Studies on Optimum Size and Optimum Farm Organization for Japanese Pears Farm

In this paper, we discussed the optimum farm size and optimum farm organization for pear growing. The long-term objective of farm business is to raise the residual net return to a full-time farm laborer working the longest time possible. The optimum farm size is determined by maximization of net return to one farm laborer, taking into consideration such external and internal factors as climates, prices, techinical devices, farm organization and others. In this paper we estimated the optimum farm sizes for pear growing in Togo town and Tohaku town in Tottori prefecture by the parametric linear programming model. The results are as follows: (1)The optimum pear-farm per laborer in Togo town is 33.7 ARES, whereas in Tohaku is 36.3 ARES. But the actual farm sizes are smaller than the optimums due to the farmers' strong preference to risk aversion, and due to improper land conditions, lack of capitals, insufficient labor market and other factors. (2)In case of Togo town, the optimum farm size per laborer is 14.0 ARES for "Nijuseiki pears" on slope land, 2.8 ARES for "Nijuseiki pears" in green house, 10.0 ARES for "Okusankiti," and 6.9 ARES for "Shinkou," while in Tohaku town the optimum is 12.7 ARES for "Nijuseiki pears" on flat land, 2.5 ARES for "Nijuseiki pears" in green house, 13.1 ARES for "Housui," and 8.0 ARES for "Sinkou. (3)The above results suggest the following for development and reformation of pear Farms in the studied areas. 1)The land consolidation is necessary in Togo town to economize the labor force and to Raise the optimum farm size. 2)For large pear farms in Tohaku town, growing "Housui" and "Sinkou" pears instead of "Nijuseiki" will help raise the net return. 3)In both areas ,obtaining enough labor forces during the busiest season is one of most Important factors to realize the optimum sized farming

TPP is a highest priority for Japan

かつてアジア太平洋の経済協力フォーラムのAPECを立ち上げ、以降、アジア太平洋のリーダーを自負している日本が、この地域の経済秩序のルール作りに加わらないという選択肢はあり得ない。日本のTPP参加は、現在の日本の閉塞状況を打破し、経済再生を図る好機であり、できるだけ早く行うべきである。レベルが高く包括的な自由貿易協定のTPPへの参加は、投資分野における紛争解決手続きであるISDS条項や日本の農業問題もあり、確かにチャレンジであるが、日本は長期的な視点で将来を展望しTPPに参加して、そのメリットを享受すべきである。参加交渉やルール作りのプロセスでは他の参加国とのシビアな交渉が待ち受けているであろう。そのためには、TPPの正しい理解と正確な情報の下に、日本はその立ち位置を定め、TPP参加の意義やメリット・デメリット、守るべき点・譲っていい点、もたらされる影響等を整理し、それを国民に丁寧に説明した上で国内での意思を強固にして、確固不抜の戦略を立ててしっかりとした戦術で関係国との交渉に臨み、日本を有利に導くことが望まれる

Check and Correct U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s English

トランプ米国大統領の英語を主要歴代大統領や彼と大統領選で戦った候補と比較すると、文法は小学校5年から6年生レベル、語彙は8年生に届かない低いレベルである。また彼の英語には、繰り返しや口語的な誇張表現の多用が見られ、スラングや上品でない言葉も含まれる。トランプ大統領が自ら認めたと思われる、2018年5月24日付けの北朝鮮金正恩労働党委 員長に宛てた首脳会談の「中止」を告げる書簡をチェックすると、語法や言い回しにおいて指摘すべき点が多々ある。英語を母語とする人が、たとえ米国の大統領であったとしても、必ずしも相応しい英語を書く訳ではなく、時には間違った、あるいは望ましくない英語を書いている。トランプ大統領がSNS等で書く英語は子供っぽく、また誇張表現や感情表現が多いが、スピーチライターが慎重を期して書き、トランプ大統領がゆっくり発している大統領選勝利演説や大統領指名受諾演説、一般教書演説等は英語学習において有用である。英語学習者はその点を踏まえて彼の英語を活用するのが良い

Upregulation of PIP3-dependent Rac exchanger 1 (P-Rex1) promotes prostate cancer metastasis.

Excessive activation of G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) and receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) pathways has been linked to prostate cancer metastasis. Rac activation by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) plays an important role in directional cell migration, a critical step of tumor metastasis cascades. We found that the upregulation of P-Rex1, a Rac-selective GEF synergistically activated by Gbetagamma freed during GPCR signaling, and PIP3, generated during either RTK or GPCR signaling, strongly correlates with metastatic phenotypes in both prostate cancer cell lines and human prostate cancer specimens. Silencing endogenous P-Rex1 in metastatic prostate cancer PC-3 cells selectively inhibited Rac activity and reduced cell migration and invasion in response to ligands of both epidermal growth factor receptor and G-protein-coupled CXC chemokine receptor 4. Conversely, expression of recombinant P-Rex1, but not its \u27GEF-dead\u27 mutant, in non-metastatic prostate cancer cells, such as CWR22Rv1, increased cell migration and invasion through Rac-dependent lamellipodia formation. More importantly, using a mouse xenograft model, we showed that the expression of P-Rex1, but not its mutant, induced lymph node metastasis of CWR22Rv1 cells without an effect on primary tumor growth. Thus, by functioning as a coincidence detector of chemotactic signals from both GPCRs and RTKs, P-Rex1-dependent activation of Rac promotes prostate cancer metastasis

Calcitonin Receptor Signaling Inhibits Muscle Stem Cells from Escaping the Quiescent State and the Niche

Masahiko Yamaguchi, Yoko Watanabe, Takuji Ohtani, Akiyoshi Uezumi, Norihisa Mikami, Miki Nakamura, Takahiko Sato, Masahito Ikawa, Mikio Hoshino, Kunihiro Tsuchida, Yuko Miyagoe-Suzuki, Kazutake Tsujikawa, Shin’ichi Takeda, Hiroshi Yamamoto, So-ichiro Fukada, Calcitonin Receptor Signaling Inhibits Muscle Stem Cells from Escaping the Quiescent State and the Niche, Cell Reports, Volume 13, Issue 2, 2015, Pages 302-314, ISSN 2211-1247, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2015.08.083