Tokushima Prefecture Research Articles

A study on the relationship between development of saltpan and the 1596 Keicho-Fushimi earthquake in the Muya district, Tokushima Prefecture

A study on the relationship between development of saltpan and the 1596 Keicho-Fushimi earthquake in the Muya district, Tokushima Prefecture

Changes of fossil diatom assemblage and tectonic movements in Tainohama, Tokushima prefecture during the late Holocen

Changes of fossil diatom assemblage and tectonic movements in Tainohama, Tokushima prefecture during the late Holocen

Influence of nematicide on the damage caused by Meloidogyne incognita (Tylenchida: Meloidogynidae) to sweet potato in sandy fields in northeastern Tokushima Prefecture

Nematicides, especially 1,3-dichloropropene (D–D), are empirically used to control damage caused by the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) Chitwood in fields of sandy soils in northeast Tokushima, a major sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) producing area. The objective of this study was to elucidate an economic threshold against the nematode damage. Relationship between the nematode density before nematicide use and the degree of nematode damage at harvest was evaluated in nematicide-treated and non-treated plots. There was a significant correlation between the pre-plant nematode densities and nematode damage in the nematicide non-treated plots. Marketable quality of sweet potato decreased in four out of 16 in the non-treated plots, while it did not decrease in all 11 nematicide non-treated plots in which the pre-plant nematode densities were less than 100 second-stage juveniles (J2) equivalent 20 g−1 of soil, estimated using a real-time PCR method, suggesting that this density is an economic threshold for damage by root-knot nematodes to sweet potato. The present study demonstrates that nematicides can be avoided in fields containing root-knot nematodes at densities less than the economic threshold.

Introduction to Naming Rights for Public Facilities and Sponsors’ Local Contributions: A Case Study in Tokushima Prefecture

Introduction to Naming Rights for Public Facilities and Sponsors’ Local Contributions: A Case Study in Tokushima Prefecture

Possibility of the Regional Activation by Medical Tourism : Case Analysis of Tokushima Prefecture

Possibility of the Regional Activation by Medical Tourism : Case Analysis of Tokushima Prefecture

2014年12月の徳島県西部の大雪 －気象概況と倒木・枝折れ被害調査－

2014年12月の徳島県西部の大雪 －気象概況と倒木・枝折れ被害調査－

Inverse association between soya food consumption and insulin resistance in Japanese adults.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the association between soya food consumption and insulin resistance using baseline data of the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) Study in Tokushima, Japan. This cross-sectional study included 1274 subjects, aged 34-70 years at baseline, living in Tokushima Prefecture between 2008 and 2013. Fasting blood samples were collected and information on lifestyle characteristics including soya food intake and medical history were obtained using a structured self-administered questionnaire. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was measured and those with HOMA-IR ≥ 2.5 were defined as having insulin resistance. Multiple logistic regression models were used to analyse the association between soya product intake and the prevalence of insulin resistance. Rural communities located in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, between 2008 and 2013. A total of 1148 adults (565 men and 583 women), aged 34-70 years. The frequency of intake of miso soup, total non-fried soya products and total soya products showed significant inverse dose-response relationships with insulin resistance, after adjustments for potential confounders. When soya product intake was calculated as soya protein and isoflavone, the odds ratios of insulin resistance decreased significantly as the estimated intake of soya protein increased. Furthermore, significant inverse dose-response relationships were observed for total non-fried soya products and total soya products, after adjustment for total vegetable or total fibre consumption. The present results indicate that the intake of soya products and non-fried soya products is associated with reduced insulin resistance in the Japanese population.

Family history of stroke is potentially associated with arterial stiffness in the Japanese population

Studies on the association between family history of cardiovascular disease and arterial stiffness are rare. This study evaluated the possible relationship between family history of cardiovascular disease and arterial stiffness in the Japanese population, by measuring brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV). A total of 1004 eligible subjects (664 men and 340 women) aged 35-69 years, who were enrolled in the baseline survey of a cohort study in Tokushima Prefecture (Japan) and who underwent ba-PWV measurement, were analysed. Information about their lifestyle characteristics and first-degree family histories of ischaemic heart disease (i.e. myocardial infarction or angina pectoris), stroke or hypertension were obtained from a structural self-administered questionnaire. Subjects of both sexes with a family history of stroke showed significantly higher multivariable-adjusted means of ba-PWV than those without that trait (P values were 0.001 in men and 0.002 in women), while those with a family history of ischaemic heart disease did not. Subjects of both sexes with a family history of hypertension showed significantly higher age-adjusted means of ba-PWV than those without that trait, although these differences disappeared after further adjusting for blood pressure or multivariable covariates. When family histories of these diseases were inserted simultaneously into the same model, these results did not alter substantially. A family history of stroke might be associated with increased arterial stiffness, independent of other known atherosclerotic risk factors, including hypertensive elements, in both sexes in the Japanese population.

Association between dietary calcium intake and arterial stiffness according to dietary vitamin D intake in men.

Studies on the associations of dietary Ca and vitamin D intakes with arterial stiffness are scarce. In the present study, these associations were evaluated in Japanese men. Data from a total of 535 eligible men, aged 35-69 years, who participated in the baseline survey of a cohort study in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, and underwent brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV) measurements were analysed. ba-PWV is a measure of arterial stiffness and is recognised as a marker of atherosclerotic vascular damage. Information regarding the cohort's lifestyle characteristics including dietary behaviour over the past year was obtained from a structured self-administered questionnaire. Dietary Ca and vitamin D intakes were adjusted for total energy intake using the residual method and divided into quartiles; the highest quartile was used as the reference. General linear models were used to evaluate the associations between dietary Ca and vitamin D intakes and ba-PWV values adjusted for probable covariates. The association between dietary Ca intake and ba-PWV was further evaluated using similar general linear models stratified by dietary vitamin D intake (median or below/above median). Dietary Ca intake was found to be significantly inversely associated with ba-PWV after adjusting for probable covariates (P for trend=0·020). However, no such association was observed between dietary vitamin D intake and ba-PWV. The inverse association between dietary Ca intake and ba-PWV was striking in subjects with higher dietary vitamin D intake. However, no association was found in subjects with lower dietary vitamin D intake. These results indicate that adequate dietary Ca and vitamin D intakes may be protective against the development of arterial stiffness in Japanese men.

Efficacy and safety of Citrus sudachi peel in obese adults: A randomized, double-blind, pilot study

Objective: This study was undertaken to explore the efficacy and safety of Citrus sudachi peel for metabolic risk factors in obese male and female adults.Background: Citrus sudachi Hort. ex Shirai (Rutaceae), called “sudachi”, is a small, round, green citrus fruit that is mainly cultivated in Tokushima Prefecture in Japan. Our group reported that Citrus sudachi peel powder improved glucose tolerance and dyslipidemia in Zucher-fatty rats and reduced hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia in GK diabetic rats.Materials and Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 40 participants with abdominal obesity and metabolic risk factors including hypertension, impaired glucose tolerance and elevated triglyceride levels. Participants were randomized to receive either tablets that contained 1.3 g dried Citrus sudachi peel powder or placebo tablets for 12 weeks. The sudachi peel group included 14 males and 5 females with a mean age of 54.5 years, and the placebo group included 18 males and 2 females with a mean age of 51.9 years. Results: Physical status including body weight, waist circumference and blood pressure and laboratory markers including metabolic parameters were not different at any observation point between the two groups. However, among participants with serum triglyceride levels of more than 120 mg/dl, body weight, waist circumference and serum triglyceride levels were significantly decreased at several observation points after the start of treatment in the sudachi peel group but not in the placebo group. No serious adverse events were observed in the sudachi peel group. Conclusions: Citrus sudachi peel has the potential effect to safely improve abdominal obesity and lower serum levels of TG in obese individuals with hypertriglyceridemia. A large-scale randomized, double-blind clinical study targeting subjects with both abdominal obesity and high TG levels is needed to confirm the metabolic effects of Citrus sudachi peel.Trial registration: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) UMIN000002682. Accession number of the Ethics Committee for Clinical Trials of Food in Tokushima University Hospital is F5.Key words: health functional food, anti-obesity, triglyceride

Awa Surfers: Riding the syncretic dynamics of sound art and traditional Japanese indigo

Awa-ai is the indigo plant and dye made famous hundreds of years ago in Japan by the people living and working in the region now known as Tokushima Prefecture. This article explores the core concepts that link the aged traditions of indigo production, processing and dyeing with contemporary sound practice, and outlines the facets of a collaboration in which disparate fields not only coexisted, but used their technological and cultural differences to strengthen one another. Live field recordings, audio interviews and the sounds of Awa indigo production and practice were used in a large-scale, transcontinental installation which featured over 200 pieces of indigo-dyed cloth and multichannel, interactive sound. The collaborative nature of this project allowed the artists involved to understand and conceptualise their work in new ways, and can serve as an example for the ways in which syncretic exploration energises creative thinking and output.

Suppression of increased blood glucose levels in mice by Awa-ban tea following oral administration of mono- and disaccharides

Awa-ban tea is a uniquely flavored, pickled and anaerobically fermented tea found only in the Tokushima prefecture in the Shikoku region of Japan. Diabetes is a major health problem worldwide. Here, we report that Awa-ban tea suppressed the increase in blood glucose levels after oral administration of maltose, sucrose, or glucose in mice (n = 9–54). Awa-ban tea suppressed the area under the curve (AUC) of blood glucose by 72–83%. Thus, we propose that Awa-ban tea can be used as an alternative functional beverage for diabetes prevention.

Tokushima Prefecture Ordinance for Disaster Prevention Including Land Use Control on Active Faults

Tokushima Prefecture Ordinance for Disaster Prevention Including Land Use Control on Active Faults

High incidence of acute traumatic spinal cord injury in a rural population in Japan in 2011 and 2012: an epidemiological study

Retrospective questionnaire-based epidemiological study. Physicians treating acute traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) in Japan noticed an increased occurrence of cervical SCI without skeletal injury. To elucidate the precise epidemiology of acute cervical SCI with the aim of planning a prevention program. Questionnaires were posted to all hospitals in Tokushima prefecture (around 780,000 inhabitants) to investigate the annual incidence of SCI in 2011 and 2012. The response rate was 79% in 2011 and 64% in 2012. The returned questionnaires reported on 95 patients in 2011 and 91 patients in 2012, with a mean age of 67.6 and 64.3 years and an annual incidence (per million population) of 121.4 and 117.1, respectively. More than two-thirds of the cases suffered cervical SCI without skeletal injury, and 61% of these were categorized as Frankel D neurological deficits due to low-energy impact as the main cause. The incidence of incomplete cervical SCI does appear to be increasing, and significant regional differences in the incidence of cervical SCI exist across Japan. We speculate that factors other than age are contributing to this increase.

Present status of Japanese ethics committees: a survey in Tokushima Prefecture.

Clinical research is important to improve medical quality, and ethics review is essential to conduct clinical research. Since the establishment of the first Japanese ethics committee at the University of Tokushima in 1982, Japanese ethics committees have increased. In this study, we surveyed the status of clinical studies and ethics committees in one Japanese region. The survey was conducted in collaboration with the Tokushima Medical Association. A questionnaire was established and mailed to all medical institutions (n=737) registered to the Tokushima Medical Association in 2012. Among 737, 223 (30.3%) questionnaires were returned and 221 were completed and are included in this analysis (respondents). Among respondents, 51 (23.1%) had performed clinical research, and of these, 17 had established ethics committees (though one was omitted from the following analysis due to an unsatisfactory response). Among 16 ethics committees, review of protocol amendments, review of serious adverse events, annual follow-up of approved protocols, and education for committee members were active in 10 (62.5%), 9 (56.3%), 6 (37.5%) and 4 (25.0%), respectively. Research ethics education was active in 4 (25.0%). Based on the results, we attempt to establish an appropriate system for ethical conduct of health-related research in Tokushima Prefecture.

生活空間への観光のまなざしと住民の対応―徳島県三好市東祖谷地域を事例として―

生活空間への観光のまなざしと住民の対応―徳島県三好市東祖谷地域を事例として―

Associations of dietary patterns with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance: a cross-sectional study in a Japanese population.

The associations of dietary patterns with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and insulin resistance have not been fully investigated in the Japanese population. A cross-sectional study was performed on 513 subjects without treatment for diabetes who had participated in the baseline survey of a cohort study in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. Frequencies of consumption of 46 foods and beverages were assessed using a questionnaire. MetS was diagnosed using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) criteria. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to examine the associations of the dietary patterns with the prevalence of MetS, its components, and the Homeostasis Model of Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). Using principal component analysis, four dietary patterns were extracted: prudent diet (high intake of vegetables and fruits); high fat/Western (high intake of fried foods, fried dishes and meat); bread and dairy products; and seafood patterns. After adjustment for sex, age, and other potential confounders, prudent diet pattern scores were inversely correlated with the prevalence of reduced serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P=0.04) and high blood pressure (P=0.05), and bread and dairy products pattern scores were correlated with a lower prevalence of abdominal obesity (P=0.04) and high plasma glucose (P=0.04). The high fat/Western pattern was positively correlated with HOMA-IR (P=0.04). Prudent dietary pattern and bread and dairy products pattern may be correlated with a lower prevalence of some components of MetS. A high fat/Western dietary pattern may be positively associated with insulin resistance in the Japanese population.

Cultivable ephiphytic bacteria obtained from the unialgal culture strain of the red alga Gracilariopsis chorda (Holmes) Ohmi collected from the estuary of Katsuura River in Tokushima Prefecture in southwest Japan

Cultivable ephiphytic bacteria obtained from the unialgal culture strain of the red alga <i>Gracilariopsis chorda</i> (Holmes) Ohmi collected from the estuary of Katsuura River in Tokushima Prefecture in southwest Japan

地方自治体職員の被災者生活支援業務に関する意識分析からみたBCP策定の課題

The role of local government officials in emergency period after disaster occurred is exceedingly important. It is necessary for effect responses to prepare the emergency operations plan before disaster occurred. This study examines perceptions of local government officials related to business continuity plan. The research area is Naruto City in Tokushima Prefecture. The questionnaire survey was conducted to Naruto City local government officials. Question items are perceptions of emergency response issues and important operation contents associated with Nankai Trough Earthquake. In the analyses, each item was aggregated and their structures were pictured based on pass analysis. The results shows that local government officials recognized importance of resources related to life in emergency period and living materials for the support service. Another results indicate that perceptions of emergency response issues and important operation contents are mostly related, on the other hand a little part are not found relevant. Language: ja

Survey of Annual Events and Their Special Foods in Tokushima Prefecture

Survey of Annual Events and Their Special Foods in Tokushima Prefecture