Music-Centered Music Therapy Interventions with the Viola

This research involved the creation of music therapy interventions making use of the viola within a music-centered music therapy framework. The researcher elaborates on her background and experience using the viola as her primary instrument, which contributes to the design of four separate interventions. The literature review reveals that there are a number of music therapists who have evaluated the use of their primary instrument in a self-reflexive manner; these accounts were used to further examine the importance of using one’s own musicality and create a guideline for the use of viola. The music-centered music therapy orientation as conceptualized by Kenneth Aigen is summarized and supports the ideas regarding the aesthetic qualities and how they influence clinical goals. The interventions developed included using the viola for improvisation, receptive listening, conducting, and movement to music. Steps were described within each intervention in order for other music therapists to be able to follow and replicate them as easily as possible. Considerations to be aware of before implementing each intervention are discussed, such as assessment and evaluation information for clients, as well as indications and contraindications that may emerge. While the research served to create the interventions from a music-centered perspective based on past studies on one’s primary instrument in music therapy, the interventions were not tested. Future research that could test these interventions would be beneficial for the growth of knowledge within this field, particularly by music therapists who can provide a different viewpoint and perspective

Identifying signaling pathway architectures using model-driven experimental design

All cells rely on intracellular signaling pathways to respond to environmental cues. These pathwas are comprised of tiers of signaling molecules, such as enzymes or metabolites, that direct specific subcellular events. How information is transmitted throughout can be complex and can depend on many tightly-controlled non-linear interactions. In this work, we combine computational modeling and bench experimentation to understand and identify signaling mechanisms driving complex behavior. We apply “model-driven experimental design” in which we use competing models trained on our experimental data to predict new signaing behavior that we then use to validate the models with experimental results. Using this approach, we identified a novel positive feedback mechanism in the High Osmolarity Glycerol (HOG) pathway in yeast. We then use a similar model to compare the difference between activation and nuclear translocation behaviors of the key HOG pathway Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK). In contrast to the current literature, we find that these two dynamics are indeed distinct. We suspect that these dynamics are responsible for driving differential cytosolic and nuclear responses and propose computational and bench experiments for follow up. Finally, we discuss the importance of this work in both the contexts of understanding MAPK signaling regulation and using model-driven experimental design.Doctor of Philosoph

日本語教育における「日本文化」についての理論的・実践的考察 ―クリティカルペダゴジーの視点から―

　言語と文化は密接に関係しているが、近年の日本語教育分野において「文化」を授業に取り入れる重要性が広く議論されている。また、クリティカルペダゴジーの立場から、一般的に教えられている「日本文化」が固定的で典型的な日本のイメージを助長するものであると問題視する声があがっている。文化は静的・固定的なものではなく、動態的で多様的なものとしてとらえるのが主流となってきている。つまり、日本文化を教える場合、その多様性を無視することはできないということになる。その点を踏まえ、本稿では「日本語教育における文化教育」について理論的・実践的の面から多角的に考察する。まずは4つの主な文化論を通して文化のとらえかたの多様性を示す。次に、クリティカルペダゴジーの立場から日本語教育における文化的要素を検証した先行研究について述べる。最後に「批判的視点から文化を取り入れた」授業報告をする。以上の点を通して、批判的視点を踏まえた「文化」を日本語教育へ取り入れていく提言をしたい。　In recent foreign/second language education field, the significance of integrating "culture" into language learning has been widely discussed. Some scholars in critical pedagogy, however, have warned that the over-emphasis on typical representation of the target culture results in proliferating normative linguistic and cultural ideologies. Often, Japanese culture is referred to as homogeneous and group-oriented in language learning environment. The multiplicity, hybridity, and fluidity in Japanese culture, on the contrary, have been largely neglected. It is the language educator\u27s responsibility to challenge the dilemma. This article thus intends to raise awareness of aforementioned critical issues among language educators and to suggest taking the critical aspects into their own language curriculum. In so doing, the article first discusses main cultural theories, and then examines previous studies on sociocultural issues in teaching Japanese from critical approaches, which is followed by classroom report on critical aspects of Japanese culture

Genome organization of the vg1 and nodal3 gene clusters in the allotetraploid frog Xenopus laevis.

Extracellular factors belonging to the TGF-β family play pivotal roles in the formation and patterning of germ layers during early Xenopus embryogenesis. Here, we show that the vg1 and nodal3 genes of Xenopus laevis are present in gene clusters on chromosomes XLA1L and XLA3L, respectively, and that both gene clusters have been completely lost from the syntenic S chromosome regions. The presence of gene clusters and chromosome-specific gene loss were confirmed by cDNA FISH analyses. Sequence and expression analyses revealed that paralogous genes in the vg1 and nodal3 clusters on the L chromosomes were also altered compared to their Xenopus tropicalis orthologs. X. laevis vg1 and nodal3 paralogs have potentially become pseudogenes or sub-functionalized genes and are expressed at different levels. As X. tropicalis has a single vg1 gene on chromosome XTR1, the ancestral vg1 gene in X. laevis appears to have been expanded on XLA1L. Of note, two reported vg1 genes, vg1(S20) and vg1(P20), reside in the cluster on XLA1L. The nodal3 gene cluster is also present on X. tropicalis chromosome XTR3, but phylogenetic analysis indicates that nodal3 genes in X. laevis and X. tropicalis were independently expanded and/or evolved in concert within each cluster by gene conversion. These findings provide insights into the function and molecular evolution of TGF-β family genes in response to allotetraploidization

SNP- and haplotype-based genome-wide association studies for growth, carcass, and meat quality traits in a Duroc multigenerational population

Average linkage disequilibrium coefficient (r2) values plotted against intermarker distance for all autosomal chromosomes. (PDF 407 kb

Val1483Ile polymorphism in the fatty acid synthase gene was associated with depressive symptoms under the influence of psychological stress

金沢大学医薬保健研究域薬学系Background: To study the association between lipid-metabolism and depressive symptoms, genetic polymorphisms in serotonin transporter linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR) and fatty acid synthase gene (FASN) were investigated. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 177 women (n = 166) and men (n = 15) recruited from workers in a hospital and nursing homes in Japan. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale and perceived psychological stress was measured using visual analogue scale (VAS). The genotypes of 5-HTTLPR (insertion/deletion; L/S), and FASN (Val1483Ile) were determined by the PCR methods. Linear regression analysis was performed, in which CES-D scores served as a dependent variable, and VAS scores, gene polymorphism, and confounders as independent variables. Results: Under the influence of perceived stress, S/S carriers of the 5-HTTLPR gene showed significantly higher CES-D scores in comparison with L/L + L/S carriers (F = 8.2, standardised β = 0.15, p < 0.05). Regression analysis also confirmed that CES-D scores in participants with Ile/Ile + Val/Ile genotypes of the FASN gene were significantly higher than those with Val/Val genotype (F = 8.4, standardised β = 0.16, p < 0.05). In relation to physical features, BMI among participants with S/S genotype of 5-HTTLPR was significantly lower compared with those with L/L + L/S genotypes. Conclusions: The Val1483Ile polymorphism in the FASN was associated with depressive symptoms under the influence of psychological stress. The S variant of 5-HTTLPR was related with less obese. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

ACPA-negative RA consists of two genetically distinct subsets based on RF positivity in Japanese.

HLA-DRB1, especially the shared epitope (SE), is strongly associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, recent studies have shown that SE is at most weakly associated with RA without anti-citrullinated peptide/protein antibody (ACPA). We have recently reported that ACPA-negative RA is associated with specific HLA-DRB1 alleles and diplotypes. Here, we attempted to detect genetically different subsets of ACPA-negative RA by classifying ACPA-negative RA patients into two groups based on their positivity for rheumatoid factor (RF). HLA-DRB1 genotyping data for totally 954 ACPA-negative RA patients and 2,008 healthy individuals in two independent sets were used. HLA-DRB1 allele and diplotype frequencies were compared among the ACPA-negative RF-positive RA patients, ACPA-negative RF-negative RA patients, and controls in each set. Combined results were also analyzed. A similar analysis was performed in 685 ACPA-positive RA patients classified according to their RF positivity. As a result, HLA-DRB1*04:05 and *09:01 showed strong associations with ACPA-negative RF-positive RA in the combined analysis (p = 8.8×10(-6) and 0.0011, OR: 1.57 (1.28-1.91) and 1.37 (1.13-1.65), respectively). We also found that HLA-DR14 and the HLA-DR8 homozygote were associated with ACPA-negative RF-negative RA (p = 0.00022 and 0.00013, OR: 1.52 (1.21-1.89) and 3.08 (1.68-5.64), respectively). These association tendencies were found in each set. On the contrary, we could not detect any significant differences between ACPA-positive RA subsets. As a conclusion, ACPA-negative RA includes two genetically distinct subsets according to RF positivity in Japan, which display different associations with HLA-DRB1. ACPA-negative RF-positive RA is strongly associated with HLA-DRB1*04:05 and *09:01. ACPA-negative RF-negative RA is associated with DR14 and the HLA-DR8 homozygote

Fluorogenic derivatization of aryl halides based on the formation of biphenyl by Suzuki coupling reaction with phenylboronic acid.

The fluorogenic derivatization method for aryl halide was developed for the first time. This method was based on the formation of fluorescent biphenyl structure by Suzuki coupling reaction between aryl halides and non-fluorescent phenylboronic acid (PBA). We measured the fluorescence spectra of the products obtained by the reaction of p-substituted aryl bromides (i.e., 4-bromobenzonitrile, 4-bromoanisole, 4-bromobenzoic acid ethyl ester and 4-bromotoluene) with PBA in the presence of palladium (II) acetate as a catalyst. The significant fluorescence at excitation maximum wavelength of 275-290 nm and emission maximum wavelength of 315-350 nm was detected in all the tested aryl bromides. This result demonstrated that non-fluorescent aryl bromides could be converted to the fluorescent biphenyl derivatives by the coupling reaction with non-fluorescent PBA. We tried to determine these aryl bromides by HPLC-fluorescence detection with pre-column derivatization. The aryl bromide derivatives were detected on the chromatogram within 30 min without any interfering peak derived from the reagent blank. The detection limits (S/N=3) for aryl bromides were 13-157 fmol/injection