Ota City Research Articles

Relationship between eating alone and dietary variety among urban older Japanese adults

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the practice of eating alone, including its frequency, among urban older Japanese adults and to clarify its association with dietary variety.Methods In June 2016, self-reported questionnaires were mailed to 15,500 men and women aged 65 years or older living in Ota City, Tokyo without nursing care certification. Of these, 11,925 questionnaires were returned (a 76.9% response rate), and responses from 8,812 subjects were analyzed (a 56.9% valid response rate). The frequency of eating alone, defined as the number of days per week eating alone for each meal, was reported as zero, one to three, four to six, or seven days. A Dietary Variety Score (DVS) was obtained based upon consumption frequencies per week of 10 food groups. Total points were calculated, and three or fewer points indicated low dietary variety. The association between eating alone and low dietary variety was analyzed by binomial logistic regression, with adjustments for potential confounding variables including age, body mass index (BMI), location, educational history, equivalent income, employment, living alone, medical history, and smoking and drinking habits.Results The results indicated that 47.1% of men and 48.5% of women ate alone at least one day per week, and 14.9% of men and 16.9% of women ate alone every day. For men, after adjusting for potential confounders (ORs=1.51-2.00), the odds ratios (ORs) of low DVSs were significantly higher among those who ate alone one to three days, four to six days, or seven days per week compared to those who ate with others. For women, adjusted ORs were not significant among those who ate alone every day (OR=1.15, 95% CI=0.92-1.43). Men and women who ate alone had significantly lower ORs of eating green or yellow vegetables, fruits, and fats/oils almost every day compared to those who ate with others.Conclusion Among urban Japanese older adults, about 50% of subjects reported eating alone. Eating alone was associated with lower dietary variety scores regardless of age, income, and family status. Therefore, the present findings might be useful for developing strategies for addressing undernutrition among urban older adults eating alone.

Transaction Linkage of the Basic Manufacturing Sector of Machinery Industry in Ota city, Southern Tokyo district:

Transaction Linkage of the Basic Manufacturing Sector of Machinery Industry in Ota city, Southern Tokyo district:

VIBRATIONAL PROPERTIES OF EARLY SHOWA PERIOD BILLBOARD ARCHITECTURE FOR RENOVATING DENSELY BUILT-UP WOODEN HOUSE AREAS

We report the progress of our research on buildings and their surroundings for disaster prevention in Chuo-3, Ota City, which is an area in Tokyo, Japan with densely built-up wooden house areas. In a previous paper, we reported the results of an exhaustive survey of 383 buildings and roads in the northwest area of Chuo-3. As a continuation, in this paper, we present findings from an exhaustive survey of 426 buildings and microtremor measurements on the ground in a more widespread area. As a result, we found evidence of early Showa period billboard architecture. We subsequently measured the dimensions of the billboard architecture and surveyed the materials of the walls, roofs, windows, etc. Furthermore, we constructed a standard billboard architectural model and conducted eigenvalue analysis to evaluate their respective vibrational properties, such as the natural frequency and vibrational mode. Lastly, sensitivity analyses were conducted on the floor rigidity or materials of the walls.

The Peculiarity of Migrant Policies in the Tokyo Metropolis Based on the Cases of Shinjuku and Ota City

The Peculiarity of Migrant Policies in the Tokyo Metropolis Based on the Cases of Shinjuku and Ota City

国家戦略特区制度を活用した大田区の「特区民泊」事業について

国家戦略特区制度を活用した大田区の「特区民泊」事業について

Fish assemblage and diversity in the developed tidal flat and sandy beach at the Furuhama Park, Ota City, Tokyo, central Japan

Fish assemblage and diversity in the developed tidal flat and sandy beach at the Furuhama Park, Ota City, Tokyo, central Japan

AN EXHAUSTIVE SURVEY FOR RENOVATING FACILITIES IN DENSELY BUILT-UP WOODEN HOUSE AREAS

We report the progress of our research on buildings and their surroundings for disaster prevention in Chuo-3, Ota City, one of the areas in Tokyo, Japan that is Densely Built-up Wooden House Areas in Tokyo, Japan. We conducted an exhaustive survey of 383 buildings and roads in the northwest area of Chuo-3. The buildings and their surroundings were considered. Next, we conducted microtremor measurements on the ground in the area. The major findings of the investigation are summarized as follows. (a) Over 80% of the buildings are detached houses, and some have billboard architectures. Slate and pantile are used as the roofing material for all the buildings. (b) The buildings are densely packed. Some adjoin the frontal road with a separation of 2 m or less. (c) According to the mictotremor measurement of the ground, the H/V spectrum changed gradually from the west to the east.

Improvement of existing buildings with PDCA cycle : A case study of Ota City main building

Improvement of existing buildings with PDCA cycle : A case study of Ota City main building

A Wavelet-Based Variability Model (WVM) for Solar PV Power Plants

A wavelet variability model (WVM) for simulating solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant output given a single irradiance point sensor timeseries using spatio-temporal correlations is presented. The variability reduction (VR) that occurs in upscaling from the single point sensor to the entire PV plant at each timescale is simulated, then combined with the wavelet transform of the point sensor timeseries to produce a simulated power plant output. The WVM is validated against measurements at a 2-MW residential rooftop distributed PV power plant in Ota City, Japan and at a 48-MW utility-scale power plant in Copper Mountain, NV. The WVM simulation matches the actual power output well for all variability timescales, and the WVM compares well against other simulation methods.

Retropharyngeal dissection: a case report of cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema and mediastinal emphysema during attempted nasotracheal intubation

To the Editor: Nasotracheal intubation is an established airway management technique in patients undergoing oral and maxillofacial surgery. We encountered a case of retropharyngeal dissection by the tip of the endotracheal tube with severe complications of cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema and mediastinal emphysema. A 58-year-old Japanese woman (height 147.9 cm, body weight 82.5 kg) with mandibular odontogenic cyst was scheduled for a cystectomy. The patient’s past medical history was diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidemia. She had no difficulties in extension and flexion of her neck. The maximum distance between the upper and lower incisors was 35 mm when she opened her mouth. General anesthesia with nasotracheal intubation using a nasotracheal tube was planned. Propofol 80 mg, vecuronium bromide 50 mg and remifentanil 0.3 lg/kg/min were administered intravenously during induction. The right nasal passage was lubricated with the direct application of 3 mL of lidocaine hydrochloride jelly. A 7.0-mm endotracheal tube (Smiths Medical, Lower Pemberton Ashford, UK) for nasotracheal intubation by an experienced anesthetist could not be advanced distally because of resistance. The left nasal passage was lubricated in the same manner. Rigid laryngoscopy then provided a satisfactory view, and orotracheal intubation was performed. Anesthesia was maintained for the 2-h surgical procedure using sevoflurane, remifentanil, and oxygen. After the operation, the tracheal tube was extubated without difficulty. Physical examination revealed crepitations in the buccal, submandibular, and neck region. An urgent computed tomography showed a discontinuity of the retropharyngeal mucosa and the false tract of the retropharyngeal space filled with air (Fig. 1), extending from the infratemporal space to the buccal region, branching into the submandibular, parapharyngeal, retropharyngeal, and mediastinal spaces. Endoscopic examination of the nasal cavity and the nasopharynx showed no active bleeding or hematoma formation. The diagnosis of cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema and mediastinal emphysema due to retropharyngeal dissection by the tip of the nasotracheal tube was made. The patient remained clinically stable and received an intravenous injections of amoxicillin 4 g daily. The retropharyngeal dissection was therefore managed without intubation or surgery. The emphysema had completely resolved by post-operative day 10. Retropharyngeal dissection is a rare complication of nasotracheal intubation and has seldom been reported in the literature [1]. Forceful insertion of the nasotracheal tube is the most commonly mechanism accounting for retropharyngeal dissection [2]. Multiple intubation attempts, overinflation of the cuff, malposition of the tube, use of a stylet, use of a double-lumen tube, or improper tube size can also increase the risk of this complication [3]. The T. Kamatani (&) S. Kondo T. Shirota S. Shintani Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Showa University School of Dentistry, 2-1-1 Kitasenzoku, Ota City, Tokyo 145-8515, Japan e-mail: kamatani@dent.showa-u.ac.jp

An Outbreak of Aseptic Meningitis Due to Echovirus 30 in a High School Baseball Club-Possible Role of Severe Exercise for a High Attack Rate

In September 2008, an outbreak of aseptic meningitis caused by echovirus 30 occurred in Ota City, Gunma. Among the 26 people hospitalized, 17 were members of a high school baseball club. The attack rate within the club was as high as 40%. The other 9 patients were either their families or close relatives of the baseball club members, indicating the outbreak was confined to a limited community. Although numerous outbreaks of echoviral meningitis have been reported worldwide, those with such a high attack rate within a limited community are rare. Severe physical exercise in a hot temperature could be associated with this high attack rate.

A CPAT Simulation Analysis on the Effect of Islanding Protection under Clustered PV Application 500 PV Systems

Since the FY2003, the demonstration site Josai-no-mori including over 500 residences with PV system has been under construction at the Ota City, Gunma prefecture in Japan. It is important to clear the safety of islanding protection. However, it is very difficult to verify the islanding phenomena including many PV systems on the actual utility grid, where the people are leading life actually. Therefore, it becomes important to develop a technique employing simulation analysis for the safety evaluation.Purpose of our study is to clear the details of dangerous islanding phenomena and the effects of various protection methods under clustered installation of over 500 PV systems within a partial area of utility grid. To solve these problems, a new analysis method has been developed, that is based on the CRIEPI's Power system Analysis Tools (CPAT) technology implemented by CRIEPI, so called “Y-method".As a noteworthy result, it has been confirmed that the new simulation method has a capability to expand to the large-scale clustered installation model including 500 PV systems on utility grid. The validity of simulation analysis has been verified by comparing with preliminary indoor tests. In addition, it has been clarified that the combination of passive and active protection methods is very effective to avoid the islanding phenomena.

群馬県太田市金山丘陵の中新統からＭｉｏｇｙｐｓｉｎａの発見とそのフィッショントラック年代

In the Miocene sediments distributed along the Watarase River, in the northern Kanto Plain, Miogypsina gr. kotoi was discovered from the Miocene marine section of the Yabuzuka Formation at Kanayama Hill, Ota City, Gunma Prefecture, central Japan. Fission track age of 14.9 ± 0.5Ma (1 σ error) was determined for pumice tuff bed interbedded in the marine sequence which represents the age of Miogypsina gr. kotoi.

Ethnicity and the Anthropologist: Negotiating Identities in the Field

In this article I address the problematic relationship between the anthropologist's self-identity and the fieldwork process through a self-reflexive discussion of my field experiences in a factory employing both and Japanese-Brazilian migrant workers. I examine how the constant and contested negotiation of identity between fieldworkers and informants influences rapport, acceptance, and differential access to ethnographic information. Because of the multiple social roles that anthropologists assume in the field for research purposes, the social distance between self and other continually shifts in productive ways. The resulting psychic tension and dissonance that they experience between their external role behavior and inner sense of self can contribute to their continued self-development and is linked to the emergence of analytical and theoretical frameworks. [fieldwork methods, identity and self, ethnicity, Japan] Introduction: A Hot Summer Day It was a September day when I stepped off the train into the scorching heat after a three-hour trip from central Tokyo to Ota city in Gunma-prefecture. I had arrived in Japan just four days earlier to start phase two of my fieldwork after close to nine months in Brazil. As I walked out onto the station platform, I looked up at the imposing structure of the shopping center that towered over the station, which brought back fleeting memories of those grand and massive shopping centers in Brazil (os shoppings). However, I had no time to reminisce. I was in Japan - a completely different society, culture, people, and language - and I had changed my mentality accordingly. Unlike Brazil, which had been a completely foreign country for me, Japan was very familiar, and as a descendent from the United States, I always felt I belonged here. Compared to the uncertainty I felt when stepping off the plane in Brazil, I was a partial insider in Japan and knew how to behave, how to adapt and mix in with the Japanese, and what to expect. Usually, I could be ethnically Japanese enough to get by without any problems and avoid some of the difficulties that complete foreigners would conceivably have. Yet, I did not expect the disorienting confusion that would confront me in the coming weeks of fieldwork - a disorientation that would result not because of my status as a foreigner, but precisely because I was not completely foreign in Japan. Ota city, as well as the adjacent Oizumi-town, are industrial towns in the Tokyo countryside which have received considerable media attention because of their high concentration of foreign migrant workers. Most notable and prominent among the numerous groups of foreigners that have flocked to the region in recent years are the JapaneseBrazilian (former emigrants and their descendants born abroad). These workers have return-migrated to Japan in large numbers to work in labor-deficient factories as dekasegi (temporary migrant workers) because of a severe and prolonged Brazilian recession in the late 1980s. Since a vast majority of them are of the second and third generations who were born and raised in Brazil, they are culturally Brazilianized to a considerable degree and have become Japan's newest ethnic minority. Being a nikkeijin myself (second-generation Japanese-American), I had decided to work in a factory with the Brazilian as a dekasegi in order to conduct participant observation in the true anthropological spirit. From what I had heard so far, however, my prospects of getting a factory job as a researcher did not sound very encouraging. After arriving in Japan, I had already come once to Ota city in order to speak with a local government official responsible for foreign workers affairs, Mr. Honkawa. He had kindly agreed to contact employers on my behalf but had not yet succeeded in placing me in a factory. Armed with a bunch of shokaijo (letters of introduction), which are a basic necessity in Japan if one wishes to get anything done, I had returned to Ota city again in order to discuss any possibilities with him. …

Hiroshima: three witnesses

I'll search you out, put my lips to your tender ear, and tell you. . . . I'll tell you the -- I swear I will.--from Little One by Toge Sankichi Three Japanese authors of note--Hara Tamiki, Ota Yoko, and Toge Sankichi--survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima only to shoulder an appalling burden: bearing witness to ultimate horror. Between 1945 and 1952, in prose and in poetry, they published the premier first-person accounts of the atomic holocaust. Forty-five years have passed since August 6, 1945, yet this volume contains the first complete English translation of Hara's Summer Flowers, the first English translation of Ota's City of Corpses, and a new translation of Toge's Poems of the Atomic Bomb. No reader will emerge unchanged from reading these works. Different from each other in their politics, their writing, and their styles of life and death, Hara, Ota, and Toge were alike in feeling compelled to set down in writing what they experienced. Within forty-eight hours of August 6, before fleeing the city for shelter in the hills west of Hiroshima, Hara jotted down this note: Miraculously unhurt; must be Heaven's will that I survive and report what happened. Ota recorded her own remarks to her half- sister as they walked down a street littered with corpses: I'm looking with two sets of eyesthe eyes of a human being and the eyes of a writer. And the memorable words of Toge quoted above come from a poem addressed to a child whose father was killed in the South Pacific and whose mother died on August 6th--who would tell of that day? The works of these three authors convey as much of the real story as can be put into words.

THE RESULTS AND PROBLEMS OF MASS SCREENING FOR BREAST CANCER IN AND AROUND OTA CITY

Mass screening for detecting breast cancer was performed from 1974 to 1989 in and around Ota city. The total number of subjects during these 15 years was 40, 519 at the first screening with physical examination. Breast cancer was detected in 36 cases, a detection rate of 0.089%. The detection rate was higher at the initial screening than at the subsequent one. Thus, the number of initial examinees is expected to be increased. Patients with breast cancer detected by mass screening showed an earlier stage and better prognosis the ordinary outpatients in Gunma Cancer Center. However, interval breast cancer was also found in 5 cases (stage I : 3, stage II : 2). This study indicated that mass screening for breast cancer is a useful means for early discovery and early treatment of breast cancer, and it is also important to educate woman about the practice of breast self-examination. In future, more effective, economical and safer screening instruments are expected to be used at the first examination.

太田市の機械工業 地方核心としての性格

太田市の機械工業 地方核心としての性格