Structural characteristics of the redox-sensing coiled coil in the voltage-gated H^+ channel

This research was originally published in Journal of Biological Chemistry. Yuichiro Fujiwara, Kohei Takeshita, Atsushi Nakagawa and Yasushi Okamura. Structural characteristics of the redox-sensing coiled coil in the voltage-gated H^+ channel. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2013; 288, 17968-17975. © the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

LISP Mapping Resolution Impacts on Initiating Bidirection-al End-to-End Communications

In order to solve scalability problems of routing and addressing architec-tures of the current Internet, Locator/ID Separation Protocol (LISP) has been proposed. LISP requires mapping resolutions between a locator and an ID and such resolutions may impact on communications. In this paper, we empirically show its impact on in-itiating end-to-end bidirectional communications based upon actual LISP environment. We then discuss solutions to overcome impacts and imply that Data Probe may be a solution by applying it only to DNS queries, responses, TCP SYN and SYN+ACK

Ultrabright narrow-band telecom two-photon source for long-distance quantum communication

We demonstrate an ultrabright narrow-band two-photon source at the 1.5 -\mu m telecom wavelength for long-distance quantum communication. By utilizing a bow-tie cavity, we obtain a cavity enhancement factor of $4.06\times 10^4$. Our measurement of the second-order correlation function $G^{(2)} ({\tau})$ reveals that the linewidth of $2.4$ MHz has been hitherto unachieved in the 1.5 -\mu m telecom band. This two-photon source is useful for obtaining a high absorption probability close to unity by quantum memories set inside quantum repeater nodes. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, the observed spectral brightness of $3.94\times 10^5$ pairs/(s$\cdot$MHz$\cdot$mW) is also the highest reported over all wavelengths.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, 2 table

Structural basis for the membrane association of ankyrinG via palmitoylation

Fujiwara, Y., Kondo, H., Shirota, M. et al. Structural basis for the membrane association of ankyrinG via palmitoylation. Sci Rep 6, 23981 (2016) doi:10.1038/srep2398

ALSET - Japanese Air Launch System Ground Tests and Applications

The Air Launch System Enabling Technology (ALSET) project is a Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) funded project whose purpose is to study air launch orbital payload delivery systems and related technologies. The project is a first step toward an operational commercial air launch system that will use a multistage solid rocket to deliver small payloads on the order of 100 to 200 kilograms into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). An air drop type launch approach to space transportation provides high reliability, flexibility, and responsiveness to meet the future needs of small satellite operators. ALSET culminates in a series of drop tests of an inert launch vehicle (a mass simulator) to demonstrate the technologies necessary for the operational system. The baseline system design uses a carriage extraction system method whereby the rocket is extracted from a C-130 aircraft on a TYPE-V platform. Two 28-foot extraction parachutes are used to pull the platform from the aircraft. Three 100-foot cargo parachutes are then deployed for deceleration prior to release of the rocket from the platform for launch. The baseline test site selected for the drop test is the Yuma Test Center (YTC) in Arizona, USA. The large drop zones available at the YTC are ideal for ALSET testing. Additionally, the YTC’s considerable experience with similar test activities, including the NASA Ares Jumbo Drop Test Vehicle drop tests, minimizes technical risks. The authors’ efforts to date completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) for the ALSET Drop Test in February and March 2015. The ALSET program is now ready for manufacturing for the ALSET Drop Test. As the prospective applications of ALSET to C4ISR missions, two case studies were conducted. The studies demonstrated the effectiveness of the air launch system. The responsiveness and flexibility of the air launch system enables small satellites to collect the ground information desired in short time, and to observe the target highfrequently by sequential satellite launches and forming a constellation

ヒガシ ニホン ダイシンサイ ヒサイチ ニ オケル ワカモノ ノ ライフコース ジョウケン コンナン チイキ デ セイカツ スル リユウ ト コミュニティ ノ フッコウ

本研究の目的は東日本大震災の被災地である過疎地域の若者の現状を描くことにある。東日本大震災の特徴のひとつは、被災地の多くが高齢化と人口減少の課題を抱えた過疎地域であった点にある。本研究が調査地とする宮城県南三陸町は震災において壊滅的な被害を受けた。その後、今日に至るまで人口流出は止まっていない。それでもなお、南三陸を居住地として選ぶ若者がいる。本研究では南三陸の若者のライフコースを分析することを通じて、条件困難地域における若者の生活と震災の影響を検討した。調査の結果、南三陸を生活の拠点に選んだ若者のライフコースは、U ターン型、I ターン/ 移住型、ローカル/ 県内周流型ごとに特徴が見られた。そして分析の結果、第１に、彼らの「幸福」は、本人の職業選択と地域コミュニティへの参加の程度にもよると考えられた。第２に、若者は「地域愛着」「人間関係」「自己実現（就労）」の3 つの理由から条件困難地域を居住地に選んでいることがわかった。そして第３に、若者は震災と無関係でいることはできず、震災からの復興の過程において、地域住民とのコミュニケーションを通して、今日的なコミュニティを形成する構成員となり、ソーシャルな課題と自己実現の両方に取り組んでいると考えられた。The purpose of this study is to analyze young people in the depopulated areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. One of the characteristics of this disaster was that the affected areas had long been facing various social problems. Specifically, it was a depopulated area with issues of aging and declining population. Population decline became an even greater social problem as a result of the earthquake. The affected areas are facing serious population decline and aging, and young people are losing their bases of livelihood. Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, where this study was conducted, was devastated by the earthquake. To this day, the population outflow has not stopped. Despite these circumstances, there are young people who choose Minamisanriku as their place of residence. This study attempted to understand the factors that led young people to choose Minamisanriku as their place of residence, despite the region's declines. Through analyzing the life course of young people in Minamisanriku, we examined their lives in such a difficult area and the impact of the earthquake on them. The survey results show that the life course of young people who chose Minamisanriku as their base of living can be classified into three categories; U-turn type, who returned to Minamisanriku after once going to school or working in the city center. I-turn type who moved from urban areas to Minamisanriku. Local-type who have lived and worked in Minamisanriku since birth. First, the analysis revealed that their ”happiness” depends on their career choices and the degree of participation in the communities. Second, they chose Minamisanriku as their place of residence due to "community attachment," “human relations, ”and "self-actualization (employment)”. Third, young people cannot remain unrelated to the disaster, and in the process of recovery from the disaster, they become members of the community through communication with local residents, and they are considered to be tackling both social issues and self-actualization.論文RESEARCH ARTICL

Electron and ion transport through multilayers of Au nanoclusters covered by self-assembled monolayers

Two types of gold nanoclusters (GNCs), one covered by self-assembled monolayers of mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA), hexanethiol (C6SH), and ferrocenylhexanethiol (FcC6SH), MHF-GNC, and the other with MUA and C6SH, MH-GNC, were used for the construction of ten GNC layers of two different sequences on an MUA modified Au(1 1 1) surface based on the carboxylate/polycation (poly(allylamine hydrochloride), PAH)/carboxylate electrostatic interaction. MHF-GNC was placed either as the layer closest to the gold electrode, i.e. the first layer, or as the outermost layer with MH-GHC in the other layers. A quasi-reversible redox peak with a constant charge corresponding to the redox reaction of the ferrocene moiety of the MHF-GNC monolayer was observed at both electrodes, showing electrons and perchlorate ions could be transferred through the MH-GNC/PAH multilayers. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the size of the immobilized GNC was almost same as that in solution and well-separated GNCs were dispersed rather uniformly within the polymeric matrix. The incorporation of perchlorate ion upon the oxidation of the ferrocene moiety of the MHF-GNC was demonstrated by electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance measurement. Based on the above results, the charge transfer mechanism in the GNC multilayers was discussed