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Abstract The breeding of heat-tolerant (HT) varieties is considered an effective adaptation measure to reduce the impacts of global warming on crops. However, little is known about how much heat tolerance needs to be attained in the breeding of HT varieties and by when the HT varieties should be introduced in a warming climate. Here, we assessed the effect of the introduction of HT rice varieties on the incidence of low-quality rice grains (chalky rice grain, CRG, as a result of high temperatures), and formulated a breeding target for rice in Japan, where high incidence of CRG is already a concern. Varieties with a 3 °C higher temperature tolerance should be bred and introduced until the 2040s under representative concentration pathways (RCPs) 2.6 and 8.5, in the pessimistic scenario, considering the uncertainties in climate models and an impact assessment model, which were large. In the median case, varieties with a 1 and 2 °C higher temperature tolerance are needed until the 2040s under RCPs 2.6 and 8.5, respectively. The findings revealed necessary efforts in breeding research and programs under conditions of global warming.

The southern part of Tohoku, Northeast Japan, is an area with significant in-land activities owing to the ongoing subduction mechanism. Among these are active volcanoes distributed on the volcanic front and back-arc, active faults throughout the area, and a recently observed swarm of shallow earthquakes on the fore-arc side. As fluids play an essential role in arc magmatism and the associated seismicity, this study aims to understand the deep fluid distribution beneath southern Tohoku to clarify the origin of the activities. A magnetotelluric survey delineating the subsurface electrical resistivity structure was used as the bulk resistivity is sensitive to the composition and connectivity of fluids. Using a newly developed joint inversion code, we estimated the resistivity structure using the inter-station horizontal magnetic field transfer function (HMTF) in addition to the conventional magnetotelluric response functions. Joint inversion with HMTF improved the recovery of low-resistivity anomalies owing to the sensitivity of the HMTF to electrical current concentration, resulting in a model with smaller data misfits. The main feature of the resulting resistivity structure is that, instead of under the volcanic front, a deep conductive body is found under the back-arc side in a position closer to a back-arc volcano (Mt. Numazawa) and a swarm of low-frequency earthquakes. Petrological studies indicate that the deep source of fluids supplying to Mt. Numazawa may be the same as that of Mt. Azuma and Mt. Adatara on the volcanic front. Magmatic fluids ascend from the upper mantle to the upper crust via different branches, resulting in multiple eruption centers. Thus, we inferred that the conductor reflects the fluid path to Mt. Numazawa. The high conductivity, especially in the uppermost mantle, may be caused by flux melting, where water or other volatiles released from the subducting slab reduce the solidus of high-temperature basaltic rocks.

Subvolcanic hydrothermal systems can lead to hydrothermal eruptions as well as unrest phenomena without an eruptive event. Historical eruptions and recent unrest events, including ground inflation, demagnetization, and a gradual decrease in the plume height, at Mt. Tokachidake, central Hokkaido, Japan, are related to such a subvolcanic hydrothermal system. This study investigates the three-dimensional (3-D) resistivity structure of Mt. Tokachidake to image its subvolcanic hydrothermal system. A 3-D inversion of the magnetotelluric data, acquired at 22 sites around the crater area, was performed while accounting for the topography. Our resistivity model was characterized by a high-resistivity layer at a shallow depth (50–100 m) and two conductors near the active crater and dormant crater. The high-resistivity layer was interpreted to be composed of dense lava, which acts as a caprock surrounding the conductor. The high conductivity beneath the active crater can be explained by the presence of hydrothermal fluid in fractured or leached zones within the low-permeability lava layer, as the sources of ground inflation and demagnetization were identified within the conductive zone immediately beneath the resistive layer. The resistivity structure was used to estimate the volume of hydrothermal fluid within the pore space. The minimum volume of hydrothermal fluid beneath the active crater that can explain the resistivity structure was estimated to be 3 × 106 m3. This estimate is comparable to the water volume that was associated with the long runout and highly fluidized lahar in 1926. The resistivity structure and volume of hydrothermal fluid presented in this study can be used as a reference for further numerical simulations, which aim to reveal the mechanisms of recent unrest events and assess the risk of hazards, such as lahar.

Sea level rise due to climate change poses a serious threat to human populations in coastal areas. In planning possible countermeasures, it is important to consider the potential economic risks and...

As seen in the previous chapters, Asia is one of the regions most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, as it represents more than 60% of the world’s population, making it the growth center of the world. The climate in East and Southeast Asia is incredibly diverse and includes many climate zones, from tropical to subarctic. The impacts of and adaptations to climate change is this region are also diverse. A variety of adaptation practices have already employed to minimize the risk of climate change among the countries in this area, and a number of similarities and ongoing challenges are apparent. Therefore, to adapt more effectively to climate change, it is essential for these countries to share their knowledge and experiences with each other.

Climate change is considered by many to be the most critical issue of our time, posing a threat to security and socio-economic prosperity at the global level (MFAJ 2017). Asia is very vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, as more than 60% (approximately 4.5 billion) of the world’s people live in the region, making it a growth center of the world (UNDESA 2017).

There are great uncertainties in the projected economic impacts of climate change1, arising from uncertainties in the climate response2, the climate change mitigation pathway3 and the socioeconomic development pathway4. Although the relative contributions of these factors are important for climate change related decision-making, they are poorly understood. Here, we show to what extent the projected economic impacts of climate change can be attributed to these three factors. Our modelling framework consisting of global, multisectoral impact models coupled with an integrated assessment model enables us to estimate the global total economic impacts of climate change while incorporating these uncertainty sources. Whereas the most pessimistic pathway without mitigation would result in a net economic impact equivalent to 6.6% (3.9–8.6%) of global gross domestic product at the end of this century, the pathways with stringent mitigation would limit the impact to around or less than 1%. Although the uncertainties are great, the climate change mitigation pathway is the dominant factor and socioeconomic developments can also contribute to alleviate the impacts of climate change. These results suggest that decisions on mitigation and development have a great influence in determining the economic impacts of climate change, regardless of the uncertainties in the climate response. Understanding which factors influence future economic impacts from climate change is important for informing mitigation and adaptation strategies. This study demonstrates that projected economic impacts are primarily attributed to variation in socioeconomic development and future emissions trajectories, rather than uncertainties in the climate response.

This study evaluated inundation impacts and the economic damage resulting from sea level rise (SLR) in the Vietnamese Mekong River Delta (VMRD), and identified the effectiveness of mixing gray and green infrastructures using cost-benefit analysis. The results showed that the VMRD could potentially be heavily affected by SLR. Without the implementation of proper adaptations, more than 90% of this area could be below sea level and nearly 20 million people could be affected by inundation by the end of the 21st century. The total economic damage could reach more than 22,000 billion US$ (2010 real value) by 2100 with no discount rate. These threats may increase the pressure on the region to ensure well-being, equity, and progress towards achieving sustainable development goals. However, achieving these goals will require the implementation of adaptations for upgrading and restoring in the region. This study assessed the effectiveness of adaptations and demonstrated that mixing gray and green infrastructures could benefit coastal inhabitants at a cost of 12 to 19 billion US$.

Coastal areas provide important services and functions for social and economic activities. Damage due to sea level rise (SLR) is one of the serious problems anticipated and caused by climate change. In this study, we assess the global economic impact of inundation due to SLR by using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model that incorporates detailed coastal damage information. The scenario analysis considers multiple general circulation models, socioeconomic assumptions, and stringency of climate change mitigation measures. We found that the global household consumption loss proportion will be 0.045%, with a range of 0.027&minus, 0.066%, in 2100. Socioeconomic assumptions cause a difference in the loss proportion of up to 0.035% without greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation, the so-called baseline scenarios. The range of the loss proportion among GHG emission scenarios is smaller than the differences among the socioeconomic assumptions. We also observed large regional variations and, in particular, the consumption losses in low-income countries are, relatively speaking, larger than those in high-income countries. These results indicate that, even if we succeed in stabilizing the global mean temperature increase below 2 &deg, C, economic losses caused by SLR will inevitably happen to some extent, which may imply that keeping the global mean temperature increase below 1.5 &deg, C would be worthwhile to consider.

The objective of this study is to assess the global impact of sea level rise and to evaluate the effectiveness of adaptation. Global areas of inundation due to sea level rise are identified. The affected populations and the economic damage caused by inundation due to future climate change are estimated for a number of scenarios involving Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) and Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP). The effects of adaptation in coastal areas, specifically the effects of elevating dikes, are evaluated. According to study results, dikes 1 m in height may reduce the total inundated area by approximately 40% below the no-adaptation baseline under the same RCP. The cost of adaptation was estimated using an original cost database to establish the cost of protection in future socioeconomic scenarios. It was found that the incremental adaptation cost was less than the economic damage in almost all cases of RCP/SSP, providing an incentive to take action to respond to climate change.

Summary Objectives In Japan, strong reimbursement pricing control measures for existing medical device products have rendered new medical device reimbursement pricing critical for manufacturers. Few studies have been conducted on this aspect; therefore, this paper (1) clarifies whether evaluation of innovation is appropriate or not and (2), if not, investigates its background. Methods In this research, 319 C1/C2 government decisions for new medical devices in the 10 years from April 2008 to March 2018 were analyzed. Evaluation of innovation was considered in terms of the reimbursement price, as well as the foreign average price ratio. Results Considering the degree of evaluation of innovation, the average premium rate for the similar function category comparison method was 10.2% during 2008 to 2010 (this means the newly set reimbursement price was 10.2% higher than that of corresponded exiting categories); it declined consistently thereafter, to 3.2% during 2016 to 2018. Moreover, evaluation of innovation by the foreign average price (FAP) ratio was 1.04 in 2008 to 2010, consistently decreasing to 0.88 in 2016 to 2018. The period from product approval to the non‐Special Designated Treatment Material (non‐STM) (a part of technical fee) price listing is much longer than that of the STM (own reimbursement price) listing. Conclusion Several reasons were considered for the decline in innovation evaluation: (1) the lowering of the FAP upper limit ratio, (2) the possibility that there was not enough evidence at the time of price listing, (3) and the more rigorous standards to create a new separate functional category. However, some aspects were attributable to reimbursement system reform.

Objective The progress of non-anticoagulated patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing hemodialysis has not been determined. Using data from the RAKUEN (Registry of Atrial fibrillation in chronic Kidney disease Under hEmodialysis from Niigata) study, we examined the clinical characteristics and outcomes among hemodialysis patients with AF who were not receiving a vitamin K antagonist (VKA). Methods and Results Forty-three of 423 patients undergoing hemodialysis (-10%) were prescribed a VKA. The remaining 380 patients (age 64.8±12.8 years, male 70%) were enrolled in the present study. During a mean observation period of 36 months, AF (n=55) was independently associated with all-cause death (hazard ratio, 1.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-2.94; p=0.014), but was not associated with ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 1.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.74-4.92; p=0.177) and major bleeding (hazard ratio, 1.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.80-4.08; p=0.150). The crude incidence rates of all-cause death and ischemic stroke in the AF patients were 15.75 (2.5-fold higher compared to the non-AF patients) and 3.63 (1.7-fold higher compared to the non-AF patients) per 100 person-years, respectively. Conclusion A great impact on death, but not ischemic stroke, was observed in non-anticoagulated hemodialysis patients with AF in comparison to those without AF from the analysis of the RAKUEN study.

Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a metabolic bone disease characterized by failure of bone calcification and vitamin B6 dependent seizures. It is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the ALPL gene. A newborn girl required respiratory support by nasal-directional positive airway pressure at birth, and pyridoxine hydrochloride administration for vitamin B6-dependent seizures observed from day two. Umbilical cord blood showed low alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and high pyridoxal phosphate levels. Radiographs showed severe rickets-like appearance of the bones. Genetic analysis of the ALPL gene revealed compound heterozygous mutations, c.1559delT/p.Ser188Pro. We diagnosed her with perinatal severe HPP, and started the patient on asfotase alfa from day six. Following enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), skeletal mineralization and respiratory insufficiency improved with no remarkable side-effects. Crying vital capacity (CVC) was used to evaluate respiratory status, which continuously improved from 13.3 mL/kg (day 22) to 20.6 mL/kg (day 113). Since no seizures occurred, pyridoxine hydrochloride was tapered off at one year of age. Strategies to manage perinatal severe HPP cases following ERT have not been established till date. A review of the literature shows that CVC may be a good indicator for weaning from ventilatory support. In addition, ERT will most likely enable withdrawal of pyridoxine treatment.

The challenge for sustainability educational programs lies in how to imbue students with the strong motivation necessary to move the world in a more sustainable direction. Five universities in Japan have mutually collaborated in the design and development of a unique curriculum and education system for sustainability science since 2008. Specifically, they have developed a common and remote lecture system called the “Frontier of sustainability science” (FSS). This paper discusses the concepts and challenges of FSS and how it was organized to teach students to actively learn how to work with people of various disciplines to realize interdisciplinarity.

While the genetic basis of schizophrenia is increasingly well characterized, novel treatments will require establishing mechanistic relationships between specific risk genes and core phenotypes. Rare, highly penetrant risk genes such as the 22q11.2 microdeletion are promising in this regard. Df(16)A(+/-) mice, which carry a homologous microdeletion, have deficits in hippocampal-prefrontal connectivity that correlate with deficits in spatial working memory. These mice also have deficits in axonal development that are accompanied by dysregulated Gsk3β signaling and can be rescued by Gsk3 antagonists. Here we show that developmental inhibition of Gsk3 rescues deficits in hippocampal-prefrontal connectivity, task-related neural activity, and spatial working memory behavior in Df(16)A(+/-) mice. Taken together, these results provide mechanistic insight into how the microdeletion results in cognitive deficits, and they suggest possible targets for novel therapies.

The development of a method to easily investigate the spatial distribution of soil moisture and soil hardness in tree windbreaks is necessary because these windbreaks often decline due to inappropriate soil moisture condition and soil compaction. This research examined the applicability of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and a combined penetrometer&ndash, moisture probe (CPMP) for evaluating the spatial distribution of soil moisture and soil hardness in four windbreaks with different soil characteristics. A GPR-reflecting interface was observed at a less permeable layer in a coastal windbreak and at a depth affected by soil compaction in an inland windbreak with andosol. The spatial distribution of the groundwater table could also be evaluated by examining the attenuation of GPR reflection in a coastal windbreak. In contrast, GPR was not applicable in an inland windbreak with peat because of high soil water content near the soil surface. The CPMP could detect vertical distributions of soil hardness and soil water content regardless of soil type. The CPMP was useful for interpreting GPR profiles, and GPR was useful for interpolating the information about the horizontal distribution of soil moisture and soil hardness between survey points made with the CPMP. Thus, the combination of GPR and a CPMP is ideal for examining the two-dimensional spatial distribution of soil moisture and soil hardness at windbreaks with soils for which both methods are applicable.

In this study, we used a statistical model to simulate the impact of climate change and adaptations on the occurrence of chalky rice grains (CRG), recognized as an indicator of rice quality. The target variety was ‘Koshihikari’, the most widely grown cultivar in Japan. A large number of ensemble climate projection data sets were used to provide probability information for impact assessment and adaptation simulations. The impact assessment predicted that the occurrence of CRGs would increase with increasing temperature in all regions of Japan. One adaptation simulation indicated that moving the transplanting date would be effective for reducing the occurrence of CRG. A further adaptation simulation using a virtual heat-tolerant variety indicated that this would also be effective in reducing CRG throughout Japan. The results of this study will be useful to stakeholders such as farmers and policymakers when considering the impact of climate change on rice quality.

The Mekong Delta, one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change, is the focus of international action for adaptation. Improved understanding of the exposures and perceptions at the local level will help residents to cope with natural disasters and future climate disruptions. In this study, we assess the exposure to floods that rural communities across the Mekong Delta are facing. Among the various natural disasters threatening the delta, extreme flooding is by far the most prevailing concern. By carrying out a field survey on 1350 residents, we characterize the flooding patterns and vulnerabilities of households in three geographically diverse provinces. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of current flood adaptation in these households in conditions of regular flooding, as well as to extreme flooding events, which become more intense and frequent due to climate change. While the findings suggest varying degrees of coping with seasonal flooding by raising the ground floors of their homes, their capacity to prepare for extreme floods is limited in spite of the residents’ awareness of the changing dynamics of natural disasters in their locality. We also examine their perception to the effects of climate change and identify factors that influence their awareness.

In the research reported here, we discussed the possibility of predicting people’s taste preference by the characteristics of their appearance. 21 graduate school students divided into three groups of seven people were examined by questionnaire in this survey. Within each group, participants evaluated their own liking taste and disliking taste. In addition, their characteristics of appearance and the prediction of their taste preference were rated by all the other participants. Afterwards, we tried to investigate the relationship among the self-evaluated taste preference, predicted one by others, and facial features, by means of calculating the correlation coefficient between them. From our results, the features of appearance, such as “pretty” and “beautiful” significantly correlated with predicted taste preference. That is, they were both positively consistent with the taste of sweetness and sourness, while negatively with saltiness, bitterness and spiciness. Though, little significant correlation was demonstrated between the self-evaluated taste liking and facial features directly, positive relationship between self-evaluated taste preference and taste prediction was seen on sourness and spiciness as well. Therefore, it suggests that to some extent it is possible to speculate the preference of sour and spice taste by taking advantage of other clues but facial features.