Population decline, infrastructure and sustainability

Japan has experienced population decline since 2010 and the situation is expected to become more severe after 2030 with forecasts indicating an expected 30% decline from 2005 to 2055. Many other developed countries such as Germany and Korea are also experiencing depopulation. These demographic changes are expected to affect society at many levels such as labour markets decline, increased tax burden to sustain pension systems, and economic stagnation. Little is known however about the impacts of population decline on man-made physical infrastructure, such as possible deterioration of current infrastructure or increased financial burden of sustaining it. Infrastructure can be classified into 3 categories: point-type (e.g. buildings), point-network type (e.g. water supply) and network type (e.g. road). The impact of depopulation may vary according to the type of infrastructure. Previous research in this area has been limited in scope (e.g. case studies conducted in a single city focusing on a single type of infrastructure) and method (e.g. most research in the topic has been qualitative). This thesis presents a new comprehensive study on the impacts of population decline on infrastructure in Japan, taking into account all types of infrastructure and using a quantitative approach. Data collection methods include interviews and two large scale questionnaire surveys, the first conducted with municipalities and the second, a stated preference survey, conducted with members of the public. The goal of sustainable development is relevant even in a depopulated society, and hence a sustainable development framework is applied to the analysis where social, economic, environmental and engineering impacts are investigated. The main findings indicate that some infrastructure impacts observed and reported in depopulated areas do not seem to be related to any population decline; moreover, the preferences of citizens for infrastructure development is very similar between depopulated areas and non-depopulated areas. The results also suggest that the premises of Barro’s overlapping generations model, very relevant to a discussion of intergenerational decision making and related sustainability, appear to be rejected in this context

Comparing Planning Cultures in Shrinking Cities Across the USA, Germany, and Japan: Perspectives From Urban Planning on the Refiguration of Spaces and Cross-Cultural Comparison

Raumplaner*innen setzen sich mit Perspektiven auseinander, die Lebensqualität und zukünftige Entwicklung von Städten und Regionen betreffen und von gesellschaftlicher Relevanz sind. Basierend auf unterschiedlichen institutionellen und kulturellen Rahmenbedingungen sind Planungssysteme mit vergleichbaren Merkmalen entstanden. Diese Systeme sind an die jeweiligen kulturellen, normativen und räumlichen Voraussetzungen angepasst. In diesem Artikel präsentieren wir eine vergleichende Untersuchung, um Veränderungen in Planungskulturen aufzuzeigen im Kontext schrumpfender Städte in den USA, in Deutschland, und in Japan. Die Ergebnisse ermöglichen mit Blick auf Schrumpfungsprozesse Interdependenzen zwischen Veränderungen in Planungskulturen und gesellschaftlichen Veränderungen aufzuzeigen und Planungskulturen aus dem Blickwinkel der Refiguration von Räumen zu beleuchten. Schlussfolgernd stellen wir die Hypothese auf, dass Planungskulturen entsprechend einer polykontexturalen Logik durch eine Vielzahl von Faktoren bedingt werden, wie zum Beispiel geografische Einheiten (Staaten, Regionen, Städte) und auch Themen wie Stadtschrumpfung.Spatial planners deal with aspects related to the quality of life and future development of cities and regions, which are highly relevant for society. Due to various institutional and cultural settings, spatial planning systems emerged with comparable features. However, such systems have been adapted to specific cultural, normative, and spatial conditions. In our study, we conducted a comparison to investigate changes in planning cultures in the context of shrinking cities across the USA, Germany and Japan. The findings make it possible to detect interdependencies between changes in planning cultures and societal changes in the wake of shrinkage processes and potentially to place planning cultures in the perspective of a refiguration of spaces. We conclude with the hypothesis that planning cultures are framed by an array of factors in a somewhat polycontexturalized mode, such as geographic entities (nations, regions, cities), and also topics such as shrinking cities

Dynamics of dissolved and bubbled methane in Lake Youngrang and HwaJlnPO, Korea

Article信州大学山地水環境教育研究センター研究報告 6: 69-72(2010)departmental bulletin pape

Second nationwide surveillance of bacterial pathogens in patients with acute uncomplicated cystitis conducted by Japanese Surveillance Committee from 2015 to 2016: antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus saprophyticus

The Japanese Surveillance Committee conducted a second nationwide surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of uropathogens responsible for acute uncomplicated cystitis (AUC) in premenopausal patients aged 16–40 years old at 31 hospitals throughout Japan from March 2015 to February 2016. In this study, the susceptibility of causative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus saprophyticus) for various antimicrobial agents was investigated by isolation and culturing of organisms obtained from urine samples. In total, 324 strains were isolated from 361 patients, including E. coli (n = 220, 67.9%), S. saprophyticus (n = 36, 11.1%), and K. pneumoniae (n = 7, 2.2%). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 20 antibacterial agents for these strains were determined according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) manual. At least 93% of the E. coli isolates showed susceptibility to fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins, whereas 100% of the S. saprophyticus isolates showed susceptibility to fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides. The proportions of fluoroquinolone-resistant and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli strains were 6.4% (13/220) and 4.1% (9/220), respectively. The antimicrobial susceptibility of K. pneumoniae was retained during the surveillance period, while no multidrug-resistant strains were identified. In summary, antimicrobial susceptibility results of our second nationwide surveillance did not differ significantly from those of the first surveillance. Especially the numbers of fluoroquinolone-resistant and ESBL-producing E. coli strains were not increased in premenopausal patients with AUC in Japan

Multiple accessory pathways coexisting with a persistent left superior vena cava: a case report

Abstract Background Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome is characterized by a short PR interval (delta-wave), long QRS complex, and the appearance of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. Patients with Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome usually have one accessory pathway, whereas cases with multiple accessory pathways are rare. Persistent left superior vena cava is a vascular anomaly in which the vein drains into the right atrium through the coronary sinus at the junction of the left internal jugular and subclavian veins due to abnormal development of the left cardinal vein. The simultaneous presence of multiple accessory pathways and persistent left superior vena cava has not been reported before. Case presentation A 56-year-old Japanese man with a 5-year history of palpitations was referred for radiofrequency catheter ablation due to increased frequency of tachycardia episodes in the previous 2 months. Persistent left superior vena cava was confirmed by transthoracic echocardiography and computed tomography. An electrophysiological study revealed that the accessory pathways were located in the left lateral wall, anterolateral wall, and posteroseptal region. They were completely ablated with radiofrequency energy application. Conclusions We reported an extremely rare case of a patient with multiple accessory pathways and persistent left superior vena cava. Our case may suggest a potential embryological relationship between the multiple accessory pathways and persistent left superior vena cava