Motor learning is the process of updating motor commands in response to a trajectory error induced by a perturbation to the body or vision. The brain has a great capability to accelerate learning by increasing the sensitivity of the memory update to the perceived trajectory errors. Conventional theory suggests that the statistics of perturbations or the statistics of the experienced errors induced by the external perturbations determine the learning speeds. However, the potential effect of another type of error perception, a (...) self-generated error as a result of motor command updates, on the learning speeds has not been examined yet. In this study, we dissociated the two kinds of errors by controlling the perception of the aftereffect using a channel-force environment. One group experienced errors due to the aftereffect of the learning process, while the other did not. We found that the participants who perceived the aftereffect of the memory updates exhibited a significant decrease in error-sensitivity, whereas the participants who did not perceive the aftereffect did not show an increase or decrease in error-sensitivity. This suggests that the perception of the aftereffect of learning attenuated updating the motor commands from the perceived errors. Thus, both self-generated and externally induced errors may modulate learning speeds. (shrink)

In this paper, we present three main results on orthologics. Firstly, we give a sufficient condition for an orthologic to have variable separation property and show that the orthomodular logic has this property. Secondly, we show that the class of modular orthologics has an infinite descending chain. Finally we show that there exists a continuum of orthologics.

It is shown that there is a Kripke incomplete logic in NExt(KTB ⊕ □2 p → □3 p). Furthermore, it is also shown that there exists a continuum of Kripke incomplete logics in NExt(KTB ⊕ □5 p → □6 p).

The Y‐box‐binding protein (YB‐1) represents the most evolutionary conserved nucleic‐acid‐binding protein currently known. YB‐1 is a member of the cold‐shock domain (CSD) protein superfamily. It performs a wide variety of cellular functions, including transcriptional regulation, translational regulation, DNA repair, drug resistance and stress responses to extracellular signals. As a result, YB‐1 expression is closely associated with cell proliferation. In this review, we will begin by briefly describing the characteristics of YB‐1 and will then summarize the pleiotropic functions brought about via (...) DNA–RNA transaction and protein–protein interactions. In addition, we will discuss the diverse range of potential physiological and pathological functions of YB‐1. BioEssays 25:691–698, 2003. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (shrink)

Political developments in Japan from the latter part of 2000 to the year 2001 were highlighted by the executive transition from unpopular Yoshiro Mori to exceptionally popular Junichiro Koizumu as the nation's leader.

From the latter half of 2001 to the middle of 2002, prime minister Junichiro Koizumi was plagued by a series of scandals and administrative mishandlings, which led to some important executive turnovers. Although Koizumi has thus far upheld his principle of for the sake of policy stability, his campaign promise not to reshuffle cabinet has already been compromised somewhat, and is likely to be abandoned entirely in the near future.

Under the presupposition that human time perception is distorted in intertemporal choice, this study constructs a time scale in the framework of axiomatic measurement. First, the conditions (homogeneity of degree one or two) to identify the form of a time scale are proposed so that one can determine whether the hyperbolic or exponential is a more suitable function for modeling people’s discounting. Homogeneity of degree one implies that subjective time delay is measured by a power scale and its discount function (...) becomes a power-exponential type, whereas homogeneity of degree two implies that subjective time delay is measured by a log scale and its discount function becomes a hyperbolic type. Second, a method is shown for constructing a model that can reflect subadditive and superadditive discounting. A non-commutative and non-associative concatenation operation is provided to generate a time string consisting of subdivided durations that incorporates the effect of repeated delay with a subdivided duration. The discounting model is yielded by substituting these strings in an exponential model equipped with a generalized time scale, and the determination of subadditivity or superadditivity depends on whether the discount function value of a product by the non-commutative and non-associative operation is, respectively, smaller or greater than that of a product by an operation of the usual extensive structure. (shrink)

哲学というととかく難しく分かりにくいように思われがちだが、哲学者にはまずはじめにイメージがあり、術語による概念化はそのあとのことだと著者は言う。さまざまな哲学者が差し出した寓意や比喩を蒐集し、それらを もとにイメージの系譜学とでもいうべきものを作ろうとしたのが本書である。プラトンからヘーゲルまでの哲学の歴史を徹底的に噛み砕き、しかも原典に忠実に解説している。この以上分かりやすい哲学史の概説書は他にな い。.

The measurement of pain depends upon subjective reports, but we know very little about how research subjects or pain patients produce self-reported judgments. Representationalist assumptions dominate the field of pain research and lead to the critical conjecture that the person in pain examines the contents of consciousness before making a report about the sensory or affective magnitude of pain experience as well as about its nature. Most studies to date have investigated what Fechner termed “outer psychophysics”: the relationship between characteristics (...) of an external stimulus and the magnitude and nature of pain experience. In contrast, Fechner originally envisioned that “inner psychophysics” should investigate the relationship between physiological states and subjective experience. Despite the lack of established research tradition, inner psychophysics has a potential utility in elucidating underlying mechanisms for the production of phenomenal self-report. We illustrate this, using causal modeling analyses of the accuracy of self-reported pain ratings from our laboratory. We submit that the results are inconsistent with representationalist assumptions. Converging trends from several domains of consciousness studies seem to suggest that we need to abandon the unquestioned doctrine of representationalism and search for a more viable framework for understanding the generation of subjective self-report. (shrink)

Based on an empirical illustration of Onta pottery and more broadly a discussion of the Japanese Mingei movement, we study the intimacy between craft work, ethics and time. We conceptualize craft work through the temporal structure of tradition, to which we find three aspects: generational rhythms of making; cycles of use and re-use amongst consumers and a commitment to historically and naturally attuned communities. We argue these temporal structures of tradition in craftwork are animated by two contrasting but co-existing ideas (...) of the good: the moral and the ethical. By developing the work of Elizabeth Grosz, we conceptualize this distinction between moral and ethical as a temporal phenomenon, specifically in differing relations to ideas of the future. Moral aspects of craft work understand the future as a progression from past, whether in preserving practices and norms, or improving upon them in relation to ideals. Ethical aspects understand the future as inherently open to chance and divergence, valuing difference, accident and the possibilities for creativity these entail. Empirically, we show evidence of both aspects in the case of Mingei—a organized movement dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional Japanese craft work. We contribute to studies of craft work by revealing and classifying its temporal aspects. We contribute to studies in business ethics by conceptualising a generative distinction between morals and ethics configured through differing understandings of time. (shrink)

During 1980–90, Japan's annual real GDP growth rate was 4.6%, but which declined to 1.2% in the 1990s. While the drop in itself is a problem, at the same time it exacerbated many other problems, namely inequality, budget deficits, and the increasing burden of an aging society.

First published in 1928, this book discusses 'the groundwork and skeleton of the common intellectual life of the people' of Japan.

On April 5 2000, the Diet elected Yoshiro Mori as Japan's 55th prime minister. His predecessor, Keizo Obuchi, had suffered a stroke and became unable to carry out his official responsibility. Mori, who was the former Secretary General of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), inherited the three party coalition between the LDP, the new Komei Party and the Conservative Party, and reappointed all of Obuchi's cabinet members. Yohei Kono was reposted as the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Hideo Usui as (...) Justice; Kiichi Miyazawa as Finance; Hirofumi Nakasone as Education, Science and Technology; Yuya Niwa as Health and Welfare; Tokuichiro Tanazawa as Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Takeshi Fukaya as International Trade and Industry; Toshihiro Nikai as Transport; Eita Yashiro as Posts and Telecommunications; Takamori Makino as Labor; Masaaki Nakayama as Construction; Kosuke Hori as Home Affairs, Mikio Aoki as Chief Cabinet Secretary; Kunihiro Tsuzuki as Management and Coordination; Tsutomu Kawara as Defense; Taichi Sakaiya as Economic Planning; Kayoko Shimizu as environment; and Sadakazu Tanigaki as Financial Reconstruction. (shrink)

This paper explores lexicographically additive representations of multi-attribute preferences on finite sets. Lexicographic additivity combines a lexicographic feature with local value tradeoffs. Tradeoff structures are governed by either transitive or nontransitive additive conjoint measurement. Alternatives are locally traded off when they are close enough within threshold associated with a dominant subset of attributes.

Given a belief function ? on the set of all subsets of prizes, how should ? values be understood as a decision alternative? This paper presents and characterizes an induced-measure interpretation of belief functions.

Japanese prefer odd numbers, whereas Westerners emphasize even numbers, an observation that is clear from the distribution of number-related words in Japanese and English dictionaries. In this article, the author explains why these two cultures differ by surveying the history of numbers, including yin-yang thought from ancient China, ancient Greek philosophy, and modern European mathematics. The author also mentions that oddness and evenness are only mathematical concepts, but understanding the cultures and histories of individual countries contributes to world peace.

昨今の脳神経科学的知見からは、刑法的な責任も再検討を迫られる。現代的な視点から法哲学と法理論の融合を試みる「法倫理学」へ。.