An Extended ISM for Globally Multimodal Function Optimization by Genetic Algorithms

When attempting to optimize a function where exists several big-valley structures, conventional GAs often fail to find the global optimum. Innately Split Model (ISM) is a framework of GAs, which is designed to avoid this phenomenon called UV-Phenomenon. However, ISM doesn't care about previously-searched areas by the past populations. Thus, it is possible that populations of ISM waste evaluation cost for redundant searches reaching previously-found optima. In this paper, we introduce Extended ISM (EISM) that uses search information of past populations as trap to suppress overlapping searches. To show performance of EISM, we apply it to some test functions, and analyze the behavior

Boss/Sev Signaling from Germline to Soma Restricts Germline-Stem-Cell-Niche Formation in the Anterior Region of Drosophila Male Gonads

SummaryDrosophila germline stem cells are regulated by the somatic microenvironment, or “niche,” which ensures that the stem cells can both self-renew and produce functional gametes throughout adult life. However, despite its prime importance, little is known about how niche formation is regulated during gonadal development. Here, we demonstrate that a receptor tyrosine kinase, Sevenless (Sev), is required to ensure that the niche develops in the anterior region of the male embryonic gonads. Sev is expressed in somatic cells within the posterior region of the gonads. Sev is activated by a ligand, Bride of sevenless (Boss), which is expressed by the germline, to prevent ectopic niche differentiation in the posterior gonadal somatic cells. Thus, we propose that signal transduction from germline to soma restricts expansion of the germline-stem-cell niche in the gonads

Development of a New Measurement Method to Evaluate the Physical Properties of Granules for Dry Powder Inhalation Produced by New Spouted Bed Type Binderless Granulator

The spouted bed type of binderless granulator is one of the most appropriate methods available for producing granules of dry powder inhalation (DPI) from cohesive fine powder. However the compressive strength of produced granule is too small to be measure by conventional method. In this work a new apparatus was developed to evaluate the strength of such a soft granule. Load and displacement curve of the granule were measured by new method of compressive strength measurement. To observe the compression process of the granule, photographs were taken with a microscopic camera. It was clarified that this measurement method was remarkably useful to evaluate the compressive strength of soft granule

Transcriptomic analysis reveals differences in the regulation of amino acid metabolism in asexual and sexual planarians

Abstract Many flatworms can alternate between asexual and sexual reproduction. This is a powerful reproductive strategy enabling them to benefit from the features of the two reproductive modes, namely, rapid multiplication and genetic shuffling. The two reproductive modes are enabled by the presence of pluripotent adult stem cells (neoblasts), by generating any type of tissue in the asexual mode, and producing and maintaining germ cells in the sexual mode. In the current study, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was used to compare the transcriptomes of two phenotypes of the planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis: an asexual OH strain and an experimentally sexualized OH strain. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed striking differences in amino acid metabolism in the two worm types. Further, the analysis identified serotonin as a new bioactive substance that induced the planarian ovary de novo in a postembryonic manner. These findings suggest that different metabolic states and physiological conditions evoked by sex-inducing substances likely modulate stem cell behavior, depending on their different function in the asexual and sexual reproductive modes. The combination of RNA-seq and a feeding assay in D. ryukyuensis is a powerful tool for studying the alternation of reproductive modes, disentangling the relationship between gene expression and chemical signaling molecules

Transcriptome profiling of the spermatheca identifies genes potentially involved in the long-term sperm storage of ant queens

Females of social Hymenoptera only mate at the beginning of their adult lives and produce offspring until their death. In most ant species, queens live for over a decade, indicating that ant queens can store large numbers of spermatozoa throughout their long lives. To reveal the prolonged sperm storage mechanisms, we identified enriched genes in the sperm-storage organ (spermatheca) relative to those in body samples in Crematogaster osakensis queens using the RNA-sequencing method. The genes encoding antioxidant enzymes, proteases, and extracellular matrix-related genes, and novel genes that have no similar sequences in the public databases were identified. We also performed differential expression analyses between the virgin and mated spermathecae or between the spermathecae at 1-week and 1-year after mating, to identify genes altered by the mating status or by the sperm storage period, respectively. Gene Ontology enrichment analyses suggested that antioxidant function is enhanced in the spermatheca at 1-week after mating compared with the virgin spermatheca and the spermatheca at 1-year after mating. In situ hybridization analyses of 128 selected contigs revealed that 12 contigs were particular to the spermatheca. These genes have never been reported in the reproductive organs of insect females, suggesting specialized roles in ant spermatheca

Exaggeration and cooption of innate immunity for social defense

Social insects often exhibit striking altruistic behaviors, of which the most spectacular ones may be self-destructive defensive behaviors called autothysis, “self-explosion,” or “suicidal bombing.” In the social aphid Nipponaphis monzeni, when enemies damage their plant-made nest called the gall, soldier nymphs erupt to discharge a large amount of body fluid, mix the secretion with their legs, and skillfully plaster it over the plant injury. Dozens of soldiers come out, erupt, mix, and plaster, and the gall breach is promptly sealed with the coagulated body fluid. What molecular and cellular mechanisms underlie the self-sacrificing nest repair with body fluid for the insect society? Here we demonstrate that the body cavity of soldier nymphs is full of highly differentiated large hemocytes that contain huge amounts of lipid droplets and phenoloxidase (PO), whereas their hemolymph accumulates huge amounts of tyrosine and a unique repeat-containing protein (RCP). Upon breakage of the gall, soldiers gather around the breach and massively discharge the body fluid. The large hemocytes rupture and release lipid droplets, which promptly form a lipidic clot, and, concurrently, activated PO converts tyrosine to reactive quinones, which cross-link RCP and other macromolecules to physically reinforce the clot to seal the gall breach. Here, soldiers’ humoral and cellular immune mechanisms for wound sealing are extremely up-regulated and utilized for colony defense, which provides a striking case of direct evolutionary connection between individual immunity and social immunity and highlights the importance of exaggeration and cooption of preexisting traits to create evolutionary novelties

Practical Seminar for Teacher Profession on the Teacher Training Program at Okayama University : For the Making of Lecture to be able to Learn a Class Fourth Semester System from a Pillar Systematically for 60 Minutes

　岡山大学における全学教職実践演習については，平成25年度の本格実施から，7課程認定学部（独自で開講する教育学部を除く）と教師教育開発センターが協働して取り組んでいる。平成28年度から岡山大学では，国立の総合大学全学部実施としては全国初となる「60分授業・4学期制」が導入された。この教育改革では，単純に現状の講義内容をそのまま詰め込むものではなく，教育方法・指導の改善を一層進め，体系的に学べる構造にする講義づくりが求められている。そこで，最初に学生の進路状況や取得見込みの教員免許状の現状を確認した。次に，教育実践力を構成する力がバランスよく形成されているか，４年生前半期に取り組んだ教育実習と全学教職実践演習後のアンケート結果をもとにその効果を検証した。これに基づいて，平成28年度以降の「60分授業・4学期制」に対応した内容を構築した