Very early in the morning of Oct 26th, a rather big earth quake has occurred in the Pacific ocean off Fukushima. The magnitude was 7.1. The quake has waken me up with the Richter scale rated 4 here. I could not fall asleep for a while even after a long lasting quake, reminding me of the big earthquake, had gone. An alarm for tsunami was published by an authority then. It seemed there had been a small tsunami observed near to the center of the earthquake.
The news told it had been caused by a mechanism of the outerrise. The ocean plate was freed from the friction with the continental plate by the big earthquake 2 years ago, so that the former could be lacerated pretty easily with the force pulling it under the continental plate. It is not negligible that a big earthquake of this type would occur in the near future.
The problem with this type of eathquake is that it could cause tsunami. The Pacific ocean off Fukushima is believed to be a center of such an earthquake. If a big tsunami would hit the damaged nuclear plant in Fukushima, there could be a further serious damage on it. The main concern is on the used fuels pooled at the 4th reactor. It still has a enormous amount of used/not used fuels. The pool is high in the damaged building. It could be very vulnerable to such a tsunami or an earthquake.
At present, they are struggling with the contaminated water and the influx of underground water into the reactors. They have not taken any measure against further tsunami to the damaged structures and/or the cooling system. If any big tsunami destroys them, the contamination of radioactivity would spreads all over Kanto plain including the metropolis of Tokyo. It is a matter of possibility. No one knows if it could happen or not. But the government should prepare for such a disaster. They should have learned that almost impossible thing could become possible from the disaster 2 years ago.
10/26/2013
A ray of hope for ALS patients
Amyotrophic laterel sclerosis(ALS) is one of the most miserable disease. With the degeneration of the lower motor neuron, the patient with this illness should undergo gradual loss of motor functions while the peception and intellectual functions are preserved. The patient, fully alert and conscious, should go on dying for a few years.
In my med student days, the cause as well as the treatment were totally unknown. Only symptomatic treatments have been given to the patients. But the recent development in gene analysis revealed the ADAR2 is the defect in this illness. This paper shows they could convey ADAR2 to the neural tissue with a vector AAV9.
It should be confirmed thaty this vector is not harmful to the body. Once it is confirmed safe, this research result could be a real epoch making. Really amazing.
I hope this will give the patients a real hope for cure very soon.
I am thrilled and pleased to see the medical science is developing in this way. The human beings should spend time, money and their intelligence in such a field, but not in developing weapons etc.
quote;
EMBO Mol Med. 2013 Sep 24. doi: 10.1002/emmm.201302935. [Epub ahead of print]
Rescue of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis phenotype in a mouse model by intravenous AAV9-ADAR2 delivery to motor neurons.
Source
CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, Japan; Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, Japan.Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common adult-onset motor neuron disease, and the lack of effective therapy results in inevitable death within a few years of onset. Failure of GluA2 RNA editing resulting from downregulation of the RNA-editing enzyme adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 2 (ADAR2) occurs in the majority of ALS cases and causes the death of motor neurons via a Ca2+ -permeable AMPA receptor-mediated mechanism. Here, we explored the possibility of gene therapy for ALS by upregulating ADAR2 in mouse motor neurons using an adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) vector that provides gene delivery to a wide array of central neurons after peripheral administration. A single intravenous injection of AAV9-ADAR2 in conditional ADAR2 knockout mice (AR2), which comprise a mechanistic mouse model of sporadic ALS, caused expression of exogenous ADAR2 in the central neurons and effectively prevented progressive motor dysfunction. Notably, AAV9-ADAR2 rescued the motor neurons of AR2 mice from death by normalizing TDP-43 expression. This AAV9-mediated ADAR2 gene delivery may therefore enable the development of a gene therapy for ALS.
© 2013 The Authors. Published by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd on behalf of EMBO
© 2013 The Authors. Published by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd on behalf of EMBO
10/25/2013
A nest to come back
They say the higher bands are quite hot with the sun spot number rising record high in this cycle. I still love, however, 40m in our evening. This band will gradually open to the North America before sunset here. It might open to Eu and Africa through long path at the same time. I started radio on this band at this time in a day. It was the band of wonder those days. At present, it is still the band where I could nestle myself on.
This evening, 40m sounded very quiet. I had a couple of pleasant QSOs. One was with Steve K4VK in Florida. His barefoot with a dipole was not loud at all but was still quite readable on the quiet background. He is 93 years old and used to be in Yokosuka in 1950 when he served for the Navy there. We could not converse much about his good old days so much. But I still felt, through his keying!, he had had a good memory in Yokosuka those days. He sounded excited at the key. The keying itself often expresses what the sender feels. Those who won't operate CW would never appreciate that at all, I guess.
The other guy was Don N7EF in Washington. He always watchs the band and gives me a call when no one calls me for my CQ. He said he had been just watching great ragchews going on the band. He kindly asked me about my cataract problem, which he had known through watching my QSO with another guy. He said his wife had had a surgery for her cataract, which came out to be a success. Even though, as he said, the ophthalmologist was pretty old just before retirement, he did it perfectly for her. I answered to him, with hearty thanks for his concern about my problem, that medical services should be conservative. Progressive methods could be sometimes experimental. I would have a surgery in a conservative way within a year or so. He also mentioned that the drivers' licence renewal is pretty strict especially for the seniors over there. He was nervous at it but could renew it uneventfully. I always enjoy talking to him since he is always a real critic to the ham radio or people on the radio.
I have been blessed with many friends on 40m in this way. Unfortunately, most of them have gone inactive or silent keyed by now. But, I know, there are still a number of old guys with whom I could share the same kind of interest or of concern. Even though I sometimes feel disappointed at it, I would go on operating radio. Yes, on 40m around our sunset. It is my nest to come back.
This evening, 40m sounded very quiet. I had a couple of pleasant QSOs. One was with Steve K4VK in Florida. His barefoot with a dipole was not loud at all but was still quite readable on the quiet background. He is 93 years old and used to be in Yokosuka in 1950 when he served for the Navy there. We could not converse much about his good old days so much. But I still felt, through his keying!, he had had a good memory in Yokosuka those days. He sounded excited at the key. The keying itself often expresses what the sender feels. Those who won't operate CW would never appreciate that at all, I guess.
The other guy was Don N7EF in Washington. He always watchs the band and gives me a call when no one calls me for my CQ. He said he had been just watching great ragchews going on the band. He kindly asked me about my cataract problem, which he had known through watching my QSO with another guy. He said his wife had had a surgery for her cataract, which came out to be a success. Even though, as he said, the ophthalmologist was pretty old just before retirement, he did it perfectly for her. I answered to him, with hearty thanks for his concern about my problem, that medical services should be conservative. Progressive methods could be sometimes experimental. I would have a surgery in a conservative way within a year or so. He also mentioned that the drivers' licence renewal is pretty strict especially for the seniors over there. He was nervous at it but could renew it uneventfully. I always enjoy talking to him since he is always a real critic to the ham radio or people on the radio.
I have been blessed with many friends on 40m in this way. Unfortunately, most of them have gone inactive or silent keyed by now. But, I know, there are still a number of old guys with whom I could share the same kind of interest or of concern. Even though I sometimes feel disappointed at it, I would go on operating radio. Yes, on 40m around our sunset. It is my nest to come back.
A national secrecy protection law
A national secrecy protection law is going to be legislated by our congress very soon. Even though the lawyers association as well as the mass media have protested against it very hard, the present government would do that by any means.
They say it is to protect our nation's interest by protecting the informations relevant with the national security. But there are a number of serious problems in this draft.
1)The law could cover all aspects of the administrative offices and their behaviours if the head of each office determines any information on them as a secret. No limit.
2)They don't need to publish the protected informations in certain span of time. They could cover up any informations unfavorable to them "forever". This rule may bring rise to moral hazard to the administrative officials including the cabinet.
It is definitely against our right to know and check what is going on in the administration of the nation. I am strongly against this law.
They say it is to protect our nation's interest by protecting the informations relevant with the national security. But there are a number of serious problems in this draft.
1)The law could cover all aspects of the administrative offices and their behaviours if the head of each office determines any information on them as a secret. No limit.
2)They don't need to publish the protected informations in certain span of time. They could cover up any informations unfavorable to them "forever". This rule may bring rise to moral hazard to the administrative officials including the cabinet.
It is definitely against our right to know and check what is going on in the administration of the nation. I am strongly against this law.
10/23/2013
Maybe, in several years, if the flutist is patient enough.
My wife has started taking lesson for flute. She has never played this wind instrument in the past. She used to say she dould get hyperventilated when playing such an instrument so that she won't do with it. Finding a flute class close to her office, she seemed to have decided to start it. Who knows how long she would go on with it? I should say bravo to her only for her starting it.
We used to play ensemble when we were young. She played a bit of piano. In our wedding party, we played "Apre Un Reve" by Faure as I have already told somewhere in this blog. It was a real appropriate choice of music!
We used to play ensemble when we were young. She played a bit of piano. In our wedding party, we played "Apre Un Reve" by Faure as I have already told somewhere in this blog. It was a real appropriate choice of music!
One of my rascal friends told me it had been the only chance we could force those attending the party to listen to our performance. Of ourse, we did it. We had been practising this ensemble at a student hall of our university immdiately before the wedding in the morning.
Now, since our daughter is pretty good at violin though she has not touched it for a few years, we might have a family ensemble like baroque trio. The problem is if my wife is patient enough to carry on practising flute for some time. Let's hope she is. Maybe, hopefully, in several years.
10/20/2013
A proof of my being
I have arranged the log books in order. I have been using common notebooks for logging since I started radio in 1963. The number of log books is 9 from 1963 to 1969, when I closed down preparing the entrance exam of med school. From 1980, when I came back on the air at a resident dorm in my honey moon to last Nov, when I changed logginf to PC application, it has amounted to 109. In total, 118. The total QSO number may reach a hundred thousand.
Looking back the content of log books in '60s, I have found old and fond call signs like WA6UNF, WB6LWY, WA6YVT, W6ULS, WB6CFN, WB6BFR, WB6BBC, KH6EFW and so forth. Many more. Most of them have already gone SK. I also noticed I was trying to make chats from those days. It was not exceptional that I made a QSO longer than an hour. I have talked to Loren K6DVD, now W4YU, for almost a couple of hours. The more experienced I was with QSOs, it seems, the more details of them I recorded in the note books. It might be related with my capability with English. And it may mean I was oriented to conversation on this mode in the very beginning.
It is of no use nor interest if the QSO data has no other record than date/report/name/QTH. If I have recorded the partner's age, job or career in ham radio etc, it surely helps me to recall of the QSO. I need the info on the partner's set up in order to appreciate the report. The report means differently according the partner's antenna. As much info as possible should be put on the remarks in the log books, I believe. Most of the current log application is not suitable for this purpose.
I feel overwhelmed by how long I have spent for ham radio. I won't regret. It is of no meaning to me. Looking a series of 599 QSL type QSO records in them, I thought I won't spend time for those QSOs any longer. I should do something else in stead. But, again, no regret for this amount of QSOs in the past. It is my fortune. I have known many good friends through those QSOs. It is a proof of my having been and being at present.
Looking back the content of log books in '60s, I have found old and fond call signs like WA6UNF, WB6LWY, WA6YVT, W6ULS, WB6CFN, WB6BFR, WB6BBC, KH6EFW and so forth. Many more. Most of them have already gone SK. I also noticed I was trying to make chats from those days. It was not exceptional that I made a QSO longer than an hour. I have talked to Loren K6DVD, now W4YU, for almost a couple of hours. The more experienced I was with QSOs, it seems, the more details of them I recorded in the note books. It might be related with my capability with English. And it may mean I was oriented to conversation on this mode in the very beginning.
It is of no use nor interest if the QSO data has no other record than date/report/name/QTH. If I have recorded the partner's age, job or career in ham radio etc, it surely helps me to recall of the QSO. I need the info on the partner's set up in order to appreciate the report. The report means differently according the partner's antenna. As much info as possible should be put on the remarks in the log books, I believe. Most of the current log application is not suitable for this purpose.
I feel overwhelmed by how long I have spent for ham radio. I won't regret. It is of no meaning to me. Looking a series of 599 QSL type QSO records in them, I thought I won't spend time for those QSOs any longer. I should do something else in stead. But, again, no regret for this amount of QSOs in the past. It is my fortune. I have known many good friends through those QSOs. It is a proof of my having been and being at present.
10/18/2013
Meeting with professor Nollet, K0EN, JO7XVL, in Fukushima
A couple of days ago, both I and my wife have gone to Fukushima. The purpose was to see our son studying medicine there. Having had a nice gettogether with him, we took dinner at a pretty casual restaurant close to his apartment. While we were waiting for the dishes, a thin and tall guy, apparently a foreigner, came in. It was Dr. Nollet. I knew him through the FCWA web site as well as the FMU web site. I remembered he had been an enthusiastic ham. He has got a japanese call sign, JO7XVL, there. I haven't personally acquainted with him before, though. He is working as a professor at the Dept. of Blood Transfusion and Transplantation at Fukushima Med University.
He seemed to enjoy dinner with a few japanese friends there. Some of their conversation has intermittently reached to us. I was wondering if I should say hello to him or not until we finished meal and was almost going out of the restaurant. At last, I decided to greet him. He was sociable continuously smiling at me and did not look unpleasant to have had his dinner interrupted by me. I introduced both myself and my son who will attend his class very shortly. He has K0EN in his home land. He used to operate radio from VK and A5 as well. When I told him I had been active especially on 40m with a 3 element Yagi, he uttered "Jealous!". But, knowing how he has been working at the university, I really felt envious of him. He must be in Germany at present attending a conference, as he told me.
He seems interested in ham radio as a tool of emergency communication as well as a educational means. This is the link to his "Director's Corner" in the site for Dept. of International Cooperation at Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey in Fukushima Med University.
http://www.fmu.ac.jp/radiationhealth/whatwedo/20131015.html
It was an unexpected meeting. But such an eye ball with a ham is always a pleasure. I am looking forward seeing him on the air soon.
He seemed to enjoy dinner with a few japanese friends there. Some of their conversation has intermittently reached to us. I was wondering if I should say hello to him or not until we finished meal and was almost going out of the restaurant. At last, I decided to greet him. He was sociable continuously smiling at me and did not look unpleasant to have had his dinner interrupted by me. I introduced both myself and my son who will attend his class very shortly. He has K0EN in his home land. He used to operate radio from VK and A5 as well. When I told him I had been active especially on 40m with a 3 element Yagi, he uttered "Jealous!". But, knowing how he has been working at the university, I really felt envious of him. He must be in Germany at present attending a conference, as he told me.
He seems interested in ham radio as a tool of emergency communication as well as a educational means. This is the link to his "Director's Corner" in the site for Dept. of International Cooperation at Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey in Fukushima Med University.
http://www.fmu.ac.jp/radiationhealth/whatwedo/20131015.html
It was an unexpected meeting. But such an eye ball with a ham is always a pleasure. I am looking forward seeing him on the air soon.
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