Challenges and Prospects in Planning of Public Cultural Facilities: Faculty Management and Citizen Participatory Planning

Since the 1960s, public cultural facilities have been built all over Japan based on Japanese cultural policies. However, administrations were myopic about cultural activities: i.e., they thought that citizens’ cultural activities in a region would be enriched if they established basic facilities for regional culture. As a result, many of the existing facilities that were built and maintained from the 1960s to the 1990s are criticized. In light of these trends, more facilities have been established recently based on a citizen-participation method, in which the citizens are involved in the facility planning and its management in the early stages of discussing its basic concept, basic design, and cultural programs. This study reveals the challenges and prospects of citizen participation in civil projects and activities, which has entered the mainstream in facility planning and management. The study objects were the Chino Cultural Complex (Nagano Prefecture, 1999–) and Anforet (Aichi Prefecture, 2015–) where facilities have been established based on the citizen-participation method. The citizens involved in the facility planning and management were surveyed based on literature and information materials about these facilities. In these two cases, this study identified a need for positive citizen participation in the areas of “regionality,” “civil wishes,” and “moderate regulation,” in the planning of facilities and management.三村真弓教授退職記念号 Special Number Commemorating the Retirement of Professor Mayumi Mimur

Electrochemical Na-insertion/extraction properties of Sn-P anodes

Thick-film electrodes of tin phosphides, Sn4P3 and SnP3, were prepared using a mechanical alloying method followed by a gas-deposition method, and were evaluated as Na-ion battery anodes in an organic electrolyte and ionic liquid electrolytes. The Sn4P3 electrode showed a better cycling performance in the organic electrolyte compared with the SnP3 electrode and an Sn electrode. The performance of the Sn4P3 electrode was further improved by using ionic liquid electrolytes because of a uniformly formed surface layer and resulting uniform sodiation/desodiation reactions on the electrode

Electrochemical Na-Insertion/Extraction Properties of Phosphorus Electrodes in Ionic Liquid Electrolytes

The electrochemical Na-insertion/extraction properties of phosphorus as a Na-ion battery anode in ionic liquid electrolytes were investigated by using a thick film without any binder or conductive additive. The ionic liquid with more electrochemically-stable cation structure, 1-((2-methoxyethoxy)methyl)-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide (Py1MEM-FSA), delivered a high reversible capacity of 310 mA h g−1 at the 100th cycle, whereas the phosphorus electrode in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide (EMI-FSA) showed a low capacity of only 110 mA h g−1. It was revealed that disintegration of the electrode after cycling was effectively suppressed by applying Py1MEM-FSA instead of an organic electrolyte including propylene carbonate (PC), and that a surface layer induced by the decomposition of EMI-FSA hindered Na-insertion into the active material layer. The performance obtained in Py1MEM-FSA was very superior to that in PC. We applied for the first time a closed-system fire-resistance test to the ionic liquid electrolyte for quantitatively evaluating its non-flammability. The Py1MEM-FSA-based electrolyte exhibited an excellent fire resistance in comparison with the PC-based organic electrolyte, which can be an advantage for realizing a Na-ion battery with a high-energy density and a high safety

Effect of Film-Forming Additive in Ionic Liquid Electrolyte on Electrochemical Performance of Si Negative-Electrode for LIBs

1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide (EMI-TFSA) is one of the promising ionic liquids as electrolyte solvent to enhance the electrochemical performance of Si electrode for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) because of its low viscosity and high conductivity. However, it has low stability against reduction and its reductive decomposition product inhibits Li+ insertion to electrodes, leading to poor cycling stability. To exert a potential of EMI-TFSA, we employed vinylene carbonate (VC) as film-forming additive. Si electrode exhibited very high cycling stability and rate capability in 20 vol.% VC-added EMI-TFSA-based electrolyte. In addition, by replacing TFSA anion with bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide (FSA) for Li salt and ionic liquid solvent, an excellent cycling performance and outstanding rate capability was achieved. VC cannot only fabricate a good surface film but also lower the interaction between Li+ and FSA-, providing smooth desolvation of FSA- to obtain better high-rate performance. Non-flammability of the VC-added electrolytes was confirmed by fire resistance test in closed-system: no ignition was observed even at 300°C. Consequently, we found that mixture electrolyte consisted of EMI-based ionic liquid and VC, especially 1 M LiFSA/EMI-FSA with 20 vol.% VC, is a prospective candidate for simultaneously enhancing the electrochemical performance of Si electrode as well as safety of LIBs

A Case of Ischemic Ileal Obstruction Secondary to Seat Belt Trauma

We report a case of seat belt trauma with delayed ischemic ileal obstruction. A 62-year-old woman presented with symptoms and signs of bowel obstruction three weeks after an automobile traffic accident. A plain radiograph of the abdomen showed dilated small bowel loops with air fluid levels that were consistent with intestinal obstruction. Enhanced computed tomography clearly demonstrated a stenotic ileal loop with mural thickening that was associated with a mesenteric hematoma. Upper endoscopy revealed an ulcer of the ischemic ileal obstruction. The patient underwent resection of the stenotic ileal loop by single-incision laparoscopic surgery. The stenotic ileal loop was located 120 cm oral side from the terminal ileum. In gross finding, the wall of stenotic ileal loop was thickened and the adjacent mesentery was shortened with a hematoma. The mucosa of the ischemic ileal obstruction showed ulcerative changes. The abnormal ileal loop, which was 15 cm in length, was resected. Postoperative recovery was uneventful

Chemoradiotherapy for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anal Canal: A Case Report

A 79-year-old woman presented to our hospital with frequent episodes of hematochezia. Colonoscopy revealed an apparent tumor with central ulceration, and analysis of biopsy specimens confirmed the presence of non-invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal. No distant metastases were identified on enhanced computed tomography (CT). The cancer was classified as stage II (T2N0M0), and chemoradiotherapy (CRT) was selected as the first-line treatment. A continuous intravenous infusion of 5-fluorouracil with daily cisplatin was planned on days 1 to 5 of a 4-week cycle. After the first course, the drug administration was discontinued because the patient experienced diarrhea as an adverse event, and treatment with daily oral titanium silicate-1 (TS-1) was initiated. In addition, a total of 65Gy of radiation was applied to the primary lesion, pelvis, and bilateral groin area. Four weeks after the completion of CRT, colonoscopy showed the disappearance of the tumor and analysis of biopsy specimens confirmed the absence of any viable cancer cells. CT showed no evidence of lymph node metastasis or distant metastases. At 10 months after the completion of CRT, the patient showed no recurrence and with complete response