RCAST NAVI 2015/01

  RCAST NAVI 
  2015 January
  http://www.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jp/index_en.html


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[Press Release]
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  23 Dec, 2014
  Neuronal circuit for olfactory navigation identified - Four circuits from
  sensory input to motor output - Professor Ryohei Kanzaki (Intelligent
  Cooperative Systems), Shigehiro Namiki and research group.

  http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/utokyo-research/research-news/neuronal-circuit-for-olfactory-navigation-identified/

  5 Dec, 2014
  Miniature Ion Thruster Propulsion System, In-Flight Operation First
  operation of an ion thruster on a small satellite (less than 100 kg) -
  Associate professor Hiroyuki Koizumi (Mathematical Physics of Emergent
  Systems) and Professor Shinichi Nakasuka (Department of Aeronautics and
  Astronautics)

  http://www.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/etpage/release/2014/141212-01.html


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[Topics]
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*Professor Ryohei Kanzaki (Intelligent Cooperative Systems), Terufumi
  Fujiwara and research group published "Odorant Concentration
  Differentiator for Intermittent Olfactory Signals" in Journal of
  Neuroscience. Researchers have demonstrated that the olfactory neural
  circuit codes odor concentration relative to that of prior odors rather
  than as an absolute concentration as previously thought. The relative
  representation of sensory intensity revealed in vision and audition is
  likely to be a universal mechanism.

  http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/utokyo-research/research-news/a-novel-neuronal-mechanism-to-efficiently-code-odorant-concentration/

*Tokyo Institute of Technology, NTT Advanced Technology Corporation and
  Professor Hiroshi Toshiyoshi (Micro Device Engineering) succeeded in
  reducing the size of accelerometer to about a tenth of comparable
  high-resolution silicon MEMS accelerometer, by using gold in the movable
  mass.

  Tokyo Tech News:Tokyo Institute of Technology
  http://www.titech.ac.jp/english/news/2014/029368.html

*Researchers at National Institute for Physiological Sciences and Professor
  Takao Hamakubo (Quantitative Biology and Medicine) found out that the
  conformational defect in a specific protein causes Autosomal Dominant
  Lateral Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (ADLTE) which is a form of familial
  epilepsy. They showed that treatment with chemical corrector called
  "chemical chaperone" ameliorates increased seizure susceptibility in a
  mouse model of human epilepsy by correcting the conformational defect.
  This was published in Nature Medicine (December 8, 2014 electronic
  edition).

  Release:National Institute for Physiological Sciences
  http://www.nips.ac.jp/eng/contents/release/entry/2014/12/post-285.html

*A joint symposium of AICT and RCAST was held at AICT (Advanced Institutes
  of Convergence Technology), Seoul National University, in Suwon, KOREA on
  November 28, 2014. After this symposium, the signing ceremony of MOU
  between AICT and RCAST took place.

  http://www.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jp/research/report/2014/1128_en.html

*The special event 'Setsubun & Mochi Pounding' for international students
  and researchers at RCAST was held.

  http://www.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jp/research/report/2015/0116_en.html


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[Report]
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## TV ##

*Professor Koji Ikuta (Medical Micromachine) featured on BS Japan "MIRAI
  HENO DENGON, Nippon 100 NEN MONOGATARI" on 2 Jan.

*Professor Katsuhiro Nishinari (Mathematical Physics of Emergent Systems)
  appeared on NHK TV program "MASAKAME TV".
  http://www4.nhk.or.jp/masakame/x/2014-12-20/21/32624/ (in Japanese)

## Newspaper: Contributed article ##

*Associate Professor Satoshi Ikeuchi (Islamic Political Thought ):
  Nihon Keizai Shimbun (27 Jan)

*Professor Izuru Makihara (Political Administrative System) :
  Asahi Shimbun (24 Jan)

*Visiting Professor Takashi Mikuriya (Information, Culture and Social
  Studies) :Yomiuri Shimbun (16 Jan)

*Professor Katsuya Tamai (Intellectual Property Law) :
  Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun (6 Jan)

  RCAST Activity Report:
  http://www.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jp/news/index_en.html