We can easily discriminate self-produced from externally generated sensory signals. Recent studies suggest that the prediction of the sensory consequences of one’s own actions made by forward model can be used to attenuate the sensory effects of self-produced movements, thereby enabling a differentiation of the self-produced sensation from the externally generated one. The present study showed that attenuation of sensation occurred both when participants themselves performed a goal-directed action and when they observed experimenter performing the same action, although they clearly (...) reported that the tones were produced by other during action observation and by themselves during their own action. These results suggest that sensory prediction of action modulates ongoing auditory processing irrespective of who produces the sounds and that the explicit judgment of agency does not necessarily rely on the same mechanisms on which implicit perceptual measures such as sensory attenuation rely. (shrink)

Rhodopsins are one of the most studied photoreceptor protein families, and ion‐translocating rhodopsins, both pumps and channels, have recently attracted broad attention because of the development of optogenetics. Recently, a new functional class of ion‐pumping rhodopsins, an outward Na+ pump, was discovered, and following structural and functional studies enable us to compare three functionally different ion‐pumping rhodopsins: outward proton pump, inward Cl− pump, and outward Na+ pump. Here, we review the current knowledge on structure‐function relationships in these three light‐driven pumps, (...) mainly focusing on Na+ pumps. A structural and functional comparison reveals both unique and conserved features of these ion pumps, and enhances our understanding about how the structurally similar microbial rhodopsins acquired such diverse functions. We also discuss some unresolved questions and future perspectives in research of ion‐pumping rhodopsins, including optogenetics application and engineering of novel rhodopsins. (shrink)

本書構畫「忠」概念在中國春秋戰國時代的演變，並嘗試藉此闡明其功能與特質。在春秋到戰國早期的政治思想中，「忠」和「忠信」概念對於國家社稷的生存幾乎是最高價值，而且到戰國中期更具有涵蓋「天下」的普遍性。然 而在戰國中期以後，道家與稷下思想家如慎到等人開始批判「忠」的價值，並且將原本以道德動機為主要內涵的「忠」概念、轉變成以個人利益為主要實踐動機的「忠」概念。面對此趨勢，戰國晚期的《荀子》和《呂氏春秋》都 試圖重新界定「忠」對國家運作的正面價值，而《韓非子》雖然基本上接受稷下學者之「反忠論」，但還是肯定「忠臣」是國家社稷安定的關鍵角色。本書也對中日韓及歐美學者過去研究「忠」概念的成果有詳細評述。.

◎ 以政治思想使的角度切入，完整剖析荀子的政治思想淵源、構造及特色。 ◎ 闡明荀子如何將早期儒、墨的倫理論辯，提升為分析國家社會原理的禮治論。 ◎ 理解漢朝後中國國家體制的設計藍圖，必須從理解荀子禮治論開始。 本書以「禮治」與「綜合」為切入點，闡明《荀子》書中政治思想的淵源、構造以及特色，並對荀子的生平、其文本的流傳以及戰國時代「禮」概念的發展等問題，進行完整且系統性的說明。 作者將戰國時代的思想演變，分成以孔子至孟子的早期儒家與墨家思想為主要內容的「倫理論辯」階段，和以慎到、田駢等稷下學者與道家等戰國中、晚期思想為主要內容的「分析論述」階段，並主張荀子以「禮」概念綜合了此 兩種思想潮流。經由闡述「禮」概念的各種功能，荀子將當時備受懷疑的倫理工夫之效能，以及過度抽象化的各種政治論辯內容，重新界定為每個人都能夠實踐的倫理準則；早期儒墨的「倫理論辯」，由此提升為富有分析國家社 會原理的「禮治論」。而因為荀子的禮治論兼有豐富的倫理實踐意涵，以及分析國家社會的理論意涵，其後更成為漢朝建立國家制度與倫理基礎時的設計藍圖。 經由作者條分縷析地說明，讀者當能對荀子的禮治思想有更深入的了解，進而掌握其整體面貌。.

世界的ベストセラーの問いかけに私たちはどう答えるのか。分子生物学の黎明期に、初めて人間と生命の神秘にせまったジャック・モノー。その思想を原典から読み解き、40年後のいま、モノーに答える。.

人間であること、これを問う政治哲学の徹底。その先に見えるのは、果たして平和的共存の根源性か、戦いのそのとき、自分以外ではありえない人間の生々しさか。.

This study explores a liberatory epistemic virtue that is suitable for good learning as a form of liberating socially situated epistemic agents toward ideal virtuousness. First, I demonstrate that the weak neutralization of epistemically bad stereotypes is an end of good learning. Second, I argue that weak neutralization represents a liberatory epistemic virtue, the value of which derives from liberating us as socially situated learners from epistemic blindness to epistemic freedom. Third, I explicate two distinct forms of epistemic transformation: constitutive (...) and causal epistemic transformation. I argue that compared with the ideal conception of epistemic virtue, constitutive epistemic transformation that involves good learning has a transcendent value in light of agents constantly renewing their default epistemic status toward ideal virtuousness. (shrink)

Proposes a provocative reinterpretation of poststructuralist theory of power The “structuralist” theories of power show that the subject is produced and reproduced by the investment of power: but how then can we then think of the subject’s resistance to power? Based on this fundamental question, Power and Resistance interprets critically the (post-)structuralist theory of power and resistance, i.e., the theories of Foucault, Deleuze and Guattari, Derrida and Althusser. It analyses also the mechanism of power and the strategies of resistance in (...) the era of neoliberalism. This meticulous analysis that completely renewed the theory of power is already published in French, Japanese, and Korean with success. (shrink)

Kyosei, a traditional Japanese concept, has been applied to a variety subjects, from biology to business. It has more recently become synonymous with the concepts of corporate responsibility, ethical decision making, stakeholder maximization, and responsible reciprocity. The purpose of this paper is to trace kyosei's modern business application back to ancient Confucian thought. The ideals associated with Confucianism were instrumental in the creation of Japanese business codes of ethics during the early part of the seventeenth century. A short history of (...) this period is presented to provide a contextual framework for understanding these codes. A specific code of ethics, called the shuchu kiyaku, is presented for the first time in English and shown to have direct roots in Confucian writings. Statements from modern company codes and from modern Japanese and American businessmen are presented to reflect the philosophy of business embodied in that ancient code of ethics. (shrink)

This study examines whether the delegated monitoring of main banks effectively decreases severe agency problems. For example, this includes accounting fraud in bank-dominated corporate governance. In this context, the fraud triangle specifies the three main factors of opportunity, incentive, and rationalization. Main banks may reduce the factor of opportunity through actions such as monitoring, which plays a moderating role by reducing the potential for managerial misconduct, whereas, the incentive factor may be enhanced through the subsequent pressure that influences managers to (...) force turnover when they do not repay debts. The potential influence that the main banks have on the fraud rationalization factor may be stronger in firms that are more dependent on main-bank borrowing. This study analyzed data from publicly listed firms in Japan for the period between 2008 and 2016 to determine how main-bank relationships affected accounting fraud, thus allowing an assessment of delegated monitoring practices. Findings showed that main-bank relationships were helpful for reducing accounting fraud, suggesting its overall effectiveness in delegated monitoring. Results also showed that large audit firms did not necessarily prevent accounting fraud, which implies that main banks can employ their own monitoring as a substitute for the roles typically played by these firms. Here, the main policy implication is that main-bank relationships may strengthen business ethics in the context of bank-dominated corporate governance. In conclusion, the continued analysis of bank monitoring may benefit stakeholders while strengthening business ethics in bank-centered economies. (shrink)

美と芸術が人に及ぼす力の観点から、「侘び」「寂び」「幽玄」という古来の美的概念の関係性を解明し、日本的美の特質を捉え直す.

The number of competing-brands changes by new product's entry. The new product introduction is endemic among consumer packaged goods firm and is an integral component of their marketing strategy. As a new product's entry affects markets, there is a pressing need to develop market response model that can adapt to such changes. In this paper, we develop a dynamic model that capture the underlying evolution of the buying behavior associated with the new product. This extends an application of a dynamic (...) linear model, which is used by a number of time series analyses, by allowing the observed dimension to change at some point in time. Our model copes with a problem that dynamic environments entail: changes in parameter over time and changes in the observed dimension. We formulate the model with framework of a state space model. We realize an estimation of the model using modified Kalman filter/fixed interval smoother. We find that new product's entry (1) decreases brand differentiation for existing brands, as indicated by decreasing difference between cross-price elasticities; (2) decreases commodity power for existing brands, as indicated by decreasing trend; and (3) decreases the effect of discount for existing brands, as indicated by a decrease in the magnitude of own-brand price elasticities. The proposed framework is directly applicable to other fields in which the observed dimension might be change, such as economic, bioinformatics, and so forth. (shrink)

アインシュタインが決して認めなかった、まったくあたらしい世界の姿。物理学の最先端にあらわれた、これまでの常識をくつがえす驚異の理論。そこには世界がひとつではなく多様であるという事実が描き出されていた。 量子力学が描く世界とはいったい何か。量子力学の歴史と私たちをとりまく技術、社会、制度、教育などを深く結びつけながら、碩学がその大いなる可能性をさぐる。.