Kinki Area Research Articles

Intake of seafood in Kinki Area

Intake of seafood in Kinki Area

Long-period ground motion simulation in the Kinki area during the MJ 7.1 foreshock of the 2004 off the Kii peninsula earthquakes

AbstractLong-period (5–20 s) ground motion simulations in the Kinki area during theMJ7.1 foreshock of the 2004 off the Kii peninsula earthquakes are performed. We construct a three-dimensional underground structure model that includes the source region and Osaka basin area to confirm propagation-path effects of crustal structure on long-period ground motions. Finite difference (FD) simulations by our three-dimensional underground structure model agree well with long-period observed ground motions at several rock sites in the Kinki area. We found that a sedimentary wedge structure along the Nankai trough amplifies and elongates long-period ground motions from this event. We also examine the effect of source depth for this event by comparing the observed with synthetic waveforms. These results suggest that precise modeling of the shallower parts of the underground structure, such as the sedimentary wedge, are quite important for long-period ground motion simulation of the hypothetical Nankai and Tonankai earthquakes.

Statistics of IUFD in KINKI area

Statistics of IUFD in KINKI area

Systematization of collecting used items for reuse and recycle in the Kinki area

Systematization of collecting used items for reuse and recycle in the Kinki area

Enhancement of Administrative Framework on Environmental and Landscape Management in National Agricultural Development Project in Kinki Area

Enhancement of Administrative Framework on Environmental and Landscape Management in National Agricultural Development Project in Kinki Area

In vitro activity of β-lactams and quinolones against AmpC β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli

We studied the antimicrobial susceptibility of AmpC beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli isolates collected at ten medical institutions in the Kinki area of Japan during a 6-month period (November 2002 through April 2003). Of 2845 E. coli isolates tested, 29 (1.0%) showed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for cefazolin of more than 8 microg/ml and were three-dimensional extract test positive. In standard inoculum susceptibility tests against these 29 strains, the MIC90s for the four carbapenems tested ranged from 0.06 microg/ml to 0.5 microg/ml, and these compounds were more active than the other beta-lactams, with meropenem being the most active. The MIC90s for beta-lactams, except carbapenems, ranged from 4 microg/ml to 32 microg/ml, with cefepime being the most active. In high inoculum susceptibility tests against these strains, the MIC90s for the four carbapenems and cefepime were 8 microg/ml or less, and these compounds were more active than other beta-lactams. The MIC90s for beta-lactams, except carbapenems and cefepime, were 32 microg/ml or more. The MIC90s for the five quinolones tested ranged from 4 microg/ml to 16 microg/ml, and the order of increasing susceptibility was ciprofloxacin > levofloxacin, gatifloxacin and pazufloxacin > prulifloxacin.

The influence of time, sex and geographic factors on levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoate in human serum over the last 25 years.

Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) are important perfluorochemicals (PFCs) in various applications. Recently, it has been shown that these chemicals are widespread in the environment, wildlife and humans. But the kinds of factors that affect their levels in serum are unclear, and it is also not clear whether exposure to them is increasing or not. To investigate the impacts of time, geographical location and sex on the levels of these chemicals, we measured PFOS and PFOA concentrations in human sera samples collected both historically and recently in Miyagi, Akita and Kyoto Prefectures in Japan. The PFOS and PFOA levels in sera [Geometric Mean (Geometric Standard Deviation)] (microg/L) in 2003 ranged from 3.5 (2.9) in Miyagi to 28.1 (1.5) in Kyoto for PFOS and from 2.8 (1.5) to 12.4 (1.4) for PFOA. Historical samples collected from females demonstrated that PFOS and PFOA concentrations have increased by factors of 3 and 14, respectively, over the past 25 yr. There are large sex differences in PFOS and PFOA concentrations in serum at all locations. Furthermore, there are predominant regional differences for both PFOS and PFOA concentrations. In Kyoto the concentrations of PFOA in dwellers who had lived in the Kinki area for more than 2 yr were significantly higher than in people who had recently moved into the area, in both sexes. This finding suggests that there are sources of PFOA in the Kinki area that have raised the PFOA serum levels of its inhabitants. Further studies are needed to elucidate these sources in the Kinki area of Japan.

Interannual-Interdecadal Variation in Large-Scale Atmospheric Circulation and Extremely Wet and Dry Summers in China/Japan during 1951-2000 Part I: Spatial Patterns

This is the first part of a two-part study that seeks links between summer rainfall variability in China/Japan and the large-scale circulation over the East Asia/western Pacific region, in both space and time, for the period of 1951-2000. Part I focuses on the spatial patterns, while Part II on the dominant timescales with which some extremely wet and dry summers in these two countries may have occurred. In this part, we use the singular value decomposition (SVD) method to find the dominant covariance patterns of summer rainfall anomalies over 160 stations in China and 72 stations in Japan, and the regional 500 hPa geopotential height anomaly over 60°E-160°W, 20°S-70°N. The associated 850 hPa horizontal wind patterns are studied by linear regression against the temporal coefficients of these modes. For a positive temporal coefficient, SVD1 represents a north-south wave pattern: a blocking high over eastern Siberia, a southwestward advanced and intensified subtropical high, and an elongated mid-latitude low in between. This mode mainly represents wet/dry trends over the 50-year period in the following regions: wetter summers in the Yangtze River valley and southwestern Japan, and drier summers in northern China and the Kinki area of Japan after the climate regime shift in the late 1970s. SVD2 and SVD3 are a pair of north-south wave patterns over the East Asia/western Pacific region with their phases in quadrature. The dominance of SVD2 or SVD3 implies a shift of the main rain band in China across the Yangtze River in the north-south direction, in association with very different rainfall patterns in Japan—either most of Japan experiences above- or below-normal rainfall in the same summer due to SVD2, or rainfall anomalies are opposite in sign between the Pacific side and the Sea of Japan side due to SVD3. These three dominant SVD spatial patterns, with their positive and negative phases, represent six dominant patterns of the western Pacific subtropical high and the mid-latitude wave systems in the regional large-scale circulation, in association with six main rain patterns in the two countries. The temporal behaviors of these modes will be further studied with wavelet and composite analyses in Part II.

Evaluation of MicroScan ESBL confirmation panel for Enterobacteriaceae-producing, extended-spectrum β-lactamases isolated in Japan

We assessed use of the MicroScan ESBL confirmation panel (Dade Behring, Tokyo, Japan) for the detection of eight Enterobacteriaceae-producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) species. Of 137 bacterial strains isolated from patients in 32 hospitals in the Kinki area of Japan, 91 produced ESBL and comprised 60 bacteria (of E. coli, K. oxytoca, and K. pneumoniae) targeted by the NCCLS ESBL test and 31 non-target bacteria such as chromosomal AmpC-producing bacteria (e.g., Serratia marcescens, Enterobacter spp.). Sensitivity and specificity of the MicroScan panel for the target bacteria were 92% and 93%, respectively; sensitivity and specificity for non-target bacteria were 52% and 100%, respectively. There were 20 ESBL-positive strains that were not inhibited by clavulanic acid in the MicroScan panel (3 of 32 ESBL-producing E. coli strains, 1 of 24 K. pneumoniae, 1 of 4 K. oxytoca, 8 of 13 E. cloacae, and 7 of 14 S. marcescens), and most of them were bacteria not targeted by the NCCLS test. In 19 of the 20 strains, the synergy effect of clavulanic acid was observed in the modified-double-disk synergy test using only the cefepime-disk. Because these strains had high MICs of ≥ 16 μg/ml for cephamycins such as cefoxitin and cefmetazole, these strains might produce high levels of AmpC in addition to ESBL. The MicroScan ESBL confirmation panel showed excellent performance in detecting target, but not other bacteria. Addition of cefepime and clavulanic acid to the MicroScan panel may significantly improve detection of non-target bacteria.

1013 住民参加型家庭用新エネルギー供給システムの開発

Neighboring Co-Generation (NCG) System is created to present the comfortable and high quality living environment, using combined power and heat (CHP) technologies. The key concept of this system is to connect the home and home for one loop of heat transfer line and level or manage the demand of heat consumption in the small community with high internet practice. This system is expected to optimum the heat utilization and to aim the higher efficiency than stand alone of the distributed generation system. And further expectation for the system is that this system will contribute to save energy, which is equivalent to abate over 50% of CO2 emission from homes due to the higher efficiency of CHP. In urban area of Kinki area, approximate 55% inhabitants live in condominium. Then introduction of the system will be expected to be able to cntribute to achieve CO2 abatement target for the Kyoto protocol. This system will also increase the availability of the co-generation system and improve the heat use management. For the realization of this system, the study group is established in AIST Kansai Center recently and the combination technologies of heat supply, heat storage and air conditioning are under development besides the Information Technologies (IT) application. This paper describes the new idea of energy supply system with participation of inhabitants for the energy network system.

Hospital outbreak of MEN-1-derived extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae

An outbreak of Klebsiella pneumoniae resistant to broad spectrum cephalosporins occurred in a hospital in the Kinki area in Japan. During 18 months, from February 1998 to July 1999, 23 strains were isolated from 21 patients (10 with pneumonia, 4 with urinary tract infection, 1 with sepsis, 1 with vaginosis, 1 with a wound infection, and 1 with both pneumonia and sepsis; 3 patients showed noninfective colonization with K. pneumoniae) in seven wards, including the intensive care unit. MEN-1-derived gene was detected by polymerase chain reaction from the majority of the strains. Ninety-nine strains of K. pneumoniae were isolated during this period. The isolation rate of K. pneumoniae resistant to broad spectrum cephalosporins was 21%. We distinguished three clones by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis, and one of them was isolated from 18 patients. The presence of an R-plasmid of more than 160 kb was confirmed by plasmid analysis, but it was not possible to obtain transconjugants from all strains. This outbreak of K. pneumoniae was immediately confirmed by genetic analysis, and it was promptly ended by the infection control procedures. This is the first hospital outbreak of MEN-1-producing K. pneumoniae in Japan.

Report of questionnaire survey for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in the Kinki District

An epidemiological investigation for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) was performed at 22 medical institutes in Kinki area by the questionnaire from Kinki Infection Working Group in 1998. The isolation frequencies of MRSA and PRSP, including penicillin-intermediate resistant S. pneumoniae (PISP), were 61.5 and 45.8%, respectively. As compared to the previous data of MRSA in the Kinki area of 1997, the increase of MRSA was recognized. A single infection with MRSA was 49.5% and simultaneous pathogen detected with MRSA was Candida species. On the other hand, a single infection with PRSP including PISP, was 36.4% and simultaneous pathogen with PRSP was Haemophilus influenzae. Vancomycin, teicoplanin, ST and arbekacin showed good activity against MRSA. PRSP and PISP had low activity to ampicillin and erythromycin.

鉄道駅構内における地域施設の複合化実態と鉄道駅への施設成立可能性の評価モデルに関する研究

This research aims to grasp the actual conditions of mixed-use in railway stations of a private company in Kinki area and the compound factors. We analyzed existence of facilities located in the surveyed railway stations by the theory of quantification 1 with four factors such as number of passengers, types of junction, land use zones and forms of station. It is clarified that the model expressed with the theory can predict how much feasibility of mixed use in a railway station. Finally, we discussed the influence of the mixed facilities on distribution patterns of community facilities around the railway stations.

Differences among Dishes Offered at principal Shinto Shrines in the Kinki Area

Differences among Dishes Offered at principal Shinto Shrines in the Kinki Area

Water-Scape Planning Research in New Town

Sunao NISHIMURA, Naoto TANAKA, Masashi KAWASAKI This paper aims to arrange historical changes of the water-scape planning, as the basic research on design of artificial space such as New Town. In this paper we surveyed water-scape of New Town constructed in Kinki area after 1960, based on design survey and interview with the designers. As people ask for amenity of the water-scape, the theme of water-scape planning have shifted from only in the park to the whole New Town. In such situation, We can clear the trend of waterscape planning that is getting diverse from the point of location, system and design.

The Wide Area Examination on Torrent Water in Kinki Area;

The Wide Area Examination on Torrent Water in Kinki Area;

Molecular typing of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolates in Japan by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was applied for molecular typing of 825 enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 isolates, most of which were from 19 outbreaks and 608 sporadic cases in Japan, mainly in May to August 1996. By PFGE, the EHEC O157:H7 isolates were classified into six types (type I to V and ND [nondescript]) and UT untypeable isolates. Fifty isolates from seven outbreaks in May to June and 60 isolates from patients with sporadic cases of infection showed almost identical PFGE patterns which differed in only 1 of 22 DNA fragments. They were classified into type I. Ninety-nine isolates from 10 other outbreaks and 156 isolates from patients in the Kinki area with sporadic cases of infection obtained in the early summer of 1996 showed identical PFGE patterns, suggesting that they were derived from one huge outbreak. They were classified into type II. Type IV EHEC isolates, which had only the stx2 gene, caused another outbreak in a primary school in June. EHEC isolates of two other types, types III and V, were not related to the outbreak but were isolated in several parts of Japan. ND EHEC isolates included a variety of patterns which could not be classified into either of the types mentioned above. Twenty-five isolates could not be analyzed due to degradation of their genomic DNAs and were represented as UT. These results indicate that EHEC O157:H7 strains with various PFGE types have already spread to Japan and caused the multiple outbreaks and sporadic infections in Japan in the summer of 1996.

An epidemiological investigation for gram-positive coccus, especially PRSP, in Kinki area

An epidemiological investigation for penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumonia (PRSP) was performed at 18 medical institutes in Kinki area by the questionnaire from Kinki Infection Working Group 1995. This investigation was the first report that was performed for a long term (one year) and a large area. The most frequent specimen was sputum from out-patients (50.3%) and inpatients (48.8%), and especially from spinal fluid of 3 cases were detected. Polymicrobial infection with more than 3 pathogens was 15.7%, and it was more frequent than MRSA previously investigated. Simultaneous pathogens detected with PRSP were Candida species, Haemophilus influenzae and Staphylococcus aureus. In terms of chemosusceptibility, VCM (100%), FMOX (97.9%), IPM/CS (85.9%), CEZ (93.4%) and CDTR-PI were determined to be high by sensitive. However, the sensitivity of CCL, which was one of the most common antibiotics, was only 37.7%.

A Study on the Effect of Transportation Network Improvement on Area Characters in Metropolitan Area

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between the change of the character of an area and the transportation network improvement. We first collected the data regarding the increasing rate of the number of the population and industrial employees in Kinki Area. In the basis of those data, we investigated the difference of the rate between the districts where the transportation network is much improved and the ones where not so improved. As a result, this study displays the change of the character is depend upon the transportation network improvement.

Local Industries in Kinki Area and Their Informatization

Local Industries in Kinki Area and Their Informatization