A new subspecies of Stellaria alsine (Caryophyllaceae) from Yakushima, Japan

An unknown taxon of Stellaria was discovered in Yakushima, a Japanese island known to harbor several endemic species. To determine the identity of this taxon, this study employed MIG-seq for the reconstruction of a finely resolved phylogenetic tree of the newly discovered taxon, along with some related species of Stellaria. The results showed that the newly discovered taxon is a relative of S. alsine. Based on this result, Stellaria alsine subsp. nanasubsp. nov. was published.

ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES AND METHODS OF OVERCOMING THE 2011 MAN-GENERAL DISASTER IN JAPAN

Annotation: the work is devoted to the study of the economic consequences of the earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011 off the eastern coast of the Japanese island of Honshu and the subsequent accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. The features of the disaster of 2011 and the specific economic problems that the country faced, as well as the methods by which the government resolved them were considered. They touched upon the attitude of mankind to nuclear energy in the context of such man-made disasters. The work is valuable both for considering both the economic and cultural features of the "Land of the Rising Sun".

An association analysis between hypertension, dementia, and depression and the phases of pre-sarcopenia to sarcopenia: A cross-sectional analysis

Sarcopenia is intricately related to aging associated diseases, such as neuropsychiatric disorders, oral status, and chronic diseases. Dementia and depression are interconnected and also related to sarcopenia. The preliminary shift from robust to sarcopenia (i.e., pre-sarcopenia) is an important albeit underdiscussed stage and is the focus of this study. Identifying factors associated with pre-sarcopenia may lead to sarcopenia prevention. To separately examine the effects of dementia and depression on pre-sarcopenia/sarcopenia, we conducted multiple analyses. This cross-sectional study used health checkup data from a rural Japanese island. The participants were aged 60 years and above, and the data included muscle mass, gait speed, handgrip strength, oral status (teeth and denture), chronic diseases (e.g., hypertension), dementia (cognitive assessment for dementia, iPad Version), and depression (self-rating depression scale). A total of 753 older adult participants were divided into the sarcopenia (n = 30), pre-sarcopenia (n = 125), and robust (n = 598) groups. An ordered logit regression analysis indicated that age and depression were positively correlated with sarcopenia, while hypertension was negatively associated with it. A multiple logistic regression analysis between the robust and pre-sarcopenia groups showed significant associations between the same three variables. Depression was associated with pre-sarcopenia, but not dementia. There was also a significant association between hypertension and pre-sarcopenia. Further research is needed to reveal whether the management of these factors can prevent sarcopenia.

Sounding the Island: Representing Chikubu Island in Japanese traditional performing arts

The uninhabited yet socially active and culturally important Japanese island of Chikubu (Chikubu-shima) is situated towards the northern end of Lake Biwa in the Kansai region of Japan’s largest island of Honshū. Chikubu Island is linked to Shintō and Buddhist ritualistic culture and hosts tens of thousands of day-tripper pilgrims who travel there each year. But its cultural significance is also carried beyond its aquatic margins through multimodal signification in Japanese traditional performing arts where meaning connected with the island is portrayed through visual and sonic media. Extending discourse on islands and performing arts, this article shows how one culturally noteworthy Japanese island is imagined within creative practices and how island meaning is embodied in settings that are far removed from the island’s physical or lake environment. Expanding the scope of Island Studies, select creative works are discussed in terms of how they represent Chikubu Island through sound and symbol.

Optimal Sizing of a Real Remote Japanese Microgrid with Sea Water Electrolysis Plant Under Time-Based Demand Response Programs

Optimal sizing of power systems has a tremendous effective role in reducing the total system cost by preventing unneeded investment in installing unnecessary generating units. This paper presents an optimal sizing and planning strategy for a completely hybrid renewable energy power system in a remote Japanese island, which is composed of photovoltaic (PV), wind generators (WG), battery energy storage system (BESS), fuel cell (FC), seawater electrolysis plant, and hydrogen tank. Demand response programs are applied to overcome the performance variance of renewable energy systems (RESs) as they offer an efficient solution for many problems such as generation cost, high demand peak to average ratios, and assist grid reliability during peak load periods. Real-Time Pricing (RTP), which is deployed in this work, is one of the main price-based demand response groups used to regulate electricity consumption of consumers. Four case studies are considered to confirm the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed schemes. Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) is utilized to optimize the size of the system’s components to decrease the total system cost and maximize the profits at the same time.

Intrastorm Variability of the Inland and Orographic Enhancement of a Sea-Effect Snowstorm in the Hokuriku Region of Japan

A prolonged period of winter monsoonal flow brought heavy sea-effect snowfall to the Hokuriku region along the west coast of the Japanese island of Honshu from 2 to 7 February 2010. Snowfall in some locations exceeded 140 cm, but the distribution within the event was highly variable. We examine the factors contributing to these variations using data from a Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) C-band surveillance radar, JMA soundings, surface precipitation observations, and a Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model simulation. There were three distinct periods during the event. Period 1 featured relatively weak flow with precipitation confined mainly to the coast and lowlands. Precipitation maxima were located where the flow ascended: 1) over terrain-blocked air, 2) at the foot of a high flow-normal barrier, or 3) relatively unimpeded over the lower mountain ranges. Flow strengthened during period 2, yielding stronger vertical velocities over the terrain with precipitation maxima shifting inland and to higher elevation. The flow strengthened further in period 3, with the precipitation maxima shifting higher in elevation and into the lee, with almost no precipitation falling in the lowlands. Thus, greater inland penetration and enhancement of precipitation occurred as the flow speed increased, but additional factors such as the subcloud sublimation of hydrometeors and the convective instability also contribute to differences between periods 2 and 3. These results illustrate the importance of incident flow strength in modulating the distribution and enhancement of snowfall in global lake- and sea-effect regions.

First report on two ostracod genera Loxoconcha Sars, 1866 (Loxoconchidae) and Xestoleberis Sars, 1866 (Xestoleberididae) along the coast of Vietam

One survey was done with SCUBA diving in Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island, Northern Vietnam (December 2013) and another one at Nha Trang Bay Marine Protected Area, Nha Trang city, Central Vietnam and Phu Quoc Marine Protected Area, Kien Giang Province, Southern Vietnam (November 2014). Sixteen species of the genus Loxoconcha and fourteen species of the genus Xestoleberis were found and identified. Eight species of the genus Loxoconcha were identified in group A, three species in group B, two in group C and three unidentified. Meanwhile, twelve species of the genus Xestoleberis were classified in group A and two in group B according to phylogenetic groups. From geographical distribution of the pore groups of the species in two genera Loxoconcha and Xestoleberis showed that the fauna of these genera in Vietnam is close to those of southern part of Japanese Island Arc, i.e., from Amami Island to the Philippines and Australia rather than Japanese Island Arc faunas.

First report on two ostracod genera Loxoconcha Sars, 1866 (Loxoconchidae) and Xestoleberis Sars, 1866 (Xestoleberididae) along the coast of Vietam

One survey was done with SCUBA diving in Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island, Northern Vietnam (December 2013) and another one at Nha Trang Bay Marine Protected Area, Nha Trang city, Central Vietnam and Phu Quoc Marine Protected Area, Kien Giang Province, Southern Vietnam (November 2014). Sixteen species of the genus Loxoconcha and fourteen species of the genus Xestoleberis were found and identified. Eight species of the genus Loxoconcha were identified in group A, three species in group B, two in group C and three unidentified. Meanwhile, twelve species of the genus Xestoleberis were classified in group A and two in group B according to phylogenetic groups. From geographical distribution of the pore groups of the species in two genera Loxoconcha and Xestoleberis showed that the fauna of these genera in Vietnam is close to those of southern part of Japanese Island Arc, i.e., from Amami Island to the Philippines and Australia rather than Japanese Island Arc faunas.

Memory, Realised in Space. A reflection on the Use of the Terms “Memory”, “History” and “Communal Memory” within the Art Project Art House Project on the Japanese Island of Naoshima

Art House Project (AHP) is an art project on the Japanese island of Naoshima in the Seto Inland Sea, run and financed by the Benesse Corporation as a part of the Benesse Art Site Naoshima project. The corporation’s aim is to support the economic and spiritual revitalisation of the archipelago through projects which combine art, architecture, nature and the history of the area. The centre of AHP is a number of old Japanese houses in the village Honmura on Naoshima, transformed into works of art by artists in cooperation with architects. Memory-related terms (such as “memory”, “history”, “communal” and “cultural memory”, tradition and heritage) appear regularly in catalogue texts and other publications on AHP, which leads to the assumption that AHP is connected to memory on several levels. Since the use of these terms is now very often in various contexts and can mark different phenomena, I will try to define the characteristics of the use of terms “memory”, “history” and “communal memory” as well as their role in the AHP. Within this I will show that these terms have a wide conceptual frame, which does not necessarily come from their theoretical definition – and that the semantically open term of memory has an important role in the wider context and goals of the Benesse Art Site Naoshima project.