Hemorrhagic gastric and duodenal ulcers after the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster

AIM:To elucidate the characteristics of hemorrhagic gastric/duodenal ulcers in a post-earthquake period within one medical district.METHODS:Hemorrhagic gastric/duodenal ulcers in the Iwate Prefectural Kamaishi Hospital during the 6-mo period after the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster were reviewed retrospectively.The subjects were 27patients who visited our hospital with a chief complaint of hematemesis or hemorrhagic stool and were diagnosed as having hemorrhagic gastric/duodenal ulcers by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy during a 6-mo period starting on March 11,2011.This period was divided into two phases:the acute stress phase,comprising the first month after the earthquake disaster,and the chronic stress phase,from the second through the sixth month.The following items were analyzed according to these phases:age,sex,sites and number of ulcers,peptic ulcer history,status of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection,intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,and degree of impact of the earthquake disaster.RESULTS:In the acute stress phase from 10 d to 1mo after the disaster,the number of patients increased rapidly,with a nearly equal male-to-female ratio,and the rate of multiple ulcers was significantly higher than in the previous year(88.9%vs 25%,P<0.005).In the chronic stress phase starting 1 mo after the earthquake disaster,the number of patients decreased to a level similar to that of the previous year.There were more male patients during this period,and many patients tended to have a solitary ulcer.All patients with duodenal ulcers found in the acute stress phase were negative for serum H.pylori antibodies,and this was significantly different from the previous year’s positive rate of 75%(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Severe stress caused by an earthquake disaster may have affected the characteristics of hemorrhagic gastric/duodenal ulcers.

New energy policy and low-carbon society in Japan after the Great East Japan Earthquake

The Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011 devastated the eastern region of Japan.Due to the resulting nuclear accident,Japanese Cabinet decided to revise its energy policies.The Energy and Environment Council in National Policy Unit published options on the nation's scenarios for energy and economy in 2030.We estimated the economic impacts of the options to national economy and households in 2030.Finally,we clarified significant factors to establish a secure,affluent and low-carbon society based on the energy scenarios.

Evaluation of the Long-Term Changes in Fatigue of Cancer Survivors Who Received Outpatient Chemotherapy in the Area Affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake

Objective: The aim of the study is to evaluate the long-term changes in fatigue of cancer patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy after a disaster such as the Great Earthquake. Methods: From 2012 to 2014, we measured subjective fatigue, autonomic function, and physical activity with reference to the criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome. Results: The participants were 13, 9 males (69.2%) and 4 females (30.8%). The most common cancer among the participants was lung cancer 4 patients (30.8%). In 2012, eight patients (61.6%) received anti-cancer drugs and three (23.0%) received the drug by intravenous drip and oral administration. Physical fatigue (p = 0.004), mental fatigue (p = 0.002), comprehensive fatigue (p = 0.012), and comprehensive evaluations (p = 0.032) were significantly different. Significant differences in the autonomic nervous function were observed during the three years from 2012 to 2014 (log LF [p = 0.017], log HF [p = 0.023] and log LF/HF [p = 0.039]). Similar to Subjective fatigue, Significant differences in physical activity were observed during the three years from 2012 to 2014 (DA [p = 0.042], TST [p = 0.037], SE [p = 0.018], AW [p = 0.023] and Naps [p = 0.014]). Conclusions: The participants fatigue worsened at one time, but showed improvement over time. In the event of an emergency such as a disaster, it is necessary to evaluate the physical and mental condition based on objective indicators of cancer patients receiving anti-cancer drug treatment and provide nursing support.

Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction Following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami: A Business Process Management Perspective

The Tohoku Regional Bureau(TRB) of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism(MLIT) performed various actions in response to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The total disaster recovery and reconstruction period is expected to last for 10 years, of which the first five years are regarded as the concentrated reconstruction period. As of 2013, a majority of the mega projects that involved restoration actions have been completed, which indicates a more effective rate of completion compared with the MLIT projects performed in normal non-disaster situations. This short article explains the management process of the recovery and reconstruction utilized by the TRB—an interorganizational process—from a business process management(BPM) perspective and creates a simple organization construction diagram of the entire process. The study focused on the transactions and actor roles to identify their strengths. The findings indicate the utilization of different operational procedures in some parts of the process, the importance of liaison role, as well as some obstacles. The lessons learned from this analysis can assist managers and researchers in designing and managing restoration processes for future disasters.

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction at Five:Lessons from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030(SFDRR) represents an inclusive approach to disaster risk reduction, linked to development and recovery. Building on previous international guidelines, the SFDRR promotes practical and measurable outcomes for reducing disaster losses, including indicators to measure progress towards seven specific global targets.Evaluated in the context of the priorities and global targets of the SFDRR, the article considers the case of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011 to illustrate advances and limitations in pre-disaster tsunami hazard engineering and post-disaster recovery. With respect to the targets set out in the Sendai Framework related to risk reduction and tsunami engineering, especially Priority 1,understanding disaster risk, there have been significant advances in hazard assessment and systems for tsunami detection and warning. Although the SFDRR emphasizes actions in the recovery phase through Priority 4, enhancing disaster preparedness with an emphasis on the concept of build back better, on its own this does not function as a clear directive for guiding recovery. However, the overall people-centered and inclusive approach of the SFDRR, as well as the global targets and several sub-priorities, can be a useful way to shape good practices in recovery and evaluate recovery progress.

Media Preference, Information Needs, and the Language Proficiency of Foreigners in Japan after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the Japanese government identified the lack of proficiency in the Japanese language as one characteristic of foreigners that should be considered in disaster prevention planning.This article seeks to understand how proficiency in a local language affects disaster information gathering behavior by using the results of a questionnaire survey conducted after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Respondents were categorized based on their Japanese and English language abilities. Their media mode, language preferences, information importance, and information-gathering difficulties also were examined. It was found that foreigners skilled in Japanese demonstrated similar information gathering behavior as Japanese respondents, but foreigners unskilled in Japanese showed little usage of Japanese-language media. This group also encountered difficulties due to a lack of Japanese proficiency, but many members were able to acquire some level of Japanese-language information through Internet-based methods. To address language proficiency in disaster prevention planning, information provision in languages other than Japanese should be increased, and Japanese information should be shared in a way that facilitates translation. Although this survey wassignificant in its scope, the results should be considered within the limitations of the Internet-based response collection and focus only on the less-affected area of Japan.

中日地震恢复重建对比研究

近年来,世界范围的巨震频发给人类的正常生产生活以及全球经济的快速发展造成了严重的影响。尤其是破坏性地震发生后,如何快速高效地进行受灾地区的恢复重建,已成为世界各国震后重建决策者和相关学者的研究热点。结合笔者2013年年初赴日参加"Pre-Recovery Planning From Natural Disasters"研修班中,对阪神地震以及"3.11"东日本地震海啸恢复重建的学习和考察内容,总结了两次地震恢复重建的特点以及现状,并对比了我国汶川地震恢复重建的相关数据和案例,分析了中日两国在地震恢复重建中的各自优点与不足,并针对未来我国可能面对的大震恢复重建工作,提出了一些新的思路和方法,对了解中日两国地震恢复重建工作的各自特点,以及未来如何完善现有恢复重建方案的设计和提高相关重建服务的效率,具有一定的理论和实际意义。

2011年东日本大地震人工填土场地液化特征综述

填海造陆人工填土已成为我国工程建设中的重要方式,其地震安全性特别是无粘性土或低粘性土的液化问题成为了重要课题,而对此方面以往震害经验甚少。2011年东日本大地震中东京湾区域的人工填土场地出现了大量液化震害并造成了巨大经济损失,随后也有一些研究工作开展,本文对此进行分析总结。通过相关资料收集整理,回顾了东京湾填海造陆的历史,介绍了此次地震液化震害情况,阐述了场地工程地质背景和液化场地特征,讨论了人工填土沉积时间与土体抗液化能力的关系。作为目前填海造陆人工填土场地液化震害极其有限的宝贵经验,将对我国相关工程建设和液化灾害预防技术发展提供有益借鉴。

3·11大地震中减隔震装置的破坏及性能探讨

减隔震结构在日本的应用已较为成熟,2011年东日本大地震后,通过震后调查发现减隔震建筑整体表现卓越,有效地保护了生命及财产安全,达到了预期的设计目标。但也发现减隔震建筑有亟待改进之处,如需要进行多目标设计和极限状态设计,以便在各种工况下均能发挥作用,同时也应该在减少残余变形和减少竖向地震动响应等方面予以考虑。对东日本大地震中减隔震建筑的性能表现进行探讨,得到的一些经验和借鉴,有利于未来减隔震结构的发展。