How to Avoid Severe Incidents at Hydropower Plants

Masashi Yasuda,Satoshi Watanabe 한국유체기계학회 2017 International journal of fluid machinery and syste Vol.10 No.3

Hydropower is now changing its role from the energy generator into the most powerful and reliable tool for stabilizing the electrical network, especially under the increase of intermittent power sources like wind-power and solar-power. Although the hydropower plants are the most robust generating facilities, they are not immune from unexpected severe incidents having long downtime, considerable restoration cost and sometimes fatalities. The present paper provides some study results about severe incidents in the conventional hydropower plants, mainly about the flood, fire and electromechanical troubles, except for the incidents of civil facilities. It also provides some possible scenarios which may lead some measures how to avoid such incidents. Finally, it provides some comprehensible recommendations to avoid severe incidents based on experiences.

Preoperative predictive factors of pancreatic fistula after pancreaticoduodenectomy: usefulness of the CONUT score

Masashi Utsumi,Hideki Aoki,Seiichi Nagahisa,Seitaro Nishimura,Yuta Une,Yuji Kimura,Megumi Watanabe,Fumitaka Taniguchi,Takashi Arata,Koh Katsuda,Kohji Tanakaya 대한외과학회 2020 Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research(ASRT) Vol.99 No.1

Purpose: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is the most important factor affecting morbidity and mortality after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Patients with a high controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score, which is used to assess nutritional status, are expected to have high morbidity rates. This study aimed to determine the usefulness of the CONUT score. Methods: Data from 97 consecutive cases of PD performed in the Department of Surgery of Iwakuni Clinical Center, from April 2008 to May 2018, were included. Preoperative patient data, including sex, age, and hypertension, and postoperative complication data were collected to analyze pancreatic fistula occurrence. Results: Of the 97 patients, 2 9 patients (29.8%) were diagnosed with POPF ≥ B, with 26 cases (26.8%) classified as grade B and 3 (3.1%) as grade C. The mortality rate was 2.1% (2 of 97). In the univariate analysis, a significant association was observed between POPF and the following factors: body mass index (BMI) ≥ 22 kg/m2, high CONUT score, nonpancreatic carcinoma, and CT attenuation values. In multivariate analysis, BMI ≥ 22 kg/m2 (odds ratio [OR], 6.16; P < 0.001), high CONUT score (OR, 3.77; P = 0.009), nonpancreatic carcinoma (OR, 5.72; P = 0.009), and CT attenuation values (late/early ratio) in the pancreas (OR, 9.07; P = 0.006) were independent risk factors for POPF. Conclusion: Patients with a high CONUT score are at high risk of POPF. Further study correlating preoperative nutritional intervention with risk of POPF is necessary

How to Avoid Severe Incidents at Hydropower Plants

Yasuda, Masashi,Watanabe, Satoshi Korean Society for Fluid machinery 2017 International journal of fluid machinery and syste Vol.10 No.3

Hydropower is now changing its role from the energy generator into the most powerful and reliable tool for stabilizing the electrical network, especially under the increase of intermittent power sources like wind-power and solar-power. Although the hydropower plants are the most robust generating facilities, they are not immune from unexpected severe incidents having long downtime, considerable restoration cost and sometimes fatalities. The present paper provides some study results about severe incidents in the conventional hydropower plants, mainly about the flood, fire and electro-mechanical troubles, except for the incidents of civil facilities. It also provides some possible scenarios which may lead some measures how to avoid such incidents. Finally, it provides some comprehensible recommendations to avoid severe incidents based on experiences.

Prognostic factors for maxillary sinus mucosal thickening following Le Fort I osteotomy: a retrospective analysis

Iwamoto, Masashi,Watanabe, Miki,Yamamoto, Masae,Narita, Masato,Kamio, Takashi,Takaki, Takashi,Shibahara, Takahiko,Katakura, Akira Korean Association of Maxillofacial Plastic and Re 2019 Maxillofacial Plastic Reconstructive Surgery Vol.41 No.-

Background: Le Fort I osteotomy is one of the surgical procedures now routinely and safely performed. It is possible to move the maxilla in three dimensions, but it is necessary to separate the bones around the maxillary sinus. Therefore, with surgery, maxillary sinus mucosal thickening occurs. By knowing the changes in the sinus mucosa after surgery and the factors affecting it, it is possible to better predict the outcomes of surgery and contribute to safer surgery. In this study, thickening of maxillary sinus mucosa before and after surgery in Le Fort I osteotomy was evaluated using multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) images, and the changes in mucosal thickening and the related factors were examined. Methods: Using MDCT images, the maxillary sinus mucosa of 125 patients who had undergone Le Fort I osteotomy was retrospectively evaluated before surgery, 1 month after surgery, and 1 year after surgery. On the MDCT images, the maxillary sinus was judged as mucosal thickening and classified into three grades according to the proportion occupying the maxillary sinus. In the evaluation of factors related to mucosal thickening, the following eight factors were examined: sex, age, diagnosis, operating time, amount of postoperative bleeding, with/without bone graft, with/without multisegmental osteotomy, and with/without macrolide therapy after surgery. Results: The mean age at the time of surgery was 25.6 ± 8 years. Of all 125 patients, 66 had bilateral thickening, 19 had unilateral thickening, and 40 had no thickening. Factors that were significantly related to mucosal thickening were the operative time for the maxilla, bone grafts, and macrolide therapy after surgery. Conclusions: Operative time for the maxilla, bone grafts, and macrolide therapy after surgery were found to be related to mucosal thickening. In addition, MDCT scanning 1 month after surgery was considered to be appropriate for evaluation of maxillary sinus mucosal thickening.

Novel Unidirectional Porous Hydroxyapatite used as a Bone Substitute for Tibial Wedge Osteotomy in Canines

Arata Watanabe,Masataka Sakane,Toru Funayama,Masashi Iwasashi,Akihiro Kanamori,Naoyuki Ochiai 한국생체재료학회 2010 생체재료학회지 Vol.14 No.1

A microstructure of unidirectional porous hydroxyapatite (UDPHAp) has a diameter of 100-300 μm, which pene-trates through the material. In addition, it has a porosity of 75% and initial compression strength of approximately 14 MPa. The objective of the present study was to investigate the feasibility of UDPHAp for the tibial wedge osteot-omy in canines. We performed the operation on the right tibia of the dogs, and a wedge-shaped UDPHAp was implanted in the gap after the osteotomy. At 6 and 12 weeks after the operation, the specimens were solid and bony union could be macroscopically observed. Radiological examination revealed that complete consolidation between the osteotomy site and the UDPHAp was established at 12 weeks. Histological evaluation revealed fibrous tissues between the host bone and the UDPHAp at 6 weeks, although new bone formation was observed at the edges of the material. At 12 weeks, direct bonding and bone ingrowth was observed. This study indicates that UDPHAp has great potential for use as a bone substitute for open-wedge high tibail osteotomy in clinical condition.

The Stock Listing and Business Value Estimation of Japan Post Holdings

Hideki, Fujii,Masashi, Watanabe,Natsuko, Yokoyama 한국국제회계학회 2014 국제회계연구 Vol.0 No.57

2012년 4월 27일 우정서비스 민영화와 관련 법의 부분적인 개정에 따라, 일본의 우정 그룹은 주식상장 계획을 발표했다. 이 계획의 주요한 핵심은, 정부가 100% 지배하고 있고 우정 그룹의 홀딩기업인 일본 우정 홀딩스(JPH)가 2015년 봄을 목표로 그 주식의 공매를 시작하는 것이고 주식의 판매대금은 2011년의 동일본 지진의 피해지역의 복구 기금으로 충당하는 것이다. 이 연구는 공시된 재무정보를 이용하여 JPH의 기업가치를 평가할 것이다. 이는 미래의 우정서비스의 개혁의 전제이며 특히 주식상장의 주요 쟁점이기도 하다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 잔여이익모델을 이용하여 민감도분석을 실행하였다. 본 연구의 결과는 PBR>1과 자본코스트가 4% 또는 5% 보다 작은 조건에서 JPH의 기업가치는 5.06조 에서 8.61조 엔(49.2십억에서 83.8십억 미국달러) 또는 5.81조에서 7.59조 엔(56.2십억 73.8십억 미국달러)의 범위에서 평가되었다. Following the enactment of the “Act for Partial Revision of the Postal Service Privatization Act and Others” on April 27, 2012, the Japan Post Group announced a stock listing plan. The main point of this plan is that Japan Post Holdings (JPH), a 100% government-owned holding company of the group, will start selling its shares, with a target period of autumn 2015 and that the proceeds from the sale of shares are supposed to be devoted to funding reconstruction in the area damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake 2011. This paper seeks to estimate, based on published financial information, the business value of JPH, which is an important premise for the debate regarding future postal service reforms, and, the issue of the stock listing in particular. For this purpose, we use what is called the “residual income model,” in which the research takes on the nature of a sensitivity analysis. Our research results reveal that the business value of JPH can be estimated to be in the range of 5.06 to 8.61 trillion yen (49.2 to 83.8 billion US dollar), or 5.81 to 7.59 trillion yen (56.2 to 73.8 billion US dollar), and that to achieve a PBR > 1, capital cost must be less than 5% or 4%.

Optimization-Based Collision Avoidance in Multi-Car Elevator Systems

Shunji Tanaka,Masashi Watanabe 제어로봇시스템학회 2009 제어로봇시스템학회 국제학술대회 논문집 Vol.2009 No.8

An elevator system such that more than one car is installed in each elevator shaft is called a multi-car elevator system. This study proposes a method to avoid collisions between cars in a multi-car elevator system. In this method collision avoidance is treated as a dynamic optimization problem to determine which floor each car should visit next under the constraint that collisions never occur. The effectiveness of the proposed method is examined by computer simulations.

Development of an index that decreases birth weight, promotes postnatal growth and yet minimizes selection intensity in beef cattle

Togashi Kenji,Watanabe Toshio,Ogino Atsushi,Shinomiya Masakazu,Kinukawa Masashi,Kurogi Kazuhito,Toda Shohei 아세아·태평양축산학회 2024 Animal Bioscience Vol.37 No.5

Objective: The main goal of our current study was to improve the growth curve of meat animals by decreasing the birth weight while achieving a finishing weight that is the same as that before selection but at younger age. Methods: Random regression model was developed to derive various selection indices to achieve desired gains in body weight at target time points throughout the fattening process. We considered absolute and proportional gains at specific ages (in weeks) and for various stages (i.e., early, middle, late) during the fattening process. Results: The point gain index was particularly easy to use because breeders can assign a specific age (in weeks) as a time point and model either the actual weight gain desired or a scaled percentage gain in body weight. Conclusion: The point gain index we developed can achieve the desired weight gain at any given postnatal week of the growing process and is an easy-to-use and practical option for improving the growth curve.

A Comparison of English Proficiency of Korean, Japanese and Chinese High School Students

Kwon, Oryang,Yoshida, Kensaku,Watanabe, Yoshinori,Negishi, Masashi,Naganuma, Naoyuki 한국영어교육학회 2004 ENGLISH TEACHING(영어교육) Vol.59 No.4

This paper reports on a comparative study of English proficiency of Korean, Japanese and Chinese high school students, as measured by a standardized test called GTEC for Students. The study involved 4,403 Japanese students, 5,133 Korean students, and 4,236 Chinese students from first and second years, that is, 10th and 11th graders. The results show that Korean students performed better than Japanese and Chinese students in reading and listening. However, the overall mean of the Chinese students was the highest because Koreans scored extremely low on the writing test. The standard deviation of the Korean students was the greatest. When the first- and second-year students were compared in each country, Chinese second-year students scored lower than first-year students. Reversed scores were observed in some sub-skill areas in Korea and Japan as well. Korean and Chinese seem to be more fluent (but not necessarily more accurate) writers than Japanese. Chinese seem to have the largest vocabulary as reflected on the writing test. Implications for education are that comparative studies are beneficial to EFL improvement in East Asia.

Micro-arteriovenous fistula in patients with lower limb lymphedema

Kono, Hikaru,Sakuma, Hisashi,Watanabe, Shiho,Murayama, Takaya,Takemaru, Masashi Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surge 2021 Archives of Plastic Surgery Vol.48 No.2

Background A micro-arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is a minute, short shunt between an artery and a vein that does not pass through a capillary. We investigated the association between micro-AVFs and lymphedema using computed tomography angiography (CTA) and venous blood gas analysis. Methods In 95 patients with lower limb lymphedema, the presence or absence of early venous return (EVR) was compared between patients with primary and secondary lymphedema. Furthermore, we investigated the difference in the timing of edema onset in patients with secondary lymphedema with or without EVR using CTA. In 20 patients with lower limb lymphedema with confirmed early EVR in a unilateral lower limb, the partial pressure of oxygen (PO₂) was compared between the lower limb with EVR and the contralateral lower limb. Results Secondary lymphedema with or without EVR occurred at an average of 36.0±59.3 months and 93.5±136.1 months, respectively; however, no significant difference was noted. PO₂ was 57.6±11.7 mmHg and 44.1±16.4 mmHg in the EVR and non-EVR limbs, respectively, which was a significant difference (P=0.005). Conclusions EVR and venous blood gas analysis suggested the presence of micro-AVFs in patients with lower extremity edema. Further research is warranted to examine the cause of micro-AVFs, to advance technology to facilitate the confirmation of micro-AVFs by angiography, and to improve lymphedema by ligation of micro-AVFs.