Saitama Prefectures Research Articles

The final stages of dog rabies elimination from Japan.

Rabies is a lethal zoonotic disease mainly transmitted to humans by dog bites. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of rabies control policies in Japan, which resulted in the elimination of the disease from the country in 1957. Using historical records from the Kanto region (Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama and Tokyo Prefectures) between 1947 and 1956 where the final canine cases were recorded, we undertook a descriptive epidemiological study, applying spatio-temporal scan statistics using SaTScan and estimating the effective reproduction number (Rt ) for the clusters and each prefecture using the growth rates. There were 1,567 dog rabies and 161 human rabies cases recorded during this period. Vaccination coverage in registered dogs was over 70% after 1951, with much lower coverage in free-roaming and unregistered dogs. Eight clusters of dog rabies cases were identified: the first appeared in 1947 in Tokyo and was linked to three further clusters in peripheral prefectures between 1947 and 1951. Three more clusters occurred in Tokyo again between 1952 and 1954, and the last cluster was in Tokyo and Kanagawa between 1955 and 1956. Rt in the first cluster was 1.68, and Rt values in the others ranged between 1.18 and 1.86, with an exception of 4.05 in the smallest cluster in Tokyo in 1952 (10 cases). The moving average of Rt coincided with the clusters. As dog vaccination and dog management progressed, and the number of dog rabies cases declined, the moving average of Rt declined to below 1. Delays in the implementation of dog management policies in Kanagawa may have prolonged this last outbreak. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of coordinated control policy involving dog vaccination and management of free-roaming dog populations for rabies elimination.

Do regional emission trading schemes lead to carbon leakage within firms? Evidence from Japan

We use facility-level panel data on CO2 emissions to investigate within-firm carbon leakage associated with Japanese regional emission trading systems (ETSs) at large-scale facilities in Tokyo and Saitama prefectures. A difference-in-difference analysis reveals that, relative to entities with no facility under ETSs, entities with regulated facilities have reduced emissions not only from these regulated facilities but also from unregulated facilities outside Tokyo/Saitama. This result indicates that regional ETSs serve as a turning point for entities to bridge the energy-efficiency gap. The data also suggest that a larger entity is more capable of reducing emissions from facilities in regions with less stringent regulations.

Negative impact of the COVID-19 state of emergency on breast cancer screening participation in Japan.

BackgroundIn response to the Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Japanese government declared a state of emergency in Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Osaka, Hyogo and Fukuoka prefectures on April 7, 2020; this was extended to the remaining prefectures on April 16, 2020. The state of emergency was lifted on May 25, 2020. Although it was known that breast cancer screening was postponed or canceled during this period, the actual extent of postponement or cancellation has not been clarified.MethodsWe investigated postponement or cancellation of breast cancer screening between April and May 2020 using a cross-sectional, web-based, self-reported questionnaire survey. In addition, we examined the association between socioeconomic and health-related factors and postponement or cancellation by multivariable log-binominal regression.ResultsAmong 1874 women aged 30–79 years who had scheduled breast cancer screening during the study period, 493 women (26.3%) postponed or canceled screening. While women aged 30–39 years and 70–79 years postponed or canceled less frequently than women aged 40–49 years (prevalence ratio = 0.62 and 0.56, respectively), there was no significant difference between age groups in the women aged 40–69 years. Postponement or cancellation was more frequent in five prefectures, where the state of emergency was declared early (prevalence ratio = 1.25). Employment status, annual household income, family structure, academic background, smoking status, and fear of COVID-19 were not associated with postponement or cancellation.ConclusionAlthough care should be taken with the interpretation of these findings due to possible biases, they suggest that the postponement or cancellation of breast cancer screening might be due more to facility suspension than to individual factors. It is necessary to explore the ideal way of encouraging breast cancer screening uptake, in an environment of coexistence with COVID-19.

Factors related to plateauing among Yogo teachers

Objectives The purpose of this study was to identify the factors related to plateaus to support the career development of Yogo teachers (school nurses).Methods In March 2017, 1,000 elementary, junior high, and high schools in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba prefectures were stratified and randomized. Questionnaires were sent to 1,000 Yogo teachers in each school. Plateaus among Yogo teachers were analyzed by hierarchical multiple regression analysis and path analysis by creating a conceptual framework that leads to plateauing through work engagement from professional autonomy (innovative behavior), social support in the workplace, and work-related stressors.Results Data from 335 Yogo teachers were included in the analysis. The path analysis indicated that the factors that influenced content plateau among Yogo teachers were work engagement, self-learning of professional autonomy (innovative behavior), and years of experience. Work engagement was influenced by self-learning, pursuit of better practice, informational support, instrumental support, emotional support, role ambiguity, and job position. The developed model was a substantial fit to the data: CFI=1.00, RMSEA=0.00, SRMR=0.01. The coefficient of determination was R2=0.41 for the content plateau phenomenon and R2=0.45 for work engagement. Factors that influenced hierarchical plateau among Yogo teachers were work engagement, self-learning, education, job position, and the absence of a school counselor. Work engagement was influenced by self-learning, pursuit of better practice, informational support, instrumental support, emotional support, role ambiguity, and job position. The model was a substantial fit to the data: CFI=1.00, RMSEA=0.00, SRMR=0.01. The coefficient of determination was R2=0.25 for the hierarchical plateau phenomenon and R2=0.45 for work engagement.Conclusions This study found that the low plateau phenomenon among Yogo teachers was associated with high self-learning of professional autonomy (innovative behavior) and work engagement. To prevent the plateau phenomenon, it is necessary to support them to enhance self-learning, create a conducive work environment, and consider training for Yogo teachers that takes into account their years of experience.

Access to contraceptive services among Myanmar women living in Japan: A qualitative study

ObjectivesDespite relatively poor health outcomes of migrants in Japan, little is known about their access to reproductive healthcare. We conducted qualitative research to explore perceived barriers to access, with a specific focus on contraceptive services, and their consequences among Myanmar migrants in Japan. Study designFrom January to April 2020, we conducted 17 in-depth interviews with Myanmar migrant women and 4 key informant interviews with Myanmar interpreters working in health services in Tokyo, Saitama, and Chiba prefectures. We transcribed interviews and coded them in ATLAS.ti primarily using a deductive approach based on the 5 components of Levesque et al.'s conceptual framework of healthcare access. We also used inductive coding to allow for other themes outside of the framework to emerge. ResultsAmong the 17 women, almost half stated that they were using periodic abstinence based on the presumed fertility window or the withdrawal method. Furthermore, slightly over half of the women had a history of unintended pregnancy. Language barriers, limited health information sources, cultural and health beliefs and financial factors played important roles in access to contraceptives among Myanmar migrant women. Women described how these barriers resulted in feeling lack of control over family planning and unintended pregnancies. ConclusionsFindings suggested that Myanmar migrants in Japan are faced with limited contraceptive access. Language barriers, limited information sources, health beliefs, and cultural and financial factors affected access. ImplicationsResults suggest that to increase public awareness and contraceptive access of Myanmar women in Japan nonprofit support programs would benefit from the help of existing social networks of Myanmar migrants, interpreters, and Japanese doctors and researchers in reproductive health.

Clinical Impact of Bacteremia Due to <i>Staphylococcus saprophyticus</i>

Objective: This was a retrospective study to evaluate the clinical impact of bacteremia due to Staphylococcus saprophyticus and identify which factors influence it. Methods: We reviewed all patients with bacteremia due to S. saprophyticus over the last 12 years. This study was performed at Jichi Medical University Hospital in Japan, a key hospital in the northern Kanto area including Tochigi, Gunma, Ibagagi, and northern Saitama prefectures. We retrospectively reviewed the blood culture results and medical records of all patients with a history of visits or hospitalizations between April 2008 and September 2020. Results: During the study period, 4 blood culture specimens were considered to have S. saprophyticus bacteremia. Two of these were from subjects > 60 years old who had severe infection. A third case, 27 years old, was thought to have a catheter-related bloodstream infection; however, the only symptom was fever, which was not serious. The fourth case, a previously unreported pediatric patient, had non-severe fever. The mean time for a diagnosis of bacteremia by blood culture testing was 42 hours, whereas contamination appeared in cultures after another 50 hours. Conclusion: The pathogenicity of S. saprophyticus might be lower in the blood than in the urine due to its physiological function and activity. In older adults with underlying diseases, the severity of bacteremia was more pronounced, whereas in a young adult and a child, the disease was relatively mild. Age and underlying disease might be useful factors to consider when diagnosing bacteremia due to S. saprophyticus.

Quantitative Understanding of the Decision-Making Process for Farm Biosecurity Among Japanese Livestock Farmers Using the KAP-Capacity Framework.

In a globalized world, the frequency of transboundary livestock infectious diseases is increasing, and strengthening of farm biosecurity is vital to stabilize food production. The aim of this study was to understand the decision-making process for farm biosecurity among Japanese livestock farmers. Postal surveys using structured questionnaires were conducted on beef, dairy, pig, and layer farms in Hokkaido and Saitama Prefectures, which represent the principal production area and peri-urban Tokyo, respectively, as well as randomly selected broiler farms across Japan. The question items included the attributes of farms and owners, disease experiences, related associations and sources of hygiene information, attitude toward hygiene management, and compliance with the Standards of Rearing Hygiene Management (SRHM). The compliance rates were compared between livestock sectors. Univariable analyses were conducted using combined data from both prefectures, with the compliance rate as the outcome variable and the questionnaire items as explanatory variables, in generalized linear models. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted using the variables with p < 0.2 in the univariable analyses. The factors identified were classified into knowledge, attitude, capacity, practice, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed. The questionnaires were completed and returned by 97 and 66 beef cattle, 86 and 136 dairy, 67 and 45 pig, 20 and 39 layer farmers in Hokkaido and Saitama Prefectures, respectively, and 95 broiler farms. The compliance rate was significantly higher among broiler farms (88.9%) compared with the other sectors, followed by pig (77.1%), layer (67.2%), dairy (63.8%), and beef (59.1%) farms in Hokkaido Prefecture, and layer (64.9%), pig (60.0%), dairy (58.5%), and beef (57.6%) farms in Saitama Prefecture. Based on SEM, the decision-making process from greater knowledge to higher attitude, and from higher attitude to greater compliance with the SRHM were significant (p < 0.01) in all sectors. Higher capacity was significantly associated with higher knowledge in dairy, pig,break and layer farms (p < 0.01), and with higher compliance in beef, pig, and layer farms (p < 0.05). These results suggest that the provision of targeted hygiene knowledge to livestock farmers and the support to smallholder farms would improve biosecurity through elevated attitudes and self-efficacy.

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.

Dynamics of Classical Swine Fever Spread in Wild Boar in 2018-2019, Japan.

The prolongation of the classic swine fever (CSF) outbreak in Japan in 2018 was highly associated with the persistence and widespread of the CSF virus (CSFV) in the wild boar population. To investigate the dynamics of the CSF outbreak in wild boar, spatiotemporal analyses were performed. The positive rate of CSFV in wild boar fluctuated dramatically from March to June 2019, but finally stabilized at approximately 10%. The Euclidean distance from the initial CSF notified farm to the farthest infected wild boar of the day constantly increased over time since the initial outbreak except in the cases reported from Gunma and Saitama prefectures. The two-month-period prevalence, estimated using integrated nested Laplace approximation, reached >80% in half of the infected areas in March–April 2019. The area affected continued to expand despite the period prevalence decreasing up to October 2019. A large difference in the shapes of standard deviational ellipses and in the location of their centroids when including or excluding cases in Gunma and Saitama prefectures indicates that infections there were unlikely to have been caused simply by wild boar activities, and anthropogenic factors were likely involved. The emergence of concurrent space–time clusters in these areas after July 2019 indicated that CSF outbreaks were scattered by this point in time. The results of this epidemiological analysis help explain the dynamics of the spread of CSF and will aid in the implementation of control measures, including bait vaccination.

Do Fixed Meals Meet the Criterion of the Smart Meal? A Case Study of Restaurants in Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Saitama Prefectures

Do Fixed Meals Meet the Criterion of the Smart Meal? A Case Study of Restaurants in Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Saitama Prefectures

Detection of genetic segregation in sika deer (Cervus nippon) by tandem repeat variations in the mitochondrial DNA D-loop region

ABSTRACTThe browsing habits of sika deer (Cervus nippon) in Japan have caused serious damage to forest vegetation. In Southern Kanto areas such as Tokyo, Saitama, Yamanashi, and Kanagawa Prefectures, sika deer disturb reforestation in logged areas by feeding on planted trees. To appropriately manage sika deer populations in these regions, a genetic marker is required to understand their movement. We previously identified the segregation of sika deer populations between the Kanto Mountain and Tanzawa Mountain areas based on the mitochondrial D-loop region. Here, we aimed to identify an informative genetic marker by focusing on tandem repeat sequences in the D-loop region. The tandem repeat sequences of 145 sika deer sampled in our previous study in Southern Kanto were examined. We revealed that 16 tandem repeat haplotypes existed in Southern Kanto. These tandem repeat haplotypes subdivided five of nine D-loop haplotypes identified in our previous study. Further, they geographically separated one of the D-loop haplotypes, and thus, tandem repeat haplotypes can detect spatial genetic structure with higher sensitivity than flanking D-loop haplotypes. Moreover, the number of tandem repeats ranged from four to eleven. This unusually high variation in the number of repeats might be due to a unique historical background of the Kanto Mountain population. Thus, the tandem repeat haplotype was found to be highly polymorphic, and it can be a useful index to understand sika deer movement in the Southern Kanto area. Furthermore, this marker can be used to analyze the genetic structure of sika deer in other areas.

Factors leading to consultation at medical institutions based on workplace health checkup results

Despite the need for consultation at a medical institution, some workers currently do not undergo a re-examination or a thorough examination following regular workplace health checkups. This study aimed to clarify the factors leading to the need for a further examination at a medical institution after workplace health checkups and to examine occupational health activities necessary to improve the examination rate. We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of workers of companies with over 1,000 employees in the Tokyo and Saitama prefectures, targeting men and women over the age of 20 years. The study consisted of 453 employees (389 males, 64 females) who answered that they had received recommendations such as the need for a re-examination or a thorough examination based on the results of an initial workplace health checkup. We divided the participants into two groups, based on whether they underwent further consultation at a medical institution. The factors that led to a further consultation were verified using a logistic regression model. The odds ratio (OR) for consultations at medical institutions for workers with less than 5 years of work and those with more than 10 years was 2.9 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.6-5.2). Additionally, there was a significant association with the presence of a counselor (OR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.4-4.3) and with periodic visits to a medical institution (OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2-2.7). There were no significant differences in relation to age, sex, type of employment, overtime work, sense of well-being, use of the workplace system, or specific consultants. The factors that led to further consultation at medical institutions were the presence of counselors and periodic medical consultations. It was also observed that employees who have less than 5 years of employment seek medical attention according to recommendations received from medical institutions. Therefore, in order to receive the appropriate medical attention, we should promote further consultation by experts following health checkups and address workers' medical needs in accordance to their length of employment.

Transition of meteorological variables while downburst occurrence by a high density ground surface observation network

A high density ground surface observation network has been realized by about 150 POTEKAs and has a resolution of approximately 2 km in Gunma and Saitama prefectures in Japan. POTEKA (POint TEnki KAnsoku in Japanese) is a compact weather station which can observe seven meteorological variables such as wind speed, wind direction, temperature, pressure, humidity, sunshine and rain. In this observation network, the verification observation has been performed for about 5 years since 2013, and we have succeeded in observing 11 cases of downbursts and damaging gusts, which included 5 events in the F1 category (Fujita scale). By detailed analysis of the F1 downbursts which were accompanied by substantial damage (particularly the downburst on June 15, 2015), the transition characteristics of meteorological variables such as wind, temperature and pressure have been clarified while downburst occurrence. Moreover, we have been able to estimate the actual scale of a downburst.

New races of the spinach downy mildew pathogen, Peronospora farinosa f. sp. spinaciae, in Japan in 2017

Six isolates of spinach downy mildew fungus, Peronospora farinosa f. sp. spinaciae, collected from Saitama and Ibaraki Prefectures in 2017 were identified. Three isolates collected from Saitama Prefecture in January differed from all the known races described by the International Seed Federation but their virulence was similar to that of strain UA1014 sampled in the USA in 2014. Isolate Iba17-2, collected from Ibaraki Prefecture in April, was identified as race 10; isolates Iba17-1 and Iba17-3, collected from the same region in February and May, did not match any known races and were coded as novel races, J17-1 and J17-2, respectively.

Quality of life among the family caregivers of patients with terminal cancer at home in Japan.

To identify the associated factors of quality of life (QOL) among the family caregivers of patients with terminal cancer at home. The design was an epidemiological study with self-administered questionnaires by mail. Date collection was carried out in the Tokyo Metropolitan, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, Nara, Hyogo, Kagawa, Ehime, and Saga prefectures in Japan. The participants who met the criteria for the present study were 262 family caregivers. Their QOL was assessed by the Japanese version of the Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer. The potential factors that are associated with family caregivers' QOL included three factors: patient factors, including demographic characteristics and disease-related factors, family caregiver factors, including demographic characteristics, health conditions, and self-efficacy of family caregiving, and environmental factors, including instrumental, emotional, informational support, and satisfaction with the home care service. A multiple regression analysis was conducted in order to identify the associated factors with family caregivers' QOL. A total of 74 family caregivers participated in this study (response rate: 33.2%). The mean age of the family caregivers was 63.6 years and 79.7% was female. The multiple regression analysis indicated that depression, self-efficacy of family caregiving, the subcaregiver, and satisfaction with the home care service were associated with family caregivers' QOL. It is recommended that health practitioners should develop interventions for family caregivers in order to enhance the competence of the individual and home care system in order to achieve the sustainability of high-quality home care for patients with terminal cancer and the family caregivers' QOL.

The concentration of iodine in horse serum and its relationship with thyroxin concentration by geological difference.

In this study, iodine and thyroxin (T4) concentrations in the serum of 69 horses were investigated. Higher iodine concentrations were obtained from the horses housed in Chiba Prefecture. In contrast, T4 concentrations of horses at Shizuoka Prefecture were higher than those of horses at Chiba Prefecture. There was a significant correlation (r = 0.643, P < 0.001) between the iodine and T4 concentrations of horses at Saitama and Shizuoka prefectures. Although a significant correlation (r = 0.794, P < 0.001) was also observed in the investigation of all horses at Chiba Prefecture, the distribution area of the data was separated from the data of horses housed in Saitama and Shizuoka prefectures. A higher iodine concentration in the environment is expected in the sampling area at Chiba Prefecture. Thus, it was suggested that the concentrations of iodine in the serum of horses are influenced by geological differences. It was thought that equine serum is a useful sample for monitoring.

Age- and gender-related variation in voiced stop prenasalization in Japanese

Modern Japanese is generally described as having phonologically voiced (versus voiceless) word-initial stops. However, phonetic details vary across dialects and age groups; in Takada's (2011) measurements of recordings of 456 talkers from multiple generations of talkers across five dialects, Osaka-area speakers and older speakers in the Tokyo area (Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama, and Kanagawa prefectures) typically show pre-voicing (lead VOT), but younger speakers show many “devoiced” (short lag VOT) values, a tendency that is especially pronounced among younger Tokyo-area females. There is also variation in the duration of the voice bar, with very long values (up to -200 ms lead VOT) observed in the oldest female speakers. Spectrograms of such tokens show faint formants during the stop closure, suggesting a velum-lowering gesture to vent supra-glottal air pressure to sustain vocal fold vibration. Further evidence of pre-nasalization in older Tokyo-area females comes from comparing amplitude trajectories for the voice bar to amplitude trajectories during nasal consonants, adapting a method proposed by Burton, Blumstein, and Stevens (1972) for exploring phonemic pre-nasalization contrasts. Differences in trajectory shape patterns between the oldest males and females and between older and younger females are like the differences that Kong, Syrika, and Edwards (2012) observed across Greek dialects.

Local Factor of the Cool-Spot Effect in Saitama Prefectures

Local Factor of the Cool-Spot Effect in Saitama Prefectures

Current Trends in Use of Intracanal Medications in Dental Care Facilities: Questionnaire-based Survey on Training Dental Hygienists at Educational Institutions

The success of root canal therapy is dependent not only on removal of infected pulp (pulpectomy) followed by root canal enlargement, but also on the pharmacological effects of intracanal medications. Various intracanal medications are used. Formaldehyde preparations such as formocresol were common in the past, but these are no longer used in Europe or the US due to the biological toxicity of formaldehyde. In this study, a questionnaire was used to determine current trends in the use of intracanal medications at dental care facilities where dental hygiene students undergo practical training. The questionnaire comprised questions regarding the types of frequently used intracanal medications and their methods of application at dental care facilities in Saitama and Shizuoka prefectures. The results indicated that calcium hydroxide preparations were more commonly used in Europe or the US. However, these results also revealed that formaldehyde preparations were frequently used, which slightly differs from the scenario in Europe and the US. This study revealed that multiple intracanal medications were used for root canal therapy. Furthermore, it was also observed that cotton plugs were generally used as applicator tips for intracanal medications, whereas the use of absorbent paper points was relatively uncommon. The results suggest that the cost of absorbent paper points needs to be reduced.

Damage patterns of river embankments due to the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake and a numerical modeling of the deformation of river embankments with a clayey subsoil layer

Due to the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake, which had a magnitude of 9.0, many soil-made infrastructures, such as river dikes, road embankments, railway foundations and coastal dikes, were damaged. The river dikes and their related structures were damaged at 2115 sites throughout the Tohoku and Kanto areas, including Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki and Saitama Prefectures, as well as the Tokyo Metropolitan District. In the first part of the present paper, the main patterns of the damaged river embankments are presented and reviewed based on the in situ research by the authors, MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) and JICE (Japan Institute of Construction Engineering). The main causes of the damage were (1) liquefaction of the foundation ground, (2) liquefaction of the soil in the river embankments due to the water-saturated region above the ground level, and (3) the long duration of the earthquake, the enormity of fault zone and the magnitude of the quake. In the second part of the paper, we analyze model river embankments on a foundation ground with various soil profiles, including a clayey soil layer and various ground water tables, using a dynamic liquefaction analysis method. From the analysis results, we find the effects of the soil profiles and the duration time of the earthquake motion on the deformation behavior of the river embankments. The results are consistent with those of the investigation of the features of the deformation and the failure of the embankments due to the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake.