The stock price of BOJ hit lowest ever

Needless to say Bank of Japan is the central bank in Japan responsible for monetary stability and smooth operation of financial system. Its stock price has been dropping for the past years, especially, since the former Abe administration started the massive quantitative easing in 2012. It has reached the lowest price ever in Jan. 5th when BOJ published its own financial report. The stock price has fallen from 755000 JPY in 1988 to 25200 JPY. Its total assets rose to 702 trillion yen, that is, 6.8 trillion USD. It was 23% rise in the last year mainly due to purchasing national bond and ETF, which was to financially embellish the former administration.

This drop of BOJ stock price means the market judges its finance is jeopardized with debt monetization for the government. In addition to the astronomical amount of the debt of the government, this financial crisis of BOJ may bring forth decline of currency value for JPY in the near future. It will cause the uncontrollable inflation in our country. BOJ could not take the countermeasure of selling the national bond in the market. It could cause further drop of the national bond price.

Debt monetization has been deemed as a forbidden policy after WWII when our country experienced the hyperinflation. But it has been neglected by the government, mass media and even the people. 

This simple and most probable prospect for the finance of BOJ and of our country won't be discussed fully by the politicians, either of the ruling parties or of the anti ruling parties. Of course, the former is more responsible for this issue since they have implemented the policy of astronomical quantitative easing. 

The solution could be either starting war or letting the economy and finance go into hyperinflation. Of course, the latter is much more probable, I should say. I don't know when it starts but it will hit our country possibly related with this corona crisis.

It is a tragedy that most of the people has not realized of this crisis in our country.

Gardening getting ready for spring

It has been 10 days since the New Year's Day. Time is elapsing in the same way. Even in the mid winter, when the temperature drops even to minus 10 degrees, it is getting brighter in the daytime. I am trying to be busy at garden while sun is shining. 

I have pulled the weeds in the lawn facing to the street today. I wondered if I should spray the herbicidal a bit later when they started growing again. At least, I would have it look neat until then and have done the job. The lawn has totally withered but the root is still alive below the weeds. Getting off them may help the lawn grow later in the spring. There were some people taking walk along this street, who always greeted me saying hello when they went by. 

　　　　　　　　　　　　

The trees of enkianthus perulatus, a kind of azalea,  along the lawn have leaves fallen. But the new buds are ready to grow. They may bring fresh leaves and pretty flowers in spring.

My wife, in a long week end, is feeding fertilizer to her roses. This rose is named "Knock Out" pretty sturdy in cold weather. She also transplanted a pot grown rose. She is responsible for flowers while I am for vegetables. 

Silk pods seedlings grown from seeds are as if they were in winter sleep. Under the cold protection cover sheet, they are surely alive and are ready to grow in the spring. They look lovely, don't they? I have never felt plants in that way when I was young. But these days, they look like own children.

I am getting ready for the small farm to plant vegetables in the spring. Mixing home brew leaf mold, I am plowing the soil with the deep layer reversed on the surface. It is to avoid continuous cropping disorder for such as tomato or potato.

This is where I make the leaf mold. At the south eastern corner of the yard, I accumulate fallen leaves and pulled weeds. The right half is the old one while the light half is the fresh one. The fresh one will turn to be fermented and turn to be leaf mold in a year or two. 

 So everything is going on in the same way while we are getting older year by year. Nature won't be changed easily but we are changing ourselves pretty quickly. That is why we should treasure every moment of our lives. 

Year in and year out

In the end of a year, I have been issuing a greeting mail to friends and family members for over the past decade. I have, however, omitted it last year. I felt it had been in mannerism and had lost energy to do that.

Having had simple dinner of soba noodle with my wife, I am writing what the year out has meant to me now. In itemization style simple and concise. I have started writing this article late at night yesterday.

*Pandemic*

In the end of Jan. or the beginning of Feb., when I first knew of this COVID 19, I have never expected it to prevail all around the world in this way. The pathogen, SARS CoV2, an anthropozoonosis, with moderate virulence and rather high prevalence rate, could contagion all over the world under the circumstances of no treatment/vaccine and of global traffic developed. This pandemic was inevitable in a sense.

This pandemic has clearly revealed what the government in certain country is for the people. Our government has stressed on the measures to maintain the economy. The countermeasures should be based on science. But policy making should be through transparent decision. In our country, unfortunately, not only policy making but also the published epidemiological data have been unlikely to be realized in transparency.

The biggest fault of our government has been limitation of the number of PCR tests for correct diagnosis. Even after cluster analysis won't solve the problem, they have not changed their policy not to do the tests as they are required. The other issue is that they have intentionally underestimate the number of the cases, the fatality cases or the serious cases. 

The mass media have not showed these issues at proper timing. There have been so called professionals for this issue who supported the view of the government. At this explosive epidemic, people are starting to recognize these issues. 

These problems resulted in the worst outbreak and victims due to COVID19 in the Eastern Asia.  

I am not sure if the present vaccination programs will work as a game changer or not yet. But it will be the only candidate of the maneuver to overcome this pandemic. By March, the efficacy of the vaccine will be revealed in such as Israel, where vaccination program has started in last month. If it would work and 70% of the people could get immune to the virus, it will bring them the ultimate solution to the pandemic. I still hope it will come true.

*Politics and society*

Populism and tendency for fascism have been noted in various countries in the world. Our country was not an exception of such trend. I believe the politicians who appeal for populistic and dividing policies have been more and more approved by the people. I suspect more people are accepting such politics. Selfishness and ephemeralism seem to prevail among people. I suspect the neoliberal economy which has covered the world since 1980s or 1990s has left it in various countries, either communistic or capitalistic. I would keep interests in this trend and go on studying about it.

I won't discuss further but am most concerned about the budget deficit and astronomical level of debt of the government. BOJ has been buying tremendous amount of national bonds and of stocks. It is surely abnormal. I am afraid this corona crisis would the coup de grace to our country in the near future.

*Music and radio*

I have played the 1st movement of the 1st sonata of Brahms with my niece in Oct. I felt I had gone through the last stage of my cello performance history in my life. Through practicing for that performance, I have realized what I could do with it and what I could never reach with it. I still go on playing it but just for own fun. I am more inclined to listen to good music like chamber music of Faure or of Brahms, Bach's religious works or Beethoven's chamber music in the last part of his life. 

I could not help saying that what ham radio/CW used to be for me has almost gone away. Good friends of mine have gone inactive or even silent key. I believe it will be the time for me to downsize ham radio activity if not completely.

*Family*

We have had struggles in a family member. It is impossible for me to describe about it right now. So far, everyone is getting along OK. My wife is still working in full time. It may take her a couple of years to retire. I would support her and the other members as much as possible as a house husband. In such hardship of life, the meaning of our lives becomes clearer and more evident. I am learning how little I have served my family as a father and a husband. Wondering if I could catch it up in the rest of my life.

Wow, I have written too much pessimistic and discouraging. I am still in good temper and willingness. I ran across with Darrel AA7JV on 20m this morning, who used to be a researcher in radio astronomy. I have asked him if he had done with observation of the background radiation. He answered yes and told me it was a struggle against the receiver's noise floor level and the noise from the thousands of satellites orbiting around the globe. I have read the research of the background radiation has taught much about the origin of the universe and the progress afterward. So intriguing. Struggling against aging with loss of memory, I still would like to know more of such a thing before my life is put an end. In spring and summer, my garden and small farm might keep me busy. It is a real joy for me to work there under sun. House chores and cooking will also be a pleasure for me. 

I appreciate all of you, my friends and the visitors to this trivial blog, for your support. Leave a word or two if you notice or feel anything about the topics in it. May the new year be healthy and happy to you all.  

A Happy New Year to you!

Shin Onisawa

 

A mutant strain more contagious prevailing

Both of the new mutant strains on SARS CoV2 found in UK and S. Africa have N501Y mutation. The preprint paper quoted below tells this mutation causes stronger interaction between S1 spike protein of the virus and hACE2 while it decreases that with anti spike protein antibody.

It may mean this mutant strains could prevail more efficiently than the original strain and even could be more toxic since it would hinder the antibody interaction to S1 spike protein, that is, neutralizing antibody reaction. As this author mentions, it might be related with the effect of the vaccines. 

The other report analyzed the characteristics of antibody produced in infection. There is a kind of IgG antibody which has a negative effect for self defense. The article says it might be the reason why convalescent phase plasma has not given dramatic effect on seriously ill patients. 

There are still problems with this pathogen to overcome the outbreak. The N501Y+strain seems to already prevail in various countries. We should be even more cautious not to get infected until the vaccines prove to be effective for the strain. 

    

The SARS-CoV-2 S1 spike protein mutation N501Y alters the protein interactions with both hACE2 and human derived antibody: A Free energy of perturbation study

 View ORCID ProfileFilip Fratev

doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.12.23.424283

This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review [what does this mean?].

• Abstract
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Abstract

The N501Y mutation in Covid-19 arise many question but a small amount of data are currently available. An urgent understanding of N501Y mechanism of action at molecular level is highly required. Here, we present the preliminary results of our Free energy perturbation (FEP) and Molecular dynamics (MD) calculations for the interaction of the spike S1 receptor binding domain (RBD) with both the ACE2 receptor and an antibody, STE90-C11, derived from COVID-19 patients. The results shown that the S1 RBD-ACE2 interaction was increased whereas those with the STE90-C11 antibody significantly decreased (over about 160 times). This may explain the observed in UK more spread of the virus but also emerge an important question about the possible human immune response and already available vaccines. Indeed, the latter may still act well but our data indicate some possible reduction of their effect. Further studies of N501Y mutation are need.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

A never ending story of ham radio

This old photocopy was originally taken at a railway station back in late '60s. The company of neighbor hams in a suburb of Tokyo was going to operate portable at a mountain there. These guys were the members of a local ham club. I have lost old photos when moving from Tokyo to here around 1980. This photo escaped being lost was miraculously found somewhere. I might have posted it before. If you have seen it before, just neglect this post.

My parents moved with their 3 children from here to Tokyo in mid '50s immediately before my entering elementary school when the tuberculosis sanatorium,

where they were working, managed at this place by my aunt was closed. It was a real exodus for them, I believe. They had worked hard to raise us in Tokyo until they decided to come back to this place in '80s.

From lt to rt; JA1NUT, JA1OXQ, JA1RHM, a friend of mine SWL, JA1OTE, JA1NPV, JA1HUY?, JA1RHL.

I was interested in this hobby at age 12. It was fascinating that I could listen to ham radio in communication with a small transistor radio with a small rod antenna. It was 7MHz I heard a lot of hams, only Japanese, talking each other with a lot of "jargons". It won't take too long before I learned about it and got the license. Since the authority enforced the beginner class license, there were a lot of young people starting ham radio. It was like the internet at present.

We were grown up in rather poverty. But my parents let us do whatever we wanted those days. All I could afford was, however, a very small home made set up. A single 6AQ5 transmitter and a 5 tubes receiver. Transmission/reception switch was a "banana switch" set at a corner of desk. The antenna was a dipole for 40m with ladder line feeder; the spacers were waxed chop sticks. While working on A3, I have known several hams, all pretty new, in the area. We founded a local club. This portable operation was an event in a summer vacation day. 

Unfortunately, most of them have gone QRT or even silent key. The only exceptions, I believe craziest guys, are me and JA1RHL. JA1RHL has moved to VK land and has been successful with his business there. He used to be active as VK1ARA. A few weeks ago, he has sent me a short mail from his home in Tokyo telling me he could not go back to VK due to this pandemic. No further mail. Wondering if he could get back to VK.  

When I went to a college studying mechanical engineering, I was a leader in the ham club with the call sign of JA1YGC. There were again a lot of members in the club. At a summer camp held near Mt. Fuji in late '60s, I have trained young members with Morse code. I have not lashed them to learn it but, later, there was a legend that one of them talked about Morse code deliriously while asleep at night. In another summer camp held at Ohshima, an island off the coast in Tokyo, we have met a group of girl scouts of the US led by a ham Bernie WA7CBX on the ship to the island. I could not converse well with him at that time but have remembered running across with him aboard on the ship. Later, in '80s, we have encountered on the air when he was enjoying field day back in the US. He has retired the US Army and has remembered of our eye ball very well. When he heard me on 40m, as he said, he shouted it was him or something. Even 20 years later, Jack WA7HJV has made a contact with him and even visited him living in a town nearby. Maybe, I have written about it elsewhere.  

A lot of fond memories. It must be a sign of senility for me that I remember old days in this way, continuously from one to another, without any context. It was surely good old days and is missed a lot. Through blogging, I have got in touch with a member of the local club, JA1HUL, who used to let me operate radio as a guest operator at his station before my getting the ticket. Strictly speaking, at that time, it was illegal but a really exciting experience for me, a low teenage kid. He has driven me into this hobby and has not been forgotten ever since. 

This is a never ending story of ham radio for me...

 

W6IJ silent keyed

I was stiffened to see a news in FOC reflector this morning. It said Tommy W6IJ, a good friend of mine as well as an FOC colleague, had gone SK early morning on Dec 18th in PST. He has been a good friend of mine since '60s. I knew he had had health issues. But it was too sudden that he had passed.

In '60s, I have worked him for several times when he was WA6NFC. I could not recall of those QSOs but still remembered his call sign those days.

When I came back on the air in '80s, we met again after more than a decade absence. We have become close friends ever since. One reason was that, as stated above, we have worked in our teenage days. The other reason was that he used to stay in Japan for a couple of years in his childhood while his father worked here. He seemed fond of things and people in Japan. We have made a lot of QSOs on our beloved mode, CW.

He was a couple of years older than me. As told above, he has loved CW very much. I could hardly remember of our QSO on the other mode. His crisp and concise operation have not undergone any change ever since.

He has wanted to visit our country. Early in '80s, he and his former wife, Annie, have visited us and stayed here in this countryside for a week or so. All my family members, including my parents, both alive and active, have become good friends of them. Tommy has brought a Bencher paddle plated with gold for a souvenir to me. It is not used any longer and is stored in the storage at present. I ran CW with that paddle in '80s through '90s.

After staying at our home, they have traveled around the Western Japan. Several hams like Nagi JA5DQH have hosted them at their home or prepared accommodations for them. Around that time, Mike ZL1BVB and his family were visiting us as well. Together with the other Japanese hams, Mike and Tommy's families have had nice lunch in the downtown of Tokyo. When both families went back home, we had nice round tables over the Pacific Ocean on 40m in the evening for a few times. Such an active guy as Mike is no longer heard here.

In a year or two, Hide JH0FBH and I have visited Tommy at his former QTH in Turlock. My wife was going there together with me but has become pregnant, which prevented her from travelling with me. Tommy and his family members all welcomed us. He has brought us to his parents in San Andreas or to Yosemite Park. A hot bath tub was set in the garden. We, three guys, bathed together there. His elder daughter has performed violin for us. 

Having had regular QSOs, we have met at the FOC gathering in Seattle in 2012 after a couple of decades hiatus. He looked well even if he had added some grey hair on his head. In the last morning of that event, we had breakfast together, which became our last face to face meeting. We have met on the air once in 2 or 3 months and have talked how we were getting along.

In the end of this Oct., I was told that he would undergo right hip joint replacement surgery. Since that time, we have met even more frequently than usual. He seemed to have understood well on the procedure and its risk. He was going to have colonoscopy after this procedure since he had a positive result for colon cancer screening test. He has been a man of self confidence and a mentally strong person. But at this crisis of his life, he could feel more helpless than people around him had thought. He never mentioned something like that in our QSOs, though.

He has ordered a big antenna for high bands and was looking forward to putting up to the tower. It was a decision for him to enjoy ham radio even more than before since he could be in such a crisis any time in his life. He was laughing when he said he would enjoy it much more. It might be an expression of his anxiety in his mind.

On Dec. 2nd, he has undergone the replacement surgery in Visalia. In the very last QSO with him, he told me he still had local pain and some exudate from the surgical wound but was getting better day by day. He told me he had been rehabilitating with a cane for walking at home. Without hearing him on the air, I thought I should write a mail to him to ask how he was doing. At that time, I got that shocking news of his SK.

His passing must be a big sorrow and loss for his family, especially his wife Deana, who has been left alone. Whatever the cause of death might be, his family must had things to do, to enjoy and to laugh together with him. Such a chance is eternally lost.

His passing also told me such friend as him could go away all of sudden anytime in my life. I am persuaded again to treasure every moment being with friends as if it was the last meeting in this world. I still wonder if I could tell something more to him before his SK.

He will be missed.

Tommy contesting at his friend's shack WG6P back in '80s.

An old patient and an oyster dish

The other day, I was asked by a friend of mine how to do with her daughter who had had cough for weeks. I used to rescue that girl when she wad drowned in the bath water in her infancy, that is, almost 30 years ago. Even though that girl has left cerebral palsy, she has gone through education and is now working at an office nearby. Ever since, I have been asked about her health problems. 

She has developed that lasting cough and was suspected to have caught COVID19 at the office. I was pretty sure it was an asthmatic cough and her prescription given at a clinic was not proper to treat it. I have taught her how to breathe with diaphragm, which could abate the breathing issue and is important for inhaling with MDI, and to avoid exercises in cold atmosphere etc. I introduced her to a asthma specialist. I could not help laughing the mother was glad to hear about that specialist but seemed not very interested in my lesson! Anyway, whenever I am asked something like this by friends, I am a bit excited and try to answer to the person as much as I can. Such a situation is becoming fewer for now. Maybe, my days, however, have gone now.

A few days ago, in order to tell me how well she is now, the mother has visited us at our home. She has brought us a lot of oysters in shell in addition to some farming products. Oysters in shell are pretty rarely seen here in this inland area even at supermarket. Her friend in Hokkaido has sent a lot of such oysters to them. It was its sharing to us.

I was puzzled at how to take the content from the shell. The shell was closed so tightly that I could hardly open it. I have decided to steam them in sake. Before cooking that way, I had to wash them with scourer. The shells were sharp on their edges. Eagerly done with them, in a few minutes, I realized my finger tips were hurt with the sharp edges of the shells. Surprisingly, my fingers were stained with blood. Fortunately, the wounds were not deep at all and soon were stopped with bleeding. 

The peeled oysters were to add to a hot pot dish as a material. I have given up further cooking it by myself but was waiting for my wife coming home. She was cooking on behalf of me at the kitchen almost forbidden for women to come in. Honestly, she often cooks dishes for me in week ends. But on a plain week day, she was there. Impressed at the scenery, I was looking at her working there.

Sake steamed oysters. They were at least 2.5 times of this amount in total.

The hot pot dish. The oyster was tasted as if milk.

I sure was pleased to hear from my former patient and her mother. But I still learned what they had expected from me as not a pediatrician in active service. I am already a retired one for now.

The 2nd lesson is that I should have worn a thick glove when washing or peeling the shell of oyster. Or I should give up cooking shelled oysters.

It is sometimes good for me to see my wife working in the kitchen as a real house wife. It is an impression as a house husband. This was the last lesson.