grant interdisciplinary area biological science - jsps.go.jp assembly with ncs and its effect on the...
TRANSCRIPT
【Grant‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas(Research in a proposed research area)】 Biological Science
Title of Project：Glial assembly: a new regulatory machinery of
brain function and disorders
Kazuhiro Ikenaka ( National Institutes of Natural Sciences, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Professor )
【Purpose of the Research Project】 Neurons communicate with one another by forming neuronal circuits (NCs), which play a major role in expressing the brain function. Our brain also contains other cell types that are collectively called glia. Glial cells also communicate with one another and form glial circuits (GCs). Communication among neurons and that among glial cells are intrinsically different: glial communication being much slower and more gradual than neuronal communication. Long-range communication by glial cells often covers a macroscopic brain area, interacts with and affects the activity of NCs, and thereby controls the brain function. The purpose of this project is to clarify the mechanism that underlies the formation of gigantic GCs (glial assembly) and to understand how they control the brain function. We also aim to clarify how abnormalities in glial assembly are related to the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Fig.1 Interaction between NCs and glial assembly is crucial for the brain function.
【Content of the Research Project】 This research project will be conducted by three research teams. Team A01 Regulation of brain function by glial assembly: Molecules involved in the glial communication will be identified. Interaction of glial assembly with NCs and its effect on the NC activity will also be studied.
Team A02 Regulation of brain maturation by glial assembly: We will study how the interaction between glial assembly and NCs is developmentally regulated, and clarify how the maturation of this interaction is associated with the expression of brain function. Team A03 Glial disorders: Glial involvement in neuropsychiatric disorders whose patho- physiology is still under extensive investigation, such as schizophrenia, autistic spectrum disorders, pain disorders and demyelinating diseases, will be studied.
【Expected Research Achievements and Scientific Significance】
1) The mechanism controlling the formation of glial assembly and its role in the postnatal brain development will be clarified, with special emphasis on glia-dependent control of NC remodeling.
2) The mechanism through which glial assembly regulates the NC activity, and thereby the brain function, will be clarified.
3) A novel concept, Glial disorders, will be established. It is hypothesized that dysfunction of glial cells are involved in pathophysiology of various neuropsychiatric disorders. The goals of the research are identification of subtypes of the neuropsychiatric disorders caused by the abnormal glial assembly function (glial disorders), and development of innovative and fundamental treatments for those disorders.
【Key Words】 Glial assembly: a gigantic glial network that interacts with NCs and influence its activity
【Term of Project】 FY2013-2017
【Budget Allocation】 1,193,300 Thousand Yen
【Homepage Address and Other Contact Information】
http://square.umin.ac.jp/glialassembl/
【Grant‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas(Research in a proposed research area)】 Interdisciplinary Area
Title of Project：The Evolutionary Origin and Neural Basis of
Empathetic Systems
Toshikazu Hasegawa ( The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Arts and
Sciences, Professor )
【Purpose of the Research Project】 “Empathetic systems” have a pivotal role in cooperative and synchronized behaviors as well as in our understanding of each other. They also have a psychological function in determining social orders and fairness. Recently, empathetic systems have been observed in human infants, suggesting that these systems are inherent to human nature. In addition, behaviors related to empathy have been reported in non-human primates other than humans, and other species such as rodents. In this research project, we aim to identify the origin of empathetic systems in animals, and determine the specific functions that have been acquired in humans through the evolutionary process. To understand the true picture of empathetic systems in humans, it is necessary to investigate their function in the human brain, to discover the origin of these systems, to identify the neural circuit responsible for empathy, and the genetic and molecular basis underlying these systems. We hypothesize that empathetic systems have an instinctive and adaptive function that promotes the fitness of each animal and group living, and that humans have acquired, through the evolutionary process, a unique, higher function. Using the latest techniques in brain imaging, genetic and molecular analysis, we aim to discover the biological significance of these empathetic systems.
【Content of the Research Project】 1) Identifying the common neural pathways
regulating empathetic systems, and the unique aspects in humans, focusing on their social function.
2) Understanding the evolution of the empathetic systems unique to humans by using comparative cognitive research and genetic analysis.
3) Uncovering the neural and molecular basis of empathetic systems in the brain.
【Expected Research Achievements and Scientific Significance】
This project has 6 goals: 1) understanding the common neural pathways that regulate empathetic systems, in particular focusing on emotional contagion, 2) uncovering the unique nature of empathetic systems in humans by using a comparative cognitive approach, 3) revealing the evolution of human empathetic systems, 4) analyzing behavioral characteristics related to these empathetic systems and their association with genetic diversity in animals, 5) identifying neural circuits responsible for the empathetic systems, 6) analyzing the molecular basis underlying the neural circuits of empathetic systems. Once this research into the neural and evolutionary basis of empathy has been completed, we will be able to propose a novel cross-disciplinary approach that unites cognitive and social sciences and neuroscience, in other words, a new approach to “social brain sciences”. In the present project, we will initially focus on the innate and primitive functions of empathetic systems. These results will shed light on future directions of study into the higher levels of empathetic systems, which might be specific to human beings. In addition, the identification of the neural and molecular basis of empathetic systems could reveal biological bases for impairments and potential medical treatments for functional deficits in empathetic systems.
【Key Words】 Emotional Contagion: a tendency for two or more individuals to emotionally converge, either on negative or positive emotions. Oxytocin: nanopeptide hormone that regulates social cognition, affiliation and empathy in the central nervous system.
【Term of Project】 FY2013-2017 【Budget Allocation】861,600 Thousand Yen 【Homepage Address and Other Contact Information】
http://www.empatheticsystems.jp/ [email protected]
Interdisciplinary Area
【Grant‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas(Research in a proposed research area)】 Biological Science
Title of Project：Glial assembly: a new regulatory machinery of
brain function and disorders
Kazuhiro Ikenaka ( National Institutes of Natural Sciences,
National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Professor )
【Purpose of the Research Project】 Neurons communicate with one another by forming neuronal circuits (NCs), which play a major role in expressing the brain function. Our brain also contains other cell types that are collectively called glia. Glial cells also communicate with one another and form glial circuits (GCs). Communication among neurons and that among glial cells are intrinsically different: glial communication being much slower and more gradual than neuronal communication. Long-range communication by glial cells often covers a macroscopic brain area, interacts with and affects the activity of NCs, and thereby controls the brain function. The purpose of this project is to clarify the mechanism that underlies the formation of gigantic GCs (glial assembly) and to understand how they control the brain function. We also aim to clarify how abnormalities in glial assembly are related to the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Fig.1 Interaction between NCs and glial assembly is crucial for the brain function.
【Content of the Research Project】 This research project will be conducted by three research teams. Team A01 Regulation of brain function by glial assembly: Molecules involved in the glial communication will be identified. Interaction of glial assembly with NCs and its effect on the NC activity will also be studied.
Team A02 Regulation of brain maturation by glial assembly: We will study how the interaction between glial assembly and NCs is developmentally regulated, and clarify how the maturation of this interaction is associated with the expression of brain function. Team A03 Glial disorders: Glial involvement in neuropsychiatric disorders whose patho- physiology is still under extensive investigation, such as schizophrenia, autistic spectrum disorders, pain disorders and demyelinating diseases, will be studied.
【Expected Research Achievements and Scientific Significance】
1) The mechanism controlling the formation of glial assembly and its role in the postnatal brain development will be clarified, with special emphasis on glia-dependent control of NC remodeling.
2) The mechanism through which glial assembly regulates the NC activity, and thereby the brain function, will be clarified.
3) A novel concept, Glial disorders, will be established. It is hypothesized that dysfunction of glial cells are involved in pathophysiology of various neuropsychiatric disorders. The goals of the research are identification of subtypes of the neuropsychiatric disorders caused by the abnormal glial assembly function (glial disorders), and development of innovative and fundamental treatments for those disorders.
【Key Words】 Glial assembly: a gigantic glial network that interacts with NCs and influence its activity
【Term of Project】 FY2013-2017
【Budget Allocation】 1,193,300 Thousand Yen
【Homepage Address and Other Contact Information】
http://square.umin.ac.jp/glialassembl/
－45－
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas(Research in a proposed research area)
【Grant‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)】 Interdisciplinary Area
Title of Project：The Science of Mental Time: Investigation into
the past, present and future
Shigeru Kitazawa ( Osaka University, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences,
Professor )
【Purpose of the Research Project】
Our group refers to the awareness of time over the past, present and future as “mental time.” Mental time is a cognitive function that has evolved in humans in particular. We raise the following three arguments. 1) When doctors are diagnosing dementia, we ask a person what today's date is. An awareness of the date is essential for humans, but similar expectations are not held for other animals. 2) Most languages have precise tenses. This characteristic provides additional clear evidence that we are continually aware of the past, present, and future. 3) Humans fear death, which represents the end of the future. However, a chimpanzee was found to show no sign of fear of the future, even when the animal was severely disabled. Where does mental time, the human-specific awareness of time, come from? In this research project, we aim to construct a new research area, “the science of mental time,” through active collaborations among neuroscientists, psychologists, clinical neurologists, linguists, philosophers, and comparative ethologists.
【Content of the Research Project】 This project consists of 6 sub-projects.
Sub-projects A01-A03 examine the neural basis of the mental concepts of “present” (A01), “past” (A02), and “future” (A03) by applying neuroscience methods to studies of humans and other animals. In A04, pathological conditions of mental time will be investigated. In addition, we will approach mental time from the viewpoints of linguistics and philosophy (B01), as well as comparative cognitive science (C01).
【Expected Research Achievements and Scientific Significance】
Three achievements are expected from our collaborative studies. 1) We will draw a map of mental time in the brain, by combining the theory of tenses in linguistics with neuroscience and clinical neuropsychology. 2) We will develop methods for manipulating mental time through cutting-edge studies of lab animals and will initiate clinical applications. By applying these methods, we hope to ameliorate the symptoms of dementia that involve impairments in memory consolidation of the “past,” as well as the symptoms of PTSD that involve obsessions with the “past,” and the symptoms of depression that involve a lack of hope for the “future.” 3) We will reveal the process by which mental time evolved, by combining comparative ethology with approaches from other fields. We will study the phylogeny of mental time by comparing humans with rodents, macaques, and chimpanzees and the ontogeny of mental time by investigating development through infancy and childhood into adulthood.
【Key Words】 Mental time: an awareness of time as being past, present, and future, specifically evolved in humans. Mental time is constructed by the brain and does not therefore necessarily coincide with time in the physical world.
【Term of Project】 FY2013-2017 【Budget Allocation】 884,400 Thousand Yen 【Homepage Address and Other Contact Information】
http://mental_time.umin.jp/
【Grant‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas(Research in a proposed research area)】 Interdisciplinary Area
Title of Project： Initiative for High-Dimensional Data-driven
Science through Deepening of Sparse Modeling
Masato Okada ( The University of Tokyo, Graduate school of Frontier Sciences,
Professor )
【Purpose of the Research Project】 The main purpose of this project is to
develop the innovative methodology for under- standing the world of nature by tight fusion of information science and natural science. Our scientific research area focuses on ‘Sparse Modeling’ that based on fundamental principle of sparseness: most of useful information is embedded in the low-dimensional subspace for high-dimensional observation data in the various fields of natural science.
By collaboration between natural scientists and information scientists through sparse modeling and by deepening the mathematical basis of sparse modeling, we will create an innovative scientific area which should be called as high-dimensional data-driven science, and will establish an overwhelming inter- national lead of academic standard of Japan for the coming paradigm of data-intensive sciences.
【Content of the Research Project】 In order to establish the high-dimensional
data-driven science, we propose three major strategic objectives of this research project as follows (Fig. 1):
A: Practice of data-driven science B: Establishment of modeling principle C: building of mathematical foundation
For these three aims, we have set up the following three subproject groups, respectively: Experiment and Measurement Group (A01, A02), Modeling Group (B01) and Information science Group (C01). Especially, Modeling Group (B01) plays an important role as the interface and catalyst for tight fusion between natural science and information science.
【Expected Research Achievements and Scientific Significance】
Experiment Group (A01, A02) will cause breakthrough in life sciences, geosciences and astrology, by establishing the scientific methodology, through which we can discover new scientific insights and speed up the experimental protocols dramatically.
For example, astrology team (A02-3) tries to picture the black hole directly using sparse modeling from data sets acquired by radio interferometer (Fig. 2).
Modeling Group (B01) investigates the system- scientific methodology which links the individual data sets in natural sciences and universal data-analyzing technique, and will propose universal framework which enables us to model target phenomena and systems based on hypothesis and test cycles. It will result in establishment of new approach to understanding nature, called as data-driven phenomenological theory that utilizes analogy and universality for solving the individual problems by jumping the barrier of scientific discipline.
Information science Group (C01) reforms the classical theory of multivariate analysis by solving specific problems with high- dimensional scientific data including non- linearity and uncertainty, and will establish the mathematical basement of sparse modeling.
【Key Words】 Sparse modeling, High-dimensional data-driven science, Compressed sensing, Sparseness
【Term of Project】 FY2013-2017 【Budget Allocation】 1,022,000 Thousand Yen 【Homepage Address and Other Contact Information】
http://sparse-modeling.jp [email protected]
Fig. 2: conceptual drawing of a black hole.
Fig. 1: Research system diagram of this project
【Grant‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)】 Interdisciplinary Area
Title of Project：The Science of Mental Time: Investigation into
the past, present and future
Shigeru Kitazawa ( Osaka University, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences,
Professor )
【Purpose of the Research Project】
Our group refers to the awareness of time over the past, present and future as “mental time.” Mental time is a cognitive function that has evolved in humans in particular. We raise the following three arguments. 1) When doctors are diagnosing dementia, we ask a person what today's date is. An awareness of the date is essential for humans, but similar expectations are not held for other animals. 2) Most languages have precise tenses. This characteristic provides additional clear evidence that we are continually aware of the past, present, and future. 3) Humans fear death, which represents the end of the future. However, a chimpanzee was found to show no sign of fear of the future, even when the animal was severely disabled. Where does mental time, the human-specific awareness of time, come from? In this research project, we aim to construct a new research area, “the science of mental time,” through active collaborations among neuroscientists, psychologists, clinical neurologists, linguists, philosophers, and comparative ethologists.
【Content of the Research Project】 This project consists of 6 sub-projects.
Sub-projects A01-A03 examine the neural basis of the mental concepts of “present” (A01), “past” (A02), and “future” (A03) by applying neuroscience methods to studies of humans and other animals. In A04, pathological conditions of mental time will be investigated. In addition, we will approach mental time from the viewpoints of linguistics and philosophy (B01), as well as comparative cognitive science (C01).
【Expected Research Achievements and Scientific Significance】
Three achievements are expected from our collaborative studies. 1) We will draw a map of mental time in the brain, by combining the theory of tenses in linguistics with neuroscience and clinical neuropsychology. 2) We will develop methods for manipulating mental time through cutting-edge studies of lab animals and will initiate clinical applications. By applying these methods, we hope to ameliorate the symptoms of dementia that involve impairments in memory consolidation of the “past,” as well as the symptoms of PTSD that involve obsessions with the “past,” and the symptoms of depression that involve a lack of hope for the “future.” 3) We will reveal the process by which mental time evolved, by combining comparative ethology with approaches from other fields. We will study the phylogeny of mental time by comparing humans with rodents, macaques, and chimpanzees and the ontogeny of mental time by investigating development through infancy and childhood into adulthood.
【Key Words】 Mental time: an awareness of time as being past, present, and future, specifically evolved in humans. Mental time is constructed by the brain and does not therefore necessarily coincide with time in the physical world.
【Term of Project】 FY2013-2017 【Budget Allocation】 884,400 Thousand Yen 【Homepage Address and Other Contact Information】
http://mental_time.umin.jp/
【Grant‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas(Research in a proposed research area)】 Interdisciplinary Area
Title of Project： Initiative for High-Dimensional Data-driven
Science through Deepening of Sparse Modeling
Masato Okada ( The University of Tokyo, Graduate school of Frontier Sciences,
Professor )
【Purpose of the Research Project】 The main purpose of this project is to
develop the innovative methodology for under- standing the world of nature by tight fusion of information science and natural science. Our scientific research area focuses on ‘Sparse Modeling’ that based on fundamental principle of sparseness: most of useful information is embedded in the low-dimensional subspace for high-dimensional observation data in the various fields of natural science.
By collaboration between natural scientists and information scientists through sparse modeling and by deepening the mathematical basis of sparse modeling, we will create an innovative scientific area which should be called as high-dimensional data-driven science, and will establish an overwhelming inter- national lead of academic standard of Japan for the coming paradigm of data-intensive sciences.
【Content of the Research Project】 In order to establish the high-dimensional
data-driven science, we propose three major strategic objectives of this research project as follows (Fig. 1):
A: Practice of data-driven science B: Establishment of modeling principle C: building of mathematical foundation
For these three aims, we have set up the following three subproject groups, respectively: Experiment and Measurement Group (A01, A02), Modeling Group (B01) and Information science Group (C01). Especially, Modeling Group (B01) plays an important role as the interface and catalyst for tight fusion between natural science and information science.
【Expected Research Achievements and Scientific Significance】
Experiment Group (A01, A02) will cause breakthrough in life sciences, geosciences and astrology, by establishing the scientific methodology, through which we can discover new scientific insights and speed up the experimental protocols dramatically.
For example, astrology team (A02-3) tries to picture the black hole directly using sparse modeling from data sets acquired by radio interferometer (Fig. 2).
Modeling Group (B01) investigates the system- scientific methodology which links the individual data sets in natural sciences and universal data-analyzing technique, and will propose universal framework which enables us to model target phenomena and systems based on hypothesis and test cycles. It will result in establishment of new approach to understanding nature, called as data-driven phenomenological theory that utilizes analogy and universality for solving the individual problems by jumping the barrier of scientific discipline.
Information science Group (C01) reforms the classical theory of multivariate analysis by solving specific problems with high- dimensional scientific data including non- linearity and uncertainty, and will establish the mathematical basement of sparse modeling.
【Key Words】 Sparse modeling, High-dimensional data-driven science, Compressed sensing, Sparseness
【Term of Project】 FY2013-2017 【Budget Allocation】 1,022,000 Thousand Yen 【Homepage Address and Other Contact Information】
http://sparse-modeling.jp [email protected]
Fig. 2: conceptual drawing of a black hole.
Fig. 1: Research system diagram of this project
【Grant‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)】 Interdisciplinary Area
Title of Project：The Science of Mental Time: Investigation into
the past, present and future
Shigeru Kitazawa ( Osaka University, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences,
Professor )
【Purpose of the Research Project】
Our group refers to the awareness of time over the past, present and future as “mental time.” Mental time is a cognitive function that has evolved in humans in particular. We raise the following three arguments. 1) When doctors are diagnosing dementia, we ask a person what today's date is. An awareness of the date is essential for humans, but similar expectations are not held for other animals. 2) Most languages have precise tenses. This characteristic provides additional clear evidence that we are continually aware of the past, present, and future. 3) Humans fear death, which represents the end of the future. However, a chimpanzee was found to show no sign of fear of the future, even when the animal was severely disabled. Where does mental time, the human-specific awareness of time, come from? In this research project, we aim to construct a new research area, “the science of mental time,” through active collaborations among neuroscientists, psychologists, clinical neurologists, linguists, philosophers, and comparative ethologists.
【Content of the Research Project】 This project consists of 6 sub-projects.
Sub-projects A01-A03 examine the neural basis of the mental concepts of “present” (A01), “past” (A02), and “future” (A03) by applying neuroscience methods to studies of humans and other animals. In A04, pathological conditions of mental time will be investigated. In addition, we will approach mental time from the viewpoints of linguistics and philosophy (B01), as well as comparative cognitive science (C01).
【Expected Research Achievements and Scientific Significance】
Three achievements are expected from our collaborative studies. 1) We will draw a map of mental time in the brain, by combining the theory of tenses in linguistics with neuroscience and clinical neuropsychology. 2) We will develop methods for manipulating mental time through cutting-edge studies of lab animals and will initiate clinical applications. By applying these methods, we hope to ameliorate the symptoms of dementia that involve impairments in memory consolidation of the “past,” as well as the symptoms of PTSD that involve obsessions with the “past,” and the symptoms of depression that involve a lack of hope for the “future.” 3) We will reveal the process by which mental time evolved, by combining comparative ethology with approaches from other fields. We will study the phylogeny of mental time by comparing humans with rodents, macaques, and chimpanzees and the ontogeny of mental time by investigating development through infancy and childhood into adulthood.
【Key Words】 Mental time: an awareness of time as being past, present, and future, specifically evolved in humans. Mental time is constructed by the brain and does not therefore necessarily coincide with time in the physical world.
【Term of Project】 FY2013-2017 【Budget Allocation】 884,400 Thousand Yen 【Homepage Address and Other Contact Information】
http://mental_time.umin.jp/
Interdisciplinary Area
－46－
【Grant‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)】 Interdisciplinary Area
Title of Project：The Science of Mental Time: Investigation into
the past, present and future
Shigeru Kitazawa ( Osaka University, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences,
Professor )
【Purpose of the Research Project】
Our group refers to the awareness of time over the past, present and future as “mental time.” Mental time is a cognitive function that has evolved in humans in particular. We raise the following three arguments. 1) When doctors are diagnosing dementia, we ask a person what today's date is. An awareness of the date is essential for humans, but similar expectations are not held for other animals. 2) Most languages have precise tenses. This characteristic provides additional clear evidence that we are continually aware of the past, present, and future. 3) Humans fear death, which represents the end of the future. However, a chimpanzee was found to show no sign of fear of the future, even when the animal was severely disabled. Where does mental time, the human-specific awareness of time, come from? In this research project, we aim to construct a new research area, “the science of mental time,” through active collaborations among neuroscientists, psychologists, clinical neurologists, linguists, philosophers, and comparative ethologists.
【Content of the Research Project】 This project consists of 6 sub-projects.
Sub-projects A01-A03 examine the neural basis of the mental concepts of “present” (A01), “past” (A02), and “future” (A03) by applying neuroscience methods to studies of humans and other animals. In A04, pathological conditions of mental time will be investigated. In addition, we will approach mental time from the viewpoints of linguistics and philosophy (B01), as well as comparative cognitive science (C01).
【Expected Research Achievements and Scientific Significance】
Three achievements are expected from our collaborative studies. 1) We will draw a map of mental time in the brain, by combining the theory of tenses in linguistics with neuroscience and clinical neuropsychology. 2) We will develop methods for manipulating mental time through cutting-edge studies of lab animals and will initiate clinical applications. By applying these methods, we hope to ameliorate the symptoms of dementia that involve impairments in memory consolidation of the “past,” as well as the symptoms of PTSD that involve obsessions with the “past,” and the symptoms of depression that involve a lack of hope for the “future.” 3) We will reveal the process by which mental time evolved, by combining comparative ethology with approaches from other fields. We will study the phylogeny of mental time by comparing humans with rodents, macaques, and chimpanzees and the ontogeny of mental time by investigating development through infancy and childhood into adulthood.
【Key Words】 Mental time: an awareness of time as being past, present, and future, specifically evolved in humans. Mental time is constructed by the brain and does not therefore necessarily coincide with time in the physical world.
【Term of Project】 FY2013-2017 【Budget Allocation】 884,400 Thousand Yen 【Homepage Address and Other Contact Information】
http://mental_time.umin.jp/
【Grant‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas(Research in a proposed research area)】 Interdisciplinary Area
Title of Project： Initiative for High-Dimensional Data-driven
Science through Deepening of Sparse Modeling
Masato Okada ( The University of Tokyo, Graduate school of Frontier Sciences,
Professor )
【Purpose of the Research Project】 The main purpose of this project is to
develop the innovative methodology for under- standing the world of nature by tight fusion of information science and natural science. Our scientific research area focuses on ‘Sparse Modeling’ that based on fundamental principle of sparseness: most of useful information is embedded in the low-dimensional subspace for high-dimensional observation data in the various fields of natural science.
By collaboration between natural scientists and information scientists through sparse modeling and by deepening the mathematical basis of sparse modeling, we will create an innovative scientific area which should be called as high-dimensional data-driven science, and will establish an overwhelming inter- national lead of academic standard of Japan for the coming paradigm of data-intensive sciences.
【Content of the Research Project】 In order to establish the high-dimensional
data-driven science, we propose three major strategic objectives of this research project as follows (Fig. 1):
A: Practice of data-driven science B: Establishment of modeling principle C: building of mathematical foundation
For these three aims, we have set up the following three subproject groups, respectively: Experiment and Measurement Group (A01, A02), Modeling Group (B01) and Information science Group (C01). Especially, Modeling Group (B01) plays an important role as the interface and catalyst for tight fusion between natural science and information science.
【Expected Research Achievements and Scientific Significance】
Experiment Group (A01, A02) will cause breakthrough in life sciences, geosciences and astrology, by establishing the scientific methodology, through which we can discover new scientific insights and speed up the experimental protocols dramatically.
For example, astrology team (A02-3) tries to picture the black hole directly using sparse modeling from data sets acquired by radio interferometer (Fig. 2).
Modeling Group (B01) investigates the system- scientific methodology which links the individual data sets in natural sciences and universal data-analyzing technique, and will propose universal framework which enables us to model target phenomena and systems based on hypothesis and test cycles. It will result in establishment of new approach to understanding nature, called as data-driven phenomenological theory that utilizes analogy and universality for solving the individual problems by jumping the barrier of scientific discipline.
Information science Group (C01) reforms the classical theory of multivariate analysis by solving specific problems with high- dimensional scientific data including non- linearity and uncertainty, and will establish the mathematical basement of sparse modeling.
【Key Words】 Sparse modeling, High-dimensional data-driven science, Compressed sensing, Sparseness
【Term of Project】 FY2013-2017 【Budget Allocation】 1,022,000 Thousand Yen 【Homepage Address and Other Contact Information】
http://sparse-modeling.jp [email protected]
Fig. 2: conceptual drawing of a black hole.
Fig. 1: Research system diagram of this project
【Grant‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)】 Interdisciplinary Area
Title of Project：The Science of Mental Time: Investigation into
the past, present and future
Shigeru Kitazawa ( Osaka University, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences,
Professor )
【Purpose of the Research Project】
Our group refers to the awareness of time over the past, present and future as “mental time.” Mental time is a cognitive function that has evolved in humans in particular. We raise the following three arguments. 1) When doctors are diagnosing dementia, we ask a person what today's date is. An awareness of the date is essential for humans, but similar expectations are not held for other animals. 2) Most languages have precise tenses. This characteristic provides additional clear evidence that we are continually aware of the past, present, and future. 3) Humans fear death, which represents the end of the future. However, a chimpanzee was found to show no sign of fear of the future, even when the animal was severely disabled. Where does mental time, the human-specific awareness of time, come from? In this research project, we aim to construct a new research area, “the science of mental time,” through active collaborations among neuroscientists, psychologists, clinical neurologists, linguists, philosophers, and comparative ethologists.
【Content of the Research Project】 This project consists of 6 sub-projects.
Sub-projects A01-A03 examine the neural basis of the mental concepts of “present” (A01), “past” (A02), and “future” (A03) by applying neuroscience methods to studies of humans and other animals. In A04, pathological conditions of mental time will be investigated. In addition, we will approach mental time from the viewpoints of linguistics and philosophy (B01), as well as comparative cognitive science (C01).
【Expected Research Achievements and Scientific Significance】
Three achievements are expected from our collaborative studies. 1) We will draw a map of mental time in the brain, by combining the theory of tenses in linguistics with neuroscience and clinical neuropsychology. 2) We will develop methods for manipulating mental time through cutting-edge studies of lab animals and will initiate clinical applications. By applying these methods, we hope to ameliorate the symptoms of dementia that involve impairments in memory consolidation of the “past,” as well as the symptoms of PTSD that involve obsessions with the “past,” and the symptoms of depression that involve a lack of hope for the “future.” 3) We will reveal the process by which mental time evolved, by combining comparative ethology with approaches from other fields. We will study the phylogeny of mental time by comparing humans with rodents, macaques, and chimpanzees and the ontogeny of mental time by investigating development through infancy and childhood into adulthood.
【Key Words】 Mental time: an awareness of time as being past, present, and future, specifically evolved in humans. Mental time is constructed by the brain and does not therefore necessarily coincide with time in the physical world.
【Term of Project】 FY2013-2017 【Budget Allocation】 884,400 Thousand Yen 【Homepage Address and Other Contact Information】
http://mental_time.umin.jp/
【Grant‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas(Research in a proposed research area)】 Interdisciplinary Area
Title of Project： Initiative for High-Dimensional Data-driven
Science through Deepening of Sparse Modeling
Masato Okada ( The University of Tokyo, Graduate school of Frontier Sciences,
Professor )
【Purpose of the Research Project】 The main purpose of this project is to
develop the innovative methodology for under- standing the world of nature by tight fusion of information science and natural science. Our scientific research area focuses on ‘Sparse Modeling’ that based on fundamental principle of sparseness: most of useful information is embedded in the low-dimensional subspace for high-dimensional observation data in the various fields of natural science.
By collaboration between natural scientists and information scientists through sparse modeling and by deepening the mathematical basis of sparse modeling, we will create an innovative scientific area which should be called as high-dimensional data-driven science, and will establish an overwhelming inter- national lead of academic standard of Japan for the coming paradigm of data-intensive sciences.
【Content of the Research Project】 In order to establish the high-dimensional
data-driven science, we propose three major strategic objectives of this research project as follows (Fig. 1):
A: Practice of data-driven science B: Establishment of modeling principle C: building of mathematical foundation
For these three aims, we have set up the following three subproject groups, respectively: Experiment and Measurement Group (A01, A02), Modeling Group (B01) and Information science Group (C01). Especially, Modeling Group (B01) plays an important role as the interface and catalyst for tight fusion between natural science and information science.
【Expected Research Achievements and Scientific Significance】
Experiment Group (A01, A02) will cause breakthrough in life sciences, geosciences and astrology, by establishing the scientific methodology, through which we can discover new scientific insights and speed up the experimental protocols dramatically.
For example, astrology team (A02-3) tries to picture the black hole directly using sparse modeling from data sets acquired by radio interferometer (Fig. 2).
Modeling Group (B01) investigates the system- scientific methodology which links the individual data sets in natural sciences and universal data-analyzing technique, and will propose universal framework which enables us to model target phenomena and systems based on hypothesis and test cycles. It will result in establishment of new approach to understanding nature, called as data-driven phenomenological theory that utilizes analogy and universality for solving the individual problems by jumping the barrier of scientific discipline.
Information science Group (C01) reforms the classical theory of multivariate analysis by solving specific problems with high- dimensional scientific data including non- linearity and uncertainty, and will establish the mathematical basement of sparse modeling.
【Key Words】 Sparse modeling, High-dimensional data-driven science, Compressed sensing, Sparseness
【Term of Project】 FY2013-2017 【Budget Allocation】 1,022,000 Thousand Yen 【Homepage Address and Other Contact Information】
http://sparse-modeling.jp [email protected]
Fig. 2: conceptual drawing of a black hole.
Fig. 1: Research system diagram of this project
【Grant‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)】 Interdisciplinary Area
Title of Project：The Science of Mental Time: Investigation into
the past, present and future
Shigeru Kitazawa ( Osaka University, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences,
Professor )
【Purpose of the Research Project】
Our group refers to the awareness of time over the past, present and future as “mental time.” Mental time is a cognitive function that has evolved in humans in particular. We raise the following three arguments. 1) When doctors are diagnosing dementia, we ask a person what today's date is. An awareness of the date is essential for humans, but similar expectations are not held for other animals. 2) Most languages have precise tenses. This characteristic provides additional clear evidence that we are continually aware of the past, present, and future. 3) Humans fear death, which represents the end of the future. However, a chimpanzee was found to show no sign of fear of the future, even when the animal was severely disabled. Where does mental time, the human-specific awareness of time, come from? In this research project, we aim to construct a new research area, “the science of mental time,” through active collaborations among neuroscientists, psychologists, clinical neurologists, linguists, philosophers, and comparative ethologists.
【Content of the Research Project】 This project consists of 6 sub-projects.
Sub-projects A01-A03 examine the neural basis of the mental concepts of “present” (A01), “past” (A02), and “future” (A03) by applying neuroscience methods to studies of humans and other animals. In A04, pathological conditions of mental time will be investigated. In addition, we will approach mental time from the viewpoints of linguistics and philosophy (B01), as well as comparative cognitive science (C01).
【Expected Research Achievements and Scientific Significance】
Three achievements are expected from our collaborative studies. 1) We will draw a map of mental time in the brain, by combining the theory of tenses in linguistics with neuroscience and clinical neuropsychology. 2) We will develop methods for manipulating mental time through cutting-edge studies of lab animals and will initiate clinical applications. By applying these methods, we hope to ameliorate the symptoms of dementia that involve impairments in memory consolidation of the “past,” as well as the symptoms of PTSD that involve obsessions with the “past,” and the symptoms of depression that involve a lack of hope for the “future.” 3) We will reveal the process by which mental time evolved, by combining comparative ethology with approaches from other fields. We will study the phylogeny of mental time by comparing humans with rodents, macaques, and chimpanzees and the ontogeny of mental time by investigating development through infancy and childhood into adulthood.
【Key Words】 Mental time: an awareness of time as being past, present, and future, specifically evolved in humans. Mental time is constructed by the brain and does not therefore necessarily coincide with time in the physical world.
【Term of Project】 FY2013-2017 【Budget Allocation】 884,400 Thousand Yen 【Homepage Address and Other Contact Information】
http://mental_time.umin.jp/
Interdisciplinary Area
－47－
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas(Research in a proposed research area)