Gossip consensus and averaging algorithms with quantization

Abstract-We study distributed consensus problems of multiagent systems on directed networks and subject to quantized information flow. For the communication among component agents, particular attention is given to the gossip type, which models their asynchronous behaviors; for quantization effects, each agent's state is abstracted to be an integer. The central question investigated is how to design distributed algorithms and what connectivity of networks that together lead to consensus. This investigation is carried out for both general consensus and average consensus; for each case, a class of algorithms is proposed, under which a necessary and sufficient graphical condition is derived to guarantee the corresponding consensus. In particular, the obtained graphical condition ensuring average consensus is weaker than those in the literature for either realvalued or quantized states, in the sense that it does not require symmetric (or balanced) network topologies

Development of Phonon Dynamics Measurement System by MIR- FEL and Pico-second Laser

FEL2015, Daejeon, Republic of KoreaCoherent control of a lattice vibration in bulk solid (mode-selective phonon excitation: MSPE) is one of the attractive methods in the solid state physics because it becomes a powerful tool for the study of ultrafast lattice dynamics (e.g. electron-phonon interaction and phonon-phonon interaction). Not only for that, MSPE can control electronic, magnetic, and structural phases of materials. In 2013, we have directly demonstrated MSPE of a bulk material with MIR-FEL (KU-FEL) by anti-Stokes Raman scattering spectroscopy. For the next step, we are starting a phonon dynamics measurement to investigate the difference of physical property between thermally excited phonon (phonon of equilibrium state) and optically excited phonon (phonon of non-equilibrium state) by time-resolved method in combination with a pico-second VIS laser. By using pico-second laser, we also expect to perform the anti-Stokes hyper-Raman scattering spectroscopy to extend MSPE method to the phonon mode which has Raman inactive . As the first step, we have commissioned the time-resolved phonon measurement system and started measurement on 6H-SiC. In this conference, we will present the outline of measurement system, and experimental results

Two distinct prions in fatal familial insomnia and its sporadic form

Abstract Fatal familial insomnia is a genetic prion disease, which is associated with the aspartic acid to asparagine substitution at codon 178 of the prion protein gene. Although the hallmark pathological feature is thalamic and olivary degeneration, there is a patient with an atypical fatal familial insomnia without the hallmark feature. The cause of the pathological variability is unclear. We analysed a Japanese fatal familial insomnia kindred and compared one atypical clinicopathological fatal familial insomnia phenotype case and typical fatal familial insomnia phenotype cases with transmission studies using multiple lines of knock-in mice and with protein misfolding cyclic amplification. We also analysed the transmissibility and the amplification properties of sporadic fatal insomnia. Transmission studies revealed that the typical fatal familial insomnia with thalamic and olivary degeneration showed successful transmission only using knock-in mice expressing human–mouse chimeric prion protein gene. The atypical fatal familial insomnia with spongiform changes showed successful transmission only using knock-in mice expressing bank vole prion protein gene. Two sporadic fatal insomnia cases with thalamic and olivary degeneration showed the same transmissibility as the typical fatal familial insomnia phenotype. Interestingly, one sporadic fatal insomnia case with thalamic/olivary degeneration and spongiform changes showed transmissibility of both the typical and atypical fatal familial insomnia phenotypes. Protein misfolding cyclic amplification could amplify both typical fatal familial insomnia cases and sporadic fatal insomnia cases but not the atypical fatal familial insomnia phenotype or other sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease subtypes. In addition to clinical findings and neuropathological features, the transmission properties and the amplification properties were different between the typical and atypical fatal familial insomnia phenotypes. It is suggested that two distinct prions were associated with the diversity in the fatal familial insomnia phenotype, and these two prions could also be detected in sporadic fatal insomnia

Improving Mathematics Lesson and Evaluation through Setting Inquiry Problem-Solving Activities

The purpose of this research is to make a theoretical framework for improving mathematics lesson and evaluation through setting inquiry problem-solving activities effectively in junior high and senior high mathematics lessons. To achieve this, we first carried out a questionnaire survey to capture how students perceive learning mathematics and, based on the results, made a framework incorporated these activities for lesson design and evaluation of student’s learning. Then, sample lesson conducted in a junior and senior high school based on the framework was analyzed to investigate its effectiveness and get some practical suggestions