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Background: Reconstruction of progressive collapsing foot deformity (PCFD) with ankle instability (PCFD class E) remains a substantial challenge to orthopaedic surgeons. We report the outcomes of PCFD class E treated by means of a relatively standard PCFD foot reconstruction approach with the addition of a supramalleolar lateral opening-wedge osteotomy. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 13 patients (15 ankles) who underwent this procedure for PCFD class E between 2010 and 2021. Mean follow-up time was 3.8 (range, 2-6.3) years. Clinical assessment was based on the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Foot (JSSF) ankle/hindfoot scale as well as a Self-Administered Foot Evaluation Questionnaire (SAFE-Q). Radiographic assessments, including identification of the mechanical ankle joint axis point and a modified valgus Takakura-Tanaka osteoarthritis grade, were recorded. Results: The mean JSSF score improved significantly from 45.2 preoperatively to 83.9 postoperatively ( P < .001). SAFE-Q scores at the final follow-up were 70.1 for the pain and pain-related subscale, 75.4 for the physical functioning and daily living subscale, 83.0 for the social functioning subscale, 74.4 for the shoe-related subscale, and 78.1 for the general health and well-being subscale. Radiographic measurements showed improvement in the tibiotalar tilt angle (average improvement: 5.4 degrees); orientation of the talus joint line relative to the ground (average improvement: 14.0 degrees); anteroposterior talus–first metatarsal angle (average improvement: 11.2 degrees), talonavicular coverage angle (average improvement: 21.6 degrees), and lateral talus–first metatarsal angle (average improvement: 17.0 degrees). Postoperatively, the mechanical ankle joint axis point moved medially for all patients and into the medial half of the ankle joint for 7 patients. The modified osteoarthritis stage improved postoperatively in most cases. Conclusion: In this select and relatively small group of patients who had a supramalleolar lateral opening-wedge osteotomy combined with PCFD reconstruction, we measured general improvement in JSSF scores and radiographic variables. Long-term durability of the procedure remains unknown. This procedure may be an option for preserving the ankle joint in treatment of PCFD class E with osteoarthritis of the ankle. Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic.

Although recreational fishing is popular in Japan, few estimates have been made of its economic value to the country. This study aims to (1) evaluate the economic value of recreational fishing in Tango Bay, Kyoto Prefecture using the travel cost method (TCM); and (2) explore the development of related regional economies around Tango Bay. The TCM analysis showed that 150,000 anglers visit Tango Bay annually, and the estimated total annual travel cost and total annual consumer surplus of recreational fishing there are approximately JPY 3.8 billion and JPY 11.7 billion, respectively. The annual commercial fisheries production of Kyoto Prefecture in 2017 was JPY 3.0 billion. Thus, in Tango Bay, coastal fish resources not only have a direct use value as food, but also a large indirect value as targets for recreational fishing. The importance of recreational fishing relative to commercial fishing has increased in Japan similar to in other countries where it is popular. As many people enjoy recreational fishing in Japan, it is expected to have an impact on domestic fish resources. To address this, both commercial and recreational fishing should be included in fish resource management activities aimed at the development of related local economies in Japan.

Introduction Despite preserving lumbar disc mobility, spinal sagittal, and/or coronal alignment might ultimately impede surgical success. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the effects of spinal alignment on lumbar disc degeneration after 5 or more years in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients who underwent spinal fusion. Methods Subjects were 49 AIS patients who underwent posterior spinal fusion without lumbar curve fusion. The inclusion criteria were the following: 1) Lenke type 1A, 1B, 2A or 2B, 2) age 10 to 19 years at the time of operation, and 3) minimum 5-year follow-up. The exclusion criteria were the following: 1) diagnosed as other than AIS, 2) history of lumbar disc herniation and spondylolysis, 3) subsequent surgery, and 4) history of surgery before AIS surgery. Nineteen patients agreed to participate in this research. X-rays, lumbar MRI, and questionnaires were evaluated. Disc degeneration in non-fused segments was defined as Pfirrmann grade 3 or higher. Patients with disc degenerations at the final observation (DD[+] group) were compared to those without disc degenerations (DD[-] group). Results There were no significant differences in the preoperative or postoperative 1-week X-ray parameters between both groups. The lumbar curve was significantly larger in the DD[+] group compared with the DD[-] group at the final observation (DD[+]: 16.8 degrees, DD[-]: 10.4 degrees, p = 0.035). The sagittal vertical axis (SVA) was significantly larger in the DD[+] group compared with the DD[-] group at the final observation (DD[+]: -4.4 mm, DD[-]: -34.3 mm, p = 0.006). SRS-22 function, self-image, and satisfaction scores were lower in the DD [+] group compared with the DD[-] group at the final observation. Conclusions The patients with DD had significantly larger lumbar curve and SVA with lower SRS-22 function, self-image, and satisfaction scores at the final observation. Even though the non-fused segments were preserved, spinal alignments of non-fused lumbar curve affect the DDs.

Introduction: The revised Tokuhashi scoring system has been used to predict survival in patients with metastatic spinal tumors. Because of the rapid progress of cancer therapy, the original criteria of the revised Tokuhashi scoring system became in recent years unsuitable. The study aim was to evaluate the validity of the revised Tokuhashi scoring system in patients who underwent spinal surgery and to establish new prognostic criteria. Methods: The study enrolled 85 patients with metastatic spinal tumors who underwent spinal surgery. The patients' survival outcomes in October 2019 were as follows: 57 patients died; 10 were alive; and 18 had unknown prognoses. The study evaluated the validity of the Tokuhashi scoring system, and established and validated the new prognostic criteria. Results: The accuracies of the Tokuhashi scoring system were 66.7% in the short-term group, 60% in the midterm group, and 100% in the long-term group. Among the patients who died, the survival period and total score were significantly correlated. Total score cutoff point was six points in the patients whose predicted survival was

Introduction The purpose of the present study was to determine, in a mid-term follow-up 5 years or more after surgery, the forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), and expiratory flow in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) who underwent posterior spinal fusion (PSF) with or without thoracoplasty. Methods The subjects were 134 patients with AIS who underwent PSF between 2004 and 2013. Forty-five patients agreed to participate in the study. We divided the patients into two groups as follows: 24 patients who underwent PSF with thoracoplasty from 2004 to 2010 in the TP group and 21 patients who underwent PSF without thoracoplasty from 2011 to 2013 in the non-TP group. We evaluated whole spine X-ray imaging and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in these patients. PFTs measured FVC, FEV1, peak expiratory flow (PEF), maximum expiratory flow at 50% FVC (V50), maximum expiratory flow at 25% FVC (V25), and the ratio of V50 to V25 (V50/V25). Results The main thoracic curves were 53.6 ± 10.1° before surgery, 19.8 ± 7.6° 1 week after surgery, 22.3 ± 8.3° 2 years after surgery, and 23.3 ± 7.6° at the most recent observation. Compared with preoperative values, FVC, FEV1, and % FEV1 were improved significantly at the most recent observation. No significant difference was observed between % FVC before surgery and at the most recent observation. Compared with preoperative values, PEF, V50, and V25 were improved significantly at the most recent observation. V50/V25 did not change significantly. The changes in PFT values in the TP group and the non-TP group were compared. No significant differences were observed in FVC, % FVC, FEV1, % FEV1, PEF, V50, or V25. Conclusions Regardless of whether thoracoplasty was performed or not, FVC, FEV1, and expiratory flow were improved 5 years or later after PSF.

To clarify the impact of anchor type at upper instrumented vertebra (UIV) on postoperative shoulder imbalance in patients with Lenke type 1 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) who underwent posterior spinal fusion. Subjects were 81 patients with Lenke type 1 AIS who underwent posterior spinal fusion between 2004 and 2013. Twenty-five patients agreed to participate in the study. We divided the patients into two groups: Hook group (15 patients with hooks at UIV who underwent surgery between 2004 and 2011) and PS group (ten patients with pedicle screws at UIV who underwent surgery between 2012 and 2013). To evaluate shoulder balance, first thoracic vertebra tilt angle (T1 tilt), clavicle angle (CA), and radiographic shoulder height (RSH) were measured. There were no significant differences in preoperative T1 tilt, CA, or RSH between the both groups. The postoperative 1-week, 2-year, and most recently observed T1 tilts were significantly smaller in the Hook group than in the PS group. There were no significant differences in postoperative 1-week, 2-year, and most recently observed CAs between the two groups. Although there were no significant differences in 1-week postoperative RSH between the groups, the 2-year postoperative RSH was significantly smaller in the Hook group than in the PS group. The most recently observed RSH tended to be smaller in the Hook group than in the PS group, but the difference was not significant. In the PS group, poor shoulder balance remained over the long term. The hooks at UIV adjusted postoperative shoulder balance.

This article investigates the shadow value of resilience in complex natural lands acting as wild pollinator habitats. We capture the linkage between pollination services in crop production and habitat conditions in the surrounding natural land with a bioeconomic model. Our case study is buckwheat, which is produced in the hilly and mountainous region of central Japan and is greatly dependent on diverse fauna for pollination services. We model the mechanism of regime shifts in ecosystems consisting of buckwheat fields and the surrounding natural land with a threshold estimation model. We then find that the forest around the crop fields, which serves as a habitat for wild pollinators, is a determinant of an ecological threshold that causes regime shifts. We calculate the shadow value of resilience provided by forest habitat around a unit of buckwheat field to be $9,796, implying that the total value of resilience in complex natural land amounts to half of the stock price of buckwheat land. This overlooked value gives us useful insights on the sustainable use of ecosystems, including both pollinator‐mediated crop fields and habitats for pollinators.

Background Despite the identification of various risk factors for pancreatitis and hyperamylasemia following spinal surgery, no report has investigated the relationship between spinal alignment changes and elevated serum amylase levels. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between spinal alignment changes and hyperamylasemia after spinal fusion. Methods A total of 222 patients whose serum pancreatic amylase levels were measured before and after spinal surgery from December 2017 to May 2019 were included. Inclusion criteria were (1) spinal fusion including the thoracolumbar junction (T10-L2) and (2) serum pancreatic amylase measurements before, immediately after surgery (day 0), the day after surgery (day 1), and 1 week after surgery. Ultimately, 37 patients who met the criteria were analyzed. Patients with hyperamylasemia at day 0 and/or day 1 (H group) were then compared with those without hyperamylasemia (N group). Results No significant differences in age, sex, surgical procedure, number of fused segments, intraoperative blood loss, operative time or American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification were observed between both groups. The H group had significantly larger preoperative thoracolumbar kyphosis (TLK) (H group: 22.6°, N group: 6.4°), postoperative TLK (H group: 16.8°, N group: 7.6°), and preoperative T12–L1 kyphosis angles (H group: 16.2°, N group: 7.9°) compared with the N group. Moreover, the H group demonstrated a significant decrease in TLK after surgery (H group: −5.8°, N group: 1.6°). Conclusions Risk factors for hyperamylasemia included a large preoperative TLK angle and a greater postoperative decrease in TLK. Thus, decreased TLK after spinal fusion surgery should prompt careful attention to abdominal symptoms and elevated pancreatic amylase levels.

Objective: The present study aims to describe fall-related self-efficacy as perceived by patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). The characteristics of patients associated with low perceived self-efficacy of preventing falls were investigated. Methods: A cross-sectional study of four hospitals in Japan. In this study, 100 outpatients who were receiving chemotherapy for cancer and experiencing CIPN were recruited. Participants completed an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. Self-efficacy was measured with the falling self-efficacy (FSE) scale, and the severity and impact of CIPN was assessed with the Comprehensive Assessment Scale for CIPN in Survivors of Cancer (CAS-CIPN). Data about the demographic information of the patients, cancer diagnosis and treatment, pain and fatigue symptoms, and history of previous falls were collected. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess relationships between variables. Results: A total of 81 (81.0%) participants with CIPN completed the questionnaire. They reported experiencing fear of falling during their daily activities, which include the act of standing up, walking, and using the stairs. Small events, such as unstable postures and uncomfortable situations, affected their confidence of preventing falls. Logistic regression revealed that low FSE scores were significantly associated with female sex (P = 0.022), low body mass index (BMI; P = 0.026), and the CAS-CIPN score (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Female patients with CIPN and low BMI might have an increased need for enhanced fall-related self-efficacy. A comprehensive assessment of CIPN in patients at risk of low FSE scores is likely to be beneficial.

Background To investigate dural sac enlargements and spinal alignments in patients who underwent indirect decompression with interspinous spacers. Methods The subjects were 20 patients who underwent indirect decompression using an interspinous spacer (X-STOP) without laminectomy. Of these 20 patients, 1 patient underwent implant removal surgery 1 month after X-STOP surgery and two patients dropped out. Ultimately, 17 patients were included in this study. MRI and X-ray images were investigated before surgery, 1 week after surgery, 3 months after surgery, and 2 years after surgery. Results On MRI, the mean cross-sectional areas of the dural sac were 52.7 mm2 before surgery, 73.2 mm2 1 week after surgery, 62.4 mm2 3 months after surgery, and 58.3 mm2 2 years after surgery. There was a significant 37% increase at 1 week postoperatively compared with that before surgery, but there were no significant differences between 3 months postoperatively and 2 years postoperatively. The disc angle in an extension posture was significantly decreased at 1 week after surgery compared with that before surgery, but there were no significant differences between before surgery, 3 months after surgery, and 2 years after surgery. Conclusions The interspinous process spacer increased the dural sac area by 37% 1 week after surgery, but the enlargement was not maintained at 3 months or 2 years after surgery. The use of interspinous process spacers produced an enlargement of the dural sac by limiting extension of the stenotic level only. However, its effect diminished 2 years after surgery.

There are no reports of pyogenic spinal infections secondary to an arterioenteric fistula in the literature. Herein, we report a case of recurrent pyogenic spinal infection caused by vascular graft penetration into the sigmoid colon. A 66-year-old man with a history of diabetes and abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery suffered from low back pain and fever. He visited his previous hospital, where a lumbar magnetic resonance imaging revealed a spinal infection. The patient received conservative therapy with antibiotics and underwent several surgeries. However, there was no improvement in his symptoms. The patient was referred to and hospitalized at our university hospital. Because intestinal bacteria were repeatedly detected in his blood cultures, a colonoscopy was performed, which revealed the exposure of a vascular graft in the sigmoid colon confirmed by contrast-enhanced computed tomography. We diagnosed the patient with recurrent pyogenic spinal infection caused by secondary arterioenteric fistula. He then underwent sigmoidectomy, resection of the infected vascular graft, and femoral–femoral artery bypass grafting. There was improvement in his symptoms after the surgery. Gastrointestinal examinations should be performed early when intestinal resident bacteria are detected in blood cultures in patients with pyogenic spinal infections.

This study investigates the dynamic linkage between crop diversity and agro-ecosystem resilience. The analysis estimates a panel data of rice farming in Japan using a time-varying transition probability Markov switching model, capturing (i) the alternate regimes of agro-ecosystems, (ii) the controlling factors affecting the regime shifts of agro-ecosystems, and (iii) the nonmonotonic response of agricultural production under alternate regimes. Results show that the effect of crop diversity on agro-ecosystem productivity differs depending on its regimes. Crop diversity increases productivity during normal periods, a normal regime, while it decreases the productivity during periods exposed to disturbances such as extreme weather events and disease and insect damage, an adverse regime. Further, we find that crop diversity enhances the agro-ecosystem resilience. Thus, it increases the likelihood of the agro-ecosystem remaining in a normal regime and staving off an adverse regime. The crop diversity loss has gradually increased in agro-ecosystems without sufficient understanding about the linkage between crop diversity and agro-ecosystem resilience. Our findings suggest the possibility that the agro-ecosystem resilience would be a key driver of sustainable agriculture under increasing uncertainties. This study gives useful insights on this issue by empirically demonstrating the effects of crop diversity on the agro-ecosystem resilience.

The palliative care team (PCT), nutrition support team (NST), and department of nutrition in our hospital developed a special soup service for patients with terminal cancer. We evaluated the usefulness of this soup service for improving the mood in patients with advanced digestive cancer with severe anorexia.We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 18 patients with advanced cancer originating in digestive organs who received soup service at our institution between 2015 and 2016. Members of the PCT, NST, and a licensed cook visited the bedside of each patient and served them a cup of soup twice a week.Fifteen patients (83%) were able to taste the soup with no adverse events, and 11 (73%) of them enjoyed the taste of the soup. In the five patients who died in our hospital during the service, the time between their last soup intake and death ranged from two to seven days (median three days).Even terminally ill patients suffering from advanced digestive cancer with severe anorexia were able to enjoy the taste of the soup served to them. The establishment of special meal service, such as this soup service, may not only relieve their stress but also support the strength of living and help improve their spiritual quality of life.

The aim of this study was to conduct an investigation into spinal fusion with Harrington instrument (HI) in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and to survey pulmonary function and thoracic deformity outcomes many years after surgery.Subjects comprised 194 patients diagnosed with AIS and treated with spinal fusion using HI between 1968 and 1987. Patients who gave their informed consent were subjected to a complete standing spine X-ray, chest CT, and pulmonary function tests. Eighteen patients were eligible for inclusion. Mean age at the time of follow-up was 49.9 years and the mean duration of follow-up was 35.3 years. CT axial image was used at the apex of the main thoracic curve. Apical vertebral rotation was determined from RA sag measured by the method of Aaro et al. Thoracic cage deformities were measured as follows: Rib hump index (RHi) according to the method of Aaro et al. and posterior hemithoracic symmetry ratio (PHSr) according to the method of Campbell et al.Pulmonary function tests revealed mean forced vital capacity (FVC) of 2.28 (range: 1.00-3.04) L and mean %FVC of 83.5% (range: 35.6%-117.8%). Restrictive ventilation disorder with %FVC80% was seen in 5 patients (27.7%). %FVC had strong negative correlations with RA sag (r = -0.798), RHi (r = -0.820, p 0.001), PHSr (r = -0.705), and proximal thoracic curve (r = -0.721). Main thoracic curve (r = -0.674) and apical vertebral rotation of thoracic curve (r = -0.685) showed moderate negative correlations. Multiple regression analysis revealed RHi was a most significant factor on %FVC.In AIS patients examined 27 years or longer after surgery, restrictive ventilation defects were observed in 27.7%. Factors aggravating %FVC were large rib humps and large vertebral rotations. Three-dimensional correction of the spine and thoracic cage deformities is vital in order to avoid pulmonary function impairment many years after surgery.

This article examines the thermal power generation efficiency of ten Japanese electric power companies and the shadow prices of carbon dioxide (CO2) by employing a directional output distance function (DODF) with panel data for 1990–2011. We find that the shadow price of CO2 varies greatly between US$1.49 and US$288.82, depending on the company’s production strategy concerning energy supply and CO2 emissions. These shadow prices give us clues to understand how the electric power companies may respond to environmental regulations, such as environmental tax and emission trading systems. According to the DODF, an additional 53571 GWh of electricity could have been generated in 2011 at the cost of an increase of 40105 thousand tonnes of CO2, if the companies would have operated efficiently giving little consideration to CO2 emissions reduction. These increases are equivalent to 8.77 and 9.18 % of total electricity and CO2 emissions, respectively, from the ten electric power companies in 2011. On the other hand, if the companies would have operated efficiently and given first priority to CO2 emissions reduction, a further 58002 thousand tonnes of CO2, equivalent to 13.28 % of their total CO2 emissions in 2011, could have been reduced as a whole.

The Fukushima Daiichi accident released huge amounts of radioactive material over a wide area. We can appreciate the geographical extent of radioactive contamination from the information published online by the Japanese government. Historically, this is an unprecedented situation, which allows "natural experimentation" to estimate the causal effects of radioactive contamination on our society. This study focused on property value losses caused by the accident and analyzed changes in land appraisals around the Fukushima Daiichi plant from July 2010 to July 2011 within the framework of hedonic approach. Thus, we estimated the short-run impact of the contamination or the change in marginal value of proximity to the plant. The results suggest that the appraisals significantly and monotonically depreciated with increasing contamination levels. However, there was no evidence to suggest changes in the marginal value of proximity to the plant. A comparison between the appraisals and transaction prices indicates that this result could be interpreted as an underestimate of actual property value losses.

The Fukushima Daiichi accident raises various kinds of social unease in Japan. Especially, unease for radioactive contamination around the Fukushima Daiichi plant is serious. Also, around the other nuclear power plants, local residents would feel unease for a similar accident in the future. Although the government and the electric power companies have already implemented or plan to implement several measures to mitigate such unease, it is difficult to progress their policies effectively because the effect of each measure is not quantitatively clarified. The purpose of our research is to evaluate these effects by analyzing fluctuations in local property values and local residents economic welfare, which are monetary indexes reflecting the social unease, to construct information that is useful to plan an optimal package of mitigation measures in each nuclear power plant site from the viewpoint of cost-benefit analysis. In this paper, we explain the immediate plans of this research and its academic and political contributions.

To predict outbreaks of infectious disease and to prevent epidemics, it is essential not only to conduct pathological studies but also to understand the interactions between the environment, pathogen, host and humans that cause and spread infectious diseases. Outbreaks of mass mortality in carp caused by Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3), formerly known as koi herpesvirus (KHV), disease have occurred worldwide since the late 1990s. We proposed an environment–KHV–carp–human linkage as a conceptual model for “environmental diseases” and specify research subjects that might be necessary to construct and shape this linkage.

From the perspective of risk, nuclear-power-related facilities (NPRFs) are often regarded as locally undesirable land use. However, construction of NPRFs contributes to social infrastructural improvement and job creation in the host communities. This raises a question: How large are these positive and negative effects? To approach this question from an economic viewpoint, we estimated the hedonic land price function for the Mutsu-Ogawara region of Japan from 1976 to 2004 and analyzed year-by-year fluctuations in land prices around the NPRFs located there. Land prices increased gradually in the neighborhood of the nuclear fuel cycle facilities (NFCFs) in Rokkasho Village, except for some falling (i) from 1982 to 1983 (the first official announcement of the project of construction came in 1983), (ii) from 1987 to 1988 (in 1988, the construction began and opposition movements against the project reached their peak), and (iii) from 1998 to 1999 (the pilot carry-in of spent fuels into the reprocessing plant began in 1998). Land prices around the Higashidori Nuclear Power Plant decreased during the period 1981-1982, when the Tohoku Electric Power Corp. and Tokyo Electric Power Corp. announced their joint construction plan. On the other hand, we obtained some results, even though not significant, indicating that land prices around Ohminato and Sekinehama harbors changed with the arrival and departure of the nuclear ship Mutsu, which suffered a radiation leak in 1974.

This study examines several nuclear power plant sites in Japan by hedonic house rent analysis. As a result, for some plants, the neighboring houses are negatively evaluated by the residents, that is, their economic welfare get worse by living near the plants, whereas there are no or positive evaluations for the other plants. Meta analysis is carried out to examine social factors causing these differences – such as plant's attributes (operation years and past accidents) and host community's attributes (population density, change in employment and industrial structure, financial condition and change in social infrastructures).

This report proposes the new method to estimate the effectiveness of safety improvements launched by Land Improvement Projects. This new method reveals that estimates from traditional method are often to be biased and inconsistent. Data about the number of accident are collected from the channels with safety improvements or without them. Because each channel cannot be in both states, we cannot observe both states in one channel. This is a kind of missing data problem and often called “counterfactual”. It is this that makes it difficult to accurately estimate the effectiveness of safety improvements. Fortunately, this problem can be solved and accurate estimate is available using the concept of average treatment effect correctly. When the effectiveness of safety improvements is estimated with ATE, we have to consider the possibility of self-selection problem. We need a different way to estimate effectiveness if self-selection occurs. The number of life saved through safety improvements is approximately 1.171 when self-selection is taken account for, compared to 0.909 when self-selection is not. This result shows the possibility that estimated effectiveness for a program is underestimated because of not taking account for self-selection.

This paper develops a new estimation model for consistent estimation of mean WTP (willingness to pay) in dichotomous choice CV (contingent valuation). Consistent estimation of mean WTP in parametric models requires the correct specification of the probability distribution of WTP. However, it is not possible to foresee the probability distribution, and thus in practical applications there is always a danger of specification error, making it impossible to guarantee that mean WTP will be consistently estimated. This paper applies linear projection to develop an estimation model that enables consistent estimation of mean WTP without specification of the probability distribution. This linear projection model enables us to estimate mean WTP only by calculating a weighted mean of the indicator function defined as 1 (or 0) when a respondent says “yes” (or “no”) for a certain improvement in environmental quality. Moreover, when bids follow the uniform distribution, calculation is possible by multiplying “maximum bid” and “the rate of answering yes”. Therefore, a distinguishing feature of this model is that estimation can be accomplished very easily.

In evaluation of the multifunctionality of agriculture and a rural community, some regular standardization of the evaluation means of the benefit for every subject has been performed. However, about the means of aggregating it to the total benefit, examination is not fully progressing. In many cases, the concept of area in which benefit can be aggregated, benefit area, is used for the aggregation means. However, there is almost no studies treated on it. So, in this study, we take up public project for reservoir in Osaka-fu, Oasis Project, and try to decide this benefit area. In fact, on the basis of Contingent Travel Cost Method, facilitation and elaboration of an aggregation are attained by using GIS. Finally we can describe the estimated result visually.

The travel cost method is a commonly used method of valuing recreational sites. Although mail surveys are often conducted to collect data on the costs of travel to the amenity, they usually result in a lower response rate than that of face-to-face interview surveys. As a result, several biases such as non-response bias and sample selection bias will occur. The benefit derived from the consumption of environmental services can be over-/under estimated. We examined whether the rate of non-response varies as the distance from the study site increases, based on the data collected from recent visitors of Ohigawa River, Shizuoka-city. We can conclude that, contrary to our expectation, there is no statistically significant correlation between the non-response rate and distance within 150km of the site.

In the paper, firstly, we statistically investigate the willingness to pay (WTP) for multifunctionality sustained by improvement project of agriculture and agricultural village. We apply the double bounded version of contingent valuation method (CVM) to estimate the mean of WTP. This version is extended one of dichotomous choice CVM and generally thought to be an effective method relative to original dichotomous choice CVM. However, because, in double bounded version of CVM, respondents are continuously asked the question that you could pay a listed value or not twice, 1st WTP derived from 1st responses and 2nd WTP derived from 2nd responses might not follow same distribution.So, We estimate the mean of 1st WTP estimated by using 1st responses only and the mean of 2nd WTP estimated by using 2nd responses only. In all survey area, the mean of 1st WTP is larger than that of 2nd WTP.Secondly, we test the change of responses between 1st bound and 2nd bound by using nonparametric method. We decide to use Gehan's test statistics W to do hypothesis test. This statistics are modified by Mantel and good for testing the sameness of distribution between two samples. This statistics also can be used even in the case that samples are arbitrary left or right censoring.We now suggest new method applying bootstrap method to nonparametric test and do hypothesis test by this new method. As a result, in 6 survey area, except one survey area, we reject the null hypothesis that the difference of responses between 1st bound and 2nd bound is not significant statistically at 5% significance level. So, we conclude that when estimating WTP by using double bounded version of CVM, change of responses between 1st bound and 2nd bound generates in these area.Finally, from our results of tests, we think that we have to take the change of responses into account to build new model when using double bounded version of CVM. This is our rested problem.

In this paper, we reexamine and evaluate effects on local living condition of the farm road project such as ‘Southern-Kawachi Green-Road of Osaka-’. We applied a contingent valuation (CV) method based on a ladder approach like a payment card format. We obtained a non-parametric estimate as well as parametric estimate. This study is the first trial of a non-parametric estimate by a ladder approach in Japan. As a result, the mean WTP estimated for living facility of Greene-Road is 1051 yen per year. The median WTP is 804 yen as well.

Kumamoto Area is so rich in groundwater that it is possible to supply all their residential water for a population of about 900, 000 from groundwater. Such plentiful supply of groundwater is coursed by geological features and land use in Kumamoto Area. However, in this area, groundwater level has been getting lower in recent years and we are anxious about a water shortage in the future. Now, some policies for maintenance of groundwater recharge function have been investigated.The main theme of this paper is economical evaluation for maintenance of groundwater recharge function. To do this, we estimated WTP for maintenance of this function by using CVM. In the economical evaluation process, I carried out questionnaire survey for residents in Kumamoto City because they will pay the cost of the policy based on the beneficiary payment principle. Consequently, the total WTP was estimated about 3, 260, 400, 000 yen per year by using medium of WTP.

In this Paper, we try to set up a hypothesis test about benefit transfer of rural amenity benefit in regional water resource program without depending on external criteria and parametric assumptions. And we also try to propose an objective procedure that can explain how benefit transfer comes into existence by developing the algorithm that can set up a nonparametric-hypothesis test effectively.Concretely, in 19 survey areas, we test the sameness about double-bounded CV responses by using Schemper's nonparametric k-sample test statistics. And we also test the sameness about responses by depending on two external criteria (where we use improvement contents and agricultural classification as external criteria) to compare the outcome.The findings could be summarized as follows: 1) benefit transfer is founded among many areas and 19 survey areas are classified into 4 clusters; 2) in setting up a hypothesis test about benefit transfer, using only two external criteria is not sufficient; 3) therefore, the objective procedure we propose would play a great role in testing benefit transfer.

The contingent travel cost method is the method of evaluating the change of environmental quality, which combines the contingent valuation method (CVM) and the travel cost method. The contingent travel cost method has been rarely applied especially in Japan. Therefore we don't have enough knowledge on how to present the information of the effect by the public work that we should evaluate. The purpose of this article is to examine whether answers are influenced by a difference in the visual information. We prepared for two kinds of information; one is illustrations and the other is illustrations and photographs. It becomes clear that there is a difference in an answer response by a difference in a way of presenting information.

Travel cost method has been used to evaluate recreational benefits. This method needs individual information about visit on recreation site. In general, these are two ways to gain such information. One is on-site survey, the other is off-site survey. But on-site data bok information about visitors who had never visited the site during the survey periods. So, using off-site data, we discussed travel cost methods estimation and benefit evaluation. We set up 3 models; model A contained 0 visits data, model B excluded 0 visits data, model C excluded Ovisits data and considered truncation, and compared them using AIC. Results exhibited model A was more desirable than the other two models. We also used model A to evaluate recreation benefits derived by individual visitors to the Kurondo park and Else Hoshida park. Result estimated average consumer surplus per visit is 3, 125 and 1, 851 yen and the total economic value of recreational benefits was estimated at 7.2 and 16.1 million yen annually. The conclusion is that not using 0 visits data in travel cost model lead to overestimates recreational benefit.

Layilin (LAYN) is thought to be involved in reorganization of cytoskeleton structures, interacting with merlin, radixin, and talin. Also, LAYN is known to be one of the receptors for hyaluronic acid (HA). In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory cytokines like tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) have been known to play pathological roles. HA with low molecular weight is speculated to exacerbate inflammation in RA. In this context, differences of quantity and functions of HA receptors would affect the severity of inflammation in RA. Chondrocytes, which play critical roles in maintaining articular cartilage and are affected in RA, express at least kinds of HA receptors like CD44 and LAYN. However, roles and regulation of LAYN in articular chondrocytes have been poorly understood. To clarify regulation of LAYN in chondrocytes, we here investigated whether TNF-α affected expression levels of LAYN in human articular chondrocytes. Next, to clarify LAYN-specific roles in chondrocytes, we investigated whether binding of antibodies to the extracellular domain of LAYN affected secretion of inflammatory cytokines using a chondrosarcoma cell line. As a result, we found that TNF-α up-regulated expression levels of LAYN in the chondrocytes. Further, the LAYN signaling was found to enhance secretion of inflammatory factors, IL-8 and complement5 (C5)/C5a, from the cells. Our results indicate that LAYN would be involved in the enhancement of inflammation and degradation of cartilage in joint diseases such as RA and OA.

We develop a new and less burdensome methodology called the high-and-low choice method to elicit and analyse ambiguity in public risk perception. We apply this method to the cancer mortality risk due to low-dose radiation exposure around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, a real uncertain problem caused by the accident that is the second severest one after the Chernobyl case. The empirical results shed new light on Slovic fs (1987) seminal work; considering radiation as an unknown risk made public perceptions for the mortality rate more ambiguous, and the dread image led people to perceive larger and more ambiguous risks. In addition, those who accessed popular information media (television, newspaper, internet, social network services, and conversations with neighbours) tended to have more negative and ambiguous perceptions.