Area Of Honshu Research Articles

Systematic Review of Japanese Macaques, Macaca fuscata (Gray, 1870)

Japanese macaques, Macaca fuscata (Gray, 1870), are systematically reviewed, based on examination of 1264 specimens, survey of relevant literature, and observation of natural populations. This review includes analyses of external and cranial characters, molecular biology and genetics, and parasites. Information also is presented concerning natural history, reproduction, fossils, and taxonomic history. Concerning the evolutionary history of M. fuscata, available evidence suggests that this species is derived from a M. mulatta–like population that dispersed to the Japanese archipelago during one or two glacial intervals of sea-level depression, ca. 0.63–0.43 million years ago (Ma), via a now-submerged dry-land connection between the Korean Peninsula and the Kyushu–West Honshu area. In an appendix, an annotated gazetteer lists 1347 localities at which M. fuscata has been collected or observed.

An examination on the site—family interaction of tree height of open-pollinated families of hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) plus trees in the Kansai Forest tree breeding region

Stability analyses to evaluate site–family interaction for tree height at 15 years old were conducted in trials of open-pollinated families of hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa Endl.) plus trees established in the Honshu and Shikoku area of the Kansai Forest tree breeding region, Japan. The Honshu area included 103 sites (226 families), and the Shikoku area included 27 sites (62 families). Analyses of variance indicated that the interaction between site and family was not significant in the Honshu area, whereas in the Shikoku area the interaction was significant. The stability analyses regressed the family–site means against site means. The linear regression analysis was carried out using the data for 164 families that were tested at five or more test sites from the 130 test sites. Approximately 93% of families had values of linear regression coefficient that were not significantly different from unity. These results suggest that almost every open-pollinated family of hinoki plus trees have average stability and are equally well adapted to good and poor sites. The differences in the reaction of a family to site productivity are not the main causes of the interaction.

Effects of a Novel Aldose Reductase Inhibitor, Fidarestat (SNK-860), on Vibration Perception Threshold and Subjective Symptoms in Patients with Diabetic Polyneuropathy

To evaluate the effects of fidarestat (SNK-860) on vibration perception threshold, as measured by C64 quantitative tuning fork (64Hz) analysis, as well as its effects on subjective symptoms in patients with diabetic polyneuro-pathy. Open-label, prospective study conducted at 12 hospitals in the central area of Honshu, Japan. Fidarestat was administered at a dosage of 1mg once daily after breakfast for 28 weeks. Vibration perception threshold of upper and lower extremities was determined using a C64 quantitative tuning fork, and measured at baseline and after 12 and 28 weeks of treatment. Subjective symptoms, including numbness, spontaneous pain and hypoaesthesia, were evaluated every 4 weeks. Subjective symptoms were evaluated in 22 patients, and vibration perception threshold data were available for 19 patients. Vibration perception threshold at baseline was negatively correlated with the severity of the following subjective symptoms: numbness in the upper limbs, and numbness, coldness and hot flushes, smarting pain causing difficulty walking and hypoaesthesia in the lower limbs. During treatment with fidarestat, vibration perception threshold increased significantly in the upper (p = 0.0017) and lower (p = 0.0001) limbs. The following symptoms were also significantly improved: severity of numbness in the lower limbs, heaviness in the foot, coldness and hot flushes in the lower limbs, smarting pain causing difficulty walking, sensation as if walking on sand, sensation as if walking on an uneven road, spontaneous pain in the lower limbs, and dizziness. Adverse events occurred in four patients. Administration of fidarestat after breakfast was effective in significantly alleviating some symptoms of diabetic polyneuropathy. The C64 quantitative tuning fork analysis is useful in the diagnosis of diabetic polyneuropathy, and as a measure of the severity of the neuropathological symptoms of this condition.

Two types of matter economy for the wintering of evergreen shrubs in regions of heavy snowfall.

Plant adaptation to an environment subject to heavy snowfalls was investigated in four species of evergreen shrubs growing in a Fagus crenata forest in an area of Honshu on the Sea of Japan. These shrubs stored carbohydrates in some organs before the snowy season and were covered with snow for 4-5 months. Aucuba japonica var. borealis, Camellia rusticana, and Ilex crenata var. paludosa maintained a reserve of carbohydrates during the snowy season. In Daphniphyllum macropodum var. humile, the reserve of carbohydrates decreased during winter. The respiration rates in the first three species decreased from autumn to winter, whereas the decrease in D. macropodum was slight. It was found that the first three species could use reserve carbohydrates for the growth of new shoots after the thaw, whereas in the last species the growth of new shoots depends on high photosynthetic activity in late spring. Our findings suggest some types of matter economy in evergreen shrubs for wintering in an environment of heavy snow.

Arthropod-borne tularemia in Japan: clinical analysis of 1,374 cases observed between 1924 and 1996.

Sixteen cases of tularemia transmitted by arthropods are used to characterize arthropod-borne tularemia in Japan. Arthropod-borne tularemia accounted for 1.2% of a total of 1,374 cases of tularemia observed between 1924 and 1996. The number of cases reported in Japan was low when compared with the number of cases reported in the United States. Arthropod-borne tularemia, however, is increasing and has reached 10.1% incidences during the last 16 yr. No arthropod-borne cases were reported prior to 1951. The occurrence of tularemia infection caused by contact with diseased hares was diphasic with the higher peak occurring during the winter, whereas the occurrence of arthropod-borne tularemia was common from spring to autumn. Among the 16 cases that we studied, 5 were initiated by tick-bites, 5 by the crushing of ticks found on domestic dogs, and 1 by an unidentified insect. In the remaining 5 cases, the vectors were not identified although arthropod bites were confirmed. These arthropod-borne cases were observed exclusively in the northeastern area of Honshu, the main island of Japan, and the age of patients ranged from 23 to 74 yr. The arthropod vectors associated with tularemia and factors influencing incidence of arthropod-borne tularemia in Japan are discussed.

Geographical Distribution of Meloidogyne Species (Nematoda: Tylenchida) in Tobacco Fields of Japan

The distribution of root-knot nematodes was surveyed in tobacco fields of Japan. In 1992 and 1994, 219 populations of root-knot nematodes in tobacco fields covering the northern most area of Honshu to the Ryukyu Is. were identified on isozyme patterns of esterase and malate dehydrogenase. In this work, four Maloidogyne species, M. incognita, M. arenaria, M. hapla and M. javanica, were found. In M. arenaria, two distinct esterase phenotypes, one (A-1) and two (A-2) band types, were found. Meloidogyne incognita was widely found from southern Tohoku to the Shinetsu districts and southward to the Ryukyu Is. This species was recorded for the first time in Gifu, Nagano, Fukushima, Yamagata and Miyagi Prefs. Meloidogyne arenaria (A-2) was widely found from the Ryukyu Is. to Akita and Iwate Prefs., however, its distribution in Kyushu and the Ryukyu Is. was patchy. This species was found for the first time in Akita and Iwate Prefs. Meloidogyne arenaria (A-1) was mainly concentrated in Kyushu and the Ryukyu Is., and was found in one locality in Shikoku. Meloidogyne hapla was distributed from Shinetsu to the Kanto distinct northward to Aomori Pref. Meloidogyne javanica was found only in the Ryukyu Is. In areas where the distribution of these species overlapped, two or three species were often found in a single field.

500 kV oil-filled cable installed on bridges

An outline of the Honshu-Shikoku interconnecting transmission line is given, along with some technical features concerning 500 kV cables. The 220 kV Chusi trunk line, now transmitting a maximum of 300 MW of electricity between the Chugoku area of Honshu and Shikoku island, is expected to be inadequate in the 1990s due to the rise in electrical demand. Therefore, to strengthen this interconnection, a new 500 kV transmission line was proposed. This project employs an AC 500 kV transmission line between the Higashi-Okayama substation of Chugoku Electric Power Company, the base of the Honshu side, and the Sanuki substation of Shikoku Electric Power Company, the base of the Shikoku side. It comprises an overhead power line portion of approximately 105 km and a cable portion of approximately 22 km in route length. The most significant feature of this transmission line is the installation of 500 m kV cables along the bridges which span the Inland Sea. Installation work on the interconnecting transmission line is described.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Nodal B-Cell Lymphomas in Japan — Particularly in Tohoku District —

There are different frequencies in the immunological phenotypes of malignant lymphomas in Tohoku and Kyushu districts of Japan. In the Tohoku district, the northern area of Honshu, B-cell lymphomas are more preponderant than T-cell lymphomas. This is just the reverse on the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku. Histologically diffuse lymphoma of large cell type, formerly termed reticulum cell sarcoma or histiocytic lymphoma, was the most frequent (48%) among B-cell lymphomas. It is characteristic of B-cell lymphoma that immunoglobulin is produced in either or both the cellular surface and cytoplasm. Cytoplasmic IgM in lymphoma cells was mainly detected by an electron microscopic enzyme-labeled method. Cytoplasmic-Ig was present both in the nuclear membrane and endoplasmic reticulum. This technique is particularly useful in medium-sized lymphoma cells because of the scanty cytoplasmic rim making light microscopic evaluation difficult. Histological transition from follicular to diffuse pattern is characterized by a change of cellular arrangement from labyrinth-like cellular connections in follicular lymphoma to more simple connections in diffuse lymphoma. The transition is also supported by the fact that a higher deoxyribonucleic acid content is observed in large cells than medium-sized cells in follicular lymphoma. The data also supports the hypothesis that a diffuse lymphoma evolved from follicular lymphoma mainly occurs in cases of large cell lymphomas.

最終氷期の最低位海水準について

The problem of the maximum depth, down to which the sea level dropped during the last glaciation, is even more difficult and obscure than that of the high sealevels. Some evaluations have been proposed, being based on the estimations of depth of the Holocene sediments base in the coastal plain or on the consideration of submerged sediments or geomorphological features now found on the continental shelf. Many Japanese geologists estimate -100m to -140m for the last glacial low stand sealevel, but some doubt is cast on their data and opinions. Our estimate, -80±5m, was a conservative interpretation based on dates of shells and peat obtained from the shelf and coastal plain of Japanese Islands.From the detailed survey of the submarine topography in the Tsugaru strait between Honshu and Hokkaido, six submarine terraces were found on the sill. It is noteworthy that the depth of those terraces on both areas of Honshu and Hokkaido is nearly the same. This fact suggests that there have been no distinct crustal movements after the building of those terraces on the sill of the strait. Among the submarine valleys developed on the continental shelf, one of which continued to a valley on land can be detected on the eastern part of the sill. From those circumstances of submerged terraces and valleys about 80m depression of sealevel at the last glaciation is deduced.In most Pleistocene, the Japanese Islands was connected with the Korean Peninsula, and present major islands themselves were tied to each other. It is sure that large mammals such as elephants migrated into the Japanese islands through land bridges. In the early Shimosueyoshi transgression (Riss-Wurm interglacial period), when the sealevel was about -100m, the Japan Sea connected with the Pacific through narrow passages located in the Korean and Tsugaru straits. At the time of maximum Wurm when the sealevel was depressed to -80±5m, the land bridges between Honshu and other lands were never formed.

東北裏日本海域における石油の生成と移動の時期

Geochemical data from 13 wells in the Sea of Japan, Northern Honshu Area, were studied for their relationship to subsurface temperature. The basic geochemical data consisted of elemental analysis in kerogen, isotopic and organic analyses of mudstone, optial kerogen analysis and X-Ray mineral percentages of mudstone cuttings. These data were crossplotted against presumed present-day subsurface temperature. A data analysis of the resulting crossplots implied that migration of oil occurs at a temperature range of 90°C to 105°C (Zone of flushing action) throughout the geologic section without respect to geologic age. The thermally matured zone (termed the zone of peak oil generation) probably corresponds to a temperature of 130°C.

Isolating Factors between the Smaller Tea Tortrix and the Summer Fruit Tortrix (Lepidoptera : Tortricidae) : I. Distribution of the Two Species in Japan

The smaller tea tortrix (Adoxophyes fasciata WALSINGHAM) and the summer fruit tortrix (A. orana FISCHER VON ROSLERSTAMM) are closely related species. Of the two, only A. orana has been recorded from Hokkaido and the cooler northern and central montane areas of Honshu, however both species occur sympatrically in the warmer parts of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. Thus, there is no geographic isolation between the two species. In the sympatric area, there is no evidence of hybridization, even though habitant isolation due to different preferences for food plants is not complete. It is therefore probable that other isolating factors exist which are responsible for this situation.

対馬暖流域における打上げ魚類の研究-III.

During the cold seasons of 1965-1967, the authors observed the fish-stranding phenomenon at the beaches from Kagoshima to Niigata Prefecture along the Tsushima Current. The following results were obtained : 1) The stranding animals were recognized in the whole area of the present research, and the phenomenon was more prominent in the northern Kyushu and westernmost Honshu in the cold months of 1966. The stranding animals in Karatsu and Shingu beaches of northern Kyushu were quite similar in species and specimen composition. 2) The authors admitted the stranding animals as the following groups: the southern migrants, the coastal fishes, the offshore fish larvae, the offshore benthic crustaceans and the southern pelagic crustaceans. 3) In respect of their appearance range, these animals could be classified into two groups. The one was recognized in almost whole area, and the other appeared only in the stations in the west of westernmost Honshu area. This area coincided with the demarcation line of ichthyofauna.

DISTRIBUTION OF PADDYLANDS AT HIGH ELEVATIONS AND IN COOLER CLIMATES IN JAPAN: POTENTIAL ALTITUDINAL LIMITS BASED ON AIR TEMPERATURE

Several studies on the vertical distribution of paddyland have been conclu ded; the results may be summarized as follows: 1. The existing vertical distribution of paddyland has been ascertained; the highest fields are located in the Central Highlands at about 1300 meters elevation while in southwestern Japan, elevations average about 900 meters (Figure 1). The upper limit of paddyland in each district is shown in Table 1. 2. The differences in altitude between the uppermost paddylands on nor thern and southern slopes have been calculated and are shown in Table 2 and Figure 3. In general, there is less than 100 meters difference between the two slopes with the paddylands reaching higher elevations on the southern slope. In each unit area, too, the average altitude of the southern slope paddys exceeds that of the northern slope fields. However, in the Saku District of Nagano Prefecture and in the Hachinoe District of Aomori Prefecture, the higher fields are generally found on the northern slopes and. the average paddy altitudes within a unit area are similarly higher on the northern slopes. This anomaly may be.explained by the effect of the afternoon sun on valleys ouinted toward the northeast or northwest. 3. An attempt was made to clearly establish the potential altitudinal limits of paddy culture in Japan. It was assumed that an average August temperature of 19°c (18. 7°) approximates the temperature of the highest paddylands in the Central Highlands and, as such, represents the minimum temperature required for. successful paddy culture in other areas of Japan (Figures 2 and 4). Thus, it appears that in many areas of Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikgku, paddy culture has not yet reached its altitudinal. limits. Cap Tohoku's Pacific slopes and in Hokkaido's inland basins, the altitudinal potential is unexpectedly high. 4. The relationship between altitude of the land the potential altitudinal limits of paddyland as established above were examined (Figures 4). On the Pacific slopes, it was determined that the potential paddyland limit based on air temperature is generally below the height of the land itself; on the other hand, on the Japan Sea slopes and in the Central Highlands, as well as in each district of Kyushu, Shikoku, Chugoku, and Kinchi, it was found that the climatic limits exceed the height of the land.

Reconnaissance Soil Survey of Japan, Northern Honshu Area

Reconnaissance Soil Survey of Japan, Northern Honshu Area