Nara Prefecture Research Articles

Preparations of the broadleaf tree containerized plant production system for the leading to mixed forest in Nara prefecture

Preparations of the broadleaf tree containerized plant production system for the leading to mixed forest in Nara prefecture

<i>Haemoproteus columbae</i> infection in a straggler racing pigeon sheltered in Japan

A racing pigeon (Columba livia var. domestica), a straggler from Taiwan, was sheltered in Nara Prefecture, Japan in 2020. This pigeon showed hemolysis and elevated levels of hepatobiliary and muscle enzymes. Gametocytes of Haemoproteus columbae (Apicomplexa: Haemosporida) were observed within the host erythrocytes in thin blood smears. A partial sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene amplified from blood DNA was identical to the lineage HAECOL1 previously reported from pigeons worldwide. This is the first record of H. columbae infection in a sheltered bird in Japan.

Survey of the Emergency Transportation Status of Burn Victims in the Mid-South Area of Nara Prefecture

Survey of the Emergency Transportation Status of Burn Victims in the Mid-South Area of Nara Prefecture

Buddhist Temple Networks in Medieval Japan: Daigoji, Mt. Kōya, and the Miwa Lineage

The intellectual links between medieval esoteric temples and localized Shingon movements are still far from being well understood. Although a part of education at major monastic complexes such as Daigoji and Mt. Kōya, transmissions of esoteric theories were not uniform and varied depending on their recipients’ social status. A comparative reading of the Yugikyō transmissions imparted by the abbot Jikken of Kongōōin to his official disciple Dōhan and a lesser-known semi-itinerant priest, Rendōbō Hōkyō, from a local training hall at Mt. Miwa in Nara Prefecture shows that during the late twelfth to fourteenth centuries non-elite practitioners in medieval Japan, such as those associated with the local Miwa lineage, did not simply study the Yugikyō teachings but were actively involved in their dissemination. They used theories associated with this sutra as key parts of their own religious capital and transported them from large esoteric temples further afield to Japan’s countryside.

Relationship between initial peritoneal dialysis modality and risk of peritonitis

Peritonitis is a critical complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD). Investigators have reported the risk of peritonitis in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) versus automated peritoneal dialysis (APD), but the available evidence is predominantly based on observational studies which failed to report on the connection type. Our understanding of the relationship between peritonitis risk and PD modality thus remained insufficient. We studied 285 participants who began PD treatment between 1997 and 2014 at three hospitals in Nara Prefecture in Japan. We matched 106 APD patients with 106 CAPD patients based on their propensity scores. The primary outcome was time to first episode of peritonitis within 3 years after PD commencement. In total, PD peritonitis occurred in 64 patients during the study period. Patients initiated on APD had a lower risk of peritonitis than did those initiated on CAPD in both the unadjusted and adjusted models. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the primary endpoint were 0.30 (0.17–0.53) in the fully adjusted model including connection type. In the matched cohort, APD patients had a significantly lower risk of peritonitis than did CAPD patients (log-rank: p < 0.001, HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.16–0.59). The weighting-adjusted analysis of the inverse probability of treatment yielded a similar result (HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.18–0.67). In conclusion, patients initiated on APD at PD commencement had a reduced risk of peritonitis compared with those initiated on CAPD, suggesting APD may be preferable for prevention of peritonitis among PD patients.

How to recover lost vaccine acceptance? A multi-center survey on HPV vaccine acceptance in Japan

BackgroundThe plummeting acceptance rate of the HPV vaccine in Japan is one of the most disappointing vaccine-related events in recent times. Since 2013, the national HPV vaccine coverage rate fell from more than 70% to less than 1%. This survey investigated parental HPV vaccine acceptance and the factors that influence it. MethodsA multi-center survey was conducted in eight hospitals in Nara prefecture, Japan, from July 2019 to March 2020. Parents were asked to answer a series of questions in a survey that included information on the HPV vaccine. ResultsAmong the 1884 parents who answered the questionnaire, 21.8% indicated that they had accepted the HPV vaccine even before reading the information provided in the questionnaire. The overall acceptance rate after everyone had read the information increased to 50.2% (p < 0.001). Among those who still did not accept the vaccine after reading the information (N = 925), 26.7% indicated that they might change their mind if more vaccine safety reports were to appear in the mass media; other potentially influencing factors were direct communication from health care providers (35.1%), a recommendation by government (19.5%), and peer behavior (16.8%). ConclusionThe study showed that providing appropriate medical information significantly improves HPV vaccine acceptance. To reverse the loss of HPV vaccine acceptance in Japan, a multi-discipline approach that includes the mass media, health care providers, the government and the general population will be needed.

Occurrence of tomato leaf mold caused by novel race 2.4.9 of Cladosporium fulvum in Japan

Leaf mold disease caused by Cladosporium fulvum appeared on tomato cultivars carrying the Cf-9 resistance gene in Nara Prefecture, Japan, in 2018. We inoculated a differential set of tomato cultivar with six isolates of the fungus and identified two isolates as race 2.9 and four as 2.4.9. We also sequenced their Avr and mating-type genes. All Avr alleles have been found previously in Japanese populations of C. fulvum, but the genotypes of both races were new, suggesting that these isolates have newly emerged in Nara Prefecture.

A Study on Factors Affecting High Quality Fruit Tomato Production in a Greenhouse by Utilizing Low Cost Smart Agriculture Framework

In this paper, we present an examination of factors affecting the sweetness degree of fruit tomato by utilizing a low-cost smart agriculture framework. Japanese consumers are willing to pay a sky-high price for particularly high sweetness degree of tomato, known as fruit tomato. Japanese farmers would like to produce sustainable fruit tomato, yet only some of the veteran farmers with tens of years of experience or big industrialized farms can produce it. Small scale farmers still struggle to produce sustainable fruit tomato. Many of them would like to know what factors affecting the sweetness degree of tomato. This study aims to clarify factors affecting the sweetness degree production by using a low-cost smart agriculture framework installed in a fruit tomato farmer in Nara prefecture, a western part of Japan. The data used were automatic data gathered from the sensor network, i.e. temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure as well as CO2; and manually input cultivation records, namely, fertilizers (Ca, NO3), pH, EC (electrical conductivity), harvesting record (yield and sweetness degree) as well as cropping calendar. We gathered data from June 2017 to December 2019. We then conducted a statistical analysis using the R statistical computing language. We found that the most significant factor for a high sweetness degree of fruit tomato is the growing time, that is the longer the growing time, the higher the sweetness degree of fruit tomato. The growing time is likely to be affected by season, as in summer growing time is faster than in wintertime. Consequently, summer is not the best time to grow fruit tomato.

Burden of Pediatric Central Nervous System Infection and Cost-Benefit Simulation of Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction in Japan.

To investigate the clinical use of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) in Japan, epidemiological and clinical data for central nervous infections are needed. Here, we report on the epidemiology and economic burden of central nervous system infections and a simulation of the cost-benefit analysis of the Filmarray® Meningitis/Encephalitis (FAME) test for possible clinical use in Japan. We performed FAME tests on samples from 27 patients with pleocytosis aged between 0 and 20 years seen in six community hospitals in Nara and Osaka prefectures. All clinical management procedures were performed without knowledge of the mPCR test results. We analyzed the clinical data and calculated the required reduction in average length of stay for the FAME test to be cost-beneficial. Among the 27 cases, the FAME test revealed causal pathogens in 13 cases (48.1%). The average medical and social costs per case were ¥299,118 ($2,719.2) and ¥171,768 ($1,561.5), respectively. The minimal needed reduction in average length of stay for the FAME test to be cost-beneficial was 0.32- 0.86 days per meningitis case. The result can be informative for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of the clinical use of the FAME test in Japan.

Periprostatic fat thickness quantified by preoperative magnetic resonance imaging is an independent risk factor for upstaging from cT1/2 to pT3 in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

To analyze the correlation between periprostatic fat thickness on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging and upstaging from cT1/2 to pT3 in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. We retrospectively evaluated data from men with cT1/2 prostate cancer treated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan, between March 2013 and December 2017. We calculated the periprostatic fat thickness and subcutaneous thickness from preoperative multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging. We divided the cohort into two groups for analysis. Group1 included patients upstaged from clinical to pathological stage, whereas group2 included those without upstaging. Data on 220 patients meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the analysis. A total of 36 patients were upstaged from clinical T1 or T2 to pathological T3, whereas 184 patients were not upstaged. The upstaging was associated with prostate volume, Gleason score, prostate-specific antigen density, periprostatic fat thickness, Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score based on univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis showed prostate volume (P=0.03, odds ratio 0.958, 95% confidence interval 0.921-0.996), Gleason score (P=0.022, odds ratio 2.676, 95% confidence interval 1.153-6.213) and periprostatic fat thickness (P=0.004, odds ratio 1.26, 95% confidence interval 1.079-1.471) as independent risk factors of upstaging. Prostate volume, Gleason score and periprostatic fat thickness on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging are significantly associated with and independent risk factors for upstaging from cT1/2 to pT3 in patients undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

Suppression of the soybean cyst nematode, Heterodera glycines, by short-term field cultivation and soil incorporation of mung bean

Summary Our previous study using pots reported that short-term growth of mung bean (Vigna radiata) may be useful to decrease the density of the soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines, in soil. The objective of this study was to determine whether short-term growth of mung bean and its incorporation by ploughing decreased SCN density in infested fields. Firstly, we did pot experiments to evaluate the optimum temperature and moisture for hatching in soil. SCN hatching was stimulated at 25 and 30°C and not at 20°C; however, it was stimulated at alternating temperature conditions between 20 and 25°C. Soil moisture levels with pF 2.76 or less were required to stimulate SCN hatch in soil. Field experiments were done in Saitama, Kanagawa and Nara Prefectures, Japan. SCN density was reduced by nearly half even in control plots, in which mung bean was not cultivated and ploughed, in Saitama and Nara Prefectures. However, SCN density was reduced by nearly 80% or more in the three Prefectures, except for one plot in Kanagawa, and the soil temperature and moisture conditions were kept at around 20-30°C and at &lt;pF 2.8. Increase in yield of green soybean by SCN control was estimated at 350 kg (1000 m)−2. Overall, the present study revealed that short-term field cultivation of mung bean and ploughing was a profitable method to decrease SCN density in infested fields and thereby to increase yield of green soybean.

奈良県産廃棄柿バイオエタノールの製造・流通 : 西吉野地域の地場流通を事例として

奈良県産廃棄柿バイオエタノールの製造・流通 : 西吉野地域の地場流通を事例として

MO070APPROPRIATE INTERVAL BETWEEN TWO EGFR MEASUREMENTS FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF EGFR SLOPE WITH INCIDENCE OF RENAL EVENTS

Abstract Background and Aims In recent years, growing evidence has shown the prognostic utility of eGFR slope for the risk of end-staging renal disease (ESRD). Previous observational studies have assessed the association between renal events and eGFR slopes estimated by two measurements of eGFR but had great differences in the interval between two eGFR measurements. In this study, we thus aimed to determine the appropriate interval between two eGFR measurements to evaluate the association of eGFR slope with incidence of renal events. Method This is a retrospective cohort study in 203 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients who visited Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Japan between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2016 and in whom two or more than two measurements of eGFR levels were confirmed in medical records. eGFR slopes were estimated by using two measurements of eGFR at baseline and 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, or 3 years. We excluded patients with acute kidney injury, urologic malignancies, nephrotic syndrome with steroid treatment or collagen diseases. Outcome was renal events defined as a composite of ESRD and eGFR decline of &amp;gt; 30%. C statistics were used to evaluate the association between eGFR slope and incidence of renal events. Results The median (interquartile range) age of study participants was 67 (56-77) years and 71 (37%) were male. The median (interquartile range) levels of baseline eGFR were 34 (21-48) mL/min/1.73m2 and diabetes was present in 80 (39%) participants. During the median follow-up period of 38 months, renal events occurred in 52 participants. Medial levels of eGFR slopes0.5, 1, 1,5, 2 and 3yr were -7.8, -3.6, -2.9, -0.9, -1.5 mL/min/1.73m2, respectively. C-statistics of eGFR slopes0.5, 1, 1,5, 2 and 3yr for renal events were 0.622, 0.691, 0.797, 0.858, 0.806, respectively (shown in Figure 1), and that of eGFR slope1.5yr was significantly higher than that of eGFR slope0.5yr and eGFR slope1yr (p&amp;lt;0.001 and p=0.001, respectively). In stratified analysis, eGFR slope1.5yr had higher prognostic ability of renal events in patients with versus without diabetes, advanced CKD and proteinuria. C-statistics of renal events when considering baseline eGFR alone was 0.853 but combination use of baseline eGFR and eGFR slope1.5yr significantly increased c-statistics, to 0.913 (p=0.01). Conclusion eGFR slope for high prognostic ability of renal events may be needed to be calculated by at least 1.5-year interval between two eGFR measurements.

Toxicities of insecticides against flower thrips collected from strawberries in Nara Prefecture

Toxicities of insecticides against flower thrips collected from strawberries in Nara Prefecture

Insecticide toxicities to cucumber moths, &lt;i&gt;Diaphania indica&lt;/i&gt; (Sasunders) collected from a cucumber greenhouse in Nara Prefecture

Insecticide toxicities to cucumber moths, &lt;i&gt;Diaphania indica&lt;/i&gt; (Sasunders) collected from a cucumber greenhouse in Nara Prefecture

Detection of a wide range of viruses and viroids collected in Nara Prefecture fields by mRNA-Seq and evaluation of the detection system

病原体の同定のためのウイルス・ウイロイド検定には，特異的プライマーを用いたRT-PCRが主に使用されているが，想定外の種や新系統のウイルス・ウイロイドが感染していた場合には，検出することはできない。そのため，messenger RNA sequencing（mRNA-Seq）を利用した網羅的にウイルス・ウイロイドを検出する手法の活用が期待されている。本報告ではmRNA-Seqを用いて，奈良県内圃場で採取したRNAウイルス，DNAウイルス及びウイロイドの網羅的検出を試み，その中でRNA抽出およびデータ解析手法について検討を行った。

Actual states and causes of crossing accidents of elderly people in Nara prefecture

Actual states and causes of crossing accidents of elderly people in Nara prefecture

Heterogeneity and potential aquatic toxicity of hydrogen peroxide concentrations in selected rivers across Japan

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a reactive oxygen species formed in natural water. It is reportedly toxic to aquatic organisms with a predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) of about 380 nM. In this study, a countrywide investigation of H2O2 concentrations in selected rivers across Japan was conducted to identify rivers that pose toxicity concerns. Twelve rivers with a total catchment area of 13,646 km2 were selected from different prefectures. Spatial and temporal variation studies showed that the H2O2 concentrations (avg. 320 nM, n = 111) varied by two orders of magnitude (range 21–2929 nM) across the rivers. The Yamato River in Osaka and Nara prefectures and the Kokubu River in Chiba Prefecture had the highest concentrations at 276–669 nM and 236–2929 nM, respectively. >75% of the data from the two rivers were either close to or exceeded the PNEC. Most of the results for the other rivers were less than the PNEC. There was a clear seasonal variation in the H2O2 concentrations, with the highest values obtained in summer because of high solar irradiation. The H2O2 concentration had the highest positive correlation (r = 0.61, p < 0.01, n = 111) with the product of dissolved organic carbon and solar radiation intensity, which suggests that these two factors in combination are important in determining the H2O2 concentrations in river water. It was also observed that bigger rivers had lower H2O2 concentration and vice-versa. This shows that the size of a river may influence its H2O2 concentration. This study is the first countrywide survey of H2O2 concentrations in different rivers and evaluation of their relationship with the PNEC. The data provide insight on the factors influencing the concentrations of H2O2 in river water.

Poetics of Acculturation: Early Pure Land Buddhism and the Topography of the Periphery in Orikuchi Shinobu’s The Book of the Dead

The article examines Orikuchi Shinobu’s novella, Shisha no sho [The Book of the Dead] (1939), as a discursively constructed amalgamation of multiple cultural and historical sources. Whereas Orikuchi tends to be considered the exponent of cultural nativism, the novella resists a nationalist impulse of extolling the legend of Taima Mandala and Princess Chūjō (Chūjōhime) as a paragon of the Japanese reception of Buddhism. According to the widely-known legend, Princess Chūjō, a member of the politically powerful Fujiwara clan in the Nara period, had woven in a day the mandala out of lotus threads shortly after completing one thousand copies of Shōsanjyōdo Busshōjukyō (the Amida sutra). Further the legend tells that she was welcomed to the Pure Land by Amida Buddha upon her death at the age of twenty nine. In The Book of the Dead her legendary labor opts out of simple appraisal for her devotional response to Buddhism, as though implicitly refuting the Yamato state’s political advocacy of the religion. In turn, Orikuchi’s modernist revisionism reanimates a spectacle of the antiquity, contextualizing the legend in the socio-political periphery of the Taima village. To this end, the novella calls forth a number of historical episodes, topographical images of the locality, and the transculturation of Buddhism in ancient Japan. Concretely, the narrative interweaves the tragedy of Prince Ōtsu who was executed for the treason plotted against the imperial government, a cult of Mount Futakami (today’s Nijōzan in Nara Prefecture), pre-Buddhist practice of worshipping the Sun, and the formation of Nissōkan in Japan’s early Buddhism. Through the dialogic unity of these motifs, Orikuchi deconstructs the legend of Princess Chūjō and the Taima Mandala, transforming it into a visionary narrative devoid of a single cultural and religious root.

Effectiveness of the activities of supporters trained to prevent dementia

Introduction: We held a class for supporters in dementia prevention to nurture people who can carry out activities that prevent dementia and restrict its advancement. The objective was for enrollees who have completed the class to be able to visit the homes of older adults who have difficulty leaving their homes and help them carry out activities that prevent dementia. The trained supporters then evaluated the cognitive and psychological effects of interaction. Method: The participants were local residents of Nara and Aichi Prefectures. In the supporter training to prevent dementia, we held 12 training sessions a year at Nara Medical University in Nara Prefecture and Shubun University in Aichi Prefecture. Supporters gather older people in the community to practice dementia prevention activities, and visit the homes of older adults who have difficulty leaving their homes to help the latter carry out activities that prevent dementia. Results: A total of 128 people were enrolled in the training for supporters in dementia prevention. Pre- and post-training supporter evaluations showed significant improvements in both dementia-related skills and availability (p=0.000). In terms of the comparisons before and after visiting 31 older adults people with difficulty leaving their homes, the results of the immediate recall test for cognitive function among the older adults who participated in the activities designed to prevent dementia improved from 4.5 to 7.2, whereas the results of the belated recall test improved from 3.9 to 6.6 (p=0.000). Conclusion: Training for supporters in dementia prevention significantly improved skills. A characteristic of the older adults who had difficulty leaving their homes was that their levels of activity and conversation were low, but the change to their daily lives, increased conversation, and improved activity through the visits of the supporters affected their minds and bodies and significantly improved their cognitive function.