Southwestern Part Of Japan Research Articles

Diameter Measurements of the Upper Parts of Trees Using an Ultra-Telephoto Digital Photography System

We develop a new technique to measure the exact upper diameters of trees that is comparatively simple and inexpensive. We can measure the diameters of entire tree trunks efficiently and with high precision. The system uses a digital camera with a ~15 - 30× telephoto lens to take a photograph that can be used for measuring the diameter of the upper part of a comparatively slender tree trunk. Since this method requires a measuring distance and the height of the target point in the image, a range finder capable of measuring angles was combined with the main digiscoping system. A range finder sensor uses a laser and makes a 360 degree angle of observation possible. The diameter of a target position of the objective tree can be obtained by measuring the digital image using image editing software and calculations from spreadsheet software. We focus on the Japanese cedar species in the southwestern part of Japan. Photographic measurements were obtained prior to thinning. The estimates that we obtained largely agree with the true measurements of all trees. With regard to the estimated accuracy of all measured trees, the maximum error ratio was 7.0% (1.45 cm), with a ~2% - 4% error for most of the estimated results. Although the absolute value of the estimation error was 1.87 cm (5.3%) at the maximum (9.87 m in height and 35.5 cm in diameter), an estimation accuracy of <1 cm was reproduced in almost all measurements except for the extreme hypertrophy portion by butt swelling.

Spatiotemporal variability of April rainfall in Korea by western Pacific teleconnection pattern

AbstractThis study analyses the correlation between western Pacific (WP) teleconnection pattern index (WPI) in April and rainfall amounts in the same month during 1954–2008. On the basis of the results, it is identified that there have been strong positive correlations between central China, Korea, and the southwestern part of Japan in the East Asian region. Through differences between 10 positive WP years and 10 negative WP years selected from the April WPI excluding El Niño‐Southern Oscillation years, it is found that rainfall amounts increase in April of positive WP years due to the following characteristics. Increases in rainfall amounts are evident in the East Asian middle latitudinal region where the positive correlation between the two variables is the highest and this is because anomalous southwesterlies are strengthened in the East Asian middle latitudinal region due to the spatial pattern of a south‐low‐north‐high anomalous pressure system centered on this region that is made by anomalous anticyclones centered on the southeastern side of the region and other anomalous anticyclones centered on the northeastern side of the region. In addition, anomalous westerlies (jet) are strengthened in the upper troposphere of the East Asian middle latitudinal region. As a result, anomalous upward flows are strengthened in this region and thus anomalous warm air temperatures are formed in the entire level of the troposphere in the region. In addition to atmospheric environments, anomalous warm sea surface temperatures are formed in the seas in the East Asian middle latitudinal region to help the rainfall amount increases in the East Asian middle latitudinal region. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society

住宅市場圏構成から見た平成市町村大合併の検討

This study analyses structural problems of the newly created administrative districts due to the recent municipal merger, through the structure of housing market areas as daily life areas.The following results were found: 1) The number of municipalities reduced in half due to the merger between 2000 and 2010. 2) The population in each city has increased because of the merger of small municipalities into bigger existing or newly created cities. 3) 30% of merged municipalities contain fractions of more than one housing market areas, and the half of the daily life areas had significant influence by the merger. 4) South western parts of Japan have more merged municipalities than big cities and some parts of eastern Japan.

Epidemiological Aspects and World Distribution of HTLV-1 Infection

The human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), identified as the first human oncogenic retrovirus 30 years ago, is not an ubiquitous virus. HTLV-1 is present throughout the world, with clusters of high endemicity located often nearby areas where the virus is nearly absent. The main HTLV-1 highly endemic regions are the Southwestern part of Japan, sub-Saharan Africa and South America, the Caribbean area, and foci in Middle East and Australo-Melanesia. The origin of this puzzling geographical or rather ethnic repartition is probably linked to a founder effect in some groups with the persistence of a high viral transmission rate. Despite different socio-economic and cultural environments, the HTLV-1 prevalence increases gradually with age, especially among women in all highly endemic areas. The three modes of HTLV-1 transmission are mother to child, sexual transmission, and transmission with contaminated blood products. Twenty years ago, de Thé and Bomford estimated the total number of HTLV-1 carriers to be 10–20 millions people. At that time, large regions had not been investigated, few population-based studies were available and the assays used for HTLV-1 serology were not enough specific. Despite the fact that there is still a lot of data lacking in large areas of the world and that most of the HTLV-1 studies concern only blood donors, pregnant women, or different selected patients or high-risk groups, we shall try based on the most recent data, to revisit the world distribution and the estimates of the number of HTLV-1 infected persons. Our best estimates range from 5–10 millions HTLV-1 infected individuals. However, these results were based on only approximately 1.5 billion of individuals originating from known HTLV-1 endemic areas with reliable available epidemiological data. Correct estimates in other highly populated regions, such as China, India, the Maghreb, and East Africa, is currently not possible, thus, the current number of HTLV-1 carriers is very probably much higher.

沖縄における侵入害虫ミツユビナミハダニの分布拡大ならびに本種沖縄個体群に対する各種農薬の殺虫効果

To determine the current status of the southward range expansion of Tetranychus evansi, a recent invader of Japan, we surveyed occurrence of this species on solanaceous plants throughout Okinawa, a southwestern part of Japan. T. evansi was first detected on Okinawa Island where this species has not been found until 2009, suggesting recent range expansion. The occurrence of T. evansi on a commercially-grown eggplant in Japan was first confirmed, alerting us to the further expansion of damage by this pest. Besides the crop plants, T. evansi was frequently found on a weed, Solanum americanum, which is considered a major source plant. When the acaricidal effect of 22 agrochemicals on T. evansi was examined under laboratory conditions, all the tested chemicals except four spiracle-blocking insecticides were highly effective.

Prevalence and Distribution of Sarcomeric Gene Mutations in Japanese Patients With Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait, is the most prevalent hereditary cardiac disease. Although there are several reports on the systematic screening of mutations in the disease-causing genes in European and American populations, only limited information is available for Asian populations, including Japanese. Genetic screening of disease-associated mutations in 8 genes for sarcomeric proteins, MYH7, MYBPC3, MYL2, MYL3, TNNT2, TNNI3, TPM1, and ACTC, was performed by direct sequencing in 112 unrelated Japanese proband patients with familial HCM; 37 different mutations, including 13 novel ones in 5 genes, MYH7, MYBPC3, TNNT2, TNNI3, and TPM1, were identified in 49 (43.8%) patients. Among them, 3 carried compound heterozygous mutations in MYBPC3 or TNNT2. The frequency of patients carrying the MYBPC3, MYH7, and TNNT2 mutations were 19.6%, 10.7%, and 8.9%, respectively, and the most frequently affected genes in the northeastern and southwestern parts of Japan were MYBPC3 and MYH7, respectively. Several mutations were found in multiple unrelated proband patients, for which the geographic distribution suggested founder effects of the mutations. This study demonstrated the frequency and distribution of mutations in a large cohort of familial HCM in Japan.

Clinical Characteristics of Keratitis Due toColletotrichum gloeosporioides

To determine the characteristics of the keratitis due to Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. The medical records of 3 cases of fungal keratitis caused by C. gloeosporioides were reviewed to determine the clinical characteristics. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of different antifungal drugs for all 3 isolates were determined. All 3 isolates were grown on Sabouraud dextrose agar at 25°C, 35°C, and 37°C to determine the temperature-sensitive growth. All 3 patients lived in the southwestern part of Japan and had an ocular trauma involving organic materials. The infectious foci were localized in the anterior stroma, and they did not extend deep into the stroma in all cases. The keratitis was treated with antifungal medications including topical voriconazole and natamycin eye ointment, and was resolved in 2-3 weeks. All of the isolated strains grew well at 25°C but poorly at 35°C and 37°C. All isolated strains had similar drug-sensitivity profiles; they were sensitive to amphotericin B, itraconazole, miconazole, micafungin, and voriconazole, and relatively resistant to flucytosine, fluconazole, and natamycin. All 3 cases of C. gloeosporioides keratitis had similar clinical features. The similarities in the drug-sensitivity profiles should be helpful in treating C. gloeosporioides keratitis.

Origin ofCallosciurus erythraeusIntroduced into the Uto Peninsula, Kumamoto, Japan, Inferred from Mitochondrial DNA Analysis

Alien squirrels cause severe damage to forests and commercial tree plantations (Rowe and Gill 1985; Dagnall et al. 1998). They also cause the progressive disappearance of native squirrel species (Reynolds 1985; Gurnell and Pepper 1993; Bertolino and Genovesi 2003). To prevent these serious effects by alien squirrels, it is important to ascertain how the species was introduced to the area. Even if the species has already been introduced, further introductions can be managed if the route of introduction is identified. The Pallas’s squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus) is originally distributed in eastern India, Bhutan, southeast China, Taiwan, Indochina, and Malaya (Corbet and Hill 1992; Wilson and Reeder 2005). This squirrel is arboreal and inhabits lowland and montane forests, cultivated areas, and gardens (Nowak 1991; Francis 2008). It was exported to other countries as an exotic pet. As a result of this commercial activity, C. erythraeus now occurs in Argentina (e.g., Aprile and Chicco 1999), France (Jouanin 1986; Mitchel-Jones et al. 1999), and Japan (Ishii 2005; Tamura 2009). It is considered serious threat to forests and tree plantations (Jouanin 1986; Setoguchi 1990; Aprile and Chicco 1999). Callosciurus erythraeus is thought to have been introduced from Taiwan into central and southwestern parts of Japan (Tamura 2002). Study of Oshida et al. (2007) with mitochondrial DNA control region sequences shows that the C. erythraeus population of Japan is closely related to that of Taiwan. Several populations of C. erythraeus are reported in Japan (Ozaki 1986; Torii 1989, 1993; Tamura and Ohara 2005; Ishii 2005; Tamura 2009) (Fig. 1). In addition to C. erythraeus, Oshida et al. (2007) revealed that Finlayson’s squirrel, C. finlaysonii, had been introduced to the Shizuoka Prefecture, Honshu Island. It is difficult to distinguish this species from C. erythraeus based on external characteristics such as pelage patterns. As C. finlaysonii occurs in only the Indochina Peninsula (Corbet and Hill 1992), its presence in Japan is clear evidence of past introductions of Callosciurus squirrels from the Asian Continent. In 2008, a population of Callosciurus squirrel was found in the Uto Peninsula of Kumamoto, Kyushu Island (Yasuda 2010, Fig. 1). Under law number 78 of the ‘Invasive Alien Species Act’ (Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan, 2004: http://www.env.go.jp/ nature/intro/index.html), import of Callosciurus squirrels to Japan is strictly prohibited. Therefore, it is important to identify how this population appeared in this area. With respect to the Kumamoto population, we propose three scenarios: 1) C. erythraeus was introduced from Taiwan or from any other area in Japan, 2) C. erythraeus was introduced from any original country other than Taiwan, and 3) C. finlaysonii was introduced from the Asian Continent or from any other area in Japan. To test these scenarios, we analyzed the mtDNA control region

Herbivorous Insect Fauna of Kudzu, Pueraria montana (Leguminosae), in Japan

Kudzu, Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr. var. lo bata (Willd.) Maesen et S. Almeida (Legumino sae), is an aggressive invasive weed introduced to the United States in the early 20th century for forage and erosion control (Piper 1920). Kudzu turned out to be harmful, causing economic loss and suppressing native plants (Alderman 1998). The USDA removed it from the list of recom mended ground cover plants in 1953, and it was listed as a U.S. federal noxious weed in 1998 (U.S. Forest Service 2008). Kudzu infests 7 million acres in the United States (Miller & Edwards 1983; Britton et al. 2000), and kudzu's range in North America is still expanding. Sun et al. (2006) identified plant pathogens and 116 insect species associated with kudzu in China, and Tayutivutikul & Kushigemati (1992) made a similar survey in the southwestern part of Japan, and noted that 109 insects and 2 spider mites in Japan feed on kudzu. Here we report the first field surveys for kudzu-feeding insects in central Japan (12 sites in the Kinki District, N34?-36?, E135?-137?; 4 sites in Shiga prefecture, 3 sites in Kyoto prefecture, 2 sites in Hyogo pre fecture, and 1 site in Osaka and Nara prefecture), and in other regions (7 sites, N31?-42?, E130? 141?; 1 site in Hokkaido, Miyagi, Toshigi, Shi zuoka and Kagoshima prefecture, and 2 sites in Tokyo prefecture). Timed visual searches in plots with kudzu were conducted from May to Oct in 2004-2005. Three to 6 plots (2-15 m2) were marked per site, and each was searched for 15 min in 2004 and 5 min in 2005. The total time spent searching was 2050 min in the Kinki District and 395 min in

Nonmetric cranial variation of Jomon Japan: Implications for the evolution of eastern Asian diversity

The purpose of this study is to investigate the origin and expansion of the Jomon population, the Neolithic inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago, and peopling East/Northeast Asian region through a global comparison between the prehistoric samples from around the world. R-matrix approach was applied to 20 nonmetric cranial traits for assessing the population structure and history of the Jomon. Pattern of ancient group relationships on a global scale was presented using network splitstree applied to distance matrix transformed from the R-matrix. The phenotypic variation is largest in Hokkaido region, followed by the regions of eastern Japan. The Chugoku region, the southwestern part of Japan, shows larger variance than eastern Japan. Global analyses including samples from Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, West Asia, Europe, and North Africa dating roughly to the same chronological periods as those of the Jomon groups, indicate northern affinities of the Jomon and the distinction between Southeast and Northeast Asian series. The Jomon ancestors of the northern part of Japan might have expanded southward to Honshu Island with a series of bottlenecks. A possible gene flow from outside source or heterogeneous origin of western Jomon group was, at the same time, suggested. The network relationships of the Jomon with Northeast Asians and, to a lesser extent, with Southeast Asians based on the splitstree analysis may allow us to suppose that the Jomon may be one of the key populations for the studies of the evolution of eastern Asian diversity.

Notes on Malthinus mucoreus (Coleoptera: Cantharidae), with descriptions of two new related species from the Ryukyus, Southwest Japan

Malthinus mucoreus Kiesenwetter, 1879, is redescribed based on material collected from various localities in Japan, and variations in morphological features are investigated. Additionally, two species from the Ryukyus in the southwestern part of Japan, M. serrulatus sp. nov. and M. orbiculatus sp. nov., are described and illustrated.

Relation between structure and low-temperature geothermal systems in Fukuoka city, southwestern Japan

Abstract The Fukuoka area is located in the southwestern part of Japan. The Yokote-Ijiri area, located in the southern part of Fukuoka city, has several low-temperature geothermal systems, including eleven hot springs. From 1996 to 2008, the Fukuoka area was investigated by gravity survey, using Scintrex CG-3 and CG-3M gravimeters, in an attempt to delineate its subsurface structure. The surveys were intended to improve the understanding of the relation between the geothermal systems and the subsurface structure as well as to locate the active faults in the surveyed area, which are responsible for generating large earthquakes. The gravity data were analyzed using integrated gradient interpretation techniques, such as the Horizontal Gradient (HG), Tilt Derivative (TDR), and Euler deconvolution methods. With these techniques, many faults were detected, including the famous Kego fault, which is an active fault in Fukuoka city. A 2-D gravity model was constructed to show the relationship between the faults and the geothermal systems. The results of the present study will hopefully lead to an understanding of the relationships between the interpreted faults and the location of the low-temperature geothermal systems and possibly aid in future geothermal exploration of the area.

Adaptation to the new land or effect of global warming? An age‐structured model for rapid voltinism change in an alien lepidopteran pest

1. Hyphantria cunea Drury invaded Japan at Tokyo in 1945 and expanded its distribution gradually into northern and south-western Japan. All populations in Japan were bivoltine until the early 1970s, at which time trivoltine populations appeared in several southern regions. Presently, H. cunea exists as separate bivoltine and trivoltine populations divided around latitude 36 degrees . In the course of this voltinism change, the mean surface temperature in Japan rose by 1.0 degrees C. 2. To determine whether and how this temperature increase might be responsible for the voltinism change, we constructed an age-structured model incorporating growth speed driven by actual daily temperature and detailed mechanisms of diapause induction triggered by both daily photoperiod and temperature. 3. The simulation result suggests that both the acceleration of the growth speed and the prolongation of diapause induction are necessary to cause changes in voltinism, regardless of temperature increase. We concluded that the H. cunea population changed its life-history traits as an adaptation parallel with its invasion into the south-western parts of Japan. 4. Though the temperature increase had little effect on the fitness and heat stress in bivoltine and trivoltine populations, the trivoltine life cycle has become advantageous at least in marginal regions such as Tokyo.

沖縄本島土壌から分離された未知 Coprinopsis 属アンモニア菌

沖縄本島土壌から分離された未知 Coprinopsis 属アンモニア菌

Effect of the High-Molecular-Weight Glutenin Allele, Glu-D1d, on Noodle Quality of Common Wheat

In the southwestern part of Japan, weakness of the dough produced from soft wheat used for white salted noodles, resulting from low protein content and poor protein quality, is one of the shortcomings in noodle quality. We investigated the effect of the high-molecular-weight glutenin allele, Glu-D1d, on dough properties and noodle quality using near-isogenic lines (NILs) of three soft wheat cultivars. The NILs with the Glu-D1d allele showed significantly stronger dough, based on the sodium dodecyl sulfate sedimentation volume and the proportion of unextractable polymeric protein in total polymeric protein, than that of the corresponding recurrent parents with the Glu-D1f allele, suggesting that the Glu-D1d allele exerts a positive effect on dough strength, even when the protein content is low (around 8.0%). The positive effect of the Glu-D1d allele on dough strength was most pronounced in the cultivar harboring the Glu-A1c allele (null allele) with weaker dough. Significant differences were found between the NILs and the corresponding recurrent parents in the breaking force of cooked noodles based on instrumental assessment and in the noodle firmness based on sensory assessment, suggesting that the dough strength conferred by the Glu-D1d allele affected the firmness of cooked noodles.

Influence of subduction zone settings on the origin of forearc fluids: Halogen concentrations and 129I/I ratios in waters from Kyushu, Japan

Fluid migration in subduction zones is one of the key phenomena to understand the global mass transfer system. While active volcanoes provide the most recognizable conduits for fluid flow in active margins, the existence of a large number of active fluid seepages demonstrates that other forms of fluid release are also important in subduction zone settings. The authors collected fluid samples from springs and wells across the forearc area in Kyushu, a southwestern island of Japan, covering hot spring activities associated with active volcanism and the Median Tectonic Line (MTL), a major fault system present in the southwestern part of Japan. In order to determine sources of these fluids, halogen concentrations as well as 129I/I and 36Cl/Cl ratios were measured in samples from several locations. While Cl concentrations of the forearc fluids in Kyushu range between seawater and meteoric water value, I concentrations are considerably higher than seawater value. Fluids in the Miyazaki area are much higher in I, and somewhat higher in Br, than waters in the Oita area, which is closely associated with the MTL. The differences between those two areas are also pronounced in 129I/I ratios, which range between 800 and 900 × 10 −15 in the Oita area and between 100 and 360 × 10 −15 in the Miyazaki area. The 129I/I ratios obtained from the Oita area are compatible with an I derivation from subducting marine sediments, similar to findings from an earlier investigation of fluids collected from Satsuma-Iwojima, an active volcano south of Kyushu Island. In the Miyazaki area, on the other hand, I ages are too old to be derived from currently subducting marine sediments and point to a derivation from old organic-rich materials in the upper plate of the forearc region. The results demonstrate the presence of very different fluid systems in the forearc area of Kyushu: old CH 4-rich fluids dominate in the seaward side of the forearc, while fluids close to the MTL and the Quaternary Volcanic Front demonstrate derivations from subducting marine sediments. The latter fluids in the MTL area probably are transported through the fractures associated with the fault activities, suggesting that this fault system reaches the transition zone between upper and lower plates in this region.

Geographic variation of chromosomes and somatic morphology in the Japanese polymorphic species Leiobunum hiraiwai (Arachnida: Opiliones: Sclerosomatidae)

The hiraiwai-subgroup of the Leiobunum curvipalpe-species group (Opiliones: Sclerosomatidae: Leiobuninae) is revised on the basis of somatic morphology, genitalia and karyotypes. This subgroup is distributed mainly in the mountainous areas of the Japanese Beech (Fagus crenata) forest zone (usually above 700 m in altitude in the southwestern part of Japan) in the western part of the Japanese Islands and corresponds to a single polytypic species, Leiobunum hiraiwai (Sato &amp; Suzuki, 1939) with eight geographic races. Leiobunum tamanum Suzuki, 1957 and L. tsushimense Suzuki, 1976 are here synonymized with L. hiraiwai. All the races, except for the Tsushima race, were chromosomally analyzed. The number of chromosomes varies geographically from 2n = 18 to 22 eastwards, irrespective of the variation in somatic morphology or male genitalia. Component chromosomes in these karyotypes are invariably metacentric or submetacentric in structure. Some morphological characters show a geographic pattern of variation that conforms to the stasipatric model of speciation. The possible processes of geographical differentiation of the species and direction of character evolution are inferred on the basis of such geographical patterns. The distribution of some character states suggests that the closest relative of the subgroup is the curvipalpe-subgroup (= Leiobunum curvipalpe Roewer, 1910 and L. tohokuense Suzuki, 1976) that inhabits the northeastern part of Honshu, Japan. The hiraiwai-subgroup (= Leiobunum hiraiwai) shows a mutually exclusive or checkerboard pattern of geographical distribution with regards to the montanum-subgroup (= Leiobunum montanum Suzuki, 1953) in southwestern Japan, suggesting some possible reproductive interference between these two species.

First Record of Leptospira borgpetersenii Isolation in the Amami Islands, Japan

In 2003, a Leptospira survey was performed on Yoroshima Island of the Amami Islands located in the southwestern part of Japan. Seven Leptospira strains were isolated from the field rat Rattus rattus, which were identified as L. borgpetersenii by flaB sequencing, 16S rDNA sequencing and gyrB sequencing, and serovar Javanica was determined by a microscopic agglutination test. NotI-long restriction fragment analysis indicated that these isolates were genetically indistinguishable from an isolate from the Okinawa Islands. The present results suggest that L. borgpetersenii is migrating into the Amami Islands in Japan.

Growth and Grain Yield of Winter Wheat Saikai 185 Sown Early in the Southwestern Part of Japan

Growth and Grain Yield of Winter Wheat Saikai 185 Sown Early in the Southwestern Part of Japan

Eolian dust may be an effective expander of HBRA: a case of China–Ryukyu connection

Extensive survey for the natural radiation was carried out in the East Asia. The results strongly suggest that the natural radiation level in the Ryukyu Islands, southwestern part of Japan, has been enhanced due to the deposition of eolian dusts mainly transported from the high background radiation area (HBRA) in China.