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In Japan, the routine immunization program with oral polio vaccine (OPV) has been suspended since September 2012, when a program with 4 doses of inactivated monovalent polio vaccine (IPV) or quadrivalent vaccine against diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus with IPV (DTaP-IPV) was introduced. The aim of this study was to examine the interchangeability among these 3 types of polio vaccines. We conducted a prospective cohort study at 5 pediatric clinics in Japan. A total of 153 infants were assigned to 1 of the 4 groups by considering the vaccination history of OPV and trivalent vaccine against DTaP. Eleven infants with a history of OPV received 3 doses of DTaP-IPV; 49 infants with a history of OPV and DTaP received 3 doses of IPV; 50 polio vaccine-naïve infants received 2 doses of IPV followed by 2 doses of DTaP-IPV; and 43 polio vaccine-naive infants received 2 doses of DTaP-IPV followed by IPV. The immunogenicity after polio vaccination was evaluated among these 4 groups. After 2 doses of polio vaccination, more than 80% of the infants exhibited a neutralization antibody titer ≥1:8 for all Sabin strains and wild strains in all groups. After the third dose, the seroprotection proportion (i.e., a neutralization antibody titer ≥1:8) reached about 100%. After the fourth dose, a neutralization antibody titer exceeded the required protective levels (i.e., a neutralization antibody titer ≥1:8) considerably in all groups. Four doses of polio vaccines induced a sufficient level of immunity in Japanese infants, irrespective of vaccine combinations or order.

[ABSTRACT] North China Plain (NCP) is the main granary in China, however, NCP is confronted with water shortage problem that may lead to the fall of the crop production. Thus monitoring NCP from space is very important to know how hydrologic environment affects the crop production. NCP has been monitoring by using NOAA/AVHRR for vegetation conditions. As a result, it is clarified that surface hydrological conditions clearly affect the crop production rate revealed by NDVI. Then the surface wetness is estimated by NOAA/AVHRR and GMS/S-VISSR. The slope parameter in the scattergram between vegetation index and surface temperature is examined for NOAA/AVHRR data. The difference in brightness temperatures between 8:00AM and 10:00AM (LT) is also investigated for GMS data. Both of which are considered to be the index of surface moisture condition. The distributions of surface wetness obtained from both methods well agree with each other. The results will be used for water management such as proper irrigation practice.

[ABSTRACT] Groundwater is one of major water resources in the North China Plain (NCP). The area from Taihang Mountain to Buohaiwan along 38°N latitude in NCP has been chosen to analyze the evolution of groundwater quality. In viewpoint of water cycle, the authors of present paper paid careful attentions to the fact that the basic characteristics of groundwater qualities are in close relation to groundwater flow system. It was found that groundwater quality changed from Ca-HCO_3 type to NaCl type, which matches well with groundwater flow direction from recharge area to discharge area. Based on the results of groundwater usage as well as chemical analysis, it is clearly that both nature and human activities effected greatly on the groundwater quality in NCP.

[ABSTRACT] This paper deals with regional salinity management of the North China Plain. The authors of present paper paid careful attention to the fact that the basic characteristics of salinity dynamics are in close relation to water. Particularly in semiarid and semihumid flat areas, the water is not only a driving force for salts, but also the most important state variable having a decisive influence on soil salinity. On basis of such principle, the authors studied the approaches to control the salinization in the North China Plain.

[ABSTRACT] As well known, water is an active driver to control the environment in arid and semiarid region. In this paper, the attention has been paid on the water balance and water quality in the south part of Xinjiang, one of typical arid regions of China. The increases of agriculture activities in past forty years have made great changes distributions of water both in quantity and quality. Based on the field surveying results, the relations among the water use, desertification and salinity were discussed.

By transferring natural vegetation with soil from high elevation to low elevation, a 2 degrees C warmer condition was created. In each site, 5 different precipitation treatments were applied to test if the temperature and precipitation changes under global warming will result in a lower soil moisture condition and, therefore, feedback negatively on vegetation productivity of the Taihang Mountain. Two years' field experiment suggested that, because of the low adaptability of Arundinelia hirta under a warmer condition, its productivity decreased significantly at the end of the experiment. Productivities of grass with better adaptability such as Themeda japonica and Artemisia sacrorum did not change significantly between the two sites. Tested vegetation demonstrated a significant increase in productivity under the higher precipitation condition by showing 22% increase in productivity under 20% higher precipitation treatment. Soil moisture condition under treatments with higher precipitation was generally higher than that under treatments with lower precipitation. In the warmer site, soil moisture became higher since the beginning of the second year.

Held on 5-7 November, 1997, Chiba University

Held on 29-31 January, 1997, Chiba University

Held on August 29-31, 1995, Chiba University, Japan