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

Development of Home Economics Classes from an ESD Perspective : Examining the Practice of the 2018 Liberal Arts Education Subject “Contemporary Issues in Education (Lifestyle and Environment)” at Okayama University

平成28年以降、わが国では、これから子どもたちが生きる予測できない未来に対応するための学校教育の方向性として、グローバル化や知識基盤社会で生きる力とその育成のためのアクティブ・ラーニングの導入が示された。2014年にスーパーグローバル大学の指定を受けた岡山大学においても、知識基盤社会やグローバル化社会を支える高度な専門知識と知的な素養を備えた人材育成のための教育改革が行われた。本研究は，この改革の中で、教養教育として教育学部に求められた「現代の教育的課題」の授業科目として、アクティブ・ラーニングを核とする“ESDを視点とした家庭科Project”を基盤として開発した「生活と環境」とその実践結果について検討した。Since 2016, active learning has been implemented in Japan as part of a direction for school education that can respond to the unpredictable future in store for children, in order to develop the ability to live in a globalized, knowledge-based society. Okayama University, which has been designated as a Super Global University in 2014, is engaged in education reform to develop people with the advanced, specialized knowledge as well as mental fundamentals to support a knowledge-based, global society. This study examines the results of the “lifestyle and environment”which were developed as foundation for a “home economics project from an ESD standpoint,” one that is central to active learning in the “Contemporary Issues in Education” course, required for liberal arts education in the Faculty of Education