Loss of Pikfyve causes Transdifferentiation of Dictyostelium Spores into Basal Disc Cells

The 1-phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate 5-kinase PIKfyve generates PtdIns3,5P2 on late phagolysosomes, which by recruiting the scission protein Atg18, results in their fragmentation in the normal course of endosome processing. Loss of PIKfyve function causes cellular hypervacuolization in eukaryotes and organ failure in humans. We identified pikfyve as the defective gene in a Dictyostelium mutant that failed to form spores. The amoebas normally differentiated into prespore cells and initiated spore coat protein synthesis in Golgi-derived prespore vesicles. However, instead of exocytosing, the prespore vesicles fused into the single vacuole that typifies the stalk and basal disc cells that support the spores. This process was accompanied by stalk wall biosynthesis, loss of spore gene expression and overexpression of ecmB, a basal disc and stalk-specific gene, but not of the stalk-specific genes DDB_G0278745 and DDB_G0277757. Transdifferentiation of prespore into stalk-like cells was previously observed in mutants that lack early autophagy genes, like atg5, atg7, and atg9. However, while autophagy mutants specifically lacked cAMP induction of prespore gene expression, pikfyve(−) showed normal early autophagy and prespore induction, but increased in vitro induction of ecmB. Combined, the data suggest that the Dictyostelium endosomal system influences cell fate by acting on cell type specific gene expression

Examination of “Skills of Subject Contents Organization” in Practice of “Studies in the Subject Matter of Home Economics Education” in the Home economics Education Course, Faculty of Education Okayama University : Preliminary Research to Develop a Home Economics Curriculum, which Aims to Integrate Academic Subjects Education and Subject Content Education

　岡山大学教育学部家政教育講座では，教科教育と教科内容の統合を目指す教員養成家庭科カリキュラムを構築し，平成22 年度から実践してきた。本報告では，平成26 年度から検討を開始した家庭科カリキュラムにおける「教科内容構成力」育成の取組と，平成27・28年度に実施した「中等家庭科内容論」の授業内容と「教科内容構成力」の育成について検討した

The Characteristics of Apathy in University Students and Issues in Education The Effect on Clinical Training of Attitude and Results (GPA) Prior to Clinical Training, and Forecast Training Results

Background: In recent years, the apathetic attitude of students has been a frequent problem in clinical training. Objectives: To consider the effects on students' results for the clinical training element of their course of their attitude and grade point average (GPA) prior to clinical training, and to examine educational issues within the university. Method: The study focused on 43 fourthyear students in this university's Department of Occupational Therapy. In order to survey students' attitudes and results prior to undertaking clinical training, we looked at three criteria: their GPA at the university prior to clinical training, an Apathy scale and a locus of control. Thereafter, using Spearman rank order correlations and multiple logistic regression analysis, we undertook a comparison, at a significance level of 5%, of the relationship between attitude and results prior to the two eight-week periods of clinical training (Clinical Training III) undertaken by the students. Results: With regard to the training results in the field of mental disability, there was a significant correlation between GPA and Apathy. In particular, those with a sense of physical fatigue and those suffering from a disrupted lifestyle tended to have bad results for their training in this field. In the field of geriatric care as well, there was a significant correlation where those with a disrupted lifestyle were concerned. On the other hand, unlike in other fields, results for training in the field of physical disability showed a significant correlation with regard to lack of effort. Looking at the training by period, GPA had an effect on results for the first period of training, but no correlation was seen with regard to results for the second period. On the other hand, the locus of control and Apathy total were related to results for the second period of training. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed us that it was possible to predict the probability that results for training in the field of mental disability would be in the lower two groups from the rise in the total for lifestyle disruption prior to clinical training (odds ratio 2.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.03～5.57, p=0.04). Furthermore, we discovered that it was possibly to predict the probability that results for training in the field of mental disability would be in the top group from the rise in the total for physical fatigue prior to clinical training (odds ratio 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.40～0.95, p=0.03). Conclusions: Items where there was a correlation with clinical training results can generally be said to be expressions of attitude or drive. In other words, even if the low expression of attitude or drive can be covered up in the first period of training by academic work completed prior to the training, it is likely that a apathetic attitude will have an effect on results for clinical training during the second period. The point on which we would particularly like to focus is the fact that, based on the results of multiple logistic regression analysis, we were able to calculate that it was possible to predict results for training in the field of mental disability from the totals for lifestyle disruption and physical fatigue prior to clinical training

Can poor treatment of workers be legitimated when they have passion for work?: Reexamining findings of Kim et al. (2020)

In Japan, overwork has often been reported and criticized by the media as well as the public. Jobs are, however, often regarded as giving workers a sense of fulfilment and enjoyment, leading to their willingness to work extra hours. Based on the findings of Kim et al. (2020), we conducted two studies to investigate whether poor treatment of a worker can be legitimated when he/she is passionate about his/her work. In line with previous research, we found that a passionate worker was perceived to be volunteering to do extra jobs without compensation if given the chance and to regard the work as a reward in and of itself. However, unlike Kim et al., we did not find any mediating effects of these two perceptions on legitimating poor treatment of passionate workers. The reason why we failed to replicate the findings of Kim et al. are discussed in terms of Japanese people’s awareness of the hardship and unfairness of overwork.本論文は，2020年度に広島大学教育学部で開講された心理学実験において，第1著者の指導により第2著者から第5著者が実施した研究をもとに執筆したものである。また，本研究はJSPS科研費JP18K03007の助成を受けた

Division of Life, Health, and Sports Education, Graduate School of Education, Okayama University

教員養成では，教育実践を核に据えた「教科教育と教科専門を架橋する研究領域」の確立が課題となってきた。岡山大学教育学部では「実地教育を核としたコア・カリキュラム」と「教科内容構成力育成」のための授業科目の連携・統合の取組を行ってきた。本報告では，家政教育講座で教科教育と教科内容の統合を目指して構築・実践してきた初等家庭科授業研究と内容研究の平成26年度～平成30年度の「教科内容構成力」の育成を検討した。その結果，受講生は「教科内容構成力は高まった」と評価していたが，平成28年度以降教員志望度の低い学生が増え，平成28・30年度では，教員志望度の高い学生との自己評価得点が有意に低いことが明らかになった

A combination of a DNA-chimera siRNA against PLK-1 and zoledronic acid suppresses the growth of malignant mesothelioma cells in vitro.

Although novel agents effective against malignant mesothelioma (MM) have been developed, the prognosis of patients with MM is still poor. We generated a DNA-chimeric siRNA against polo-like kinase-1 (PLK-1), which was more stable in human serum than the non-chimeric siRNA. The chimeric PLK-1 siRNA inhibited MM cell proliferation through the induction of apoptosis. Next, we investigated the effects of zoledronic acid (ZOL) on MM cells, and found that ZOL also induced apoptosis in MM cells. Furthermore, ZOL augmented the inhibitory effects of the PLK-1 siRNA. In conclusion, combining a PLK-1 siRNA with ZOL treatment is an attractive strategy against MM

Reconstruction of Insulin Signal Flow from Phosphoproteome and Metabolome Data

SummaryCellular homeostasis is regulated by signals through multiple molecular networks that include protein phosphorylation and metabolites. However, where and when the signal flows through a network and regulates homeostasis has not been explored. We have developed a reconstruction method for the signal flow based on time-course phosphoproteome and metabolome data, using multiple databases, and have applied it to acute action of insulin, an important hormone for metabolic homeostasis. An insulin signal flows through a network, through signaling pathways that involve 13 protein kinases, 26 phosphorylated metabolic enzymes, and 35 allosteric effectors, resulting in quantitative changes in 44 metabolites. Analysis of the network reveals that insulin induces phosphorylation and activation of liver-type phosphofructokinase 1, thereby controlling a key reaction in glycolysis. We thus provide a versatile method of reconstruction of signal flow through the network using phosphoproteome and metabolome data