Aomori Prefecture Research Articles

Survey on the Awareness of Menstruation and Menstruation-Related Problems in Athletes among Public High School Physical Education Teachers.

In recent years, the activities of female athletes have attracted increasing attention, especially regarding the effect of menstruation on athletic performance. Nevertheless, there are no surveys of these practices among coaches who train non-top-level athletes for general competition. This study aimed to investigate how high school physical education teachers approach the issue of menstruation and the awareness of menstruation-related problems. This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. The participants were 225 health and physical education teachers from 50 public high schools in the Aomori Prefecture. Participants were asked to answer a questionnaire regarding whether they talk to their female athletes about menstruation, keep track of their menstrual status, or make adjustments for menstruating students. Additionally, we asked for their views on painkiller use and their knowledge of menstruation. The participants included 183 men (81.3%) and 42 women (18.7%); data from 221 participants were analyzed after four teachers were excluded. Teachers of female athletes who communicated with students regarding their menstrual conditions and physical changes were predominantly female (p < 0.01). Regarding the use of painkillers for menstrual pain, more than 70% of respondents said that they recommended their active use. Few respondents reported that they would adjust a game because of athletes with menstrual problems. More than 90% of the respondents knew that there was a change in performance due to the menstrual cycle, and 57% of the respondents understood the relationship between amenorrhea and osteoporosis. Menstruation-related problems are not only issues for top athletes but also important for general competition level athletes. Hence, even in high school clubs, teachers should be educated on how to deal with menstruation-related problems to prevent withdrawal from sports, maximize athletes' abilities, prevent future diseases, and preserve fertility.

Labor Force Adjustment Using Multi-Workers in Rapidly Declining Population Areas: Comparison of the Town of Nanbu, Aomori Prefecture, and the Village of Higashinaruse, Akita Prefecture

Labor Force Adjustment Using Multi-Workers in Rapidly Declining Population Areas: Comparison of the Town of Nanbu, Aomori Prefecture, and the Village of Higashinaruse, Akita Prefecture

Dietary Intake of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Diabetic Nephropathy: Cohort Analysis of the Tsugaru Study.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal failure and its incidence continues to increase. To decrease this, a countermeasure from an early stage is required. This is a DN stage 2 observation study that analyzed the results of a concurrent dietary survey in the Tsugaru study and discussed the relationship between dietary intake of n-3 fatty acid and DN. Patients with stage 2 DN and aged 20 years or older in the Tsugaru region of Aomori Prefecture were enrolled. We examined the association between urinary albumin excretion (UAE) at enrollment and 36 months later and n-3PUFA intake obtained from a dietary survey. Of the 317 subjects at enrollment, 234 were followed for 36 months, of whom 123 were able to complete the dietary survey. After 36 months of follow-up of these 123 subjects, 28 were in remission and 18 had progressed. Correlations between UAE at 36 months and each of the parameters were examined and UAE at enrollment showed a positive correlation (r=0.4224, p<0.001); correlations between eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/arachidonic acid (AA), EPA+docosahexaenoic acid/AA, and n-6/n-3 and UAE at 36 months were weak. As shown by multiple regression analysis, the factor influencing UAE after 36 months was UAE at enrollment. Concerning the relationship between fatty acid intake balance and UAE, the previously reported renoprotective effect of n-3 fatty acids could not be demonstrated.

青森県八戸市大久喜の弁天島におけるウミネコの繁殖状況

青森県八戸市大久喜の弁天島におけるウミネコの繁殖状況

The Myth of Average: Active Senior Citizens in the Aomori Prefecture in Japan

Japan is known for the highest life expectancy in the world, but there are regional variations within the country. Aomori, located at the northern tip of Japan’s mainland, is the prefecture characterized by heavy snow in winter and the lowest average life expectancies for women and men. Their short life expectancies have been attributed to excessive sodium intake and physical inactivity. In this short-term reflexive ethnography, I take the postpositivist stance and set up a strawman claim of “all citizens of Aomori Prefecture are physically inactive” in order to falsify it by providing a counter example. The counter example is a community of very senior citizens over 80 years of age who are physically and socially active in playing indoor golf. My purpose in writing this research report is to share an encounter with a unique community through a contextualized physical activity setting and a reflection on issues related to the community’s survival. The theoretical model of physical literacy has informed my observations, conversations, and reflections that are narrated in the impressionist mode. My narrative demonstrates that there are physically active senior citizens in the Aomori Prefecture. Moreover, my interview with an organizer uncovered that the senior golf players were facing challenges to participate in and sustain the golf program in the future.

Diversity as a Keyword for Health Promotion: From the Activity for Life Expectancy Extension in Aomori Prefecture

健康・寿命が社会の総合力の指標であることより、その社会に内在するdiversity（本稿ではdiversityを単に多様性という意味で用いた）は常に健康づくり・寿命延伸対策のキーワードであり、ある時は大きな壁となり、またある時は重要な戦術のヒントを与えてくれる。筆者らは日本の最短命県青森で短命県返上に向けての社会イノベーション創出を目指している。具体的には、超多項目データを収集している岩木健康増進プロジェクト（2005年から18年間継続）を軸に一大データプラットフォームを構成し、目指す方向性の異なる産官学民を結集させ、社会イノベーションにつなげようという構想である。収集したデータは原則オープンにされ、それにより、さらに多種多様な産官学民を呼び込み、さらに大きなデータプラットフォームと、並走する新たなプラットフォーム（ソーシャル・キャピタルのプラットフォーム）が確立されつつある。本稿ではdiversityに対応した社会イノベーション創出の事例として筆者らの活動を紹介したい。

Comparison of Geomorphological Land Classification Maps with Flood Hazard Maps at Hachinohe Plain, Aomori Prefecture

Comparison of Geomorphological Land Classification Maps with Flood Hazard Maps at Hachinohe Plain, Aomori Prefecture

Difference in net survival using regional and national life tables in Japan

BackgroundNational life table is commonly used for estimating cancer net survival. However, the national life table does not reflect condition of people in local area accurately, because there are disparities in cancer mortality rates among the local area in many cases. We investigated magnitude of difference in cancer net survival using the local area in Japan and Japanese life tables. MethodsWe analyzed data from 32,942 cancer patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2012 in Aomori prefecture, Japan. Expected survival rates in Aomori (ESA) and Japan (ESJ) were estimated based on the life table of each area. Five-year net survival rates using ESA and the ESJ were estimated using the Pohar-Perme method. ResultsThe difference between net survival rates using the ESA (NSA) and the ESJ (NSJ) were larger than in men (0.3－3.0%) than in women (0.1－0.8%). The largest difference in the net survival rate was observed in prostate cancer patients, because the difference in the expected survival in oldest old men was remarkable. ConclusionTwo factors affected the difference in the net survival rates resulting from the sensitivity analysis. The difference was larger (1) among older patients or (2) with a longer observation period (person-years).

RESEARCH ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF RADIONUCLIDES AT IES - AN OVERVIEW.

This paper summarises the research works of the Institute for Environmental Sciences on the environmental behaviour of radionuclides related to the first commercial-spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Rokkasho Village, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. The distribution and fluctuation in natural radiation in Aomori Prefecture were estimated as basic data. Radionuclides possibly released from the plant operation have been continuously measured using a variety of samples from different locations in Aomori Prefecture. During the test of cutting and chemical treatment of the spent fuel rods from 2006 to 2008, the concentration of 85Kr, 14C, 3H and 129I in the air increased, whereas that of 3H and 129I increased in several environmental samples. A numerical simulation model consisting of several sub-models was constructed for predicting the behaviour of released radionuclides in the environment and for evaluating the realistic radiation dose of residents around the facility.

DEVELOPMENT OF IN-SITU SYSTEMS FOR 13CO2 EXPOSURE AND DETERMINATION OF 13C NET ASSIMILATION RATE OF FRUIT-BEARING SHOOTS AND WHOLE TREE AND CHAMBER FOR PRECISION 13CO2 EXPOSURE OF YOUNG POTTED TREES

Abstract 14C is the most important radionuclide for assessing exposure dose around the Rokkasho nuclear fuel reprocessing plant, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. A simplified model with ample margins has been used so far for the assessment of the dose derived from 14C. Realistic dose estimate of 14C using more realistic model is necessary for safety. Apple production is an important core industry in Aomori Prefecture. To construct the dynamic model for apple, using 13C as a tracer to substitute for 14C, we collected data on 13C abundance in organs including fruit after 13CO2 exposure at various fruit growth stages. We developed 13CO2 exposure systems for three intact fruit-bearing shoots (1), whole mature tree (2) and young potted trees (3). Systems (1) and (2) also can determine net amounts of carbon and 13C photoassimilated. System (3) is capable of precise feedback control of 13CO2 and 12CO2 concentrations based on on-time determination.

IODINE ABSORPTION BY APPLE LEAF SURFACES.

Apple is an important agricultural product in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, where the first commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing plant is currently under construction. As the behavior of radioiodine deposited on the surface of apple leaves is not well known, we studied the absorption and transfer to fruit of stable iodine applied onto the leaf surface. Droplets of NaI solution were applied to the leaf surface $\sim$86-89days after flowering. The leaves were collected periodically and washed with detergent solution, followed by determination of iodine amounts absorbed or remaining on the leaf surface. Subsequently, iodine levels were determined separately for each part of the apple tree. Our results indicated that iodine applied on the surface of the leaf was absorbed and accumulated inside the leaf, but the transfer of absorbed iodine to the fruit was negligible; hence, iodine was less likely to accumulate in the fruit.

Soil water and solute transport in an Andosol apple orchard including the dormancy period in a snowy cold region

Early spring corresponds to the snowmelt season in apple orchards of the northern hemisphere. This has a significant effect on the initial growth of shoots and flower buds of apple trees. Understanding the soil environment of the orchard during the non-growth period as monitored by farmers is important for managing year-round apple production. However, the details of mass transport, such as that of soil water and solute, during the non-growing season in the Andosols remain unclear. This study conducted soil environment monitoring in an Andosol apple orchard in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, during the non-growing season in winter to examine the year-round changes in the soil environment, using a field monitoring system that is necessary for understanding the soil environment. Volumetric water content, soil bulk electrical conductivity, and soil temperature were measured, and the cumulative changes in total soil moisture (ΣΔTSM) were calculated from the monitored volumetric water content. Results showed that although ΣΔTSM tended to increase (i.e., dry out) annually with periodicity, the variation was small compared to that of apple orchards with gravelly brown forest soil. These results could significantly influence fertilization management of apple orchard soil during the summer drought season and early spring when the roots of apple trees begin taking up nutrients. In particular, it was revealed that if sufficient nutrients remain in the soil pore water in early spring, the negative impact of excessive fertilization on the surrounding environment can be reduced. Therefore, this study constitutes an innovative step in the implementation of field monitoring system to understand the details of mass transport in the Andosol apple orchard soil.

Landslide Hazards Induced by Heavy Rainfall in August 2021 in the Northern Part of the Aomori Prefecture, Japan

Landslide Hazards Induced by Heavy Rainfall in August 2021 in the Northern Part of the Aomori Prefecture, Japan

Correlation between Glycation-Related Biomarkers and Quality of Life in the General Japanese Population: The Iwaki Cross-Sectional Research Study.

The correlation between diabetes-related biomarkers and quality of life (QOL) remains unclear. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the correlation between diabetes-related biomarkers and QOL in a general Japanese population who underwent health checkups as a part of the Iwaki Health Promotion Project. Male and female participants aged ≥ 20 years from Iwaki District, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture who participated in the 2019 medical evaluation were recruited. QOL was evaluated using the Short Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36). Fasting blood glucose, homeostatic model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), glycoalbumin, and plasma pentosidine were also evaluated as diabetes-related markers. Of the 1065 recruited participants, 1053 completed the clinical and QOL evaluations. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that upregulated diabetes-related markers levels were correlated with decreased SF-36 scores. Blood glucose, HOMA-IR, HbA1c, glycoalbumin, and plasma pentosidine levels were correlated with general health. Moreover, plasma pentosidine levels were correlated with role physical, social functioning, and role emotional in addition to general health. These results indicated that the levels of diabetes-related biomarkers, particularly the levels of plasma pentosidine, a glycation marker, were associated with QOL in our cohort.

Genome Analysis Revives a Forgotten Hybrid Crop Edo-dokoro in the Genus Dioscorea.

A rhizomatous Dioscorea crop 'Edo-dokoro' was described in old records of Japan, but its botanical identity has not been characterized. We found that Edo-dokoro is still produced by four farmers in Tohoku-machi of the Aomori prefecture, Japan. The rhizomes of Edo-dokoro are a delicacy to the local people and are sold in the markets. Morphological characters of Edo-dokoro suggest its hybrid origin between the two species, Dioscorea tokoro and Dioscorea tenuipes. Genome analysis revealed that Edo-dokoro likely originated by hybridization of a male D. tokoro to a female D. tenuipes, followed by a backcross with a male plant of D. tokoro. Edo-dokoro is a typical minor crop possibly maintained for more than 300 years but now almost forgotten by the public. We hypothesize that there are many such uncharacterized genetic heritages passed over generations by small-scale farmers that await serious scientific investigation for future use and improvement by using modern genomics information.

Interhospital transmission of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in Aomori, Japan

BackgroundSpread of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) is a global concern as a significant cause of healthcare-associated infections. A series of VRE faecium (VREf) outbreaks caused by clonal propagation due to interhospital transmission occurred in six general hospitals in Aomori prefecture, Japan.MethodsThe number of patients with VREf was obtained from thirty seven hospitals participating in the local network of Aomori prefecture. Thirteen hospitals performed active screening tests for VRE. Whole genome sequencing analysis was performed.ResultsThe total number of cases with VREf amounted to 500 in fourteen hospitals in Aomori from Jan 2018 to April 2021. It took more than three years for the frequency of detection of VRE to return to pre-outbreak levels. The duration and size of outbreaks differed between hospitals according to the countermeasures available at each hospital. Whole genome sequencing analysis indicated vanA-type VREf ST1421 for most samples from six hospitals.ConclusionsThis was the first multi-jurisdictional outbreak of VREf sequence type 1421 in Japan. In addition to strict infection control measures, continuous monitoring of VRE detection in local medical regions and smooth and immediate communication among hospitals are required to prevent VREf outbreaks.

Monthly Precipitation Collected at Hirosaki, Japan: Its Tritium Concentration and Chemical and Stable Isotope Compositions

Monthly precipitation samples were collected at Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture from January 2018 to December 2020 to measure the ion species and stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios in order to understand the regional properties. The tritium concentration ranged from 0.28 to 1.20 Bq/L, with mean values (±S.D.) of 0.52 ± 0.18, 0.67 ± 0.25 and 0.63 ± 0.21 Bq/L in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. This concentration level was almost the same as for Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture. The tritium concentration had clear seasonal variation: high in the spring and low in the summer. This trend was thought to arise from seasonal fluctuations in the atmospheric circulation. On the other hand, the pH tended to be low, and the electrical conductivity (EC) tended to be high from the winter to the spring. The ion components, which major ion species contained in sea salt, also tended to be high in the winter, and these components had a strong influence on EC. The d-excess values were high in the winter and low in the summer, and when this trend was considered from the viewpoint of the wind direction data in Hirosaki, these dust components were attributed to the northwest monsoon in the winter to the spring coming from the Asian continent.

Diversity and dynamics of particle-associated and free-living bacteria in eelgrass (Zostera marina) bed along the coast of Japan

As the seagrass leaves remain underwater, the primary source of leaf microbes is considered to be seawater heterotrophic bacterioplankton, which possess the ability to degrade biopolymers and are known to attach to surface and form biofilms. In this study, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was used to assess bacterial diversity and dynamics of the particle associated (PA) and free-living (FL) fraction of the seagrass-covering seawater (inside) and bulk seawater (outside) among different seagrass bed around Japan. Samples were collected from the three Zostera marinabeds (Ikuno-shima Is., Hiroshima; Nanao Bay, Ishikawa; Mutsu Bay, Aomori Prefecture) around Japan during summer (June-August 2015; July 2016). Prokaryotic DNA was extracted from samples using a FastDNA spin kit according to the manufacturer’s protocol. After extracting DNA, 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) genes were sequenced by Illumina Miseq platform. The Results showed that PA bacterial communities had a higher (p &lt;0.001) diversity than FL ones. Compared to the outside of the seagrass bed, the inside had lower diversity both in PA and FL fraction. Taxonomic analysis revealed a different community composition between lifestyle (PA vs FL) and sampling point (inside vs outside). Differential abundance analysis showed that PA were significantly enriched in a diversity of Cyanobacteria (Synechococcaceae), Saprospiraceae and Hyphomonadaceae. Conversely, FL were more abundant in Gammaproteobacteria (including Halomonadaceae, Alteromonadaceae), Microbacteriaceae, Campylobacteraceae, Pelagibacteraceae,Acidimicrobiia(OCS155). The present data provide a comprehensive description of the PA and FL microbial community in the seagrass bed and can be useful for better understanding the seagrass microbe interactions.

Review: Genetic structure and local adaptation in natural forests of Cryptomeria japonica

AbstractCryptomeria japonica is a very important and useful forestry tree in Japan and there are vast areas of plantation area that occupy 44% of the total man‐made forest in the country. Natural populations have declined as a result of logging and overexploitation for more than a thousand years. The natural distribution of C. japonica is from Aomori Prefecture to Kagoshima Prefecture and it has adapted to widely different environments in Japan. In China, the variety C. japonica var. sinensis is distributed. The genetic diversity is higher in Japanese Cryptomeria than in the Chinese variety, and within Japan, western populations have higher genetic diversity than northern populations. Genetic structure of C. japonica within Japan was clear, with isolation by distance (IBD), and the omote‐sugi on the Pacific Ocean side and ura‐sugi group on the Sea of Japan side were clearly separated by STRUCTURE analysis. Genetic structure was also clear in the Chinese population but there was no IBD, which suggested considerable human disturbance in the past. Local adaption is apparent in this species, in, for example, morphological traits among the three groups such as omote‐sugi, ura‐sugi, and Chinese population. The time of divergence among the three groups was at least before last glacial maximum. Global climate change largely affects species distributions and local adaptation, which play important roles in adaptation and speciation. A suitable conservation strategy for natural populations of C. japonica is ex situ conservation of large trees and applying a zoning method to the remaining natural forests.

青森県におけるカワウの集団繁殖地の長期変動と創設過程

青森県のカワウPhalacrocorax carboについて，長期存続するコロニーの営巣数変動とコロニー新設の関係を明らかにするために，下北半島の山辺沢沼コロニーおよびカッタイ池コロニーにおいて1980–2020年に営巣数の長期モニタリングを，青森県全域において2015–2020年にコロニーの分布と営巣数の広域調査および1980–2015年のコロニー形成状況に関する情報収集をおこなった．山辺沢沼コロニーおよびカッタイ池コロニーは営巣数の減少を4回経験し，その前年もしくは前々年にそれまでの最大営巣数（546–699巣）に達していた．2009–2011年の減少と同時期に県内で新規コロニーが1か所確認され，2020年の青森県のコロニーは10か所になった．この減少と繁殖個体の分散が青森県内のコロニー新設のきっかけになったと考えられた．