Effects of Import and Inventory Amounts on Changes in Wholesale Prices of Salmon in Japan

Japanese salmon fishery is facing a juncture of existence and pressed for the improvement of constitution. The decline of high-seas salmon fisheries was taken and the import amount increased rapidly. In addition, domestic production by coastal set net fisheries has increased with a success of salmon enhancement in Japan. Salmon market has internationalized consequently, decreasing wholesale prices of domestic salmon in Japan. Factors on short-term and long-term changes in the wholesale prices of salmon at the main landing port in Hokkaido were examined. The wholesale price increased in the year when the landing amount of salmon decreased from the previous year. A negative correlation between the landing amount and prices of salmon at the landing port indicated that the prices of salmon were influenced by the landing amount. It was also that clarified that the import amount of salmon influenced the wholesale price of salmon. The wholesale price of salmon in the entire Hokkaido showed the long-term variability depending on the amount of imported salmon, and the wholesale price of salmon in the regions showed the short-term variability depending on the amount of landing salmon. Factors on wholesale price function of salmon in Japan were analyzed by econometric method. It was clarified that wholesale price of fresh salmon decreased when inventory amount of fresh salmon or import amount of fresh salmon increased and wholesale price of fresh salmon decreased when inventory amount of salted salmon roe and fishery production of fresh salmon increased. Increase in the inventory amount of fresh salmon in recent years was caused because of increase in the import amount of fresh salmon produced by aquaculture in winter.Keywords: Inventory amount, Wholesale price, Salmon, Landing amount, Fisheries Economics, Import amount, Demand and Suppl

Efficacy and safety of novel anticoagulant dabigatran in clinical practice for Japanese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation

Background: There is little evidence of the efficacy and safety of dabigatran in Japanese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Methods and Results: We evaluated 300 consecutive patients with NVAF (68±11 years old, 209 men, 180 paroxysmal) who received 220 mg/day (203 patients) or 300 mg/day dabigatran (97 patients) at our hospital. Most patients (84%) had lower CHADS2 (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age>75 years, diabetes, stroke/transient ischemic attack) scores of 0 (n=60), 1 (n=114), or 2 (n=78) and lower HAS-BLED (hypertension, abnormal renal/liver function, stroke, bleeding history or predisposition) scores of 0 (n=39), 1 (n=114), or 2 (n=103). The estimated creatinine clearance was 77±24 mL/min, which was inversely correlated to age (r2=0.48, p<0.0001). Activated partial thromboplastin time was 42±9 s but was not dependent on sampling time. During follow-up of 263±160 days, an ischemic stroke occurred in 1 patient (0.3%), but no systemic embolism was observed. Some adverse events were reported for 70 (23%) patients, such as dyspepsia (n=42, 14%) or minor bleeding complications (n=11, 4%) resulting in discontinuation of dabigatran for 39 patients. However, no major complications were observed, and no patient died from adverse events or because of cardiovascular or stroke events. Conclusions: Dabigatran is safe and useful for the prevention of ischemic strokes in Japanese NVAF patients, but additional care should be taken for elderly patients

Imaging the Evolution of <i>d</i> States at a Strontium Titanate Surface

Oxide electronics is a promising alternative to the conventional silicon-based semiconductor technology, owing to the rich functionalities of oxide thin films and heterostructures. In contrast to the silicon surface, however, the electronic structure of the SrTiO₃ surface, the most important substrate for oxide thin films growth, is not yet completely understood. Here we report on the electronic states of a reconstructed (001) surface of SrTiO₃ determined in real space, with scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. We found a remarkable energy dependence of the spectroscopic image: Theoretical analysis reveals that symmetry breaking at the surface lifts the degeneracy in the <i>t</i>_2<i>g</i> state (<i>d</i>_<i>xy</i>, <i>d</i>_<i>yz</i>, and <i>d</i>_<i>zx</i>) of Ti 3<i>d</i> orbitals, whose anisotropic spatial distribution leads to a sharp transition in the spectroscopic image as a function of energy. The knowledge obtained here could be used to gain further insights into emergent phenomena at the surfaces and interfaces with SrTiO₃

A Single-Atom-Thick TiO₂ Nanomesh on an Insulating Oxide

The electronic structures and macroscopic functionalities of two-dimensional (2D) materials are often controlled according to their size, atomic structures, and associated defects. This controllability is particularly important in ultrathin 2D nanosheets of transition-metal oxides because these materials exhibit extraordinary multifunctionalities that cannot be realized in their bulk constituents. To expand the variety of materials with exotic properties that can be used in 2D transition-metal-oxide nanosheets, it is essential to investigate fabrication processes for 2D materials. However, it remains challenging to fabricate such 2D nanosheets, as they are often forbidden because of the crystal structure and nature of their host oxides. In this study, we demonstrate the synthesis of a single-atom-thick TiO₂ 2D nanosheet with a periodic array of holes, that is, a TiO₂ nanomesh, by depositing a LaAlO₃ thin film on a SrTiO₃(001)-(√13×√13)-<i>R</i>33.7° reconstructed substrate. In-depth investigations of the detailed structures, local density of states, and Ti valency of the TiO₂ nanomesh using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and density functional theory calculations reveal an unexpected upward migration of the Ti atoms of the substrate surface onto the LaAlO₃ surface. These results indicate that the truncated TiO₅ octahedra on the surface of perovskite oxides are very stable, leading to semiconducting TiO₂ nanomesh formation. This nanomesh material can be potentially used to control the physical and chemical properties of the surfaces of perovskite oxides. Furthermore, this study provides an avenue for building functional atomic-scale oxide 2D structures and reveals the thin-film growth processes of complex oxides

A Single-Atom-Thick TiO₂ Nanomesh on an Insulating Oxide

The electronic structures and macroscopic functionalities of two-dimensional (2D) materials are often controlled according to their size, atomic structures, and associated defects. This controllability is particularly important in ultrathin 2D nanosheets of transition-metal oxides because these materials exhibit extraordinary multifunctionalities that cannot be realized in their bulk constituents. To expand the variety of materials with exotic properties that can be used in 2D transition-metal-oxide nanosheets, it is essential to investigate fabrication processes for 2D materials. However, it remains challenging to fabricate such 2D nanosheets, as they are often forbidden because of the crystal structure and nature of their host oxides. In this study, we demonstrate the synthesis of a single-atom-thick TiO₂ 2D nanosheet with a periodic array of holes, that is, a TiO₂ nanomesh, by depositing a LaAlO₃ thin film on a SrTiO₃(001)-(√13×√13)-<i>R</i>33.7° reconstructed substrate. In-depth investigations of the detailed structures, local density of states, and Ti valency of the TiO₂ nanomesh using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and density functional theory calculations reveal an unexpected upward migration of the Ti atoms of the substrate surface onto the LaAlO₃ surface. These results indicate that the truncated TiO₅ octahedra on the surface of perovskite oxides are very stable, leading to semiconducting TiO₂ nanomesh formation. This nanomesh material can be potentially used to control the physical and chemical properties of the surfaces of perovskite oxides. Furthermore, this study provides an avenue for building functional atomic-scale oxide 2D structures and reveals the thin-film growth processes of complex oxides