CHINA AND India are booming, but investors shouldn’t overlook Japan. After years of stagnation, the country’s gross domestic product is expanding at an annual rate of 5%, roughly twice the U.S. growth rate, and corporate earnings are climbing a healthy 10%. “The outlook for Japanese stocks is bright,” says David Ishibashi, portfolio manager of Matthews Japan Fund.

The kidney consists of four basic tissue types: vessels, glomeruli, tubules, and interstitium. Each of these types may be influenced by different pathophysiologic mechanisms associated with diabetic nephropathy. Despite their variability, these mechanisms share common clinical outcomes including microalbuminuria, progesssion to end-stage renal disease, and increased risks of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.