Japan's Economy and the Global Financial Crisis

After the prolonged stagnation that followed the post-Bubble economic collapse at the end of the 1980s, from 2002 onwards the Japanese economy exhibited its longest period of economic expansion (albeit gradual) since World War Two. As this expansion came to an end and the economy was on the verge of the downward curve of the economic cycle, it was confronted with the current financial and economic crises, which originated in the USA. Nevertheless, Japanese financial institutions had invested little in sub-prime-related financial products, and with the lessons learned from the issue of bad loans in the 1990s, Japan's financial system enjoyed greater stability than that of any other major nation. However, in the period from the end of 2008 to early 2009, Japan experienced the sharpest economic decline of any major nation.

Yet, with the worst period having ended in the spring of 2009, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted in its October 2009 forecasts that Japan will experience real economic growth of 1.7% in 2010—a higher rate than the USA (with 1.5%) or the Euro Zone (with 0.3%). Despite forecasts of a protraction of excessive US imports as a direct result of excessive US consumption, Japan is being forced to reduce its degree of reliance on exports to the USA and to make major adjustments to its export structure—both in terms of the regions to which it exports and the products that it exports. Japan also faces the task of setting itself on the path to economic growth, using the twin drivers of foreign demand and domestic demand, and this will necessitate the cultivation of domestic demand. Now, the long-term strategy for Japan is to promote the expansion of regional demand in Asia, to couple this regional demand with domestic demand, and to latch on to Asia's economic dynamism.     

Sudden Death Caused by Rupture of Spontaneous Ductus Arteriosus Aneurysm in an Adult

A 55-year-old man complained of sudden onset of severe neck pain. This was followed by prompt loss of consciousness and death. Autopsy revealed rupture of a saccular aneurysm, which was considered to have resulted from enlargement of the remaining ductal tissue, and was located on the medial aspect of the uppermost portion of the descending aorta. Dense blood extravasation was noted in the posterior mediastinum and extending to the strap muscles of the neck and larynx. Histological examination of the rupture site revealed disappearance of the medial elastic fibers and thickened intima covered with dense fibrous tissue. Spontaneous ductus arteriosus aneurysm in adults is a rare finding, but widespread use of imaging technologies has revealed that it develops more frequently than previously recognized. Fatal complications may occur even when the aneurysm is relatively small. Therefore, pathologists should be aware of this aneurysm as a potential cause of sudden death.     

On-column derivatization for determination of amphetamine and methamphetamine in human blood by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A simple determination method of amphetamine (AP) and methamphetamine (MA) in human blood was developed using on-column derivatization and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). AP and MA were adsorbed on the surface of Extrelut and then derivatized the N-propoxycarbonyl derivatives using propylchloroformate. Pentadeuterated MA was used as an internal standards. The recoveries of AP and MA from the spiked blood were 89.7 and 90.3%, respectively. The calibration curves showed linearity in the range of 12.5-2000 ng/g for AP and MA in blood. The coefficients of variation of intraday and interday were 0.42-4.58%. Furthermore, this proposed method was applied to some medico-legal cases of MA intoxication. MA and its metabolite AP were detected in the blood samples, and the correlation of the blood level of amphetamines and the behaviors of the victims was in good agreement with the criteria proposed by Nagata [Jpn. J. Legal Med. 37 (1983) 513].     

Rapid Growth and Structural Inconsistencies in China

China has realised excellent rapid economic growth for the last 27 years following Taiwan and Korea, which maintained rapid growth for nearly 40 years. This has mainly been achieved by extraordinary high fixed assets investment, especially investment in real assets, as well as export expansion. However, new structural contradictions have emerged. They include workers laid off through downsizing of state-owned corporations, non-privileged farmers who have migrated into cities, and landless peasants. China is now at a turning point for the central government to drastically transform existing fiscal institutions in order to redistribute the dividends of high economic growth to the poor and poor areas, against the trinity of local bureaucracy, real estate developers, and state-owned banks.     

Gas chromatographic and gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric determination of gasoline in a case of gasoline vapor and alcohol poisoning

A case of fatal poisoning due to the combined effect of alcohol and gasoline following an automobile accident is described. Toxicological analyses by means of gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry permitted the identification and quantitation of alcohol and several hydrocarbons in the heart blood and in the gas in the lung. Great variation was found in the estimates of blood gasoline concentration, depending on which of six constituents of gasoline was chosen for quantitation. The cause of this variation is discussed, together with the possible mechanisms leading to death.     

Detection of S-methylfenitrothion, aminofenitrothion, aminofenitroxon and acetylaminofenitroxon in the urine of a fenitrothion intoxication case

A 23-year-old male attempted suicide by ingesting approximately 50 ml of 5% fenitrothion emulsion, and vomited soon afterwards. He was admitted to a hospital about 3 h after ingestion. He recovered and was discharged from hospital 3 days after admission. The serum cholinesterase activity (normal range: 175-440 I.U.) was only 29 at 3 h, 32 at 1 day, 59 at 2 days and 75 at 3 days after ingestion. Fenitrothion and its metabolites in the body fluids were extracted by an Extrelut column extraction method, detected by a gas chromatograph equipped with either a hydrogen flame ionization detector or a flame photometric detector, and confirmed by a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. Fenitrothion concentration in the blood was 169.5 ng/g at 3 h after ingestion. The half life of blood fenitrothion concentration was found to be about 4.5 h. Fenitrothion metabolites, 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol, aminofenitrothion, aminofenitroxon, acetylaminofenitroxon and S-methylfenitrothion, were detected in the urine samples. All of them except S-methylfenitrothion were detected in the urine samples collected up to 62 h after ingestion. It would appear therefore that fenitrothion poisoning can be determined by detection and analysis of the metabolites in urine even if fenitrothion has not been detected in the blood.     

Gas chromatographic determination of cresols in the biological fluids of a non-fatal case of cresol intoxication

A simple and rapid method for analysis of free and conjugated cresols in biological fluids was developed. Prior to and following freeing of the conjugated cresols by acid hydrolysis in a sealed ampoule, free cresols were extracted by Extrelut column extraction, determined by gas chromatography, and confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In a non-fatal case of cresol intoxication a 46-year-old male had ingested about 100 ml of a saponated cresol soap solution. The concentrations of xylenol (2,4- and/or 2,5-dimethylphenol) and p- and m-cresol in the serum sample collected on admission were 15.8 micrograms/g, 43.3 micrograms/g and 73.8 micrograms/g, respectively. The total cresol concentration of 117 micrograms/g in the serum is within the range of fatal concentrations, and it is suspected therefore that the patient's recovery was due to adequate therapy alone.     

Sino‐Japanese relations: A Japanese perspective

Although Sino‐Japanese relations seem much improved in recent years, Tomoyuki Kojima, professor of political science at Keio University, still sees numerous problems that Japan must come to terms with before the two countries can develop a truly close relationship. Points of friction include Japan's past aggression in China, Chinese nuclear testing, regional security issues, and China's criticism of Japan. This paper was presented at the conference, “China and Japan in the Asia‐Pacific region since the Pacific War and Prospects for the Future,” held in Beijing on Nov. 12–13, 1995, by the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations and the Australian National University.     

Statistical comparison of dog and cat guard hairs using numerical morphology

Numerical features obtained from the guard hairs of dogs and cats (total 300 hairs per dog or cat) were statistically compared, in an attempt to discriminate between them. Using hairs from each of five mongrel dogs and cats, eight measurements (length (Len), maximum width (MaxWid), cross sectional maximum diameter, cross sectional minimum diameter, cuticular thickness of the cross section and three scale counts per 100 microm length (observed at three positions: distal third (disSC), middle (midSC) and the proximal third (proSC) portions) and five indexes (hair width index (HWI), medulla index (MI), hair index, cuticle index and the difference in scale counts between the distal and proximal parts (defSC)) were examined. The range for each numerical feature overlapped each other extensively, and none of the features permitted a discrimination between dog and cat hairs, based on the values obtained. However, 12 numerical features, except for the midSC, showed a statistically significant difference between dog and cat hairs, as evidenced by a t-test. For the purpose of comprehensively comparing numerical features and statistically discriminating between dog and cat hairs, a discriminant analysis between the two were carried out using a multiple regression analysis. Four types of discriminant functions produced by combining over five numerical features were examined. Dog and cat hairs could clearly be discriminated using any of the discriminant functions. Species discrimination using the discriminant function permitted the species of a dog or cat to be determined, based on the overall morphologies of various numerical features. When experimentally collected test samples were investigated using the discriminant function using Combination-2, consisting of eight numerical features (Len, MaxWid, MI, HWI, disSC, midSC, proSC and defSC), all 10 cat hairs were correctly determined to be cat hair and 22 of 23 dog hairs were correctly identified. This discriminant function produced good results for species discrimination between dog and cat hairs.     

Authors Index Volume 10

Authors Index

Authors Index Volume 10