischemia followed by reperfusion.ResultsThis study found that high levels of plasma omentin were associated with improvement of heart damage and function after reperfusion therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Systemic administration of human omentin to mice led to a reduction in myocardial infarct size and apoptosis after I/R, which was accompanied by enhanced phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and Akt in the ischemic heart. Fat-specific overexpression of human omentin also resulted in reduction of infarct size after I/R. Blockade of AMPK or Akt activity reversed omentin-induced inhibition of myocardial ischemic damage and apoptosis in mice. In cultured cardiomyocytes, omentin suppressed hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced apoptosis, which was blocked by inactivation of AMPK or Akt.ConclusionsOur data indicate that omentin functions as an adipokine that ameliorates acute ischemic injury in the heart by suppressing myocyte apoptosis through both AMPK- and Akt-dependent mechanisms

Lens-less fiber coupling of a 1550-nm mode-locked fiber laser light on a low-temperature-grown GaAs photoconductive antenna

A fiber-coupled photoconductive antenna (PCA) is a powerful tool for portable terahertz (THz) systems using a compact 1550-nm mode-locked Er:fiber laser with a fiber output port. However, a low-temperature-grown GaAs (LTG-GaAs) PCA could not be used for this purpose due to the need for wavelength conversion of the 1550-nm light, regardless of the good characteristics for PCA. In this article, we achieved the fiber coupling of the 1550-nm mode-locked fiber laser light on a bowtie-shaped LTG-GaAs PCA detector without the need for wavelength conversion. While the two-step photo-absorption mediated by midgap states in the LTG-GaAs PCA makes it possible to use the 1550-nm light, the similarity of the size between the PCA gap spacing and the fiber core diameter enables the direct contact coupling between the fiber output tip and the PCA gap without any optical components. The developed lens-less fiber-coupled LTG-GaAs PCA detector was effectively applied for the absolute frequency measurement of continuous-wave THz radiation based on the photo-carrier THz frequency comb. The combination of the lens-less fiber-coupled LTG-GaAs PCA with the compact 1550-nm fiber laser will be useful for the portable apparatus for the absolute frequency measurement of practical CW-THz sources and other applications