Shizuoka City Research Articles

Giant fibrolipoma of the spermatic cord

Fibrolipoma of the spermatic cord is extremely rare. A case of giant fibrolipoma of the right spermatic cord is reported here. A 68-year-old man noticed a mass in the right inguinal region, and was admitted to Shizuoka City Shimizu Hospital. Tumorectomy and right orchiectomy were performed. Grossly, the tumor was a well-defined, yellowish white, solid, firm tumor measuring 13 x 10 x 9 cm. The tumor had a thin capsule. The tumor was attached to the right spermatic cord, and was remote from the right testis and epididymis. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of mature adipose tissue (40% in area) and collagenous fibrous tissue (60% in area). No lipoblasts were recognized, and on immunohistochemistry the tumor was negative for MDM2 and CDK4. Neither smooth muscle nor vascular proliferation was recognized. The tumor was diagnosed as giant fibrolipoma of the right spermatic cord. To the best of the author's knowledge, only two cases of fibrolipoma in the spermatic cord, scrotum, and testis have been reported in the English-language literature.

Sarcomatoid squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix

Sarcomatoid squamous cell carcinoma (SSCC) is composed of squamous cell carcinoma element and spindle cell sarcoma element derived from squamous cell carcinoma element. SSCC is very rare and can occur in any organ, but is relatively common in the lung, esophagus, and skin. Most of the carcinoma of uterine cervix is squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), though adenocarcinoma is also common. However, SSCC in uterine cervix is very rare. The author reports here a case of SSCC of the uterine cervix. A 68-year-old Japanese woman was admitted to our hospital because of uterine bleeding. A colposcopic examination revealed an exophytic polypoid tumor (approximately 7 £ 7 £ 7 mm) in the cervix, and an incisional biopsy was performed. Histologically, it was composed of moderately diVerentiated SCC and spindle or round cell sarcomatous elements (Fig. 1a, b). Both elements had signiWcant nuclear atypia regarded as malignant (Fig. 1a–c). Gradual merges between the both elements were recognized in many areas (Fig. 1c). The histological diagnosis was SSCC. Immunohistochemically, the sarcomatous element was positive for pancytokeratin (AE1/3, WSS, KLM), cytokeratin (CK) 5/6, CK 34BE12, CK14, vimentin, p53, p63, and Ki67 (labeling = 36%), but negative for CK CAM5.2, CK 7, CK 18, CK 19, CK 20, CD34, S100 protein, CA125, epithelial membrane antigen, -smooth muscle antigen, neuron speciWc enolase, desmin, synaptophysin, and CD56. The SCC element was positive for pancytokeratin (AE1/3, WSS, KLM), CK 5/6, CK 34BE12, CK14, p53, p63, and Ki67 (labeling = 49%) but negative for vimentin, CK CAM5.2, CK 7, CK 18, CK 19, CK 20, epithelial membrane antigen, CA125, CD34, S100 protein, smooth muscle antigen, neuron-speciWc enolase, desmin, synaptophysin, and CD56. Thus, the immunohistochemical Wndings were similar between the SCC and sarcomatoid elements, except for vimentin. The histological and immunohistochemical diagnosis was SSCC. No metastasis was found by various imaging modalities. The clinical study revealed that the patient was FIGO stage IB1, and hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and lymph nodes dissection are now planed. The SCC and sarcomatous elements in the present case are histologically malignant. In addition, positive expression of p53 and high Ki67 labeling indicate the malignant nature of the both elements. Both elements were histologically merged, and gradual transitions were present between the both elements, suggesting that the sarcomatous element was derived from the SCC element. In addition, both the elements were positive for p63 and CK5/6, markers of squamous cells. The sarcomatous element expressed CK in addition to vimentin. The immunophenotype of both elements were similar except for vimentin. These observations suggest that the sarcomatous element was derived from the SCC element. The present case is not carcinosarcoma (malignant mixed Mullerian tumor, homologous), because the sarcomatous element showed epithelioid phenotypes and appears to be derived from the SCC element. Moreover, the carcinomatous component of malignant mixed Mullerian tumor is usually of the adenocarcinomatous or undiVerentiated type. The SSCC of the uterine cervix is very rare [1–7]. Actually, Li et al. [6] aYrmed in 2006 that less than 20 cases T. Terada (&) Department of Pathology, Shizuoka City Shimizu Hospital, Miyakami 1231, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka 424-8636, Japan e-mail: piyo0111jp@yahoo.co.jp

Autopsy case of primary small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder: KIT and PDGFRA expression and mutations

The author reports a rare autopsy case of primary small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder with an emphasis on KIT and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha (PDGFRA) genes. An 81-year-old man was admitted to Shizuoka City Shimizu Hospital because of dysuria. Cytology of the urine showed small carcinoma cells. Transurethral bladder tumorectomy indicated small cell carcinoma, and the patient was treated by radiation and chemotherapy. The patient died, however, of systemic metastasis 2 months after the first presentation. An autopsy showed a bladder small cell carcinoma and it systemic metastasis. Immunohistochemistry of the tumorectomy and autopsy specimens was positive for cytokeratins, neuron-specific enolase, synaptophysin, CD56, KIT and PDGFRA, and negative for chromogranin and thyroid transcriptional factor-1. Polymerase chain reaction-direct sequencing showed no mutations of KIT (exons 9, 11, 13 and 17) or PDGFRA (exons 12 and 18) genes in the tumorectomy specimens and was non-contributory due to DNA damage in autopsy specimens. The present case is the first case of primary small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder involving examination of KIT and PDGFRA expression and KIT and PDGFRA gene mutations.

A STUDY ON INHABITANTS' INTENTION FOR RESIDENTIAL EARTHQUAKE SAFETY MEASURES

In order to examine closely inhabitants' intention for residential earthquake safety measures, we conducted a questionnaire survey targeting the citizens of Shizuoka city, Chiba city and Mito city. Based on the obtained data, we grasped the respondents' seismic risk perception and behavior for earthquake safety of their houses. We also examined the effect of informing some knowledge related to residential earthquake safety on their intention to retrofit their house. Some important findings are as follows:- The strength of inhabitants' intention to take earthquake safety measures is not necessarily depended on their expectation as to when a big earthquake will occur or how serious damage they will suffer because of it.- In order to promote residential safety, it is more important to inform the inhabitants the cost and effectiveness of the measures than to emphasize seismic hazard in their region or fragility of their houses.

Development of Simulation Model for Wide Area Disaster to Evaluate Disaster Medical Conveyance System

In this Paper, a simulation model to evaluate disaster medical conveyance system for wide area disaster was developed and simulated on Shizuoka City using data of estimation of Tokai Earthquake. This simulation model using spatial data of spatial, fire station, roads and so on is able to evaluate the efficiency of medical conveyance system. The effectiveness of information sharing between ambulance and hospitals, and triage on the site to shorten conveyance time and treatment time was analyzed. As a result, the importance of information sharing combining with the usage of triage was found to improve the efficiency of disaster medical conveyance system.

Effectiveness of Bus Priority Lane as Countermeasure for Congestion

The main objective of this research is to identify the effectiveness of the bus priority lane in Shizuoka City, Japan, as a countermeasure for traffic congestion. Shizuoka City, the capital of Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan, suffers from frequent traffic congestion. To tackle this problem, authorities of Shizuoka City tested a pilot project that implemented bus rapid transit (BRT) strategies. This project included a bus priority lane along a 3-km segment and a bus priority signal system. The project data were obtained mainly through traffic surveys, bus surveys, and questionnaire surveys, which were conducted by the authors and by Shizuoka City authorities. All these surveys were carried out twice, before and after the implementation of BRT strategies. After priority treatments were introduced, the number of vehicles using the main road was reduced. Also, queue-length and jam-length measurements showed signs of easing of traffic congestion, and travel times of general vehicles were improved. Although the change associated with total travel time of buses was not statistically significant, it still showed a reducing trend. However, travel times of buses, excluding dwelling times, showed a significant reduction. The difference of significance associated with the above travel parameters was mainly caused by the increase incurred in dwelling times of buses. It was evident that the smoothness of traffic flow along the bus lane as well as along the general traffic lane was improved by the BRT project.

Genetic combinations of symbionts in a vegetatively reproducing lichen,Parmotrema tinctorum, based on ITS rDNA sequences

The genetic combinations between mycobionts and photobionts in Parmotrema tinctorum collected from ca. 60 km2 of the Shimizu district, of Shizuoka City in Japan was investigated based on ITS rDNA sequences. This lichen produces apothecia quite rarely, and in principle propagates vegetatively by isidia. The genetic diversity of the mycobiont comprised four types, while that of the photobiont comprised 21 types. There were 28 different combinations between mycobiont and photobiont. All the photobionts were identified as Trebouxia corticola (s. lat.), based on both molecular phylogenetic results and morphological observation of culture strains obtained in this study. Therefore, P. tinctorum is considered to be highly selective toward the photobiont. The 28 combinations from the small area represent an unexpectedly high diversity, because P. tinctorum is thought to propagate vegetatively. Four possible mechanisms to account the high genetic combinations are suggested: i.e., photobiont exchange, fusion of thalli, and long-distance dispersal of isidia or ascospores. The genetic diversity of photobionts was poor in the urban area, but rich in suburbs and mountainsides. This might be caused by a bottleneck or founder effect in the population recovering from former damage by heavy air pollution, or variable selectivity of P. tinctorum depending on the environments.

Visualizing vowel‐production mechanism using simple educational tools

To develop intuitive and effective methods for educating Acoustics to students of different ages and from varied backgrounds, Arai [J. Phonetic Soc. Jpn. 5, 31–38, (2001)] replicated Chiba and Kajiyama’s physical models of the human vocal tract as educational tools and verified that the physical models and sound sources, such as an artificial larynx, yield a simple but powerful demonstration of vowel production in the classroom. We have also started exhibiting our models at the Science Museum ‘‘Ru‐Ku‐Ru’’ in Shizuoka City, Japan. We further extended our model to a lung model as well as several head‐shaped models with visible vocal tract to demonstrate the total vowel‐production mechanism from phonation to articulation. The lung model imitates the human respiratory system with a diaphragm. In the head‐shaped model, the midsaggital cross section is visible from the outside. To adjust the degree of nasopharyngeal coupling, the velum may be rotated. Another head‐shaped model with the manipulable tongue position was also developed. Two test results were compared before and after using these physical models, and the educational effectiveness of the models was confirmed. The homepage of the vocal‐tract models is available at http://www.splab.ee.sophia.ac.jp/Vocal—Tract—Model/index‐e.htm. [Work supported by KAKENHI (17500603).]

A record of non-tailed form of Papilio protenor demetrius (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae) from Shizuoka City, Central Japan

A record of non-tailed form of Papilio protenor demetrius (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae) from Shizuoka City, Central Japan

Evaluation of Traffic Simulation and Social Experiment for TDM

The propose of this paper is to consider effectiveness of new transportation process such as traffic simulation analysis and social experiment for TDM (transportation Demand Management). In 2002 the “Park & Bus Ride” and “Bus-Lane” transportation demo-project was conducted by Shizuoka City and authors conducted the panel questionnaire survey at citizen. The results of the panel survey were that making idea for efficient operation of social experiment, increasing citizen understands of TDM plan, and making change of citizen's sense and transportation behavior.

静岡市北番町の開発と開発者

Kitaban-cho in Shizuoka city, Shizuoka prefecture is a town that prospered as a result of the tea industry. No historic buildings survive in Kitaban-cho today, but before World War n there were many Western-style offices and large warehouses in the area. This paper sheds light on the developers of Kitaban-cho in the early 20^<th> century. To judge from old maps and registers of landowners, it would seem that the development and extension of roads in Kitaban-cho was intended to facilitate the transportation of merchandise by the tea trading companies. This suggests that this development was undertaken not by national or local government but the private sector. Many foreign trading companies opened shops in Kitaban-cho. It is clear from their relationship with the main foreign trading companies, that the two tea merchants, Ozaki Ihei and Kawamura Katsujiro played a role in this development. Ozaki acquired much property in the Kitaban-cho area, and the scope of his activities indicates that he was one of the principal developers. Through his involvement in the development of Kitaban-cho, he transformed himself from a tea trader to a modern-style business executive. Kitaban-cho is thus noteworthy as an example of a regional town in early 20^<th> century Japan where urban development was undertaken by private developers.

茶産業の発展と静岡市北番町の町並み

In Shizuoka prefecture, the tea industry prospered particularly in Kitaban-cho, Shizuoka city, and a distinctive townscape where tea merchants gathered was created. No historic building survive in Kitaban-cho today, but before World Warn There were many Westernstyle offices and large warehouses in that area. The distinctive feature of this townscape was that it differed from the traditional Japanese arrangement characterized by machiya-style houses. Our investigation has revealed that the townscape of Kitaban-cho was created in the late Meiji era and that most of the buildings were offices used by foreign trading companies. Factors behind the formation of this townscape included the development of new machinery, increases in the volume of exports and industrial modernization.

Surgical treatment for cardiovascular lesions of patients with Marfan syndrome.

Without treatment, the life expectancy of patients with Marfan syndrome is reduced by the associated cardiovascular abnormalities. In this study, we reviewed our experience of the surgical treatment of this condition to identify the primary indication for surgical repair and the optimal surgical management. Between January 1986 and December 2000, 44 patients underwent surgery for Marfan syndrome at Shizuoka City Hospital. There were 28 male and 16 female patients, with a mean age of 40.9 +/- 15.0 years. Nineteen of the patients had developed type A dissection of the aortic arch. Three patients underwent remodelling of the aortic root. Ten patients required multiple repeat surgical interventions. There were four early and five late deaths. The survival rate at 1, 5, and at 10 years was 90.9%, 80.5%, and 74.3%, respectively. Freedom from postoperative events, which included cardiac death, additional surgery, and new or repeat aortic dissection at 1, 5, and at 10 years was 93.0%, 69.1%, and 53.2%, respectively. Among patients having type A dissection, the mean annual enlargement in the diameter at the level of the proximal descending aorta was 4.0 +/- 4.0 mm. Postoperative echocardiography with Doppler studies was performed in series on patients who had received remodelling of the aortic root, with subsequent mild aortic regurgitation in 2 patients and moderate regurgitation in 1 patient. Repeated postoperative studies with CT scans and earlier surgical intervention before the onset of aortic dissection are mandatory for improvement in the long-term survival rate of patients with Marfan syndrome. A valve-sparing procedure for a deformed aortic valve is promising, although the long-term results are not yet clear.

ペア住宅における親子二世帯の住まい方に関する研究 : 静岡市営ペア住宅を調査対象として

This survey addresses a yearly change in the Pair-House, public-operating residence for parents and their grow-up children, which is based upon observations on the people who has lived over twenty years in Shizuoka City. The people, living in the Pair-House think that separation of entrances and connected space of balcony is very good. The separate kitchen is used frequency as the essence of their self-supporting life. Parents and their row-up children keep communication each other through a bathroom. And it is certainly that the Pair-House is obtained good results, because parents have lived in their own room for long time. In addition, the current spaces and old style involves a badly planned problem, which must be reformed, if so, it can be one of choice in various houses for the old people.

CO2 transfer conductance, leaf structure and carbon isotope composition of Polygonum cuspidatum leaves from low and high altitudes

ABSTRACTAnatomy and some physiological characteristics of the leaves in Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc., a dioecious clonal herb, were compared between two populations, one from a lowland in Shizuoka City (10 m above sea level), and another from a highland on Mt. Fuji (2500 m above sea level). Leaf mass per area (LMA) of the highland plants was about twice that of the lowland plants. The greater leaf thickness, thicker mesophyll cell walls and higher mesophyll cell density in the highland leaves contributed to the larger LMA. Although mesophyll area exposed to intercellular airspaces was greater in the highland leaves than in the lowland leaves by 30%, the surface area of chloroplasts facing intercellular airspaces was similar between these leaves. CO2 transfer conductance inside the leaf (gi) of the highland leaves (0·75 μmol m−2 s−1 Pa−1) is the lowest recorded for herbaceous plants and was only 40% of that in the lowland leaves. On the other hand, the difference in stomatal conductance was small. δ13C values in the leaf dry matter were greater in the highland leaves by 4‰. These data and the estimation of CO2 partial pressures in the intercellular air spaces and in the chloroplast suggested that the greater dry matter δ13C in the highland leaves, indicative of lower long‐term ratio of the chloroplast stroma to the ambient CO2 partial pressures, would be mainly attributed to their lower gi.

静岡地方気象台の地震観測記録から推定される静岡市周辺域での長期的な地震活動の変化

静岡地方気象台の地震観測記録から推定される静岡市周辺域での長期的な地震活動の変化

両側突発難聴で判明した白血病例

A 30-year old man was admitted to Shizuoka City Hospital because of bilateral sudden hearing impairment. He was pale and manifested hepato-splenomegaly. A blood examination revealed chronic myelocytic leukemia in blastic crisis with DIC. He died of multiple cerebral hemorrhages 4 days after his initial visit.

The role of volume-weighted mean nuclear volume in predicting disease outcome in patients with stage M1 prostate cancer.

Various factors have been reported to be of value in predicting the prognosis of prostate cancer. Gleason score (GS) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) are the two most powerful prognosticators among them. We previously reported that estimation of volume-weighted mean nuclear volume (MNV) was a more useful prognosticator for prostate cancer than subjective histologic grading. In this study, we compared estimates of MNV with PSA and GS for predicting the prognosis of stage M1 prostate cancer. A retrospective prognostic study of 66 patients with stage M1 prostate cancer diagnosed between January 1989 and December 1996 at Shizuoka City Hospital and Shizuoka Prefectural Hospital was performed. The prognostic value of unbiased estimates of MNV were compared with PSA and histologic grading according to GS. Univariate analysis revealed that estimates of MNV (p=0.0136) and post-treatment nadir PSA level (p<0.0001) correlated significantly with the prognosis of stage M1 prostate cancer, whilst GS (p=0.9377), pre-treatment PSA level (p=0.7377) and rate of decrease in PSA level within 1 month after the beginning of therapy (p=0.8999) had no prognostic value. Multivariate analysis revealed that post-treatment PSA level and estimates of MNV were the two most powerful prognosticators. This study indicates that estimation of MNV is an important prognosticator, in conjunction with post-treatment nadir PSA level, in stage M1 prostate cancer.

The role of volume-weighted mean nuclear volume in predicting disease outcome in patients with prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy.

Estimates of volume-weighted mean nuclear volume (MNV) are the only means by which unbiased estimates of three-dimensional parameters can be obtained from single two-dimensional sections without any assumptions. We have reported that for prostate cancer estimates of MNV are prognostically equal or superior to morphological grading of malignancy, such as Gleason score (GS), and in particular, that MNV proved to be a meaningful predictor of prognosis for patients with clinically localized tumors. However, all previous studies were conducted on patients treated conservatively, and no authors have tested whether estimates of MNV can predict the prognosis of patients treated with radical prostatectomy. A retrospective prognostic study of 52 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer diagnosed at three Hospitals in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (Shizuoka City Hospital, Shizuoka Prefectural Hospital and Shimada Municipal Hospital) and treated by radical prostatectomy was performed. Twenty of these patients were treated with hormone therapy before radical prostatectomy. Unbiased estimates of MNV were compared with clinical stage, histological grading according to GS and neo-adjuvant hormone therapy with regard to the prognostic value. MNV was significantly correlated with pathological T stage, but was not significantly correlated with the presence or absence of lymph node metastasis. Univariate analysis revealed that MNV correlated significantly with progression-free survival (p = 0.0116). Multivariate analysis revealed that MNV (p = 0.0115) and GS (p = 0.0275) were two significant independent predictors of progression-free survival. The results of the present study suggest that MNV and GS are powerful independent predictors of prognosis for prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy. We recommend estimates of MNV as a supportive method to the histological grading for patients with prostate cancer.

A Study on Fatigue of Caregivers of the Frail Elderly Living at Home, Using Cumulative Fatigue Symptoms Index(CFSI).

This study aimed to assess the degree of mental and physical fatigue and the related factors in 70 caregivers of the frail elderly who received home care services in Shizuoka City, Japan, using a Cumulative Fatigue Symptoms Index (CFSI) and compared them with age-adjusted con trol group of 126 women living with healthy elderly relatives aged 65 and older. The subjects were subdivided into two groups (less than 60 years of age, and older). The following results were obtained: 1) The CFSIs for chronic tiredness, general fatigue, physical disorders, anxiety, depressive feeling, irritability, and decreased vitality were higher in the caregivers than in the control subjects of both age groups. 2) Fatigue of the caregivers, particularly those aged 60 or over, was chiefly due to chronic tiredness and mental fatigue. 3) According to multiple regression analysis, factors related to the CFSIs of the caregivers were closely associated with inadequate sleep duration and poor health. It has been suggested that use of visiting nurse service and home-help service for 24 hours are necessary to relieve the caregivers from fatigue and to enable them to take enough sleep, and that day services are effective to guarantee caregivers' personal health and well-being.