The advocacy coalition framework in Japan: Contributions to policy process studies and the challenges involved

The advocacy coalition framework (ACF), a unified framework for understanding the policy process, has been applied in various countries and regions; however, there are few contributions from Japan, despite seemingly favorable conditions for applying it. An exploration of what hinders ACF applications in Japan is worthwhile for developing the ACF as a framework for comparative policy process studies across various social and political settings. Therefore, this study aims to systematically review previous Japanese ACF studies. Our review found that Japanese ACF studies are fewer in number, have less coverage of policy fields, and have less methodological diversity and transparency than international trends. While most of the Japanese ACF studies supported the basic hypotheses of the ACF, we found a need to refine some hypotheses and research methods of the ACF studies. We also discuss the background factors in the inactivity of ACF studies in Japan and suggest solutions for it.     

丹皮酚通过miR-21介导的p38 MAPK信号通路下调氧化低密度脂蛋白诱导的大鼠血管内皮细胞肿瘤坏死因子-α释放

目的 观察微RNA-21（microRNA-21,miR-21）对p38丝裂原活化的蛋白激酶（p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, p38-MAPK）信号通路的调控作用,探究丹皮酚（paeonol, Pae）抑制血管内皮细胞（vascular endothelial cell, VEC）损伤的机制。方法 组织块预消化贴壁法培养大鼠VEC;氧化低密度脂蛋白（oxidized low-density lipoprotein, ox-LDL）诱导VEC的损伤;用HiPerFect试剂将miR-21模拟物或抑制剂转染进入VEC;免疫印迹法检测p38 MAPK信号通路相关蛋白的表达;酶联免疫吸附试验检测VEC中肿瘤坏死因子α（tumor necrosis factor-α,TNF-α）的水平。结果 ox-LDL明显提高VEC中Ras、p-MKK3/6、p-p38蛋白表达水平,并诱导VEC分泌TNF-α;miR-21高表达可升高TNF-α水平及Ras、p-MKK3/6、p-p38蛋白表达水平;Pae明显降低损伤的VEC分泌TNF-α水平,且抑制由miR-21高表达引起的TNF-α水平上升及p38 MAPK信号通路的激活。结论 Pae可抑制miR-21介导的p38 MAPK信号通路,减少ox-LDL诱导的VEC中TNF-α的分泌。     

电针夹脊穴通过磷酸化p38 MAPK信号通路对大鼠炎性痛阈的影响

目的 观察电针夹脊穴对炎性疼痛大鼠痛阈的影响,从信号转导的角度探讨针灸镇痛的机制. 方法 采用经典的完全弗氏佐剂性关节炎疼痛模型,观测电针刺激对大鼠痛阈的影响,采用免疫组织化学法测定各组大鼠背根神经节(doral root ganglion, DRG)内磷酸化p38丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(phosphorylation-p38 mitogen activated protein kinase, p-p38 MAPK)的含量,采用蛋白印迹法测定DRG内辣椒素受体1(vanilloid receptor 1, VR1)含量. 结果 电针刺激影响大鼠DRG内p-p38 MAPK和VR1含量,并可提高炎性疼痛大鼠的痛阈,降低p38 MAPK受体阻断剂提高后大鼠的痛阈. 结论 电针影响炎性疼痛的机制与p38 MAPK-VR1信号通路密切相关.     

The effects of four different solvent vapours on the restoration of obliterated stamp markings from five different wooden surfaces

The stamp markings on wooden surfaces, which are placed on trees and products including antiques, indicate the status of trees and involve identifying data regarding the products. Such markings are obliterated either to facilitate illegal logging or to conceal product information. Despite the wide literature on the restoration of obliterated characters on metal and polymer surfaces, the recovery of defaced characters on wooden surfaces appears to be understudied. Several reference texts in the forensic marks’ examination literature suggest that water, water vapor, and alkaline solutions are useful in restoring the abraded markings on the wood. Since there does not seem to be any experimental study proving such success, this study aimed to fill this gap. This study conducted experimental research by using water, ethanol, ammonia, and chloroform to recover the scraped characters on samples obtained from walnut, beech, spruce, oak, and cedar trees. The cold-stamped characters, which were defaced at varying depths, were restored using vapor and liquid phases of four solvents. While the vapor phases of water, ethanol, and ammonia yielded good outcomes on all types of wooden surfaces, the liquid phases did not seem to be useful in the revisualization process. The response of the vapors, which varied between 62 and 220 s, depended on the type of wood. The restoration technique developed in this research offers the possibility of on-site usage, easy application, utilization of low-cost solvents, rapid recovery, and effectiveness on various wooden surfaces. Overall, the restoration methodology used in this research appears to be fruitful in retrieving identifying information on wooden samples.