Brief Announcement: Neighborhood Mutual Remainder and Its Self-Stabilizing Implementation of Look-Compute-Move Robots

In this paper, we define a new concept neighborhood mutual remainder (NMR). An NMR distributed algorithms should satisfy global fairness, l-exclusion and repeated local rendezvous requirements. We give a simple self-stabilizing algorithm to demonstrate the design paradigm to achieve NMR, and also present applications of NMR to a Look-Compute-Move robot system

Practical Applications of Microsatellite Markers in Goat Breeding

To date, the genetic loci associated with disease and economic traits have been identified in livestock based on linkage analysis or genome-wide association studies. These analyses require the use of numerous genetic markers, of which microsatellites have been utilized most extensively because they allow for the easy genotyping of allelic variation at each locus using PCR. In the domestic goat (Capra hircus), microsatellite markers are powerful tools for various genetic studies, such as the estimation of intra- and interpopulation genetic diversity, linkage analyses of phenotypic traits, and marker-assisted selection of favorable phenotypes; however, the studies on goats are less extensive than those on other major livestock. The aim of this chapter is to summarize the currently available information on goat breeding using microsatellite markers. In particular, we use various studies, including our own recent work, to illustrate how these markers may be used to identify phenotypic traits

Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (TMS/tDCS) and Rehabilitation for Stroke and Parkinson’s

The aim of this study was to clarify and compare the efficacies of rehabilitation using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS), a form of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), in convalescing stroke and Parkinson’s disease patients. For both types of stimuli, kinetic analysis and performance analysis of upper limb motor paralysis and gait analysis showed an increase in speed of movement, and an improvement in performance was observed. Both stimuli resulted in significant improvement compared with a sham stimulus. Change in speed of movement and performance was observed with both tDCS and cTBS, but there was not a significantly large difference between the stimuli. Improved movement due to reduction of excessive tension caused by spasticity was observed. In patients with Parkinson’s disease, gait speed and step length were increased. It is suggested that performance was improved because movement became smoother. The efficacy of tDCS and cTBS in patients with motor disorders caused by stroke or Parkinson’s disease will probably be further improved when combined with physical therapy

Identification of a unique lamprey gene with tandemly repeated sequences and pharyngeal chondrocyte-specific expression

Recent studies have revealed a common cartilage genetic regulatory network among vertebrates, cephalochordates, and arthropods. It has been proposed that this network was originally established for the dense connective tissues of ancestral invertebrates and subsequently recruited for chondrocyte differentiation in various lineages. This reasoning prompted questions about whether the evolution of cartilage from dense connective tissues occurred in the common ancestors of vertebrates. Alternatively, the evolution of cartilage may have occurred independently in agnathans and in gnathostomes, because extant agnathans (cyclostomes) are known to possess a matrix composition different from that of gnathostomes. Here, we identified the gene which is likely to encode one of the matrix proteins unique to lamprey cartilage, which we designated pharymprin. Pharymprin shows specific expression in larval pharyngeal chondrocytes. Like lamprins, which are the known matrix proteins of lamprey trabecular cartilage, pharymprin is also composed of repeated sequences. However, the repeated sequence is distinct from that of lamprins. The presence of two distinct matrix proteins in lamprey cartilage supports the hypothesis that true cartilage evolved independently in cyclostomes and gnathostomes