Shimane Prefectures Research Articles

Molecular Detection of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia in Feral Raccoons (<i>Procyon lotor</i>) in the Western Part of Japan

Rickettsial infection in feral raccoons (Procyon lotor) in the western part of Japan (Shimane, Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki Prefectures) was surveyed by a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay detecting the rickettsial citrate synthase (gltA) gene. Four of one hundred and ninety-four feral raccoon spleens (2.1%) were positive for Rickettsia spp. One gltA gene sequence was identical to R. helvetica, whereas the other 3 sequences were identical and had the highest similarity (98.4%) to R. amblyommii. Simultaneously, we determined a partial sequence of the rickettsial 17-kilodalton (17K) genus-common antigen gene in the later 3 raccoon samples. Their sequences were identical and had the highest similarity (98.5%) to Rickettsia sp. Hj126. Based on the sequences of gltA and 17K antigen genes, these raccoons might be infected with spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsia most closely related to R. amblyommii and/or Rickettsia sp. Hj126. Feral raccoons may be a susceptible reservoir for SFG rickettsiae in Japan.

The Relationship between Suicide and Five Climate Issues in a Large-scale and Long Term Study in Japan

Suicide rates in Japan were high in 1998 and have remained high since then. Many researchers have discussed the current state of suicide in Japan and the world; however, there are various opinions about the relationship between suicide and climate. In the present study, we report on long-term data of suicide and examine five climatic issues in Japan as a whole and in 10 selected prefectures: the five with the highest suicide rates in 2006 (Akita, Iwate, Shimane, Yamagata and Miyazaki Prefectures) and the five with the lowest (Nara, Tokushima, Okayama, Kanagawa and Kyoto Prefectures). Annual age-adjusted suicide rates were found to have a significant inverse correlation with annual mean air temperature in the five prefectures with the highest suicide rates and in the three prefectures with the lowest suicide rates among women. Annual age-adjusted suicide rates were significantly correlated with annual mean relative humidity in the three prefectures with the highest suicide rates among women and with the annual total sunshine duration in the three prefectures with the highest suicide rates among women. It is important that these associations between suicide and climatic factors be discussed further from various viewpoints, including those of many researchers and relevant organizations.

Two new species of the genus Tegecoelotes (Araneae: Agelenidae) from Chubu and Chugoku Districts, Honshu, Japan

Two new species of the genus Tegecoelotes are described from Chubu and Chugoku Districts, Honshu, Japan, under the names, Tegecoelotes chikunii n. sp. and Tegecoelotes hibaensis n. sp., respectively. Tegecoelotes chikunii found in Nagano and Gifu Prefectures is characterized by having extremely elongated femur and patella, short and bifurcate conductor, and extended tegulum in the male palp. Tegecoelotes hibaensis is distributed in Hiroshima, Okayama, Tottori and Shimane Prefectures, and is characterized by having elongated patella of the male palp and linguiform epigynal teeth in the female genitalia.

ナス黒枯病菌の再同定

The pathogen of black blight of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) was previously described as Corynespora melongenae Takimoto in Japan, but there was no Latin description of the fungus. We collected the fungus again in Shimane and Kochi prefectures, the western regions of Japan and reidentified them as C. cassiicola based on the morphological characteristics and sequences of rDNA-ITS regions after confirming their pathogenicity on eggplant. We propose to replace C. melongenae Takimoto nom. inval. with C. cassiicola as the pathogen of black blight in eggplant in Japan.

事業所での定期健康診断における貧血有所見率の地域差

Anemia-related blood examinations are included in examinations for periodic health checkups at workplaces designated by the Industrial Safety and Health Law in Japan. The aim of this study was to determine whether there were regional differences in the prevalence of anemia in workers and, if so, to investigate possible reasons for the differences. Relationships between prevalence of anemia found by periodic health checkups and some common factors related to anemia in each prefecture of Japan were investigated by ecological regression analysis using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. There were regional differences in the prevalence of anemia in the prefectures of Japan (5.2-11.7%), and high prevalence was observed in prefectures in the northeastern district, such as Iwate, Akita and Yamagata Prefectures, and in Fukui, Shimane and Nagasaki Prefectures. Prevalence of anemia in each prefecture was significantly correlated with the prevalence of hypertension, dyslipidemia, liver dysfunction, abnormality in ECG, hyperglycemia or glucosuria at health checkups in each prefecture. Prevalence of anemia in each prefecture was significantly correlated with the percentage of patients receiving therapy for anemia in each prefecture but not with the prevalence of myoma uteri, endometriosis uteri or mortality of uterus cancer in each prefecture. There was also no significant correlation of the prevalence of anemia with the prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia or dietary iron intake in each prefecture. The prevalence of anemia in each prefecture showed significant positive correlations with the ratio of female population to total population and the ratio of female workers to total workers in each prefecture; it also showed a significant negative correlation with the ratio of the number of large-sized workplaces (300 or more workers) to the number of workplaces with 50 or more workers in each prefecture. A considerable regional difference in the prevalence of anemia was found by periodic health checkups at workplaces, and we consider that this difference is not due to regional differences in the incidence of diseases causing genital bleeding in women but to regional differences in the ratio of female workers to total workers and the status of health control at the workplace, which depends on size of the workplace.

Simulation Study on Parentage Analysis with SNPs in the Japanese Black Cattle Population

Parentage tests using polymorphic DNA marker are commonly performed to avoid incorrect recording of the parental information of livestock animals, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are becoming the method of choice. In Japanese Black cattle, parentage tests based on the exclusion method using microsatellite markers are currently conducted; however, an alternative SNP system aimed at parentage tests has recently been developed. In the present study, two types of simulations were conducted using the pedigree data of two subpopulations in the breed (subpopulations of Hyogo and Shimane prefectures) in order to examine the effect of actual genetic and breeding structures. The first simulation (simulation 1) investigated the usefulness of SNPs for excluding a close relative of the true sire; the second one (simulation 2) investigated the accuracy of sire identification tests for multiple full-sib putative sires by a combined method of exclusion and paternity assignment based on the LOD score. The success rates of excluding a single full-sib and sire of the true sires were, respectively, 0.9915 and 0.9852 in Hyogo and 0.9848 and 0.9852 in Shimane, when 50 SNPs with minor allele frequency (MAF: q) of 0.25≤q≤0.35 were used in simulation 1. The success rates of sire identification tests based solely on the exclusion method were relatively low in simulation 2. However, assuming that 50 SNPs with MAF of 0.25≤q≤0.35 or 0.45≤q≤0.5 were available, the total success rates including achievements due to paternity assignment were, respectively, 0.9430 and 0.9681 in Hyogo and 0.8999 and 0.9399 for Shimane, even when each true sire was assumed to compete with 50 full-sibs.

A new species of Resseliella (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) infesting Japanese pear, Pyrus pyrifolia (Rosaceae)

In 2003, gall midge larvae of the genus Resseliella (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) were found infesting the cores of Japanese pear, Pyrus pyrifolia (Rosaceae), in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Symptoms of infestation are similar to those noted previously for Japanese pear in Japan and Korea. From 2007 to 2008, gall midge larvae that were similar to those found in Fukushima Prefecture were detected in Tottori and Shimane Prefectures, Japan under the bark of Japanese pear. Based on morphological comparison with known congeners associated particularly with Rosaceae in the Palaearctic region and those occurring in Japan, we concluded that the gall midge infesting Japanese pear is a new species of Resseliella. DNA sequencing data also supported this conclusion. This new species seems to be identical to the ‘pear codlin midge’ reported previously from Japan and Korea. We describe the gall midge as Resseliella yagoi sp. nov. and provide information on host plant cultivars, distribution, behavioral and life history traits, and pest status.

Ecosystem shift resulting from loss of eelgrass and other submerged aquatic vegetation in two estuarine lagoons, Lake Nakaumi and Lake Shinji, Japan

Zostera marina L. was intensively harvested until the early 1950s in Lake Nakaumi, a eutrophic estuarine lagoon. We have estimated the amount of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) removed from the lagoon through Z. marina harvesting. Lake Nakaumi lies in Tottori and Shimane prefectures, and the annual harvest of Z. marina in the late 1940s in Tottori was recorded as at least 56,250 t wet weight. The nutrient content of 56,250 t of Z. marina was calculated to be 61.9 t of N and 12.9 t of P, which is equivalent to 5.3% and 11%, respectively, of present annual nutrient loads to the lake. The nutrients formerly used by Z. marina were likely used by phytoplankton after the Z. marina started to decline in the mid-1950s at Lake Nakaumi. This shift in the chief primary producer, from benthic macrophytes to phytoplankton, caused a subsequent shift in secondary producers. Benthic fish and crustacean populations decreased and the non-commercial filter-feeding bivalve, Musculus senhausia, increased in Lake Nakaumi after the decline of seagrass beds. This affected the local economy, inducing not only eutrophication but also the collapse of local fisheries. On the other hand, at adjacent Lake Shinji, loss of submerged aquatic vegetation induced an increase of the commercial filter-feeding bivalve, Corbicula japonica, which doubled the fishery yield in the lake.

Distribution of an endangered burrowing spider Lycosa ishikariana in the San'in Coast of Honshu, Japan (Araneae: Lycosidae)

We surveyed habitats of an endangered burrowing wolf spider Lycosa ishikariana (Saito 1934) along the San'in coast of Tottori and Shimane Prefectures, southwestern Honshu, Japan. The species was found from eight sites covering seven different beaches from Inasa Beach (Izumo City) in the east to Toda Beach (Masuda City) in the west in Shimane Prefecture for the first time. This extends the southwestern limit of the species' range ca. 160 km westward from the Yumigahama Beach of Tottori Prefecture, the present southernmost record. In the coast of Tottori Prefecture, the species was found from 17 sites that exceed known number of records in the area. The apparent increase of the number of habitats of the species in Tottori Prefecture is probably due to a shift of survey season from the mid summer to June when density of the burrows culminates by the recruit of newly hatched spiderlings. Simple logistic regression analyses suggested that presence/absence of the species is related to any of the sand grain sizes, sorting indices, areas, lengths and maximum widths of the sandy beaches, though a multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that beach areas and sand grain size were the most significant factors. According to the models obtained, requirements for the occurrence of species were estimated to be areas>0.0313 km2 (total length>985 m, width>60 m) of sandy beach, and sand grain diameter>0.33 mm.

Heritability and Repeatability Estimates for Reproductive Traits of Japanese Black Cows

Reproductive data collected from more than 20,000 Japanese Black cows of Hyogo and Shimane Prefectures were analyzed. Averages of age at first calving, gestation length, days open and calving interval were 25.1 mo, 289 d, 112 d and 401 d, respectively. Variance components were obtained by REML procedure and the heritability estimate of age at first calving was 0.22. In gestation length the heritability estimate was 0.40 and no permanent environmental effect was estimated. Estimated variance components of calving interval were similar to those of days open and the heritability and repeatability of calving interval were 0.05 and 0.09, respectively. Random farm effects accounted for approximately 10% of phenotypic variations in all traits. Genetic and farm correlations between age at first calving and calving interval were 0.27 and 0.39, respectively. It was found that temporary environment was an important source of variation for calving intervals of Japanese Black. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2002. Vol 15, No. 12 : 1680- 1685)

大地震の前に日本海沿岸の広域に現れた地震活動の静穏化

We show that conspicuous seismic quiescence occurred in large areas along the coast of the Japan Sea before the 1891 Nobi, 1964 Niigata, 1983 Central Japan Sea, and 2000 Western Tottori Prefecture Earthquake. If we had noticed the quiescence that had appeared since the late 1980s along the northern coasts of Shimane, Tottori, and Hyogo Prefectures and had remembered the feature that a large earthquake in the coastal region of the Japan Sea is likely to be preceded by a widely extended seismic quiescence along the coast, we could have paid close attention to the focal region of the Western Tottori Prefecture Earthquake. We think the occurrence of seismic quiescence in a large area before a large earthquake implies that the preparatory process proceeds not only in the focal region, but in the circumferential areas as well.

Human babesiosis in Japan: epizootiologic survey of rodent reservoir and isolation of new type of Babesia microti-like parasite.

We have carried out epizootiologic surveys at various sites in Japan to investigate wild animals that serve as reservoirs for the agents of human babesiosis in the country. Small mammals comprising six species, Apodemus speciosus, Apodemus argenteus, Clethrionomys rufocanus, Eothenomys smithii, Crocidura dsinezumi, and Sorex unguiculatus, were trapped at various places, including Hokkaido, Chiba, Shiga, Hyogo, Shimane, and Tokushima Prefectures. Animals harboring Babesia microti-like parasites were detected in all six prefectures. Inoculation of their blood samples into hamsters gave rise to a total of 20 parasite isolates; 19 were from A. speciosus, and the other 1 was from C. rufocanus. Sequencing of the parasite small-subunit rRNA gene (rDNA) sequence revealed that 2 of the 20 isolates were classified as Kobe type because their rDNAs were identical to that of the Kobe strain (the strain from the Japanese index case). The other 18 isolates were classified as a new type, designated the Hobetsu type, because they all shared an identical rDNA sequence which differed significantly from both that of Kobe-type isolates and that of northeastern United States B. microti (U.S. type). The parasites with Kobe-, Hobetsu- and U.S.-type rDNAs were phylogenetically closely related to each other but clearly different from each other antigenically. The isolates from rodents were demonstrated to be infective for human erythrocytes by inoculation into SCID mice whose erythrocytes had been replaced with human erythrocytes. The results suggest that a new type of B. microti-like parasite, namely, the Hobetsu type, is the major one which is prevalent among Japanese wild rodents, that A. speciosus serves as a major reservoir for both Kobe- and Hobetsu-type B. microti-like parasites, and that C. rufocanus may also be an additional reservoir on Hokkaido Island.

Detection of spotted fever group rickettsiae DNA from ticks in Kanagawa, Shimane and Kochi Prefectures

Detection of spotted fever group rickettsiae DNA from ticks in Kanagawa, Shimane and Kochi Prefectures

中山間地域集落における地域特性と住民意識との関連に関する考察

At present, hte significance of the hilled rural area is recoganized from the viewpoint of the function of preservation of the environment. In this paper, the classification of settlement in the hilled rural area was investigated among 22 settlements in Iwate, Kohchi, Miyazaki, and Shimane Prefectures in terms of the agricultural regional characteristic, consciousness of residents about an atmosphere and living environment of settlement. The dependency of the classification of settlement in terms of an atmosphere and living environment of settlement on that in terms of the agricultural regional characterisitic was evaluated.

島根県内および他県に自生しているササユリ（Ｌｉｌｉｕｍ ｊａｐｏｎｉｃｕｍ Ｔｈｕｎｂ．）のＲＡＰＤ分析

島根県内および他県に自生するササユリを10塩基のランダムプライマーを用いたRAPD分析によって比較し, それらの遺伝的関係の解析を行った.UPGMAクラスター分析の結果, 島根県内に自生するササユリは, 採取地による明瞭な差はみられず, 類似度係数0.588のレベルで同一のクラスターに含まれた.また, 愛媛県に自生するササユリは島根県のササユリのクラスターに含まれた.また, これらのササユリは奈良県, 和歌山県および静岡県に自生するササユリと区別された.島根・愛媛・奈良・和歌山県に自生するササユリと静岡県に自生するササユリの類似度係数は0.428であり, 前者とヒメサユリの類似度係数は0.429であった.この結果から, ヒメサユリはササユリの変異のなかに含まれる可能性があることおよびササユリには自生地の違いによって大きな変異のあることが示唆された.以上の結果から, 島根県に自生するササユリを基にした雑種強勢の利用による品種改良を行う場合には, RAPD分析によって遺伝的に遠縁であることが明らかとなった静岡あるいは和歌山県産のササユリを交配に用いることが望ましいと考えられる.

周防,長門,石見の楼拝殿の研究 : 楼拝殿の構造細部と細部意匠について

This is a study on the evoluting process of the details mainly as to the "Roh-Haiden" in Yamaguchi and Shimane Prefectures. The results are as follows ; 1. The Roh-Haiden (tower gate) is most characteristic to be made up the wooden stage. 2. As to the features of the ornamental details, Roh-Haiden is found largely. 3. This style was presumed to decline in the latter Muromachi era, but revived in the middle Edo era, which was succeeded to in the last Edo era.

Present Features of Branch Offices of Wholesale Trades and Producer Services in Hiroshima City

It is important for studies of Japanese urban systems to investigate the present features of firm activities in cities of each hierarchical order. Particularly, branch offices of firms play an important role within firm activities of provincial and prefectural capitals in non-metropolitan regions. In this paper the author attempts to examine the functions and roles of branch offices of wholesale trades and producer services located in Hiroshima City as a case study by analyzing about 530 postal questionnaires answered from these branch offices. The main results are summarized as follows:1. Most of the branch offices located in Hiroshima have their headquarters in Tokyo or Osaka. The firms of wholesale trades were mainly established in the period before or just after World War II and set their branch offices during the period of high economic growth (1960 to 1973) in Hiroshima. On the other hand, many branch offices of producer services were established after the 1980's, while the firms they belong to were founded dominantly during the 1970's and 1980's.2. Although the firms of both types identify Hiroshima as the provincial capital in the Chugoku District, many of them regard the future development of Hiroshima as stagnated or slightly declining. At the same time, many branch offices of wholesale trades consider that the future development of Hiroshima depends on the development of Mazda, Inc., an automobile company headquartered in Hiroshima which has recently suffered from severe damage in the business depression. On the other hand, they expect the future development of rival city Okayama in the Chugoku District. But even if Hiroshima were to slightly decline and Okayama were to be developed in the future, few firms have said that they will move their branch offices from Hiroshima to Okayama.3. The main reason why most firms have established their branch offices in Hiroshima is due to its being the provincial capital with the largest service area in the Chugoku or the Chugoku and Shikoku District. And then-branch offices of wholesale trades refer to“a large amount of trade within Hiroshima”as the second most frequent answer, while those of producer services mainly point to the“favorable situation for managing the Chugoku District”.Branch offices of both types are concentrated in the four old wards including the city center (57.0 percent of 2, 134 branch offices in total). This is because of the favorable accessibility and the better conditions of face-to-face contact. Added to large opportunities for business in the city center, this accounts for about 70 percent of total answers. Although the location movement of offices from city centers to suburban areas is developing considerably in metropolitan areas of Europe and North America, branch offices do not act in such a way in Hiroshima. If such a phenomenon would occur, they would suffer not only from teir unprofitable businesses because of less accessibility but also from a shortage of labor because of unfavorable commuting conditions.4. The managing areas of branch offices in Hiroshima mainly consist of the Chugoku District or its western part (Hiroshima, Yamaguchi and Shimane Prefectures); 66 percent of branch offices in wholesale trades and 59 percent of those in producer services occupy the whole area or western part of the Chugoku District as their managing areas, respectively. But in some cases not only the Chugoku but also the Shikoku District belong to their managing areas. They consist of somewhat larger areas compared to the trade areas before the period of the rapid economic growth. Most branch offices usually carry out their intensive business activities within smaller areas than their managing areas, especially in the main urban areas.

Quadruple Parabolic Aberration Curves Independently derived from Lanthanides in Samples of Leuco-granitic Gneiss and Seawater.

Four parabolic functions were derived separately for the first, the second, the third and the fourth tetrads of lanthanides in samples of leuco-granitic gneiss from Korea, and seawater from off the coasts of Shimane and Kochi prefectures, Japan. We conclude that relative lanthanide abundances in each of those samples are mathematically expressed by a set of four parabolic functions. The parabolic functions are applicable to the abundance ratio values as well as the values of aberration from the cusp-spanning lines. Both parabolic function systems are significant in different senses, but a set of four parabolas for “aberration” is convenient in visualizing the characteristics of lanthanide tetrad phenomenon observed for the sample. Difference in those characteristics can be interpreted to reflect uniquely the state of lanthanides present and/or the condition of genesis of the sample.

The Questionnaire Survey of Japanese Macaques in the Western Chugoku District; Yamaguchi, Shimane and Hiroshima Prefectures

Questionnaire surveys have been made sporadically since 1973 in the southern Chugoku district. In some areas wild monkeys were observed directly and/or studied in more detail by asking local people. The results are presented here and compared with those of Hasebe (1923), Kishida (1950) and Takeshita (1962). The description in an older document, Bohchoh-Fudoki (1841), is also referred to in the case of Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Orientation Analysis and Formation Ages of Fractures Filled with Clay Minerals (Clay Veins) in Hiroshima and Shimane Prefectures, Southwest Japan.

Fractures filled with clay minerals (clay veins) occur extensively in granitic andrhyolitic rocks throughout Hiroshima and Shimane Prefectures, southwest Japan. The main constituent clay minerals are mica clay mineral, smectite and kaolin mineral. Based on K-Ar dating of mica clay mineral, the formation age of the clay veins is almost the same or slightly predates the emplacement age of the host or surrounding granitic rocks. Therefore, it is suggested that most of the clay veins were formed immediately after solidification of the host or surrounding granitic rocks.The orientations of the clay veins in 13 specific regions in Hiroshima and Shimane Prefectures were systematically analyzed, and 20 K-Ar ages of constituent clay minerals (mainly mica clay mineral) within the veins of each region were determined, i.e. 31-080 Ma.The orientation analysis of fractures suggests that most of the fractures were formed under a regional stress field. The azimuth of maximum principal stress axis appears to have varied at least several times during period from the Cretaceous to Palaeogene in Hiroshima and Shimane Prefectures. The maximum compression stress directions vary from WNW-ESE to NE-SW, E-W, NW-SE or NNE-SSW, E-W and finally N-S or NWSE, over a ca. 50 million year period. Comparing these results with those obtained prebiously from dyke orientations, the azimuthes of maximum compression stress axis are breafly resemble.Thus, orientation analysis of clay veins is a useful technique to determine paleostress fields in granitic terrain.