Central Part Of Japan Research Articles

Future Change in the Contribution of Riming and Depositional Growth to the Surface Solid Precipitation in Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract This study examined future changes in the microphysical properties of surface solid precipitation over Hokkaido, Japan. A process-tracking model that predicts the mass of the hydrometeors generated by each cloud microphysical process was implemented in a meteorological model. This implementation aimed to analyze the mass fraction of hydrometeors resulting from depositional growth and the riming process to the total mass of surface solid precipitation. Results from pseudo–global warming experiments suggest two potential future changes in the characteristics of surface solid precipitation over Hokkaido. First, the rimed particles are expected to increase and be dominant over the west and northwest coast of Hokkaido, where heavy snowfall occurs primarily due to the lake effect. Second, the mass fraction from depositional growth under relatively higher temperatures is expected to increase. This increase is anticipated to be dominant over the eastern part and mountainous area of Hokkaido. Additionally, the fraction of liquid precipitation to total precipitation is expected to increase in the future. These results suggest that the microphysical properties of solid precipitation in Hokkaido are expected to be similar to those observed in the current climate over Hokuriku, the central part of Japan even in warmer climate conditions. Significance Statement This study examines potential future changes in the growth processes contributing to surface precipitation particles in Hokkaido, Japan. The surface solid precipitation particles in the western and eastern regions of Hokkaido are mainly generated through depositional growth that occurs within the temperature ranges −36° to −20°C and −20° to −10°C, respectively. A future shift is anticipated, with riming becoming the primary process. This shift suggests that snowfall particles will be heavier than those in the current climate, which would increase the snow-removal workload. The change in precipitation characteristics could influence adaptation and mitigation strategies for climate change in cold regions.

Concentrations of neonicotinoid insecticides and their metabolites in multiple urine samples collected from pregnant women in Japan

Exposure to low doses of neonicotinoid (NEO) insecticides during pregnancy may have a negative impact on the neurodevelopment of children. Biomarkers are frequently used to investigate the exposure and its health effects in environmental epidemiology. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the utility of urinary biomarkers of NEO exposure by calculating intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs). Urine samples were collected from 30 pregnant women who were non-smokers and living in a central part of Japan, between 12 and 22 weeks of gestation. We collected first morning voided (FMV) urine and afternoon spot (PM) urine samples on the same day on five occasions within a 2-week period. The urinary concentrations of NEO and their metabolites (NEO/m) were measured by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Normalisation to the specific gravity and creatinine concentration was used in the calculation of ICC. The number of urine samples required to obtain a reliable biomarker estimate of NEO exposure was calculated. The most frequently detected NEO/m was N-desmethyl-acetamiprid (N-dm-ACE), followed by clothianidin (CLO), thiamethoxam (THX) and dinotefuran (DIN), in both FMV and PM urine samples. The ICC calculations showed poor reproducibility for the measurement of CLO and THX concentrations (ICCs ≤0.25) in both FMV and PM urine samples and for DIN (ICC ≤0.29) in the FMV urine samples, and moderate reproducibility was identified for N-dm-ACE (ICC >0.60) in both FMV and PM urine samples and for DIN (ICC >0.40) in the PM urine samples. A minimum of 1–19 spot urine samples per individual was required to provide a reliable biomarker estimate over a 2 week period. These results suggest that pregnant Japanese women are frequently exposed to NEOs, and that, with the exception of urinary N-dm-ACE, a single measurement of urinary NEO concentrations may not be an appropriate method of characterising overall exposure.

Long-term examinations up to 20 years of performance ratio and degradation rate of different-type photovoltaic modules at central part of Japan

Performance ratio and degradation rate of various-type silicon-based photovoltaic modules, which are multi-crystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, amorphous silicon/multi-crystalline silicon tandem, and amorphous silicon/amorphous silicon germanium/amorphous silicon germanium three-stack, were investigated after long exposure period up to about 20 years from 2000 to 2020 at outdoor site in Shiga-prefecture, Japan. Moreover, meteorological elements such as ambient temperature, and solar irradiance at outdoor location were investigated for approximately 20 years. Outdoor spectral distribution was observed in a year. It is disclosed that monthly performance ratio of multi-crystalline silicon module is inversely proportional to ambient temperature, whereas that of the amorphous silicon and tandem modules is positively proportional to ambient temperature. Degradation rate of the amorphous silicon module is the highest (3.776 %/year), and that of the tandem module is the second highest (1.338 %/year) of all silicon-based silicon modules after light exposure in the first period of the installation of the modules (≤10 years), implying performance ratio of amorphous silicon and tandem modules are more decreased than other type (multi-crystalline silicon and three-stack) modules. With longer years of the installation up to 20 years, degradation rate of each type of the modules is further decreased, suggesting that silicon-based modules become more stable after longer light exposure time.

Estimation of annual energy generation of perovskite/crystalline Si tandem solar cells with different configurations in central part of Japan

Detailed balance limit of perovskite/Si tandem solar cells with two-terminal (2T), four-terminal (4T), and series parallel tandem (SPT) configurations was calculated under a constant bandgap (Eg-bottom) of 1.12 eV of Si bottom subcells. Performances in the 2T configuration are most influenced by the Eg-top, because Eg-top can result in current mismatching if Eg-top is not appropriate. The ideal Eg-top values are 1.73 eV for 2T, 1.82 eV for 4T, and 1.83 eV for SPT under standard AM1.5G spectrum. Consequently, with the ideal Eg-top values, the highest possible efficiency (η) values are 44.8% for 2T, 45.0% for 4T and 44.7% for SPT. Furthermore, detailed balance limit under actual outdoor environmental factors at Shiga-prefecture in Japan was scrutinized. It is found that the outdoor spectral variation has the significant impact on the efficiency limit especially in a case of 2T. Also, the outdoor solar spectra at this observed outdoor location mostly are the blue-rich spectra over a year. As a result, the perovskite/Si tandem solar cell with the large ideal Eg-top of 1.82 eV in 4T configuration is the most appropriate to generate the possible highest η, thereby resulting in the highest annual energy generation.

Hybridization of Two Species of Japanese Toads, Bufo torrenticola and Bufo japonicus formosus, in the Central Part of Japan.

Interspecific hybridization between two species of Japanese toads, Bufo torrenticola (Bt) and Bufo japonicus formosus (Bjf), was not thought to have occurred due to the differences in their spawning habitats, although their hybridization was reported by previous research in a limited area. Such hybridization could have pivotal effects, such as genetic admixture, on Bt, which has a limited distribution and habitat. In this study, to clarify the details of hybridization, a total of 192 individuals were collected from multiple parapatric regions and an only Bjf allopatric region and analyzed based on morphology, mtDNA sequences, and nuclear DNA microsatellite loci. Each individual was identified based on morphological type and mtDNA lineage, and two mismatched combinations, Bt or an intermediate morphological type and the Bjf mtDNA lineage, were detected. In particular, the combination of Bt type and Bjf lineage was dominant in parapatric regions, and it was considered that asymmetric hybridization in which Bjf became a matriline had occurred. In addition, a Bayesian clustering method based on the microsatellite loci was conducted to detect a genetic admixture of the two toad species. Individuals representing a combination of the Bt type and Bjf lineage in the parapatric regions were largely assigned to the Bt cluster or equally to both clusters. These results indicate that backcross with Bt has been repeated, and therefore the traits of Bt might be maintained in this study.

Influences of Meteorological Elements on Outdoor Performance Ratio of Various-Type Photovoltaic Modules in Central Part of Japan

Influences of Meteorological Elements on Outdoor Performance Ratio of Various-Type Photovoltaic Modules in Central Part of Japan

Carbon Isotope Composition and Its Variation of Particulate Organic Matter in River Waters from the Kuzuryu River System

Radioactive and stable carbon isotopes (14C and 13C) can serve as powerful tools for studying the dynamics of organic matter in aquatic systems. This study considered the transport of particulate organic matter in a river system, a main river and its tributary with different watershed conditions, using carbon isotopic signatures. The Kuzuryu River system is located at Fukui and Gifu Prefecture in the central part of Japan, and consists of a main river, Kuzuryu River, and its main tributary, the Hino River. River research was conducted at a fixed station in the lower reaches of both rivers during June to October in 2010. Suspended solid samples were collected from 85 L to 141 L of river water using a continuous-flow centrifugation. δ13C of organic matter in riverine suspended solids had –26.3‰ to –24.0‰ for the Kuzuryu River and –27.0‰ to –26.1‰ for the Hino River. The Δ14C values of the Kuzuryu and Hino samples were –168‰ to –87‰ and –209‰ to –143‰, respectively. The Δ14C values of Hino River were depleted in 14C rather than the Kuzuryu River. However, the carbon isotopes have correlations with the water level for both rivers. The differences in the particulate organic matter characteristics are explained by the distribution of paddy fields and forests in each watershed, and the differences in the supply of suspended solids from their watershed due to rainfall.

First field record of an introduced pet‐feeder cockroach, Blaptica dubia (Serville, 1838) (Blattidae, Blaberinae), in a temperate zone of Japan

AbstractThe expansion of the worldwide pet trade has increased the invasion risks from not only exotic pet animals, but also live feeder organisms for predatory pet animals. Here, we report the first field record of a tropical live feeder cockroach, Blaptica dubia (Serville, 1838), in the central part of Japan. This widely traded feeder insect may be able to colonize temperate zones because they were estimated to survive through two winters in Japan at temperatures close to the upper limits of their critical thermal minimum. Further field observations are needed to understand the behavior of this species in the wild and predict the risk of invasion in temperate zones.

2421Immunosuppressive therapy and prognosis in biopsy-proven fulminant lymphocytic myocarditis requiring veno-arterial extracorporeal membranous oxygenation support

Abstract Background Fulminant myocarditis is one of the fatal diseases for which effective management has not yet been established. Immunosuppressive therapy (IST) using corticosteroid has been actively applied to giant cell or eosinophilic myocarditis, there is no consensus on the efficacy of lymphocytic myocarditis, which is suspected of involving viral infection. Actually, IST for lymphocytic myocarditis is not recommended in the European Society of Cardiology guidelines, but in the Japanese Circulation Society guidelines, it is approved for use in refractory cases in the absence of curative therapy for myocarditis established. Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the potential efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy on acute phase in fulminant lymphocytic myocarditis (FLM) requiring veno-arterial extracorporeal membranous oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support. Method We conducted CHANGE-PUMP study that was retrospectively enrolled 99 patients with fulminant myocarditis required VA-ECMO support in the Tokai area (central part of Japan) for the past 20 years. Lymphocytic myocarditis was defined by pathological category. Patients were divided into two groups depending on whether IST using corticosteroid was performed in the clinical course. Results: Sixty-six patients were pathologically diagnosed as fulminant myocarditis by endomyocardial biopsy, of which only 49 patients were FLM. IST were indicated in 8 (16%) out of 49 patients of FLM (IST group; n=8, non-IST group; n=41). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a lower survival rate in the IST group than in the non-IST group (p=0.073). However, in all cases, based on our guidelines, IST was initiated after becoming refractory to MCS treatment. Immunosupressive therapy and prognosis Conclusion In the retrospective analysis, biopsy-proven FLM patients with IST required VA-ECMO support had low survival rates. However, the timing of IST introduction was late and concerned. In the present era when advanced mechanical support appears and the survival rate of fulminant myocarditis is expected to improve, a multicenter prospective study is needed to establish an indication of IST in the acute phase of fulminant myocarditis.

Genetic Identity Based on Whole-Genome SNP Array Data of Weedy Rice in Nagano, Japan

The rice production system in Japan is changing due to the aging of rice farmers, shortage of labor, mechanization, and increase of large-scale rice fields and increased application of direct sowing, all of which contribute to the lack of sophisticated weed management practices. Because the changing production system has not improved and likely worsened weed management practices, weedy rice (Oryza sativa L.) has become a serious threat to rice production in Japan. We analyzed weedy rice accessions from Nagano, the central part of Japan, and other rice accessions to elucidate the origin of this weedy rice using a whole-genome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. For developing sustainable weedy rice management practices, the elucidation of the origin of re-emerging weedy rice is crucial. Population genetic analysis indicated that weedy rice in Nagano was phylogenetically independent from the local red rice cultivar with low genetic diversity. Past and recently re-emerging weedy rice ecotypes in Nagano shared a similar genetic background which implies the evolution of weedy rice by severe natural selection. Window-based FST and selection sweep analysis revealed the divergence of some of the known key domestication-related genes, such as shattering gene sh4 and qsh1, of weedy rice from domesticated rice cultivars.

Detection of nineteen enteric viruses in raw sewage in Japan

One-year surveillance for enteric viruses in raw sewage was conducted in Kansai area, central part of Japan from July 2015 to June 2016. The raw sewage was collected monthly from an inlet polluted pool and was concentrated by polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation. Twelve sewage samples were screened for nineteen kinds of enteric viruses by using RT-PCR method and further analyzed by nucleotide sequencing. Twelve enteric viruses were found in the investigative sewage samples. Rotavirus A and norovirus GI and GII with several genotypes were detected all year round. Interestingly, norovirus GII.17 (Kawasaki-like strain) and rotavirus G2 that caused the outbreaks in Japan last epidemic season were also found in sewage. Moreover, adenovirus, astrovirus, sapovirus, bocavirus, human parechovirus, enterovirus, Aichi virus, Saffold virus and salivirus were also detected. Enterovirus D68 was detected only in the same month as those of enterovirus D68 outbreak in Japan. The rotavirus B and C, hepatitis A and E viruses, human cosavirus, bufavirus and rosavirus were not detected in this surveillance. The study provides the information on the enteric viruses contaminated in raw sewage, which is valuable for risk assessment. Our results imply that the viruses detected in sewage may be associated with infections in the Japanese population.

A new approach to prehistoric family systems from the viewpoint of pottery usage: Expanding the potential of archaeological information through contextual analysis

Many studies analysing various artefacts to investigate prehistoric residence and descent rules have focused both on stages of production and final disposal. The stage of usage within artefact life-history has not received much attention. This study develops the methodology for elucidating habitual attitudes to ceramics during their use-life by analysing their depositional contexts in the Jomon period of prehistoric Japan. The ultimate aim is to contribute to the argument about prehistoric family systems. My research materials are the intentionally deposited pottery embedded within house floors from Middle Jomon settlements in the central part of Japan. To understand the context of deposition in detail, precise in-situ contextual information was acquired through collating pottery photographs from all directions taken after post-excavation cleaning with the existing context photographs taken during excavation. The results showed that (i) pottery function was converted from a utilitarian to a ritual constituent during its life-history; (ii) one of the large settlements showed a unique preference in orientation of the deposited pottery, determined by focusing on the originally discoloured part on its surface. These results allowed me to confirm that the preference emerged at the stage of usage prior to functional conversion. Then, based on the fact that several houses within the settlement overlapped each other, and also on the long-standing interpretation of Jomon housing in general that house extension would often follow childbirth, I suggested that (i) coeval houses numbered around five; (ii) the preference in orientation of pottery in daily life was transmitted within a household. I finally proposed the tentative hypotheses that (i) the residents of the settlement with such a unique orientation preference was matrilocal; (ii) inhabitants having the orientation preference in the settlement were relatives of the inhabitants of the house at other settlements who kept the same preference in orientation of the intentionally deposited pottery. This study contributes to the re-evaluation of the existing archaeological remains to elucidate a high-resolution event, as well as to discussions about family systems of the Jomon period in its culmination.

Landslide detection using COSMO-SkyMed images: a case study of a landslide event on Kii Peninsula, Japan

ABSTRACTThe heavy rain induced by Typhoon Talas in 2011 caused deep-seated catastrophic landslides on Kii Peninsula in the central part of Japan. Remote-sensing techniques play a key role in natural disasters in terms of quick response and mitigation. We propose a quick response method for landslide mapping using high-resolution satellite images. For synthetic aperture radar analysis, pre- and post-disaster COSMO-SkyMed images were used to detect the landslide areas on Kii Peninsula. We investigated the potential for landslide detection using backscattering coefficient difference and intensity correlation. The difference in the backscattering coefficient or the intensity correlation reflects the land-cover change between pre- and post-disaster images. We also investigated the effects of speckle noise reduction filtering and window size. The detected landslide areas were compared with the area detected by EROS-B, which has a very high-resolution optical sensor. The optimal value of the F-measure (61.24%) was obtained within a 37 × 37 window size using the intensity correlation, with a 5 × 5 window size Frost filter. The precision and recall were 65.39% and 57.58%, respectively. The results confirm that rapid detection of a landslide at the initial stage could be effectively achieved using pre- and post-disaster COSMO-SkyMed images.

Atmospheric Concentration and Deposition Flux of Cosmogenic Beryllium-7 at Toki, Central Part of Japan

Atmospheric Concentration and Deposition Flux of Cosmogenic Beryllium-7 at Toki, Central Part of Japan

Relationship between the Geomorphology and Flooding in the Basin of the Kuzuryu in the Central Part of Japan

Relationship between the Geomorphology and Flooding in the Basin of the Kuzuryu in the Central Part of Japan

Social participation and mental health: moderating effects of gender, social role and rurality

BackgroundPrevious studies have reported that older people’s social participation has positive effects on their health. However, some studies showed that the impacts of social participation on health differ by gender. We sought to examine whether the effects of social participation on mental health differ for men and women in a Japanese population. We also examined the moderating influence of social position within the organization as well as urban/rural locality.MethodsWe used two waves of the Aichi Gerontological Evaluation Study’s longitudinal survey, which targeted residents with aged 65 years or over (n = 2,728) in a central part of Japan. The first wave survey was conducted in 2003, and the second wave in 2006. Depressive symptoms of the study participants were assessed using the short version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). A multilevel logistic regression model was used with individual-level as level 1 and the school district-level as level 2.ResultsWe found that higher social participation and performing key roles in the organization had protective effects on depressive symptoms for women. However, there were no main effects of these variables for the mental health of men. We found an interaction between social participation, organizational position, and rural residence among men only. That is, men who occupied leadership positions in organizations reported better mental health, but only in rural areas.ConclusionsOur findings support the notion that increasing the opportunities for social participation improves older people’s heath, especially for women. However, in the rural Japanese context, offering men meaningful roles within organizations may be important.

Effect of Rice-shaped Glucomannan Diet on Prevention and Improvement of Metabolic Syndromes in the Noto District of Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan

Noto Peninsula is located the north of the central part of Japan. Approximately 40% of the population is aged over 65 years. In this area, there is known to be a high consumption of rice. A total of 11 males and females with waist circumference of >= 80 cm were enrolled, and instructed to add rice-shaped glucomannan into their usual boiled rice at least two times a day for 3 or 6 months (33% calorie-off). Glucomannan is from Amorphophallus konjac and is a barely digestible polysaccharide. Body weight, %fat and waist circumference significantly decreased after the glucomannan diet for 3 months. Serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly decreased, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride tended to decrease. It is thought that a composition from glucide to triglyceride decreased in the abdominal adipose tissue and that dietary fiber with the glucomannan diet suppressed absorption of fat derived from meal. These results suggest that a glucomannan diet might be effective for prevention and improvement of metabolic syndrome without changing the quantity of meals.

Midterm outcome of risedronate therapy for patients with Paget’s disease of bone in the central part of Japan

Although Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is common in western countries, it is extremely rare in Asian ones including Japan. Recently, oral risedronate (17.5 mg once daily) was approved in Japan as a treatment of PDB besides calcitonin and etidronate. However, there are few data regarding the efficacy of this agent, dose for patients with PDB in Japan, or the durability of its effect. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the midterm outcome of oral risedronate (17.5 mg once daily) for patients with PDB in Japan. Seventeen patients with PDB were treated with risedronate (17.5 mg once daily) for 8 weeks. Efficacy and its durability were accessed based on serum total alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and symptoms. Risedronate effectively suppressed bone turnover evaluated with serum total ALP in all patients. In 8 of 10 patients with bone pain, risedronate reduced the pain. On the other hand, tinnitus and hearing loss did not disappear but somewhat improved. None of the patients suffered severe complications. Seven of 17 patients required readministration of oral bisphosphonate (risedronate, six; alendronate, one) due to elevated total ALP at 27 months (mean ranging from 9 to 39 months) after the initial administration of risedronate. Treatment of oral risedronate (17.5 mg once daily) for 8 weeks is safe and effective for patients with PDB in Japan. However, the durability of its effect is limited in some patients.

Anatomic distribution of hematolymphoid malignancies in the head and neck: 7 years of experience with 122 patients in a single institution

Conclusion: Most hematolymphoid malignancies in the head and neck were malignant lymphomas that most often occurred in sexagenarian men. Approximately 80% of them were B-cell lymphomas with a predominance of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in both nodal and extranodal sites. Our results were compatible with those in a previous study that was conducted in the central part of Japan. Objectives: This analysis was performed to describe the anatomic distribution of hematolymphoid malignancies that were diagnosed by biopsy in our department. Methods: Clinical medical records of 122 patients with hematolymphoid malignancies in the head and neck from January 2004 to December 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. The anatomic site of origin according to the histopathology of each malignancy was analyzed. Results: The incidence ratio of hematolymphoid malignancies was 15.1%. The male:female ratio was 2.3:1. Ages ranged from 17 to 89 years (median, 66). Of the 122 cases, 121 were lymphoid neoplasms (4 cases of Hodgkin lymphoma and 117 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma) and the remaining 1 was myeloid. The most common histopathology was DLBCL (54.9%), followed by follicular lymphoma (8.2%), and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (8.2%). Most commonly, the oropharynx (36.1%) and the cervical lymph node (34.4%) were affected.

Newly identified resting stage cells of diatoms from sediments collected in Ago Bay, central part of Japan

Resting stage cells of six diatom species, Actinoptychus senarius, Biddulphia alternans, Lithodesmium variabile, Odontella longicruris, O. mobiliensis, and Detonula pumila were newly identified from bottom sediments of Ago Bay, central Japan. The resting stage cells of A. senarius, B. alternans and L. variabile are very similar in morphology to their vegetative cells; hence, these resting stage cells areresting The resting stage cells of O. longicruris and O. mobiliensis closely resemble the vegetative cells in morphology, therefore, they are regarded as resting cells. However, they have some morphological differences compared with the vegetative cells, indicating a possibility of them being resting The resting stage cells of D. pumila are quite different in morphology from the vegetative cells; therefore, these areresting spores. The morphology of the resting spore of D. pumila is circular in valve view. In girdle view, each valve shows the same shape, slightly vaulted, and has a distinct mantle. As a com- mon feature of the resting stage cells of the six species, the plastids show a darker color than those of vegetative cells, and are positioned unevenly in the cells.