Ozone control as a novel method to improve health-promoting bioactive compounds in red leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

In this study, we determined the short-term effects of ozone exposure on the growth and accumulation of bioactive compounds in red lettuce leaves grown in a controlled environment plant factory with artificial light, also known as a vertical farm. During cultivation, twenty-day-old lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. Redfire) seedlings were exposed to 100 and 200 ppb of ozone concentrations for 72 h. To find out how plants react to ozone and light, complex treatments were done with light and ozone concentrations (100 ppb; 16 h and 200 ppb; 24 h). Ozone treatment with 100 ppb did not show any significant difference in shoot fresh weight compared to that of the control, but the plants exposed to the 200 ppb treatment showed a significant reduction in fresh weight by 1.3 fold compared to the control. The expression of most genes in lettuce plants exposed to 100 and 200 ppb of ozone increased rapidly after 0.5 h and showed a decreasing trend after reaching a peak. Even when exposed to a uniform ozone concentration, the pattern of accumulating bioactive compounds such as total phenolics, antioxidant capacity and total flavonoids varied based on leaf age. At a concentration of 200 ppb, a greater accumulation was found in the third (older) leaf than in the fourth leaf (younger). The anthocyanin of lettuce plants subjected to 100 and 200 ppb concentrations increased continuously for 48 h. Our results suggest that ozone control is a novel method that can effectively increase the accumulation of bioactive compounds in lettuce in a plant factory

Photosynthetic photon flux density affects fruit biomass radiation-use efficiency of dwarf tomatoes under LED light at the reproductive growth stage

This study aimed to analyze the effects of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) on fruit biomass radiation-use efficiency (FBRUE) of the dwarf tomato cultivar ‘Micro-Tom’ and to determine the suitable PPFD for enhancing the FBRUE under LED light at the reproductive growth stage. We performed four PPFD treatments under white LED light: 200, 300, 500, and 700 μmol m−2 s−1. The results demonstrated that a higher PPFD led to higher fresh and dry weights of the plants and lowered specific leaf areas. FBRUE and radiation-use efficiency (RUE) were the highest under 300 μmol m−2 s−1. FBRUE decreased by 37.7% because RUE decreased by 25% and the fraction of dry mass portioned to fruits decreased by 16.9% when PPFD increased from 300 to 700 μmol m−2 s−1. Higher PPFD (500 and 700 μmol m−2 s−1) led to lower RUE owing to lower light absorptance, photosynthetic quantum yield, and photosynthetic capacity of the leaves. High source strength and low fruit sink strength at the late reproductive growth stage led to a low fraction of dry mass portioned to fruits. In conclusion, 300 µmol m−2 s−1 PPFD is recommended for ‘Micro-Tom’ cultivation to improve the FBRUE at the reproductive growth stage

Synthesis of single-phase L10-FeNi magnet powder by nitrogen insertion and topotactic extraction

Tetrataenite (L10-FeNi) is a promising candidate for use as a permanent magnet free of rare-earth elements because of its favorable properties. In this study, single-phase L10-FeNi powder with a high degree of order was synthesized through a new method, nitrogen insertion and topotactic extraction (NITE). In the method, FeNiN, which has the same ordered arrangement as L10-FeNi, is formed by nitriding A1-FeNi powder with ammonia gas. Subsequently, FeNiN is denitrided by topotactic reaction to derive single-phase L10-FeNi with an order parameter of 0.71. The transformation of disordered-phase FeNi into the L10 phase increased the coercive force from 14.5 kA/m to 142 kA/m. The proposed method not only significantly accelerates the development of magnets using L10-FeNi but also offers a new synthesis route to obtain ordered alloys in non-equilibrium states

Economical Wet Extraction of Lipid from labyrinthula Aurantiochytrium limacinum by Using Liquefied Dimethyl Ether

Recently, a simple method for the extraction of lipids from wet biomass using liquefied dimethyl ether (DME) without drying, cell disruption, or heating was proposed. Here, the versatility of this method was evaluated for labyrinthula Aurantiochytrium limacinum (A. limacinum). The liquefied DME was passed through the extractor that filled by A. limacinum at different time intervals. The extraction of lipids from A. limacinum of moisture-rich microorganism was successfully achieved, the yield of lipid was 46.1 wt% of the dry weight of the sample. In comparison, the yields of lipid were 21.3 wt%, 43.6 wt% and 50.7 wt% when supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2), hexane-Soxhlet and Bligh-Dyer (BD) extraction methods were applied as extractants, respectively. However, the drying and cell-disruption process were required in SCCO2, hexane-Soxhlet, and BD extraction methods

Practical Seminar for the Teaching Profession on the Teacher Training Program at Okayama University（２）

　岡山大学では，平成25年度後期より本格実施する教職実践演習に向けて，独自で通年開講する教育学部を除く7課程認定学部と教師教育開発センター（以降，センター）が協同して準備を行っている。平成24年度後期に教育学部以外の教職希望学生を対象に15講からなる教職実践演習（以降，全学教職実践演習）の試行を実施した。試行は参加学生へのアンケート調査や授業担当者の反省会で得られた意見より，概ね期待された効果が得られた。一方，試行に参加した学生が教育実習後と比較し伸びているのか，必修科目になれば教職を目指さない学生が混じるため試行ほど成果が期待されないのではないか，等の課題が指摘された。試行の反省を基に，平成25年度前期には受講生向けに「全学教職実践演習ガイドブック」を，40 名近くの指導者向けに「全学教職実践演習ハンドブック」を作成した。本稿では試行の成果と課題及び本格実施の実際について報告する

SNP HiTLink: a high-throughput linkage analysis system employing dense SNP data

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>During this recent decade, microarray-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data are becoming more widely used as markers for linkage analysis in the identification of loci for disease-associated genes. Although microarray-based SNP analyses have markedly reduced genotyping time and cost compared with microsatellite-based analyses, applying these enormous data to linkage analysis programs is a time-consuming step, thus, necessitating a high-throughput platform.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have developed SNP HiTLink (SNP High Throughput Linkage analysis system). In this system, SNP chip data of the Affymetrix Mapping 100 k/500 k array set and Genome-Wide Human SNP array 5.0/6.0 can be directly imported and passed to parametric or model-free linkage analysis programs; MLINK, Superlink, Merlin and Allegro. Various marker-selecting functions are implemented to avoid the effect of typing-error data, markers in linkage equilibrium or to select informative data.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results using the 100 k SNP dataset were comparable or even superior to those obtained from analyses using microsatellite markers in terms of LOD scores obtained. General personal computers are sufficient to execute the process, as runtime for whole-genome analysis was less than a few hours. This system can be widely applied to linkage analysis using microarray-based SNP data and with which one can expect high-throughput and reliable linkage analysis.</p

Degradation of Aromatic Compounds by Pseudomonas putida

金沢大学大学院自然科学研究科北海道大学Scedule:17-18 March 2003, Vemue: Kanazawa, Japan, Kanazawa Citymonde Hotel, Project Leader : Hayakawa, Kazuichi, Symposium Secretariat: XO kamata, Naoto, Edited by:Kamata, Naoto

Practical Seminar for Teaching Profession in All-University Teacher Training Program at Okayama University

　岡山大学教師教育開発センター（以下，センター）は，全学教職コア・カリキュラム（以下，全学コア・カリ）の研究・開発と運営を行っている。教職実践演習については独自で開講する教育学部を除く7課程認定学部とセンターが協働して本格実施に向けた準備を行い，平成23年12月には「全学教職実践演習授業計画（案）」（以下，授業計画（案））を作成し，認識の共有化を図っている。一方で，各教職課程運営委員（以下，運営委員）からは学部内での説明や周知に関して不安や困難を述べる声も多く挙がった。そのため，平成24年2月にFD研修として教職実践演習のプレ試行を実施した。その結果，イメージがわくという成果と，教科専門科目担当教員（以下，教科教員）がどのように授業へコミットすればよいかという不安等の課題が顕在化した。そこで，教科教員が有している期待や不安等の意識を調査することにより，授業を構築するための成果と課題を明らかにした

A Research on Quality Assurance in Teacher Training Course in Okayama University (2) – Focused on Change of Students’ Consciousness Before and After Teacher Training Program for Freshman –

　岡山大学では，教師教育開発センターによる全学の教員養成教育の質保証に取り組んでいる。本学では，教育学部以外に在籍し，教員免許状の取得を志す学生（文学部，法学部，経済学部，理学部，工学部，農学部，環境理工学部，マッチングプログラムコース）を対象にした1年次の核になるプログラムとして「全学教職オリエンテーション」と「母校訪問」を設けている。本研究では，平成24年度にこれら2つのプログラムを受けた学生を対象にした事前事後によるアンケート調査結果に基づき，学生の意識変容を検討した。その結果，（１）教職志望度が上昇する傾向があるが，教員免許取得希望度や教員採用試験の受験意志は低下すること，（２）「教職観」に関する様々な意識が変容し，教職理解が深まるが，「4 つの力に対する自信」は部分的な変容であること，（３）「大学生活や将来への思い」に関して部分的であるがポジティブに変容していくこと，が主に示唆された

高齢者への長期ビタミンD投与

Daily １，０００ IU vitamin D was supplemented to ８７ years old female（Case １）and ６８ years old male（Case ２）subjects with sarcopenia and vitamin D insufficiency／deficiency for ２ years and ５ months and ２ years and ７ months, respectively. Before, １ year and ９ months, and ２ years and ５ months after vitamin D supplementation in Case １, serum ２５‐hydroxyvitamin D［２５（OH）D］level was ９ ng/ml, ２３．８ ng/ml and ２３．１ ng/ml, skeletal muscle mass was ８．９５ kg, １０．２ kg and １０．０ kg, handgrip strength was ７．３ kg, ８．９ kg and ９．９ kg, and Barthel index was ４０, ８５ and ９０, respectively. Before, and ２ years and ７ months after vitamin D supplementation in Case ２, serum ２５（OH）D level was ２６ ng/ml and ３４．４ ng/ml, skeletal muscle mass was ２４．６ kg and ２５．１ kg, handgrip strength was ３７．２ kg and ３８．３ kg, and Barthel index was １００ and １００, respectively. Thus, activity of daily living（ADL）markedly improved in Case １ and keep high in Case ２. Therefore, it is suggested that daily １，０００ IU vitamin D supplementation is effective to keep QOL of aged persons higher