Development of Morphological Diversity of Dendrites in Drosophila by the BTB-Zinc Finger Protein Abrupt

Morphological diversity of dendrites contributes to specialized functions of individual neurons. In the present study, we examined the molecular basis that generates distinct morphological classes of Drosophila dendritic arborization (da) neurons. da neurons are classified into classes I to IV in order of increasing territory size and/or branching complexity. We found that Abrupt (Ab), a BTB-zinc finger protein, is expressed selectively in class I cells. Misexpression of ab in neurons of other classes directed them to take the appearance of cells with smaller and/or less elaborated arbors. Loss of ab functions in class I neurons resulted in malformation of their typical comb-like arbor patterns and generation of supernumerary branch terminals. Together with the results of monitoring dendritic dynamics of ab-misexpressing cells or ab mutant ones, all of the data suggested that Ab endows characteristics of dendritic morphogenesis of the class I neurons

X-ray Anomalous Scattering of Diluted Magnetic Oxide Semiconductors: Possible Evidence of Lattice Deformation for High Temperature Ferromagnetism

We have examined whether the Co ions crystallographically substitute on the Ti sites in rutile and anatase Ti_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$O$_{2-delta}$thin films that exhibit room-temperature ferromagnetism. Intensities of the x-ray Bragg reflection from the films were measured around the$K$-absorption-edge of Co. If the Co ions randomly substitute on the Ti sites, the intensity should exhibit an anomaly due to the anomalous dispersion of the atomic scattering factor of Co. However, none of the anatase and rutile samples did exhibit an anomaly, unambiguously showing that the Co ions in Ti$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$O$_{2-delta}$are not exactly located at the Ti sites of TiO$_2$. The absence of the anomaly is probably caused by a significant deformation of the local structure around Co due to the oxygen vacancy. We have applied the same method to paramagnetic Zn$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$O thin films and obtained direct evidence that the Co ions are indeed substituted on the Zn sites.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted in PR

A Study on “Subject Contents Organization (SCO)” for Teacher Training Program in the Faculty of Education, Okayama University : Practice and Assessment of SCO in Elementary School and Junior High School Teacher Training Curriculum

　岡山大学教育学部・教師教育開発センターは，平成23 ～ 27年度「教員の資質向上に寄与する『大学と学校・教育委員会の協働』の実現−学校教育改善との連動で教員養成教育を進化させる−(先進的教員養成プロジェクト)」に取り組んだ。その中の教科構成学開発事業では，本学部で独自に構築・実施しているコア・カリキュラムの中での教科内容構成のあり方について，２つのプロセスから研究を行った。本稿では，平成26年度に学部教育全体で取り組んだ「教科内容構成要素に関するシラバス記述」と，部会員が平成26・27年度に授業を実践した小・中学校の教職および教科に関する科目（数学・理科・家庭科・国語科）の受講生に対して実施した「教科内容構成力」に関するアンケート調査の分析から，本学部の教科内容構成研究の特徴と課題について検討した

Issues for Earthquake Disaster Prevention Awareness and Earthquake Disaster Prevention Education of Students Who Want to Become Childcare Workers

　保育者志望学生を対象に，保育における地震防災に関する意識や子どもへの地震防災教育の実践に関する課題等について質問紙調査を行った。その結果，実習経験の有無に関わらず，保育職に就く前に地震防災について理解しておく必要性について強く認識している傾向があることが分かった。また，実習経験の有無で差異が生じる意識もあることが確認できた。地震防災教育を実践する上での教育内容や自身の課題については，実習経験のない学生は，一般論的な内容で具体性に欠け，幅広い視点で防災教育を捉えていることが分かった。一方，実習経験のある学生は，保育現場の状況や子どもの発達過程を考慮した保育者としての視点や願いの表れた課題を持っている傾向があることが示唆された