Gifu City Research Articles

Effects of Repeated Kurort Health Walking on Blood Pressure and Mental Health.

Background: The German word "kurort" means cure (kur) and area (ort), whereby a patient's health improves through walking in areas full of nature. A single session of kurort health walking (kurort) decreased high blood pressure and improved mental health. However, its continuing effect with repeat sessions remains unclear. Methods and Results: The subjects participated twice in kurort health walking in specially designated courses in Gifu City (n=242). Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and pulse rate (PR) were measured before and after kurort health walking. Mental health was assessed using a 10-item checklist after kurort health walking. Both basal SBP and DBP before walking were significantly decreased more in the second session than in the first. In both the first and second sessions SBP and DBP decreased, but the decrease in SBP (∆SBP) by kurort was significantly greater in the SBP ≥140- than in the SBP <140-mmHg group, SBP inversely correlated with ∆SBP, the decrease in DBP (∆DBP) was significantly greater in the DBP ≥90- than in the DBP <90-mmHg group, and DBP inversely correlated with ∆DBP. Mental health was similarly improved after both the first and second kurort. Conclusions: Basal SBP and DBP decreased more in the second than in the first kurort. The decrease in SBP and DBP, and improvement of mental health was noted after both sessions.

Association of TyG index with prehypertension or hypertension: a retrospective study in Japanese normoglycemia subjects.

The objective of our study was to investigate the potential association between the triglyceride and glucose (TyG) index and the occurrence of prehypertension or hypertension in a cohort of normoglycemic Japanese subjects. The NAGALA physical examination program was conducted in 1994 at Murakami Memorial Hospital in Gifu City, Japan. For our retrospective study, we selected 15,450 participants who had taken part in this program. Our aim was to explore the potential link between the TyG index, a surrogate marker for insulin resistance, and the presence of prehypertension (pre-HTN) or hypertension (HTN). Our analysis included adjustments for clinical demographic attributes and serum biomarkers. Logistic regression was employed to assess the relationship between the TyG index and the likelihood of pre-HTN or HTN. A total of 15,450 study subjects were included in our analysis. Notably, the prevalence of both pre-HTN and HTN displayed an ascending trend with increasing quartiles of the TyG index. In our comprehensive multivariable logistic regression analysis, when evaluating TyG as a continuous variable, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for pre-HTN was OR 1.31 [95% CI 1.11-1.56], while for HTN, it was OR 1.76 [95% CI 1.24-2.5] within the fully adjusted model (model 3). When TyG was stratified into quartiles within model 3, the adjusted ORs for pre-HTN were OR 1.16 [95% CI 1.02-1.31], OR 1.22 [95% CI 1.06-1.41], and OR 1.31 [95% CI 1.08-1.59], respectively, using quartile 1 as the reference. The adjusted ORs for HTN in quartiles 2, 3, and 4 were OR 1.22 [95% CI 0.89-1.66], OR 1.4 [95% CI 1.02-1.91], and OR 1.48 [95% CI 1.02-2.15], respectively, within the same model and analysis, with quartile 1 as the reference. Subgroup analysis indicated that the TyG index exhibited a significant positive correlation with the risk of hypertension or prehypertension, except in the subgroup aged ≥65 years. Our study highlights a robust correlation between the TyG index and the likelihood of pre-HTN or HTN in normoglycemic Japanese subjects. This underscores the potential clinical relevance of the TyG index in refining early hypertension management strategies. Nonetheless, the validation of these findings necessitates larger studies with extended follow-up periods.

Reduction in Patient Waiting Times in Pharmacies by a Protocol to Minimize Inquiries to Doctors under an Agreement between a Hospital and Community Pharmacies

Cooperative care between hospitals and community pharmacies is important to safe and effective pharmacotherapy for outpatients. We developed a protocol comprising three agreements about alternative drugs and dosing schedules with the aim of minimizing inquiries about prescriptions to doctors. The protocol was implemented under an agreement between core hospitals in Gifu City and community pharmacy members of the Gifu City Pharmaceutical Association from October 2019. Here, we examined the impact of this protocol on patient waiting time in pharmacies. Before introduction of the protocol, median patient waiting time for questionable prescriptions requiring an inquiry to a doctor was significantly longer than that for prescriptions not requiring an inquiry (23.0 min vs. 10.0 min, p<0.001). After introduction of the protocol, median time for prescriptions which were questionable but nevertheless under the protocol did not require an inquiry to a doctor was significantly reduced compared with those which were questionable and still did require an inquiry (15.0 min vs. 24.0 min, p=0.038). In conclusion, introduction of a protocol aimed at minimizing inquiries about prescriptions to doctors from a community pharmacy was useful in reducing the waiting time of patients, and also likely in decreasing the working times of medical doctors and pharmacists.

Thermal Impact by Open-Loop Geothermal Heat Pump Systems in Two Different Local Underground Conditions on the Alluvial Fan of the Nagara River, Gifu City, Central Japan

An alluvial fan is a good area to install open-loop geothermal heat pump (GHP) systems due to shallower aquifers, faster groundwater flow, and fewer land subsidence risks. The natural temperature change in groundwater occurs in alluvial fans due to the recharge of river water and faster groundwater flow, and the thermal impact of the open-loop system has not been studied well in such areas. The purpose of this research is to understand the thermal impact of open-loop GHP systems on an alluvial fan. A regional 3D model of groundwater flow with heat transport was created to determine the distribution of flow velocity and temperature of groundwater. After that, two local models with different groundwater velocities were constructed to demonstrate the thermal impact of an open-loop GHP system using one extraction and one injection well. The results indicated that the local model with faster groundwater flow had a smaller thermal impact. The natural temperature change in groundwater causes groundwater temperature to be lower in the summer and higher in winter during the operation in the local model, with faster groundwater flow.

Characterization of the bacterial community structure in traditional Gifu ayu-narezushi (fermented sweetfish)

In this study, we aimed to elucidate the bacterial biota of ayu-nazushi, which is a fermented salted fish dish made in Gifu City, Japan. In traditional Gifu ayu-nazushi, Lactobacillaceae (mainly Latilactobacillus sakei) was the most dominant family, followed by Enterobacteriaceae. Moreover, fermentation bacteria in ayu-nazushi came from the salted fish, and the bacterial biota in the ayu-nazushi transferred as the fermentation process progressed. In the early stage of fermentation, Leuconostoc mesenteroides was main species, and then in the late stage, L.sakei became predominant. We also observed that when non-salted fish was used for the manufacture of ayu-nazushi, Aeromonas veronii, which is a pathogen for humans, was observed in significant quantities. These results indicate that L.sakei and L.mesenteroides were influential lactic acid bacteria for the fermentation of Gifu ayu-narezushi, and that salting treatment of the fish is an indispensable step in the manufacturing process in order to suppress the growth of Aeromonas species.

Kurort Health Walking Preferentially Decreases Higher Blood Pressure and Improves Mood.

Background: Kurort is a German term from the words kur (cure) and ort (area), and refers to improvements in patients’ health in areas full of nature. We investigated the effect of kurort health walking in the 2 urban-style kurort health walking courses opened in Gifu City on systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate, and mood.Methods and Results: The subjects were 454 people (136 males, 318 females; mean [±SD] age 61.7±9.9 years) taking part in kurort health walking for the first time. SBP, DBP, and heart rate were measured before and after kurort health walking. Mood was assessed using a 10-item checklist after kurort health walking. Kurort health walking significantly decreased SBP and DBP and increased heart rate. The decrease in SBP was significantly greater in the SBP ≥140 than <140 mmHg group, indicating that SBP before Kurort health walking was inversely correlated with the change in SBP. Similarly, the decrease in DBP was significantly greater in the DBP ≥90 than <90 mmHg group, indicating that DBP before kurort health walking was also inversely correlated with the change in DBP. All 10 items on the mood assessment were significantly improved after kurort health walking.Conclusions: Kurort health walking preferentially decreases higher blood pressure and improves mood.

Antimicrobial resistance in Enterobacteriaceae isolated from arthropods in Gifu City, Japan.

The wide occurrence of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria in various environments is of great concern. Here, we examined the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Enterobacteriaceae isolated from 88 wild arthropods, collected in Gifu city, Japan. In total, 168 isolates of Enterobacteriaceae were obtained from 61 arthropods. All isolates were susceptible to all the antimicrobial agents tested, except colistin (31 isolates) and kanamycin (one isolate). The aph(3')-Ia gene, responsible for kanamycin resistance, was detected in Klebsiella oxytoca. Although synanthropic arthropods (houseflies and cockroaches) serve as vectors for AMR Enterobacteriaceae, other wild arthropods are not crucial carriers of Enterobacteriaceae resistant to antimicrobial agents.

Continuous prevalence of VEB‐3 extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase‐producing Aeromonas hydrophila in a local river in gifu city, Japan

Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and resistance determinants are of great concern to human and veterinary medicine worldwide. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria are resistant to broad-spectrum cephalosporins. ESBL-producing isolates, including those carrying blaCTX, blaPER, blaVEB, and blaGES, have been reported from rivers in several countries.1 In a study performed in 2018, using next-generation sequencing (NGS), we identified Aeromonas hydrophila K36 carrying both blaVEB-3 (accession number: LC570768) and blaCTX-M-14 (accession number: LC570769) in the surface water of the Ijira River flowing through Gifu City in central Japan. We conducted a longitudinal study between April and November 2019. ESBL producers were isolated from surface water collected at the same site (Table 1), as described in the supporting information (Methods for ESBL isolation). ESBL genes found in A. hydrophila included blaVEB-3, blaCTX-M-14, blaCTX-M-3, and blaGES-3. A. hydrophila harboring blaVEB-3 was consistently isolated from all samples, except those collected in July, August, and October 2019 (Table 1). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) revealed seven clades (pulsotypes 1–7 [PT1–PT7]) having 90% pattern similarity; while most isolates in April were classified as PT3, divergent PTs were observed after May 2019 (Figure S1). VEB-type ESBL producers have been reported in several Asian countries.1 Although blaVEB has not been reported in Japan, VEB-3 ESBL producers were found to be consistently present in surface water. Additionally, A. hydrophila harboring both blaVEB-3 and blaCTX-M-14 was found. PFGE analysis classified A. hydrophila K36 isolated in April 2018 as PT1, which contained all the isolates harboring blaVEB-3 and blaCTX-M-14 obtained between April and May 2019 (Figure S1). Our results indicate the long-term presence of A. hydrophila harboring blaVEB-3, with or without blaCTX-M-14, in the surface water. CTX ESBL producers were isolated intermittently (Table 1). A. caviae harboring blaCTX-M-3 was isolated in August. CTX ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were also isolated; E. coli (blaCTX-M-1, blaCTX-M-14, blaCTX-M-15, blaCTX-M-27, and blaCTX-M-55) was isolated in April, June, July, August, and October 2019, and K. pneumoniae (blaCTX-M-15) was isolated in August 2019. Sewage treatment facilities are located downstream (approximately 3.5 km) of the sampling point; therefore, the intermittent prevalence of CTX ESBL producers in the river water might be associated with domestic animals, such as companion and food-producing animals. In conclusion, this study showed a continuous prevalence of VEB-3 ESBL-producing A. hydrophila in a river in Japan. Additionally, multiple species of CTX ESBL-producing bacteria were found in the river. The persistence of ESBL-producing bacteria in the water environment poses a risk due to the transfer of bacteria via wild birds to other locations and via water supply to plants. The global action plan on antimicrobial resistance has been promoted in Japan. As has been proposed, we need to understand the relationship between trends and antimicrobial use in plants, the environment, humans, and animals.2-4 Our study could contribute to the development of this One Health approach. These findings require validation and research to clarify the source of resistant bacteria in the environment and to control their dissemination to humans and animals. The contig sequences of the A. hydrophila K36 strain were deposited in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank databases under the following accession numbers: LC570768 and LC570769. The sequences of ESBL genes, blaGES-3 (accession number: LC598227) and blaPER-3 (accession number: LC598226), in A. hydrophila and caviae, respectively, were also deposited in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank databases. This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (grant number 18H04073). We would like to thank Editage (www.editage.com) for English language editing. The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.

Community Development in Gifu City: With the Excursion Report from Northern Historical Area to the Central Commercial Zone

Community Development in Gifu City: With the Excursion Report from Northern Historical Area to the Central Commercial Zone

Diversity of aquatic Pythium and Phytopythium spp. from rivers and a pond of Gifu city, Japan

Pythiaceous fungi have variety of occurrences in different environments. If these fungi are present in water intended to irrigate crops, they pose high risk as pathogens. Pythium adhaerens, P. aquatile, P. diclinum, P. dissotocum, P. pachycaule and P. torulosum, in addition to asexual isolates of P. dissotocum (Pythium “group F”) and Phytopythium helicoides (the former, Pythium “group P”) were isolated from 5 rivers and a pond in Gifu, Japan, and their diversity were studied. All of the isolated species have been previously recorded from aquatic habitats except for P. pachycaule. Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer regions of ribosomal DNA (rDNA-ITS) including the 5.8SrDNA of these fungi confirmed primary identification based on morphological characteristics. This study proves the dense presence of different species of these Pythiaceous fungi, based on the latest modern identification methods, through which a new genus of Pythium was recorded and divided into two species. The aim of this study was to study the biological diversity of Pythium, which is pathologically important for many crop plants that are irrigated with water from these five rivers and the pond in Gifu, Japan.

Multivariate and Bayesian Network Analyses of the Factors Causing Belief Conflicts That Deteriorate Teamwork and Cause Stress among Pharmacists during Proposals and Inquiries of Prescription

Pharmacists working in collaboration with doctors are mainly involved in proposals and inquiries of prescription. At such times, belief conflicts are expected to deteriorate teamwork and induce stress. However, there is no strong evidence for this. To clarify factors resulting in belief conflicts, we conducted a survey among 594 pharmacists working at medical institutions in Gifu City and belonging to Gifu Pharmaceutical Association or Gifu Prefectural Society of Hospital Pharmacists between January 2019 and April 2019. The items of the survey were gender, place of employment, pharmacist working experience (years), awareness of "professional competencies for pharmacists" stated in Model Core Curriculum for Pharmacy Education -2015 version-, whether each item of "professional competencies for pharmacists" is applicable to himself/herself or not, whether teamwork deteriorates and stress occurs due to proposals and inquiries of prescription or not, and Assessment of Belief Conflict in Relationship-14 (ABCR-14). The recovery rate of the questionnaire was 50.3% and the valid response rate was 77.6%. Multiple logistic regression and Bayesian network analyses revealed that "I can empathize with a patient's feelings and emotions, but I experience difficulty with unfair criticism" commonly resulted in teamwork deterioration due to proposals of prescription. "Pharmacist working experience years (more than 10 years)" and "The other staff make unreasonable demands of me in the work" commonly resulted in stress. Thus, belief conflicts in therapeutic relationships result in teamwork deterioration and stress in prescription proposals.

Transformative instruction as affirmation intervention: an activity-theoretical study of children’s agency and responsible learning in a Japanese elementary school

This article aims to illuminate forms of transformative instructional practices that encourage a sense of agency, responsibility, and motivation in student learning by intervening in their self-affirmation. Self-affirmation is subjective work done to create and construct new meaning while preserving a sense of personal integrity, competence, social belonging, and purpose in coping with threatening events in educational settings. In this article, transformative instructional practices, such as enhancing children’s self-affirmation, which are embodied in collaborative and purposeful activities at school, are conceptualized through the framework of cultural–historical activity theory. The data used in this article were obtained from ethnographic research on pedagogical practices in a municipal elementary school in Gifu City, Japan. Based on an analysis of some typical examples from the collected data, it was concluded that the transformative instructional practice in schools that necessarily accompanies the intervention in self-affirmation is realized through expansive learning by children. This expansive learning is learning in which children themselves independently collaborate and create a society-oriented system of learning activity that can promote and support the affirmation of a self-oriented system.

Relationship between Air Temperature Parameters and the Number of Deaths Stratified by Cause in Gifu Prefecture, Japan.

Objective: It is well known that air temperature is closely related to health outcomes. We investigated the relationship between air temperature parameters and the number of deaths stratified by cause in Gifu prefecture, Japan. Methods: The number of deaths stratified by cause in Gifu prefecture Japan between January 2007 and December 2016 was obtained from the official homepage of Gifu prefecture, Japan. Air temperature parameters (°C), i.e., the mean air temperature, mean of the highest air temperature, mean of the lowest air temperature, the highest air temperature, and the lowest air temperature during the same period in Gifu city were also obtained from the Japan Meteorological Agency official home page. The relationship between air temperature parameters and the number of deaths was evaluated in an ecological study. Results: The number of deaths due to heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, pneumonia, accidents, or renal failure in January (coldest winter season in Japan) was the highest among the months. Simple correlation analysis also demonstrated a significant and negative relationship between air temperature parameters and the number of deaths due to heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, senility, pneumonia, accidents, and renal failure. Conclusion: Lower air temperature may be associated with a higher number of deaths due to diseases in Gifu prefecture, Japan.

Older adults’ residential environments in suburban neighborhoods in Gifu city: Challenges in enabling age-friendly cities

Older adults’ residential environments in suburban neighborhoods in Gifu city: Challenges in enabling age-friendly cities

Developing and Verifying the Efficacy of "Educational Program for Promoting Appropriate Self-medication via Pharmacies and Pharmacists": A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Utilization of community pharmacies/pharmacists is important for promoting appropriate self-medication; however, appropriate self-medication via pharmacies/pharmacists has not been well-implemented in Japan. Based on the transtheoretical model of health behavior change, we constructed an Educational Program for Promoting Appropriate Self-medication via Pharmacies and Pharmacists to inform the public about the assistive services of pharmacies/pharmacists regarding self-medication and the use of medication notebooks for self-medications. We then tested the efficacy of the program through a randomized controlled trial. The subjects were residents living around Gifu City, aged 20 years and above, and recruited through posters and pamphlets. The subjects were randomly allocated to a group that received only a medication/health class (control group) or one that received the medication/health class, as well as the educational program (intervention group). A questionnaire was administered immediately before the medication/health class (T1) and 2 months afterwards (T2), which allowed us to evaluate and compare the changes in the two groups' behavior regarding performing appropriate self-medication via pharmacies/pharmacists. The percentage of people who began consulting with pharmacists concerning self-medication was significantly higher among the intervention group (38.2%, 13/34) than the control group (14.3%, 4/28) (p = 0.047). The percentage of people who began recording details of self-medication in their medication notebooks was significantly higher among the intervention group (38.2%, 13/34) than the control group (10.7%, 3/28) (p = 0.019). The educational program effectively encouraged the public to adopt appropriate self-medication practices to avail the services provided by pharmacies/pharmacists.

Discovery of an unrecorded population of Yamato salamander (Hynobius vandenburghi) by GIS and eDNA analysis

AbstractBackgroundBiodiversity loss is a serious environmental problem, and human activities might be primarily responsible for the marked decline in animal populations globally. Amphibians, in particular, have significantly decreased in number in recent decades. One example is the endangered Yamato salamander (Hynobius vandenburghi), which is distributed in Central Japan and has a very restricted distribution in Gifu Prefecture.AimsWe aimed to discover new populations of H. vandenburghi using a combination of GIS and environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis.Materials &amp; MethodsFirstly, we designed two primer sets for amplifying Hynobius species targeting mitochondrial 12S rRNA and cytochrome b genes. Next, we performed aquarium experiments to detect H. vandenburghi DNA in aquarium water. We also conducted sequential eDNA detection surveys in five known habitats in Gifu City, Japan, 17 times from January to August 2016. Following these basic eDNA studies, we used GIS to characterize the vegetation and topography of known habitats of H. vandenburghi. We collected water samples in the potential habitats identified by GIS and analyzed eDNA for the presence of H. vandenburghi using the designed primers. Finally, we conducted physical collection surveys in these potential habitats.ResultsWe successfully developed two Hynobius‐specific primer sets and detected H. vandenburghi eDNA in aquarium water. The eDNA of the target species was detected in almost all (94%–100%) samples from four habitats, whereas only 29% of samples were positive for one habitat. We identified five potential habitats by GIS analysis. The DNA of H. vandenburghi was detected in three of five potential habitats. Finally, we discovered a new population in one of the potential sites.DiscussionOur approach combining GIS and eDNA enabled the detection of novel population of an endangered amphibian species. This study was conducted by high school students under the supervision of teachers with the help of university researchers, suggesting the applicability of eDNA studies as a tool of citizen science.ConclusionThe combination of GIS and eDNA will allow to detect cryptic populations on which conservation efforts may be focused and to alert people to the need for conservation action.

LONG TERM CHANGES IN FLOODING AROUND GIFU CITY

Abstract. Heavy rainfall within a short period and consequent high river discharge are results in floods which subsequently creates huge infrastructure problems for areas, such huge economic deficits in production as well as damages to existing property and goods, even loss of human lives. In about hundred years ago the flat-land around the Kiso Three Rivers system (the catchment areas of the Kiso River, Nagara River, and Ibi River are called the Kiso Three River system) included Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture of Japan, was frequently damaged by inundation after heavy rainfall. Our research aims to evaluate flood risk changes by river improvement in the Kiso Three River system fin the past hundred years. For that reason, we simulated in several times on flood inundation in the large, medium and low scale case in the urban area of Gifu city with 2D flood inundation model, and compared the distribution of flood depth. The results, the flood inundation area in urban area for small scale flood disaster dramatically is reduced from 3.82 km2 in the past time to 0.48 km2 in the current time with the progress of river infrastructure improvement. However flooded area in urban area for large and middle scale disaster show the almost same. It is suggested that flood risks in urban area are dramatically improved for only small disaster.

Knowledge of diabetes and its determinants: a cross-sectional study among adults in a Japanese community

ObjectiveTo assess general knowledge of diabetes and its determinants among adult men and women in a Japanese community.SettingA cross-sectional study with the residential registry in Gifu City. Blood tests were...

Small Wind Power Potential in Six Cities at Gifu Prefecture, Japan

Wind energy is one of the economic renewable sources and a valuable supplement to conventional energy sources. Small wind power generator can be used for substitution of conventional energy source. The main objective of the present study is to estimate small wind power potential using wind speed data. The result shows, the highest maximum wind power potential was found in Gifu city it was 4.77 watt. However, the total wind power potential at 2016-2017 the highest is 50365.62 Kwh in Gero city and the lowest was found in Gujo city with only 884.32 Kwh. The potential for wind power was strongly influenced by the geological condition and seasonal change. The high the potential of small wind power found in March-May, this time changes the season from winter to spring or spring. Gero city, Gifu city, and Takayama city have the potential to install small wind power generator, but not recommended for Gujo city and Nakatsugawa city.

Questionnaire Survey on Collaboration with Medical Facilities/Nursing Home Care Facilities at Community Pharmacies

Construction of regional inclusive care system is being promoted and pharmacists are required to implement multidisciplinary collaboration in order to provide appropriate pharmaceutical care to patients. However, there are few studies on collaboration between medical facilities and community pharmacies. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire survey of community pharmacies in Gifu City, which assessed the experience and attitudes regarding collaboration with other medical facilities. The survey items are: I. Participation in regional care meetings, II. Case discussion conferences, III. Joint workshops/study conferences, IV. Community service, V. Sharing information through medical cooperation network, and VI. Accompanying community pharmacists at home medical care. For the implementation of collaboration, the percentage of "not implemented" were as high as 70% or more in II, IV, V and VI. Regarding the attitudes toward collaboration, more than half of pharmacies answered that they wanted to implement in all items. In the comparison by the number of pharmacists, pharmacies with two or more pharmacists had significantly higher implementation ratios than pharmacies with one pharmacist in IV and V. Regarding the attitudes toward collaboration, pharmacies with two or more pharmacists had significantly higher ratios of considering implementation than pharmacies with one pharmacist in I and VI. Based on the results of this survey, there were many items that were not implemented as collaboration with other medical facilities at community pharmacies. However, many community pharmacies are planning to collaborate with other medical facilities in the future.