周囲からみたスクールカースト上位者の特徴 : 社会的勢力に着目して

The purpose of this study was to clarify the social power of students who were ranked highly in the "School Caste" (class status ranking) and the determinants of these students' social power. One hundred and sixty-three university students completed the questionnaire, which asked them to recall high-ranking students within their junior high school class's "School Caste." The questionnaire comprised questions regarding the social power (referent power, attraction power, punishment power, expert power) and external and internal characteristics (appearance, character, communication skill, academic ability, and attitude) of one male and one female high-ranking student. The results of cluster analysis using social power showed the difference by sex of types of high-ranking students within the "School Caste." Regarding male students, there were three types: those with high attraction power scores; high punishment power scores; and high scores for all social power. Regarding female students, there were four types: those with all high scores for social power except punishment; those with average scores for all social power; those with high punishment power; and those with low scores for all social power except attraction. The results also revealed the existence of a "high punishment power group," who had high scores for punishment power and low scores for the other three types of social power, among both high-ranking male and female students. Multiple regression analysis showed the same determinants of social power for male and female students: determinants of expert power were academic ability and character; one determinant of attraction power was communication skill; and one determinant of punishment power was appearance. The results also showed the following difference between male and female students: for high-ranking male students, the determinants of referent power were academic ability and attitude, but as for female students, the determinant was character

Tetrodotoxin functions as a stress relieving substance in juvenile tiger puffer Takifugu rubripes

We tested whether tetrodotoxin (TTX) functions as a stress relieving substance in puffer fish. We orally administered TTX to the juveniles of hatchery-reared non-toxic tiger puffer Takifugu rubripes and measured the effects of TTX on brain corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA expression and plasma cortisol levels in comparison with effects in non-toxic juveniles. Firstly, the reciprocal connections of CRH and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were confirmed by dual-label immunohistochemistry. CRH-immunoreactive (ir) cell bodies were detected in the hypothalamus and CRH-ir fibers were observed to project to ACTH-ir cells in the rostral pars distalis of the pituitary. Next, a TTX-containing diet (2.35 mouse units (517?ng)/g diet) or a non-toxic diet were fed to the fish for 28 days under a recirculating system. Standard length and body weight became significantly larger in the TTX-treated group. The degree of loss of the caudal fin, which is an indicator of the degree of agonistic interactions, where high values show a higher loss of caudal fin of a fish due to nipping by other individuals, was significantly lower in the TTX-treated group. Relative CRH mRNA expression levels in the brain and cortisol levels in the plasma were significantly lower in the TTX-treated group. These results indicate that TTX functions as a stress relieving substance by affecting the CRH-ACTH-cortisol axis and reducing agonistic interactions in tiger puffer juveniles

Development of Music Classes on Gagaku in Elementary and Junior High School

The purpose of this study is to develop music classes using Etenraku, which is one of the oldest existing music in Japan called Gagaku (traditional Japanese court music), as a material in elementary and junior high school. The main points of view on developing music classes are as follows: (1) to pursue the musical substance, (2) to center a proactive and action-oriented learning of students, and (3) to promote and enhance language activity. The music class in elementary school has two goals. One is that students develop an understanding for a mechanism of producing sounds with double reed through the activity to make hand-made musical instrument. The other is that students understand the role of hichiriki (a kind of flute) in Gagaku ensemble, discovering sound aspects of hichiriki, and expressing the sound aspects with their own words. The music class in junior high school has two goals. One is that students understand the musical style of Gagaku through creating rhythm patterns of percussion section for the melody of Etenraku. When creating, students write musical note using composition software. The other is that students engage in entire learning process with language activity, for example, talking together about what they want to express in their work, describing their intention put into their work, or expressing what they feel when they listen other's work

Identification and characterization of an oocyte factor required for development of porcine nuclear transfer embryos.

Nuclear reprogramming of differentiated cells can be induced by oocyte factors. Despite numerous attempts, these factors and mechanisms responsible for successful reprogramming remain elusive. Here, we identify one such factor, necessary for the development of nuclear transfer embryos, using porcine oocyte extracts in which some reprogramming events are recapitulated. After incubating somatic nuclei in oocyte extracts from the metaphase II stage, the oocyte proteins that were specifically and abundantly incorporated into the nuclei were identified by mass spectrometry. Among 25 identified proteins, we especially focused on a multifunctional protein, DJ-1. DJ-1 is present at a high concentration in oocytes from the germinal vesicle stage until embryos at the four-cell stage. Inhibition of DJ-1 function compromises the development of nuclear transfer embryos but not that of fertilized embryos. Microarray analysis of nuclear transfer embryos in which DJ-1 function is inhibited shows perturbed expression of P53 pathway components. In addition, embryonic arrest of nuclear transfer embryos injected with anti-DJ-1 antibody is rescued by P53 inhibition. We conclude that DJ-1 is an oocyte factor that is required for development of nuclear transfer embryos. This study presents a means for identifying natural reprogramming factors in mammalian oocytes and a unique insight into the mechanisms underlying reprogramming by nuclear transfer

Christopher Simpson The Division-Viol, or The Art of PLAYING Ex tempore upon a GROUND. EDITIO SECVNDA Part III "The Method of ordering Division to a Ground" (3)

本訳稿はChristopher Simpson (1605頃－1669) 著 The Division-Viol, or, The Art of PLAYING Ex tempore upon a GROUND. DIVIDED INTO THREE PARTS. EDITIO SECVNDA, London, 1665 のPart III "The Method of ordering Division to a Ground" より§13～§16(pp.57-61)の全訳である

Relations among affect, abstinence motivation and confidence, and daily lapse risk among smokers trying to quit

Aims: This study prospectively tested the hypothesis that changes in momentary affect, abstinence motivation, and confidence would predict lapse risk over the next 12-48 hours using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) data from smokers attempting to quit smoking. The moderating effects of high-risk contexts on relations between cognitions (motivation and confidence) and lapse risk were also tested. Method: 79 adult, daily smokers recorded their momentary affect, motivation to quit, abstinence confidence, and smoking behaviors in near real time with multiple EMA reports using electronic diaries post-quit. Results: Multilevel models indicated that increases in negative affect predicted greater lapse risk up to 12 hours, but not 24 hours later. Neither positive nor negative affect had significant effects on subsequent cognitions. High levels of motivation appeared to reduce increases in lapse risk that occur over hours. Momentary increases in confidence predicted greater lapse risk over 12 hours in high-risk situations, but not in the absence of potent smoking triggers. Conclusion: Momentary changes in negative affect, motivation, and confidence, during a quit attempt all had short-term effects on smoking lapse. Negative affect had short-lived effects on lapse risk, whereas high levels of motivation protected against the risk of lapsing that accumulates over hours. Contrary to expectations, an acute increase in confidence may increase vulnerability to lapse in the context of potent smoking triggers. Relations observed among affect, cognitions, and lapse seem to depend critically on the timing of assessments and the contexts in which the assessments occur.Ph. D.Includes bibliographical referencesIncludes vitaby Haruka Minam

An ecological momentary assessment analysis of relations among coping, affect, and smoking lapse:

This study used EMA data from smokers engaged in an earnest attempt to quit smoking to assess complex relations among coping, affect, and smoking. Analyses tested hypotheses about the main effects of coping and both mediators and moderators of coping effects on subsequent outcomes of interest (i.e., affect, coping effort, coping efficacy, and smoking behavior). Results of multilevel models indicated that coping does not improve negative affect within 4 hours of coping efforts, but that coping does improve positive affect and increase the odds of engaging in temptation coping in the short-term. Lapses were more likely to happen when recent coping was reported within 48 hours. None of the putative mediators of coping were predictive of later lapse risk as anticipated. Analyses also revealed that pre-quit coping practice moderated the effects of post-quit coping to deal with stressful events on later affect. Moreover, significant moderating gender effects were also found in these relations.M.S.Includes bibliographical references (p. 53-66)by Haruka Minam

Time-Course Transcriptome Study Reveals Mode of bZIP Transcription Factors on Light Exposure in Arabidopsis

The etiolation process, which occurs after germination, is terminated once light is perceived and then de-etiolation commences. During the de-etiolation period, monochromatic lights (blue, red and far-red) induce differences in gene expression profiles and plant behavior through their respective photoreceptors. ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5), a bZIP-type transcription factor (TF), regulates gene expression in the de-etiolation process, and other bZIP TFs are also involved in this regulation. However, transcriptomic changes that occur in etiolated seedlings upon monochromatic light irradiation and the relationship with the bZIP TFs still remain to be elucidated. Here, we track changes in the transcriptome after exposure to white, blue, red and far-red light following darkness and reveal both shared and non-shared trends of transcriptomic change between the four kinds of light. Interestingly, after exposure to light, HY5 expression synchronized with those of the related bZIP TF genes, GBF2 and GBF3, rather than HY5 HOMOLOG (HYH). To speculate on the redundancy of target genes between the bZIP TFs, we inspected the genome-wide physical binding sites of homodimers of seven bZIP TFs, HY5, HYH, GBF1, GBF2, GBF3, GBF4 and EEL, using an in vitro binding assay. The results reveal large overlaps of target gene candidates, indicating a complicated regulatory literature among TFs. This work provides novel insight into understanding the regulation of gene expression of the plant response to monochromatic light irradiation