Consideration of Chorus Activities of a Junior High School in Okayama Prefecture

　本研究は，岡山県の中学校教育における合唱活動の現状と，その課題点を明らかにすることを目的とする。そ のために，学習指導要領の分析，合唱連盟の加盟団体数及びNHK 全国学校音楽コンクールへの参加校数の他県 との比較，県内中学校の音楽科教員へのインタビュー調査を行った。その結果，①岡山県は合唱指導を得意とす る教員が少なく，音楽の授業や合唱・歌唱指導の内容に差が生じていること②指導者不足により，合唱部の活動 が衰退していること③現場の教員は生徒指導に多くの時間を割かなければならず，授業や部活動に力を入れにく いことが明らかになった

Approximate Bregman Proximal Gradient Algorithm for Relatively Smooth Nonconvex Optimization

In this paper, we propose the approximate Bregman proximal gradient algorithm (ABPG) for solving composite nonconvex optimization problems. ABPG employs a new distance that approximates the Bregman distance, making the subproblem of ABPG simpler to solve compared to existing Bregman-type algorithms. The subproblem of ABPG is often expressed in a closed form. Similarly to existing Bregman-type algorithms, ABPG does not require the global Lipschitz continuity for the gradient of the smooth part. Instead, assuming the smooth adaptable property, we establish the global subsequential convergence under standard assumptions. Additionally, assuming that the Kurdyka--{\L}ojasiewicz property holds, we prove the global convergence for a special case. Our numerical experiments on the $\ell_p$ regularized least squares problem, the $\ell_p$ loss problem, and the nonnegative linear system show that ABPG outperforms existing algorithms especially when the gradient of the smooth part is not globally Lipschitz or even local Lipschitz continuous.Comment: 26 pages, 10 figure

Effects of Seed Size and Chemical Variation on Seed Fates in a Deciduous Oak Species Quercus serrata

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Irreversibility of cellular senescence: dual roles of p16(INK4a)/Rb-pathway in cell cycle control

The retinoblastoma (Rb) tumor suppressor gene product, pRb, has an established role in the implementation of cellular senescence, the state of irreversible G1 cell cycle arrest provoked by diverse oncogenic stresses. In murine cells, senescence cell cycle arrest can be reversed by subsequent inactivation of pRb, indicating that pRb is required not only for the onset of cellular senescence, but also for the maintenance of senescence program in murine cells. However, in human cells, once pRb is fully activated by p16(INK4a), senescence cell cycle arrest becomes irreversible and is no longer revoked by subsequent inactivation of pRb, suggesting that p16(INK4a)/Rb-pathway activates an alternative mechanism to irreversibly block the cell cycle in human senescent cells. Here, we discuss the molecular mechanism underlying the irreversibility of senescence cell cycle arrest and its potential towards tumor suppression

Widely Extended [OIII] 88 um Line Emission around the 30 Doradus Region Revealed with AKARI FIS-FTS

We present the distribution map of the far-infrared [OIII] 88um line emission around the 30 Doradus (30 Dor) region in the Large Magellanic Cloud obtained with the Fourier Transform Spectrometer of the Far-Infrared Surveyor onboard AKARI. The map reveals that the [OIII] emission is widely distributed by more than 10' around the super star cluster R136, implying that the 30 Dor region is affluent with interstellar radiation field hard enough to ionize O^{2+}. The observed [OIII] line intensities are as high as (1-2) x 10^{-6} W m^{-2} sr^{-1} on the peripheral regions 4'-5' away from the center of 30 Dor, which requires gas densities of 60-100 cm^{-3}. However the observed size of the distribution of the [OIII] emission is too large to be explained by massive stars in the 30 Dor region enshrouded by clouds with the constant gas density of 10^2 cm^{-3}. Therefore the surrounding structure is likely to be highly clumpy. We also find a global correlation between the [OIII] and the far-infrared continuum emission, suggesting that the gas and dust are well mixed in the highly-ionized region where the dust survives in clumpy dense clouds shielded from the energetic photons.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan (PASJ

A State-Space Modeling via the Galerkin Approximation for a Boundary Control System

For linear distributed parameter systems with a finite number of boundary inputs, we propose a framework to implement the method of weighted residuals using candidate trial functions without boundary homogenization. Proposed scheme utilizes inner product matrix, or Grammian, of the trial functions to separate appropriate homogenized basis functions and the other trial functions matching inhomogeneous boundary conditions. The finite-dimensional approximate model by using the proposed scheme is represented in descriptor form and it is proved to be straightforwardly transformed into state space form. Feasibility of the method is illustrated by a brief controller design example using the approximate model of a heat conduction rod with Dirichlet boundary input

Real-time in vivo imaging of p16Ink4a gene expression: a new approach to study senescence stress signaling in living animals

Oncogenic proliferative signals are coupled to a variety of growth inhibitory processes. In cultured primary human fibroblasts, for example, ectopic expression of oncogenic Ras or its downstream mediator initiates cellular senescence, the state of irreversible cell cycle arrest, through up-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, such as p16INK4a. To date, much of our current knowledge of how human p16INK4a gene expression is induced by oncogenic stimuli derives from studies undertaken in cultured primary cells. However, since human p16INK4a gene expression is also induced by tissue culture-imposed stress, it remains unclear whether the induction of human p16INK4a gene expression in tissue-cultured cells truly reflects an anti-cancer process or is an artifact of tissue culture-imposed stress. To eliminate any potential problems arising from tissue culture imposed stress, we have recently developed a bioluminescence imaging (BLI) system for non-invasive and real-time analysis of human p16INK4a gene expression in the context of a living animal. Here, we discuss the molecular mechanisms that direct p16INK4a gene expression in vivo and its potential for tumor suppression

Vitamin D Affects Neuronal Peptides in Neurodegenerative Disease: Differences of V-D2 and V-D3 for Affinity to Amyloid-β and Scrapie Prion Protein In Vitro

The misfolding of neuronal peptides such as Aβ40/42 in Alzheimer’s disease and cellular prion protein in scrapie induce abnormal aggregation of the peptides in the brain. The seeding of peptides’ oligomers from monomers is the initial step to form molten-globule states before abnormal aggregation. Therefore, compounds targeting the step are useful to clarify the mechanisms underlying aggregation of the proteins and Vitamin D derivatives, which can interact with both Aβ40 and cellular prion protein; however they show different effects in the oligomerization step of the proteins. We discuss the different effects of Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3 in the interaction with these peptides in brain