Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report More heavy snow fell in prefectures facing the Sea of Japan as well as in the northern Kinki region on Feb The winter pressure pattern is expected to strengthen through Feb It warned of likely traffic disruptions and cautioned residents to remain vigilant to the dangers of accumulated snow tumbling from the roofs of buildings The corresponding figure for Kaneyama in Fukushima Prefecture and Nagai in Yamagata Prefecture was 28 cm Uonuma in Niigata Prefecture recorded 26 cm of snow The 24-hour snowfall amounts expected by 6 a.m 24 in mountainous areas include 50 cm along the Sea of Japan coast of the Tohoku region and the northern Kinki region 70 cm in Niigata Prefecture and 30 cm in Yamaguchi Prefecture Heavy snow is expected through the evening of Feb even in low-lying areas of the central Kinki region Heavy snowfall expected from Tuesday as cold front advances Blizzard forecast for Hokkaido; snow expected over wide areas Record snowfall covers Hokuriku; JMA warns more on the way More heavy snow in Ishikawa; northern Kyushu likely to be hit severe weather forecast for weekend on Sea of Japan side Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission Metrics details The Original Article was published on 08 May 2023 Correction to: Scientific Reports https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-34659-x The original version of this Article contained errors in Figures 2 and 4, where panels 2B and 4B respectively did not display correctly. The original Figures 2 and 4 and accompanying legends appear below. Upregulation of MMP-13 expression by nuclear Hic-5 in human chondrocytes (A) Induction of MMP-13 in human chondrocytes exogenously expressing Hic-5 tagged with a nuclear localization signal (NLS-HA-Hic-5) Human chondrocytes were transfected with the NLS-HA-Hic-5 expression vector at the concentrations shown in the graph for 24 h Hic-5 and MMP-13 expression was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (n = 3 biological replicates) (B) Western blot of MMP-13 in human chondrocytes transfected with or without 0.2 µg of NLS-Hic-5 (n = 3 biological replicates) followed by Dunn’s multiple comparisons test in (A) or the unpaired t test in (B) and full-length blots are included in Supplementary Fig (C) Double immunofluorescence staining of Hic-5 (green) and MMP-13 (red) in human chondrocytes transfected with or without NLS-HA-Hic-5 Nuclei were counterstained with DAPI (blue) Representative image was selected from 3 biological replicates Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-36393-w Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science The 2016 series by Takahiro Kaneyama stages photography as a tool for family therapy The Japanese photographer captured his mother and her shifting state after she was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was a teenager Her illness meant multiple stays in hospitals and thus Takahiro Kaneyama studied film and photography at City College New York before focusing on documentary photography at the International Center of Photography His photos have also been exhibited in institutions such as the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum the artist would travel back and forth to Japan and following the death of his grandmother he decided to dedicate a piece of documentary work to various personal themes he hoped to show what his mother was like before her illness capturing her in an environment that was ostensibly familiar to her looking into the camera with a certain contempt Takahiro Kaneyama’s mother appears differently from day to day; before and during her illness; with and without makeup; with different hairstyles; and a fluctuating physique corresponding to various treatments is given continuity through a persistant expression where the tragic dimension of the reality of the situation is addressed with tenderness and humour which walks the line between intimacy and distance reads much like a personal confession and a reflection upon universal themes of love It is an autobiographical photographic documentary The work of Takahiro Kaneyama is often framed by his own personal history, with his loved ones taking leading roles. In his work Shumafura the photographer goes in search of his great uncle whom he meets for the first time in a small fishing village on the Shimokita Peninsula While Leaves Are Falling (2016) is a photo book by Takahiro Kaneyama, published by AKAAKA ‘My Mother in an Isolation Room at Her Hospital 2’ A History of Japanese Women in Photography Traditional tattoos were strong signifiers; murderers had head tattoos The series 'Hysteric Ten' by photographer Sawatari Hajime revisits one of the most sulphurous relationships in Japanese art Nagisa Oshima made Sada Abe the heroine of his film defying the codes of 'pinku eiga' that make men the focus of attention This rice soup seasoned with miso is served by a monk to Ashitaka one of the heroes in Hayao Miyazaki's film we interviewed its founder and chief representative The Japan Meteorological Agency extended its heavy snowfall warning to around Feb after snow covered several municipalities on Feb More than 60 centimeters of snow has fallen over a 24-hour period in some parts of the Hokuriku region Kagoshima on the main island of Kyushu also observed 2 cm of snow over the same period The strongest cold air mass in several years has moved south and remains near Japan Its influence is expected to lead to a continuation of heavy snow and severe weather over a wide area The Japan Sea Polar Air Mass Convergence Zone (JPCZ) over the Sea of Japan is likely to flow in and dump heavy snow on the Hokuriku region and surrounding areas The influence of a strong low pressure system could also cause heavy snowfall in certain areas of Hokkaido heavy snow is expected to fall sporadically mainly in inland areas until around Feb The snow will accumulate even on flatland plains The JMA is warning people in the affected areas to remain cautious about heavy winds icy roads and snow piling up on power lines up to 70 cm of snow is expected in the Tohoku region The forecast for the 24 hours to noon on Feb Heavy snow to hit eastern and western Japan through Dec Emergency snow warning for Sea of Japan areas from Dec More snowfalls forecast after traffic disrupted around Japan More snow forecast after record level hits east Hokkaido A local railway line straddling Fukushima and Niigata prefectures renowned for its breathtaking natural views more than 11 years after a 27.6-kilometer section of the track was rendered unusable by torrential rain Many gathered to ride or witness the packed trains on the picturesque JR Tadami Line which has been using replacement bus services between Aizu-Kawaguchi and Tadami stations since three metal bridges that cross the Tadami River were washed away in the July 2011 downpour The 135.2-kilometer line running from Aizu-Wakamatsu in Fukushima Prefecture and Koide Station in Uonuma snakes through mountains and over rivers in rural Japan The restoration was achieved in part due to local requests with JR East initially calling for the continued use of buses The roughly 9 billion yen ($62 million) in restoration expenses was partly subsidized by the national government with JR East and the prefectural and local governments also shouldering costs While it is hoped that the line's full return will encourage tourism it comes as concerns mount over how to sustain loss-making local trains service from Koide Station to Aizu-Wakamatsu Station managed to travel the entire route but the early morning train headed in the opposite direction halted after the emergency brake was activated and the around 210 passengers had to revert to the replacement bus services The service was stopped for about four hours prompting an apology from East Japan Railway Co who attended an event to commemorate the reopening in the town of Tadami the railway's revival was a day of celebration for many one of the stations along the newly restored section "When I think that it's finally moving again visiting from Sapporo in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido was among the passengers on a commemorative train that arrived about two hours late in Tadami Station from Aizu-Wakamatsu "The dynamic Tadami River is really pretty and it was so nice to see local people waving to the train." But some locals were less excited about the return of the train which runs only three end-to-end services on each side of the line per day with some telling Kyodo News they don't really use it JR Kyushu to suspend 120 train services due to staff virus cases Tokyo's Yamanote Line to test automated trains with riders from Oct. Train in Ukrainian flag colors runs in western Japan To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page As construction for MF Sushi's new Museum District digs continues Chris Kinjo can be seen putting his magic fingers to work at his weekly omakase tastings held at Kaneyama Japanese Restaurant watching Kinjo construct his plated mini masterpieces is as gratifying as the dish themselves provides a tiny glimpse into one of the hottest pop-up dinners in town Miyako Yoshinaga is pleased to present its third solo exhibition of Takahiro Kaneyama featuring 30 images selected from his ongoing color photography series “While Leaves Are Falling….” The exhibition is on view from June 1 to July 8 An opening reception will be held on Thursday Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday Takahiro Kaneyama returns to the gallery with his most personal theme to date Kaneyama’s unpretentious photographs quietly reveal his complex relationship with home and family as he continues to live abroad raised him with the aids of his grandmother and his two unmarried aunts The story he tells with these bravely honest portraits and landscapes resonates both as a personal confession and a meditation on universal aspects of love Kaneyama returns to Japan often and uses his camera as a witness to the time and space he shares with his mother and aunts he photographed the three women unsmiling and motionless against a scenic landscape While these family portraits may seem to share the surrealistic tone of Shoji Ueda (1913-2000)’s 1950s family portraits Kaneyama’s vision is clearly darker and more enigmatic It also weighs heavily on an acute sensitivity to time (as evidenced in the title of the series) and the photos reveal the growing vulnerability of his subjects His mother alone looks dramatically different with and without makeup and with shifting body weight due to the effect of her medications While the viewer clearly observes her ups and downs over time her expressionless visage lingers through the whole series It is this unavoidable truth and the perfect balance of intimacy and distance that elevate Kaneyama’s autobiographical photo documentary into the realm of art Takahiro Kaneyama studied film and photography at the City College of New York earned an MFA in Photography and Related Media at the School of Visual Arts and then studied documentary photography at the International Center of Photography he was awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship and also completed an artist-in-residence at Light Work His new book “While Leaves Are Falling…,” published by AKAAKA also last year is available through this gallery as well as the SF MoMA bookstore accompanied by an essay by Eric Shiner (Senior Vice President of Contemporary Art Sotheby’s) has been nominated for two of the most prestigious Japanese photography awards this year his “While Leaves Are Falling” series will be featured in a group exhibition at the recently renovated Tokyo Photographic Art Museum The Palitz Gallery presents “New Voices: Recent Acquisitions from the Light Work Collection.” The exhibition brings together photographs by former Light Work Artists-in-Residence. The exhibition will be on view through  April 12 at the Palitz Gallery which is located within Syracuse University’s Lubin House at 11 E part of the “New Voices” exhibition at Palitz Gallery Selected from over 4,000 photographs donated to the Light Work Collection by former artists-in-residence the exhibition highlights Jennifer Garza-Cuen The curated works of “New Voices” explore a wide variety of approaches to the medium “The residency program has benefited artists by offering time space and support at important moments in their careers,” says Light Work director Shane Lavalette “We have the great fortune of getting to know these individuals and watching their work grow and develop over time We are equally excited about the future generations of artists to come and will continue to respond to the needs that exist in the field.” “I cannot say enough good things about Light Work” says Kaneyama edit and print hundreds of images for his recently published book “While Leaves Are Falling… .” “Light Work’s well-equipped lab facilities are configured to meet the specific needs of any artist I believe this is the key that enables artists to be productive.” “New Voices: Recent Acquisitions from Light Work Collection” artists are also featured in “Light Work Annual: Contact Sheet 187, 192.” Copies of the Light Work Annual 2017 are available for purchase via the Light Work Subscription Program A reception with the artists will be held Tuesday Syracuse University is a private international research university dedicated to advancing knowledge and fostering student success through teaching excellence rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary research Comprising 11 academic schools and colleges the University has a long legacy of excellence in the liberal arts sciences and professional disciplines that prepares students for the complex challenges and emerging opportunities of a rapidly changing world Students enjoy the resources of a 270-acre main campus and extended campus venues in major national metropolitan hubs and across three continents Syracuse’s student body is among the most diverse for an institution of its kind across multiple dimensions and students typically represent all 50 states and more than 100 countries Syracuse also has a long legacy of supporting veterans and is home to the nationally recognized Institute for Veterans and Military Families the first university-based institute in the U.S focused on addressing the unique needs of veterans and their families School of Architecture faculty member Pablo Sequero’s firm has been named to the newest cohort of winners in the biennial Architectural League Prize for Young Architects + Designers one of North America’s most prestigious awards for young practitioners Exploring diverse artistic traditions is one way students in the College of Arts and Sciences develop global perspectives and enhance their cultural awareness necessary for success in today’s connected world Syracuse Stage continues its 2024/25 season with celebrated actor and playwright Kate Hamill’s whirlwind adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility.” Directed by Jason O’Connell “Sense and Sensibility” will run April 23-May 11 in the Archbold Theatre at Syracuse Stage,… Music by Syracuse University graduate student Rolando Gómez is part of the Society for New Music (SNM)’s annual Prizewinners Concert on Sunday at CNY Jazz Central (441 East Washington St. The University is pleased to announce its participation in “On My Own Time”—a celebration of local visual arts that highlights the often-unsung artists who create art on their own time This year is the 52nd anniversary of this program If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu Kaneyama Yuki raises his arms as he crosses the finish line of the Saipan Marathon 2024 at Micro Beach Saturday morning Hana Lee smiles as she reaches the finish line of the Saipan Marathon 2024 at the Micro Beach Saturday morning I have been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013 I was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College VISITING runners Kaneyama Yuki and Hana Lee topped their respective divisions in the 2024 Saipan Marathon on Saturday morning Runners made their way south to their first turnaround at Thunder Chicken on Middle Road in Chalan Kiya The course then stretched north toward Banzai Cliff for its second turnaround point before returning to the start/finish line at Micro Beach The first to cross the finish line was 24-year-old Kaneyama Yuki who clocked 2:44:45 he said it was his first time to visit Saipan and join its annual marathon “I just wanted to go abroad and race,” Yuki said and has joined many marathons in his home country After he found out that he won a round-trip ticket from United Airlines for winning this year’s Saipan Marathon he said he wants to come back to defend his title In second place was Miyamoto Shohei with a time of 2:46:21 while Yusheng Ni came in third at 2:57:53 Lee said the last time she completed a marathon was back in 2022 adding that Saipan Marathon has been the longest event in which she has participated Lee was born in Korea but raised in Washington state and later joined the U.S “I just wanted to beat four hours and finishing under that was a complete surprise,” Lee said  This has been the best marathon  she has competed in the aid stations and the sponges were so clutch I also felt like everyone came out just to support and it was really cool!” In second place was Aspen Egbert with a time of 4:17:07 followed by Ann Bang at 4:23.40 The marathon’s other results will be featured in Variety’s  next editions Email notifications are only sent once a day Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Metrics details The Original Article was published on 28 September 2022 the population impact of HT on CKD is high In addition to considering the relative risk of each risk factor for developing CKD it is critically important to consider the population attributable fraction (PAF) of each risk factor for a public health approach conducted a longitudinal study of Japanese health screening data and showed that the risk of developing CKD was substantially higher and accompanied by a higher PAF in patients who had both HT and DM compared to those who had DM alone had a greater impact only on the development of proteinuria and not on reduced renal function These findings suggest that the risk of developing proteinuria among patients with HT is augmented by the concomitant presence of DM and/or vice versa the significant effect on the development of reduced eGFR was only seen in patients with HT alone we must recognize that an approach targeting HT is crucially important for public health In conclusion, with the given caveats, this study by Kaneyama et al. reminds us of the public health impact of HT on developing CKD, especially the synergistic interaction with DM (Fig. 1). We need to challenge “inertia” to achieve target BP control, especially among patients with concomitant DM and HT. Public health impact of concomitant hypertension and diabetes mellitus and that of hypertension alone on developing chronic kidney disease in Japan Collaboration GCKD. Global, regional, and national burden of chronic kidney disease, 1990-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet. 2020;395:709–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30045-3 Bidani AK, Griffin KA. Pathophysiology of hypertensive renal damage: implications for therapy. Hypertension. 2004;44:595–601. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.HYP.0000145180.38707.84 Kaneyama A, Hirata A, Hirata T, Imai Y, Kuwabvara K, Funamoto M et al. Impact of hypertension and diabetes on the onset of chronic kidney disease in a general Japanese population. Hypertens Res. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-022-01041-9 Kohagura K, Furuichi K, Kochi M, Shimizu M, Yuzawa Y, Hara A, et al. Amplified association between blood pressure and albuminuria in overweight patients with biopsy-proven hypertensive nephrosclerosis. Am J Hypertens. 2019;32:486–91. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajh/hpz010 Wang M, Li J, Li Y, Yao S, Zhao M, Wang C, et al. The effects of hypertension and diabetes on new-onset chronic kidney disease: a prospective cohort study. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2020;22:39–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/jch.13768 Sasaki T, Tsuboi N, Okabayashi Y, Haruhara K, Kanzaki G, Koike K, et al. Synergistic impact of diabetes and hypertension on the progression and distribution of glomerular histopathological lesions. Am J Hypertens. 2019;32:900–8. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajh/hpz059 Yamagata K, Ishida K, Sairenchi T, Takahashi H, Ohba S, Shiigai T, et al. Risk factors for chronic kidney disease in a community-based population: a 10-year follow-up study. Kidney Int. 2007;71:159–66. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ki.5002017 Ueki K, Sasako T, Okazaki Y, Miyake K, Nangaku M, Ohashi Y, et al. Multifactorial intervention has a significant effect on diabetic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. Kidney Int. 2021;99:256–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kint.2020.08.012 Fang M, Wang D, Coresh J, Selvin E. Trends in diabetes treatment and control in U.S. Adults, 1999–2018. N Engl J Med. 2021;384:2219–28. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMsa2032271 Download references KK received personal fees for lectures from AstraZeneca Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-022-01114-9 Fukushima Prefecture--A popular rail line stretching across Fukushima and Niigata prefectures that is renowned for its breathtaking natural views resumed full operations 11 years after torrential rains rendered a 27.6-kilometer stretch unusable The Tadami Line operated by East Japan Railway Co (JR East) offers spectacular mountain and river views Of the 135.2 km stretch between Aizu-Wakamatsu station in Aizu-Wakamatsu 27.6 km of track was knocked out of service after torrential rains in July 2011 washed away three bridges A memorial ceremony was held in Tadami on Oct 1 by the Fukushima prefectural government to mark the full restoration of service between Tadami station in Tadami and Aizu-Kawaguchi station in Kaneyama Passengers came from all over Japan to mark the occasion and board a special train creating a celebratory mood as local residents cheered them on as the train passed along the route the first regular train from Aizu-Wakamatsu station had to be stopped due to a train car malfunction resulting in some cancellations and delays Full steam ahead this year for steam locomotive in Niigata Tohoku bullet train resumes one month after major quake Bullet train services reopen between Tokyo and Fukushima Quake-hit bullet train line to fully resume before Golden Week Kimono-clad geisha ride along on tour buses in Aizu-Wakamatsu Heavy snow forecast to keep disrupting traffic until Dec Metrics details Excessive mechanical stress is a major cause of knee osteoarthritis the mechanism by which the mechanical stress begets osteoarthritis development remains elusive Hydrogen peroxide-inducible clone-5 (Hic-5; TGFβ1i1) has previously been reported as a mediator of mechanotransduction we analyzed the in vivo function of Hic-5 in development of osteoarthritis and found that mice lacking Hic-5 showed a significant reduction in development of osteoarthritis in the knee we found reduced expression of catabolic genes such as metalloproteinase-13 and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type 1 motif 5 in osteoarthritic lesions in mice lacking Hic-5 Hic-5 is detected in chondrocytes of articular cartilage To investigate the role of Hic-5 in chondrocytes we isolated chondrocytes from articular cartilage of wild type and Hic-5-deficient mice Hic-5 deficiency resulted in suppression of catabolic gene expression induced by osteoarthritis-related cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 1β Hic-5 deficiency in chondrocytes suppressed catabolic gene expression induced by mechanical stress Revealing the regulation of chondrocyte catabolism by Hic-5 contributes to understanding the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis induced by mechanical stress we hypothesized that Hic-5 plays an important role in OA which is the most common disorder caused by mechanical stress we attempted to clarify the role of Hic-5 in the pathogenesis of OA Suppression of OA development in Hic-5−/− mice (A) Safranin-O staining of knee joints 8 weeks after creating a surgical OA model in Hic-5+/+ and Hic-5−/− mice Data are expressed as means ± SD of Hic-5+/+ (n = 11) or Hic-5−/− mice (n = 10); *P < 0.05 (C) Scanning electron microscopy images of the posterior aspect of a right knee harvested from Hic-5+/+ and Hic-5−/− mice after surgery The images are representative of three independent experiments Hic-5 expression during OA development in mouse articular cartilage 4 and 9 weeks after surgery were collected Immunohistochemistry was performed with antibodies against Hic-5 (B) Hic-5 localization in isolated chondrocytes from mouse knee cartilage One representative result of three independent experiments is shown Hic-5 deficiency suppresses the expression of catabolic factors in mouse articular cartilage.Immunofluorescence of MMP13 type II collagen and type X collagen in knee cartilage of Hic-5+/+ and Hic-5−/− mice at 8 weeks after surgery Cross-sections were stained with Safranin-O staining (bottom) Data are representative of five independent experiments Hic-5 deficiency inhibits inflammatory cytokine-induced MMP13 in chondrocytes (A,B) Hic-5 protein expression in mouse primary chondrocytes stimulated with TNF-α (A) or IL-1β (B) The lower panels show quantitative analyses of Hic-5 expression after normalization against glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) (C) mRNA levels of MMP13 in mouse primary chondrocytes stimulated with IL-1β or TNF-α for 24 h The mRNA levels were normalized with that of 18 s and the values relative to the untreated samples are shown (D,E) Protein expression of MMP13 in mouse primary chondrocytes stimulated with IL-1β or TNF-α for 24 h The lower panels show quantitative analyses of MMP13 expression after normalization against GAPDH The expression of MMP13 and ADAMTS5 induced by mechanical stretch was suppressed in Hic-5−/− chondrocytes (A) Hic-5 protein expression in mouse primary chondrocytes after tensile stress loading (+) Cells were cultured for up to 12 h after uniaxial cyclic tensile strain (10% The right panel shows quantitative analysis of Hic-5 expression after normalization against GAPDH (B) mRNA levels of MMP13 and ADAMTS5 in mouse primary chondrocytes after tensile stress loading (+) (C) MMP13 protein expression in mouse primary chondrocytes after tensile strain loading (+) The right panel shows quantitative analysis of MMP13 expression after normalization against GAPDH Representative data of five (A) or three (B,C) independent experiments are shown and expressed as means ± SD we report that Hic-5 plays a key role as a mediator of mechanical force in the development of OA Genetic deletion of hic-5 in mice resulted in suppression of OA development through inhibition of catabolic genes’ expression such as MMP13 and ADAMTS5 the major catabolic molecules responsible for OA lesion formation Hic-5-deficient chondrocytes showed suppressed expression of these catabolic factors induced by inflammatory cytokines or mechanical loading These data indicate that Hic-5 exerts catabolic effects in articular cartilage degeneration is responsible for disease progression in a surgical OA model in mice and thus we only analyzed ADAMTS5 in this study we observed that Hic-5 deficiency actually suppressed the onset of OA in vivo While the lack of sham controls is a limitation of this study the suppression of OA development correlated with decreased expression of catabolic factors in Hic-5−/− mice Hic-5 seems to be a crucial regulator of ECM remodeling in cartilage by inducing the expression of ECM-degrading enzymes and Col10a these findings imply that Hic-5 may coordinate its function as a mechanosensor with primary cilia by regulating actin cytoskeleton in articular chondrocytes Further analysis is required to assess how Hic-5 translates mechanical force into pathogenic signals and regulates catabolic factors’ expression in cartilage we found that Hic-5 is a mediator of mechanical force-induced lesion formation in OA Our findings may help understand the mechanical force-induced signaling which may become a therapeutic target for OA All experiments were performed with protocols approved by the regional Animal Study Committees of Showa University School of Medicine And we confirmed that all methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations Wild type (Hic-5+/+) and systemic Hic-5-knockout (Hic-5−/−) mice (C57BL/6 background) were housed in a temperature and humidity controlled environment Primary articular chondrocytes were isolated from 5-day-old Hic-5+/+ and Hic-5−/− mice, as described previously25 These pieces of cartilage were incubated in collagenase D solution we retrieved the collagenase D solution with residual cartilage and successively passed the solution through pipettes to disperse any cell aggregates The cell suspension of isolated cells was filtered through a strainer and then seeded on a culture dish Primary chondrocytes were maintained in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Media (DMEM; Wako Japan) with low glucose (1 g/l) containing 10% fetal bovine serum (Life technologies primary cells were transferred to serum-free DMEM for 24 h before being exposed to stimuli an observer (blinded) assigned a score between 0 and 6 in all four quadrants and the severity of OA was expressed as the summed scores These scores were combined for the areas of the medial tibial plateau The samples were processed using procedures described previously8 articular cartilages were harvested from the mice 8 weeks after surgery followed by immersion fixation with 2.5% glutaraldehyde for 24 h at 4 °C The specimens were washed with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and stained with 1% buffered osmium tetroxide they were dehydrated by passing through an ethanol gradient coated with platinum and observed with an S-4700 scanning electron microscope (SEM; Hitachi Tissue samples were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde buffered with PBS at 4 °C for 1 day decalcified with 10% EDTA (pH 7.4) at 4 °C for 2 weeks and embedded in paraffin Sagittal sections (4-μm thick) were cut from specimens sections were incubated with antibodies against ADAMTS5 (1:50; D-16 type II collagen and type X collagen we used the CSA II Biotin-Free Catalyzed Amplification System (Agilent Technologies Hic-5 staining in chondrocytes was performed by the same procedure as immunofluorescence At least three samples were tested in each assay Chondrocyte lysates were separated by SDS-PAGE transferred to polyvinylidene difluoride membranes (GE Healthcare USA) and blocked with 0.5% BSA in PBS containing 0.1% Tween 20 Membranes were blotted with primary antibodies against Hic-5 After incubation with horseradish peroxidase-conjugated secondary antibodies positive bands were visualized using Western Lightning chemiluminescence reagent (Wako followed by exposure to X-ray film (Fuji Film The band densities were measured using the Densitograph software (ATTO Real-time PCR was performed to quantify chondrocyte gene expression using the RT-qPCR kit (TaKaRa Japan) and an ABI7900 real-time PCR detection system (Applied Bio systems The expression values were normalized against a housekeeping gene (18 s) and fold changes were calculated relative to the control group using the 2−∆∆ Ct method Primers used: 18s-forward (F): 5′-TAGAGGGACAAGTGGCGTTC-3′ reverse (R): 5′-CGCTGAGGCCAGTCAGTGT-3′; adamts5-F: 5′-GCCATTGTAATAACCCTGCACC-3′ R: 5′-TCAGTCCCATCCGTAACCTTTG-3′; mmp13-F: 5′-TGATGGACCTTCTGGTCTTCTGG-3′ We seeded mouse primary chondrocytes on silicon stretch chambers coated with collagen at a density of 2.5 × 104 cells/chamber Each chamber had a culture surface of 2 × 2 cm 10% elongation) was applied for 30 min using a uniaxial stretching system (NS-550; STREX We seeded control cells on the same chambers and cultured them without cyclic tensile strain Primary chondrocytes were collected 12 h after stretching All data are expressed as the mean ± SD of three or five independent samples the Student’s unpaired two-tailed t-test was applied Matrix metalloproteinase 13-deficient mice are resistant to osteoarthritic cartilage erosion but not chondrocyte hypertrophy or osteophyte development Postnatal expression in hyaline cartilage of constitutively active human collagenase-3 (MMP-13) induces osteoarthritis in mice Deletion of active ADAMTS5 prevents cartilage degradation in a murine model of osteoarthritis ADAMTS5 is the major aggrecanase in mouse cartilage in vivo and in vitro Characterization of the TGF beta 1-inducible hic-5 gene that encodes a putative novel zinc finger protein and its possible involvement in cellular senescence Hydrogen peroxide-inducible clone 5 (Hic-5) as a potential therapeutic target for vascular and other disorders Hic-5 deficiency enhances mechanosensitive apoptosis and modulates vascular remodeling Role of Hic-5 in the formation of microvilli-like structures and the monocyte-endothelial interaction that accelerates atherosclerosis Identification of Hic-5 as a novel scaffold for the MKK4/p54 JNK pathway in the development of abdominal aortic aneurysms Hic-5 deficiency attenuates the activation of hepatic stellate cells and liver fibrosis through upregulation of Smad7 in mice The impact of stromal Hic-5 on the tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer through lysyl oxidase induction and stromal remodeling Uni-axial stretching regulates intracellular localization of Hic-5 expressed in smooth-muscle cells in vivo an adaptor protein expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells modulates the arterial response to injury in vivo Regulation of mechanical stress-induced MMP-13 and ADAMTS-5 expression by RUNX-2 transcriptional factor in SW1353 chondrocyte-like cells Smad7 is inactivated through a direct physical interaction with the LIM protein Hic-5/ARA55 Characterization of and osteoarthritis susceptibility in ADAMTS-4-knockout mice Primary cilia disassembly down-regulates mechanosensitive hedgehog signalling: a feedback mechanism controlling ADAMTS-5 expression in chondrocytes Depletion of primary cilia in articular chondrocytes results in reduced Gli3 repressor to activator ratio Dynamic Remodeling of Membrane Composition Drives Cell Cycle through Primary Cilia Excision Regulation of contractility by Hsp27 and Hic-5 in rat mesenteric small arteries Non-receptor tyrosine kinases and the actin cytoskeleton in contractile vascular smooth muscle Hic-5 is required for myofibroblast differentiation by regulating mechanically dependent MRTF-A nuclear accumulation Hic-5 regulates fibrillar adhesion formation to control tumor extracellular matrix remodeling through interaction with tensin1 Investigating ADAMTS-mediated aggrecanolysis in mouse cartilage Osteoarthritis development in novel experimental mouse models induced by knee joint instability The OARSI histopathology initiative - recommendations for histological assessments of osteoarthritis in the mouse Download references We thank Michal Bell, PhD, from Edanz Group (www.edanzediting.com/ac) for editing the English text of a draft of this manuscript by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (KAKENHI; Grant 26860588 to XF L and the Private University Research Branding Project The authors declare no competing interests Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-52301-7 Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version Metrics details The introduction of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) has greatly changed the use of anticoagulant therapy in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (Af) this study aimed to examine changes in the proportions of oral anticoagulant prescriptions in patients with non-valvular Af aged ≥ 65 years taking into consideration the risk of cerebral infarction and bleeding Anticoagulant prescriptions in outpatients aged ≥ 65 years with Af were temporally analyzed using the nationwide claims database in Japan Trends in anticoagulant prescriptions were examined according to cerebral infarction and bleeding risk The proportion of anticoagulant prescriptions for 12,076 Af patients increased from 41% in 2011 to 56% in 2015 An increase in DOAC prescriptions was accompanied by an increase in the proportion of anticoagulant prescriptions in each group according to the CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores The proportion of anticoagulant prescriptions for patients with a high risk of developing cerebral infarction and bleeding showed a marked increase Trends in anticoagulant prescriptions in Af patient with a CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥ 2 and HAS-BLED scores ≥ 3 showed a marked increase in DOAC prescriptions The widespread use of DOACs greatly changes the profile the prescription of anticoagulant therapy in patients with Af In order to examine annual changes of OAC prescriptions without following up patients we conducted this study and considered that the sampling dataset was suitable for this study Of the entire dataset available at the time of the study (including data from inpatients as well as DPC data; note that pharmacy claims include data for November we applied to and obtained approval from the Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare for the use of patients claims data from October of each year from 2011 to 2015 As it was thought that the seasonal change was not related to examine annual changes of the OAC prescriptions very much we decided to examine annual changes using patients claims data from October of each year from 2011 to 2015 we examined outpatients and pharmacy claims data of patients coming to hospital in October each year and find out the trend to everyday OAC prescriptions without limiting on to new patients This database includes data on patient age and sex All diagnoses in the database were coded according to the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) Pharmacy claims include various information on outpatient prescriptions dispensed from Japan pharmacies such as dispensing/prescription dates and the number of tablets dispensed Prescription handouts were coded according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System we excluded patients with a disease code for valvular Af or valvular disease recorded in their medical claims (i.e. those with venous thromboembolism (I802 or I269) and those who underwent artificial joint replacement (total hip arthroplasty The extracted non-valvular Af patients were included in this study (hereafter referred to as “Af patients”) Oral anticoagulants (OACs) were defined as VKA and four DOACs (dabigatran coded in pharmacy claims data as 3332-D01280 The primary evaluation indices were proportions of Af patients who were prescribed VKA as well as those who were not prescribed any of the above-mentioned drugs Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics followed by the Cochrane Armitage test to examine changes over time in prescriptions for each drug The entire Af patient population was divided into four groups: two groups according to the CHA2DS2-VASc score (< 2 or ≥ 2) and two groups according to the HAS-BLED score (< 3 The numbers of VKA and DOAC prescriptions and proportions of prescriptions for each of these drugs among all Af patients were calculated for each group The same subject extraction process was followed over a 5-year period The representative results from 2015 are described below mean CHA2DS2-VASc score (SD) was 4.1 (1.5) and mean HAS-BLED score (SD) was 2.6 (1.1) Subjects were divided into those who were prescribed anticoagulants (n = 6761) and those who were not (n = 5315); the former group was further classified into those who were prescribed VKA (n = 2991) and those who were prescribed DOACs (n = 3770) (Fig. 1). The results from the datasets (2011 to 2014) were obtained using the same procedure. Flowchart of subject extraction (2015) Figure shows extraction proses of patients aged ≥ 65 years from the 2015 outpatient claims data Time trends in the numbers of oral anticoagulant prescriptions Figure shows time trends in the number of patients who were prescribed VKA and that of all DOAC-prescribed patients combined Proportions of prescriptions for anticoagulants and AP among all Af patients Figure shows time trends in the proportions of prescriptions for anticoagulants and AP among all Af patients aged ≥ 65 years Although there are no such reports in Japan we cannot deny the possibility that aggressive offer of information provision by companies may have influenced clinicians’ prescribing behaviors the use of AP is expected to decrease further in the future Whether the increase in DOAC administration reduced the risk of developing cerebral infarction or increased the risk of bleeding in Af patients should be evaluated in future studies we could not use whole the claims database of NDB because of the NDB sampling dataset comprised single-month data and not a continuous set of data whether patients were newly prescribed DOACs or switched from VKA to DOACs could not be verified whether it was prescribed in consideration of CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores could not be verified since insurance claims data contain no descriptions of laboratory test values (INR CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores were calculated based on disease names and drugs used This likely resulted in higher scores relative to actual risks given that patients with hypertension were identified based on the presence of administered anti-hypertensive drugs some patients who were included in this patient group might not have had hypertension there might have been cases in which patients were assigned a disease code for hypertension so that antihypertensive drugs could be administered for the purpose of treating IgA nephropathy Even though such cases might not be common this could have led to high CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores comorbidities and concomitant drugs were also likely confounders but were not fully assessed in this analysis anticoagulant prescriptions for patients with non-valvular Af rapidly shifted from VKA to DOACs and the proportion of total anticoagulant prescriptions increased in Japan While the proportion of anticoagulant prescriptions for patients with a high risk of cerebral infarction increased that for patients at a high risk of bleeding also increased which are associated with anticoagulant prescriptions in non-valvular Af patients The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System prior cerebral infarction or TIA (doubled) prior bleeding or predisposition to bleeding Wolf, P. 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A novel user-friendly score (HAS-BLED) to assess 1-year risk of major bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation: The euro heart survey. Chest 138(5), 1093–1100. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.10-0134 (2010) PostgreSQL 9.3.25. https://www.postgresql.org/docs/release/9.3.25/ R (version 3.3.2) (Copyright (C) 2016 The R Foundation for Statistical Computing). https://www.r-project.org/ Adobe Illustrator CC2019. https://www.adobe.com/jp/products/illustrator.html Connolly, S. J. et al. Dabigatran versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation. N. Engl. J. Med. 361(12), 1139–1151. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa0905561 (2009) ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 Investigators. Edoxaban versus warfarin in atrial fibrillation patients at risk of falling: Engage af–timi 48 analysis. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2016.06.034 (2016) Forslund, T. et al. Improved stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation after the introduction of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants. 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Assoc. 318(13), 1250–1259. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.13883 (2017) Download references Nakatani for their assistance with data acquisition and management The budget of Department of Health Informatics Graduate School of Medicine and Public Health Comprehensive Unit for Health Economic Evidence Review and Decision Support Center for Outcomes Research and Economic Evaluation for Health Akita Cerebrospinal and Cardiovascular Center Department of Primary Care and Emergency Medicine Solutions Center for Health Insurance Claims Integrated Clinical Education Center All authors read and approved the final manuscript Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26741-7 2017 (()=>{var e=async t=>{await(await t())()};(self.Astro||(self.Astro={})).load=e;window.dispatchEvent(new Event("astro:load"));})();Japanese Town Seeks Help From Dogs To Sniff Out Stomach Cancer By Ashley Johnson - 699 words 5 minutes Cancer sniffing dogs (Photo Credit: Stream.org) While Japan is known to have higher than average rates of stomach cancer the residents of the town of Kaneyama in Yamagata Prefecture appear to be particularly susceptible to the gastric ailment After a recent report revealed that the municipality had one of the highest stomach cancer fatality rates out of the nation’s 344 “secondary medical districts,” the town officials decided to get its 6,000 residents tested the frozen urine samples submitted to the Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusoh Hospital in Chiba Prefecture are not undergoing conventional diagnostic tests Professor Masao Miyashita and his team are using them in a trial to determine if specially trained cancer-sniffing dogs can accurately detect the disease Though the study is still in its early stages Miyashita is thrilled with the results saying cancer detection dogs have been able to find [signs of] cancer with an accuracy of nearly 100 percent." The animal’s ability to sniff out the disease can be attributed to the 300 trillion sensors in its nose Pooches also have a second smell receptor that we do not possess Located at the bottom of their nasal passage is powerful enough to smell generally undetectable odors the founder and CEO of Medical Detection Dogs “They [dogs] can detect parts per trillion — that’s the equivalent of one drop of blood in two Olympic-sized swimming pools.” Researchers have known about the animals’ superior sensory skills for decades their ability to detect cancer in humans came to light in 1989 after a dog sniffed out early stage malignant melanoma from a mole on a patient’s leg at King’s College in London scientists from France to California to Italy have conducted studies to test the canine’s prowess at identifying cancer chemicals One of the biggest studies was undertaken by Medical Detection Dogs in 2016 cancer-sniffing dogs were exposed to several batches of evenly placed urine samples Each contained one belonging to a cancer patient To ensure the dogs were sniffing out cancer and not something else each group included a urine sample from a similarly-aged candidate who was experiencing cancer-like symptoms but did not have the disease the dogs were able to identify the cancer sufferer each time the nonprofit organization has trained pooches to detect all kinds of cancers They are now conducting trials to see if the animals can help diagnose Parkinson’s disease early While most dogs can be trained for the task researchers say the best candidates are pooches that are precise The training process is similar to how canines are taught to learn any trick — by rewarding them with treats it takes much longer because the dogs have to learn to isolate the “cancer scent” from the thousands of organic compounds in the human body Researchers begin by exposing the canines to urine samples from people with cancer Once the dogs are able to identify accurately cancer they are further trained to detect particular kinds of cancer experts think dogs are unlikely to replace conventional diagnostic tests it takes about seven years and costs as much as $45,000 USD to train a single dog a researcher and physician who studies dogs detecting cancer in breath samples at Krems University in Austria is also not convinced pooches can be relied upon alone have to undergo further tests to confirm if they have the disease Guest acknowledges that dogs will always be used in conjunction with traditional tests the researcher is still a big proponent of training the animals given that they can sniff out the disease long before the symptoms appear And she should know — after all it was her dog Tangle’s superior sniffing skills that led to the early discovery of a deep-rooted cancer tumor insider her breast tissue in 2009 Resources: CNN.com,smitsonianmag.com,medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk Reply 0 Likes adroit_avimimus 3 years ago They are all so cute and cuddly What I didn't know is that dogs have 300 trillion sensors in their noses And the cost to train a single dog to sniff out the disease is even more insane! But it's definitely worth it to help save the lives of the ill Reply 1 Like connie12 3 years ago I love how dogs help out in many ways Reply 1 Like cute_raindrop 3 years ago SO COOL Reply 1 Like hashtaglibero 4 years ago NICE JOB DOGS I LOVE THEM SO MUCH & I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT DOGS ARE BETTER THAN DOCTORS Reply 1 Like kittenlover11 4 years ago wow Reply 2 Likes jazmine2008 4 years ago WOW that's so cool how dogs can smell that Reply 3 Likes llamagirl12345 4 years ago the second pic of a dog is so cute Reply 2 Likes kittiesmama 4 years ago I LOVE DOGS HEART ❤ WARMING LOVE IT ADORABLE SO ADORABLE AMAZING DOGS💕💗💖💓💞 Reply 4 Likes king123omg 4 years ago Wow is that not amazing that people saves lives every day X (Twitter) © 2025 DOGO Media Today's print edition Home Delivery A river tour conducted by rowboat in the town of Kaneyama is becoming popular with tourists for its scenic views of the thick fog covering the quiet waterway During the Mugenkyo no Watashi tour along the Tadami River local photographer Kenko Hoshi leads his guests past the Mifuke district — a community that was lost following a massive landslide over 50 years ago.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); visitors can travel through the serene setting and take in views of the beautiful fog that blankets the river In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Regarding radioactive cesium in the surveyed forests in the first one year after the accident from 2011 to 2012 the percentage of radioactive cesium found in leaves branches and litter layers decreased significantly while that found in soil increased significantly This is considered to be because radioactive cesium deposited on leaves and branches of trees gradually transferred to the litter layer on the ground due to rain or leaf fall and then transferred to soil due to the decomposition of the litter layer The percentage of radioactive cesium in soil is continuously increasing and over 90% of the radioactive cesium in forests is found in soil or the litter layer as of 2022 mostly found in the soil surface layer at a depth between 0 cm and 5 cm The percentage of radioactive cesium found in the litter layer is high in the Kaneyama cedar forest and is low in other forests. Each forest thus shows different tendencies. The survey will be continued into the future.(Related to p.186 of Vol. 1, “Distribution of Radioactive Materials in Forests”) Ministry of the Environment Government of Japan (JCN1000012110001) Godochosha No. 5, Kasumigaseki 1-2-2, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8975, Japan. Location Tel: +81-(0)3-3581-3351 E-mail:https://www.env.go.jp/en/moemail/ Copyright Ministry of the Environment Government of Japan Heavy snowfall blanketed areas from northern to western Japan mainly on the Sea of Japan side on Jan disrupting train and road transportation as well as school operations The Japan Meteorological Agency said the strong flow of cold air is beginning to pass its peak but snowfall is expected to continue through the morning of Jan mainly in mountainous areas along the Sea of Japan 52 centimeters of snow had fallen over a 24-hour period in Motosu 8 to 9 resulted in the deaths of three people The JMA said atmospheric conditions will become unstable through the morning of Jan with localized development of thunderstorm clouds The JMA forecasts snowfall over the 24 hours through 6 a.m with accumulations of up to 60 cm in the Tohoku Up to 50 cm is expected in the Kanto-Koshin and Tokai regions and up to 10 cm in the northern Kyushu region (JR East) said operations on the Yamagata Shinkansen Line between Fukushima and Shinjo were suspended until shortly after 11 a.m (JR Tokai) said the Tokaido Shinkansen Line was operating at reduced speeds between Nagoya and Kyoto Nishitetsu Bus has halted all operations in Fukuoka city and surrounding areas since the first scheduled departures Most bus routes in the Kita-Kyushu area have also been suspended Operations will resume depending on road conditions According to the Fukuoka City Board of Education some municipal schools have closed or delayed their start times The Kita-Kyushu City Board of Education has decided to close all municipal schools for the day a truck stranded on an icy road near the Ashihara Tunnel on National Route 169 caused a 3-kilometer traffic jam on the morning of Jan Police cleared the way by spreading de-icing agents (This article was written by Natsumi Adachi and Ryota Goto.) storms forecast across Japan in winter cold snap JMA warns of heavy snowfall over wide areas through Dec heavy snowfall in store for Sea of Japan coast MAEBASHI—Gunma Prefecture is pumping 124 million yen ($873,000) into a project to train dogs that can sniff out health problems The prefectural government plans to extend support to doctors and scientists who engage in such research for three years from fiscal 2023 Although studies on cancer-detection dogs have been carried out around the world the research has never been put into practical use Gunma intends to become the first to do so can determine whether individuals are ill based on the smell of their exhaled air and urine The initiative in Gunma Prefecture is part of Governor Ichita Yamamoto’s endeavor to realize a “society to live better with pets.” “We were told (by an expert panel set up by the prefecture) that creating an environment where detection dogs and other pets can fulfill their potential will help promote our symbiosis,” Yamamoto said The prefecture is soliciting research proposals from across the nation it wants one study on how dogs can detect cancer and another one on finding symptoms of COVID-19 A maximum of 30 million yen will be provided to each project Buying and nurturing the dogs for the research will be covered by the budget allocation Applications will be accepted through July 14 Researchers will study disease specimens provided by medical institutes The prefecture expects to train two canines from the Labrador Retriever and other breeds known for their high concentration levels Research on such dogs has been carried out in Finland and Britain Kaneyama town in Yamagata Prefecture funded a similar program in fiscal 2017 and 2018 Yamamoto last year visited Finland to observe a verification test at Helsinki Airport of sickness-sniffing hounds trying to identify those infected with the novel coronavirus “People and pets will be able to coexist in a far broader sense” with the detector program “We will be making full use of dogs’ abilities for the sake of humankind.” Asked how the local government can justify using such a huge sum Yamamoto referred to the Tsulunos broadcasting studio within the prefectural office building and the public-private Netsugen communal working space for entrepreneurs “Those facilities were criticized at the time of their introduction but they are currently operating at 100 percent capacity,” he said “We must take a risk whenever we start something new.” Woman who took in unwanted pets arrested over suspected abuse Scientists study whether animals get gum disease from humans Cases of highly fatal viral hemorrhagic fever on the rise Evacuees from Ukraine allowed to bypass pet quarantine rules A powerful cold front has brought heavy snowfall along the Sea of Japan coast and to other areas claiming at least four lives and prompting authorities to caution people against nonurgent outings through Friday mountains in Niigata Prefecture are forecast to receive 80 centimeters of snow over 24 hours through 6 a.m and mountains in Toyama and Ishikawa prefectures are set to see 70 cm residents are still recovering from the earthquake a year ago coupled with heavy rain last summer.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The 24-hour snowfall through early Thursday totaled in various regions included 53 cm in the village of Shirakawa Gifu Prefecture; 49 cm in the city of Uonuma in Niigata Prefecture; and 48 cm in the town of Kaneyama in Fukushima Prefecture Japanese version Looking for something quintessentially Japanese for that perfect gift or souvenir we round up some of our favorite artisanal items made by local craftsmen and designers Dedicated to making Uji tea for more than 120 years Matabay brings you this deluxe gift item that combines two types of the high quality tea: Uji gyokuro which boasts a fresh scent and delicious taste which has an elegant taste with less bitterness ¥3,000, matabay.com Neagari (exposed-root) bonsai is an ancient way of contemplating plants in Japan which considers the root as part of the view Roots [Ne] reinterprets this concept and adds a modern touch Perfect for desk plants or can even be used as a mini aquarium ¥11,340-¥16,980, surue.net This naturally carbonated water is sourced from a mountain village located in the outback of Oku-Aizu in Fukushima Prefecture one of the few locations where sparkling soft water occurs in nature ¥139-¥741, harves.co.jp and using the same traditional techniques employed to make samurai armor in Koshigaya this samurai bottle cap brings a decorative twist to sake and wine bottle stoppers ¥30,000, tadayasu.co.jp its high quality chicken is often overlooked The Yamandori Gift Set introduces you to Saga’s superb brand-name chicken produced without any additives and flavored only with salt and a light seasoning ¥2,600, i-hyakusyouya.jimdo.com  Enjoy the soft texture of mafugu pufferfish combined with the sweet taste of sake This unique combo is prepared in Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture by pickling the fish in Gokyo daiginjo sake lees and additive-free rice-miso sourced from local brewery Akama Jozo ¥4,000, hujifoods.net tableware is not only used to present food The Pottery Book series was created to inspire new ways of enjoying tableware: inside the book-shaped box is an illustrated plate and a QR code that lets you enjoy music that brings it all together ¥4,500, sione.jp Inspired by childhood memories of receiving a warrior doll dressed in samurai armor the founders of this company decided to create an authentic miniature version of traditional Japanese armor but combined it with a sake bottle rather than a doll A beautifully crafted conversation starter for dinner parties ¥70,000-¥150,000, zpg.jp Enjoy one of Japan’s traditional fermented foods but with flavors and presentation that suit more modern tastes Choose from a variety of pickles such as Sakurajima daikon pickled in sake lees and domestic burdock root pickled in soy sauce ¥900, tuke-mono.com All featured products are part of Omotenashi Selection a project that brings together fine handcrafted items from around Japan and shares them with international audiences For more info, go to omotenashinippon.jp/selection/en Frozen urine samples of residents are sent to Nippon Medical School where the dogs examine them Dogs have around 300 million sensors in their nose dogs have a second smelling device at the back of their nose Using both dogs are able to sniff out cancerous tumors which are thought to give out a specific smell dermatologist Armand Cognetta was able to train a dog to find melanoma samples hidden around her room a critical component to beating the disease All in all this technique serves as a great hope for diagnosing cancer Dogs can help in a very unique and important way Let's hope this continues to grow in the future as our best friends work to save our lives