University of Electro-Communications eBulletin: Polymer-based Optical Fiber for Visualization of Stress for Construction Sites and Civil Engineering Applications

TOKYO, March 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- University of Electro-Communications publishes the March 2020 issue of UEC e-Bulletin

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/

The March 2020 issue of the UEC e-Bulletin includes short videos of UEC researchers describing their activities on MEMS technology for fabricating plasmonic devices and molecular mechanisms controlling muscle contraction in the body.

Research highlights 'In vivo bioimaging: technology to elucidate sex-dependent differences in skeletal muscle function,' Yutaka Kano; 'MEMS technology for fabricating plasmonic near-infrared spectrometers,' Tetsuo Kan.

The Topics section features research on 'Self-regulated learning: English tuition for students of science and engineering' by Suwako Uehara.

News and Events are 'Industry-UCB-UEC-Keio Workshop 2019'; UEC signs general agreement with UNS', and UEC signs general agreement with Hanoi Medical University'.

March 2020 issue of UEC eBulletin

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/

Researcher Video Profiles

Molecular mechanisms controlling muscle contraction in the body

Yutaka Kano, Department of Engineering Science, University of Electro-Communications

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/researcher-video-profiles/2020/yutaka-kano.html

Muscle contraction is controlled by changes in various molecules in the body. In cells, the contraction and relaxation of calcium ions in a short time are regulated. To-date, many biological studies have revealed the changes at the molecular level by morphological observation and biochemical analysis by collecting cells

MEMS technology for fabricating plasmonic devices

Tetsuo Kan, Department of Mechanical and Intelligent Systems Engineering

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/researcher-video-profiles/2020/tetsuo-kan.html

"MEMS technology provides us with very small size sensors such as force sensors or inertial sensors or photodetectors and so on," says Kan. "We are focusing on new optical devices by combining MEMS and plasmonics."

Research Highlights

In vivo bioimaging: technology to elucidate sex-dependent differences in skeletal muscle function

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/research-highlights/2020/in-vivo-bioimaging-technology-to-elucidate-sex-dependent-differences-in-skeletal-muscle-function.htmll

Yutaka Kano and colleagues at University Electro-communications and Kansas State University focused on calcium ion (Ca²⁺) dynamics that regulate muscle contraction and mitochondrial function.

Daiki Watanabe, Koji Hatakeyama, Ryo Ikegami, Hiroaki Eshima, Kazuyoshi Yagishita, David C. Poole, and Yutaka Kano, "Sex differences in mitochondrial Ca2+ handling in mouse fast-twitch skeletal muscle in vivo", Journal of Applied Physiology 128, 241-251 (2020).

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 10.1152/japplphysiol.00230.2019.DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1479-6

MEMS technology for fabricating plasmonic near-infrared spectrometers

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/research-highlights/2020/mems-technology-for-fabricating-plasmonic-near-infrared-spectrometers.html

Oshita Masaaki and Kan Tetsuo at the University of Electro-Communications and collaborators have developed a gold diffraction-grating-type plasmonic photodetector on a MEMS-Micro Electro Mechanical Systems-deformable cantilever.

Authors: Masaaki Oshita, Hidetoshi Takahashi, Yoshiharu Ajiki, Tetsuo Kan, "Reconfigurable Surface Plasmon Resonance Photodetector with a MEMS Deformable Cantilever", ACS Photonics (in press).

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 10.1021/acsphotonics.9b01510

Topics Video

Self-regulated learning: English for students of science and engineering

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/topics/2020/self-regulated-learning-english-for-students-of-science-and-engineering.html

"My approach to teaching English to students majoring in science and technology is based on the so-called 'self-regulated learning," says Suwako Uehara, an associate professor at the Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, Faculty of Informatics and Engineering Division of General Education, UEC Tokyo. "Amongst other things, this requires emphasizing motivation, awareness, setting goals, developing skill sets and technology for the mutual benefit of both students and their teachers. Teaching STEM students is a challenging and continuously evolving process of education."

News and Events

UEC signs general agreement with UNS

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/news/2020/uec-signs-general-agreement-with-uns.html

On January 9, 2020, the University of Electro-Communications (UEC) has singed general agreement with Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), Indonesia, to promote further international collaboration.

Industry-UCB-UEC-Keio Workshop 2019

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/news/2020/industry-ucb-uec-keio-workshop-2019.html

From December 10 to 11, 2019, Industry-UCB-UEC-Keio Workshop 2019 (IUUKWS 2019) took place at Keio University (Keio). An interdisciplinary group of corporate executive officers, experts, and researchers from various industries, the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), Keio, and the University of Electro-Communications (UEC) came together for the workshop.

UEC signs general agreement with Hanoi Medical University

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/news/2020/uec-signs-general-agreement-with-hanoi-medical-university.html

On 6 January, 2020, the University of Electro-Communications (UEC) signed general agreement with Hanoi Medical University, Vietnam, to promote further international collaboration between the two universities.

About the University of Electro-Communications

http://www.uec.ac.jp/

The University of Electro-Communications (UEC) in Tokyo is a small, luminous university at the forefront of pure and applied sciences, engineering, and technology research. Its roots go back to the Technical Institute for Wireless Commutations, which was established in 1918 by the Wireless Association to train so-called wireless engineers in maritime communications in response to the Titanic disaster in 1912. In 1949, the UEC was established as a national university by the Japanese Ministry of Education and moved in 1957 from Meguro to its current Chofu campus Tokyo.

With approximately 4,000 students and 350 faculty members, UEC is regarded as a small university, but with expertise in wireless communications, laser science, robotics, informatics, and material science, to name just a few areas of research.

The UEC was selected for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Program for Promoting the Enhancement of Research Universities as a result of its strengths in three main areas: optics and photonics research, where we are number one for the number of joint publications with foreign researchers; wireless communications, which reflects our roots; and materials-based research, particularly on fuel cells.

Website: http://www.uec.ac.jp/

Further information:
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Website: http://www.uec.ac.jp/