Geotechnical Aspects of Recent Japan Earthquakes

Recently middle class earthquakes have occurred and caused various geotechnical damages every year in Japan. Among them geotechnical damages during five earthquakes from 2004 to 2008 are introduced. The 2004 Niigataken-chuetsu earthquake caused failure of expressway embankments and uplift of sewage manholes. Liquefaction-induced damage to quay walls and tanks occurred in artificially reclaimed lands during the 2005 Fukuokaken-seiho-oki earthquake. Liquefiable area had been predicted about 17 years before the earthquake. Liquefied zones were fairly coincided with the predicted liquefiable zones. Very severe slide of highway embankments occurred at 11 sites during the 2007 Notohanto earthquake. During the 2007 Niigataken-chuetsu-oki earthquake, liquefaction induced in old river channels and on gentle slopes of sand dunes, and caused settlement of houses and breakage of low pressure gas pipes. However, some houses, sewage manholes, gas pipes were survived. Huge landslides and serious debris flows occurred along the slopes of Kurikoma Volcano during the 2008 Iwate-Miyagi-nairiku earthquake. Many landslides and debris flows occurred

Field-Based Simplified Approach of Evaluating Knee Extensor Muscle Strength and Size in University Freshmen Women

Context: Periodic assessment of knee extensor muscle strength and size is important for all ages to evaluate the functional status of individuals and to identify and treat those at risk for mobility problems and frailty; however, it is not fully understood whether these field-based simplified approaches correspond to evaluation in knee extensor muscle strength or size. Objective: To examine the relationship between field-based simplified evaluation approaches and knee extensor muscle strength or size in young women. Design: Experimental. Setting: University research laboratory. Subjects: A total of 62 university freshmen women volunteered to participate in this study. Main OutcomeMeasures: Knee extensor muscle thickness was measured at the anterior half of thigh length; muscle strength was measured when subjects performed knee extension. Field-based simplified approaches (sit-to-stand, standing long jump, handgrip, and upper leg 50% [thigh] girth) were also measured. Results: Maximal strength was correlated with thigh girth, handgrip, and standing long jump, but not with the sit-to-stand test. Muscle thickness was correlated with thigh girth and handgrip, but not with standing long jump or the sit-to-stand test. A stepwise multiple-regression analysis was calculated using the predictor thigh girth and standing long jump to predict knee extensor maximal strength (R2 = .295). To predict knee extensor muscle thickness, the predictor thigh girth was calculated (R2 = .202). Conclusions: Knee extensor muscle strength and size could be evaluated by the field-based simplified approaches, in particular by the thigh girth measurement, which may be amajor determinant to maintain activities of daily living for healthy young women. However, the 4 field-based simplified approaches appear to be still not of high impact

Identifying preventative measures against frailty, locomotive syndrome, and sarcopenia in young adults: a pilot study

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to propose potential preventive measures against future mobility impairments and muscle loss in healthy young adults by comprehensively evaluating their status of frailty, locomotive syndrome, and sarcopenia. [Participants and Methods] A total of 83 Japanese young adults were enrolled in this study and evaluated using the diagnostic criteria for frailty (Japanese version of the Cardiovascular Health Study), locomotive syndrome (calculated as scores of the LOCOMO-25, the stand-up test, and two-step test), and sarcopenia (handgrip strength, usual gait test, skeletal muscle index). [Results] The prevalence of frailty-prefrailty (45.9%) was higher than that of presarcopenia (22.3%) and locomotive syndrome (14.1%). The prevalence of combinations of frailty-prefrailty and presarcopenia; frailty-prefrailty and locomotive syndrome; and frailty-prefrailty,locomotive syndrome, and pre-sarcopenia was 9.4%, 4.7%, and 3.5%, respectively. [Conclusion] Only 40% of the participants did not meet the three diagnostic criteria. On the other hand, there were not many participants with sarcopenia and/or locomotive syndrome diagnoses, suggesting that the improvement in intrinsic skeletal muscle mass rather than physical function is important for healthy Japanese young adults and could possibly be protective against future mobility or muscle-loss disorders

Simplified morphological evaluation of skeletal muscle mass and maximum muscle strength in healthy young women : Comparison between thigh and calf

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the prediction of skeletal muscle mass and maximum muscle strength using simplified morphology evaluation in young Japanese women from the thigh and calf perspective.Methods: A total of 249 Japanese young women (aged 18–25 years) were used for data analyses in this study. Thigh and calf girths were measured using a tape measure at 50% of thigh length and at 30% proximal of calf length, respectively. Muscle thickness was measured using B-mode ultrasound at the anterior and posterior thigh (at 50% of thigh length) and at the posterior lower leg (at 30% proximal of calf length), respectively. The measurements were carried out on the right side of the body while the participants stood with their elbows extended and relaxed. A stepwise multiple regression analysis (method of increasing and decreasing the variables; criterion set at p < 0.05) was performed for skeletal muscle index (defined by appendicular skeletal muscle mass/height²), handgrip strength, or sit-to-stand test and five variable factors (girth (thigh and calf) and muscle thickness (anterior and posterior thigh and posterior calf)).Results: Unlike the sit-to-stand test, skeletal muscle index or handgrip strength was correlated (p < 0.001) with the girth or muscle thickness for both thigh and calf. Unlike the sit-to-stand test, the prediction equations for skeletal muscle index and handgrip strength estimation showed significant correlations with multiple regression analysis of data obtained from the calf girth and muscle thickness. In both skeletal muscle index and handgrip strength, calf girth was adopted as a Step 1, respectively.Conclusion: Our results indicated that skeletal muscle index and handgrip strength could be evaluated by the simplified morphology methods, especially that for the calf girth measurement, which may be a good indicator of screening/ preventing for sarcopenia in healthy Japanese young women

The shielding effect of HTS power cable based on E-J power law

A method for analysing the current distribution in high-T/sub c/ superconducting (HTS) power cable is examined by the aid of the novel use of anisotropic conductivity and 3-D finite element method considering E-J power law characteristic. The detailed current distribution in the cable is illustrated and the shielding effect of HTS shield layer with intervals is also examined. It is shown that AC losses in shield layer with intervals are increased when the interval between wires becomes large

Characterization of overtopping waves on sea dikes with gentle and shallow foreshores

Due to ongoing climate change, overtopping risk is increasing. In order to have effective countermeasures, it is useful to understand overtopping processes in details. In this study overtopping flow on a dike with gentle and shallow foreshores are investigated using a non-hydrostatic wave-flow model, SWASH (an acronym of Simulating WAves till SHore). The SWASH model in 2DV (i.e., flume like configuration) is first validated using the data of long crested wave cases with second order wave generation in the physical model test conducted. After that it is used to produce overtopping flow in different wave conditions and bathymetries. The results indicated that the overtopping risk is better characterized by the time dependent h (overtopping flow depth) and u (overtopping flow velocity) instead of hmax (maximum overtopping flow depth) and umax (maximum overtopping flow velocity), which led to overestimation of the risk. The time dependent u and h are strongly influenced by the dike configuration, namely by the promenade width and the existence of a vertical wall on the promenade: the simulation shows that the vertical wall induces seaward velocity on the dike which might be an extra risk during extreme events.This research was part of the CREST (Climate REsilient CoaST) project (http://www.crestproject.be/en), funded by the Flemish Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology, grant number 150028. Corrado Altomare acknowledges funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No.: 792370.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version