電子キーボードを活用した幼児の音楽セッションに関する研究

In these days, electronic keyboards are popularly used among people, as substitute of piano or as "a toy with keyboards". The aim of this study is to explore the potentiality of adopting these keyboards into music education in kindergardens, nursery schools, and utilizing them at the scene of rhythmic activities and music plays as it can be handled by ordinary child-care workers. In the study, we focused on four subjects, "rhythm", "tone", "optical navigation", "electronic keyboards+α". "Rhythm" indicated the practice of utilizing the rhythms built in keyboards, changeable rhythms and tempos and a start-stop button. "Tone" indicated the practice around tone, and "optical navigation" was that of utilizing luminous keyboards. In "electronic keyboards+α", other materials, e.g. cards, were utilized. On "rhythm", we invented some games and body movements, using the rhythms. It enabled us a new approach, that is, to invent infants' body movements derived from the rhythms of pop music, at the scene of rhythmic activities, though it had been said that it would be difficult for care workers who don't have technique for playing the piano and improvising. On "Tone", we made the practice of inventing games and "a picture book with sound effect" and enhancing images of music by using the sounds and songs. Especially, we found that the activity of making music and sound for picture books is possible for every care worker in their daily programme, because picture books can be always found in every kindergarten and nursery school and it can be converted to other instruments. On "Optical Navigation", we invented games, and performance of easy tunes, using the function of optical navigation. On "electronic keyboards+α", we adopted mainly playing cards as "+α". While keyboards as interface have been comprising the basis in music education as singing, an universal method for teaching electronic keyboards has not been established, because their modes will be inevitably changed to that of new models. Also in the practices stated above, each example was unique and additional tests would be possible only for the people who own the relevant model. However, we could propose the most appropriate way of utilizing electronic keyboards for infants. In addition, the card play on "electronic keyboards+α" became a chance for us to explore the contact point between music lessons and intellectual education system for infants, and it gave us some hints for constructing a new music learning system aiming for development of infants' thinking power, etc

Single-Cell Analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells from Patients with Colorectal Cancer Captured with a Dielectrophoresis-Based Micropore System

This study aimed to analyze circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). We designed a dielectrophoresis-based micropore system and tested its cell capture with HT29 colon cancer cells. Then, blood samples were drawn from 24 patients with stages II-IV CRC. Mononuclear cells were isolated and loaded into the micropore system. Single cells were positioned into small pores with dielectrophoresis. After labeling the cells with the appropriate antibodies, tumor-like cells were collected with an automated micromanipulator. We collected 43 CTCs from 15 out of 24 patient samples. The presence of CTC was significantly associated with ling metastasis. We performed whole genome amplification, followed by PCR and Sanger sequencing, to examine the point mutations in the KRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA genes. This mutation analysis was successfully performed in 35 cells. Among the 14 cytokeratin (CK)-positive cells, we found PIK3CA mutations in three cells (21%) from two patients. Among the 21 CK-negative cells, we found a KRAS mutation in one cell (5%) from one patient and a PIK3CA mutation in one cell (5%) from one patient. It is noteworthy that these mutations were not detected in the corresponding primary tumors. In conclusion, dielectrophoresis-based capture in a micropore system was useful for detecting both CK-positive and CK-negative CTCs. This simple method could be applied to various tumor types