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IntroductionThe significance of STEM outreach in high school–university collaboration is well recognized; however, its ecosystem remains underdeveloped. Despite the criticality of Educational Outreach Coordinators (EOCs) in facilitating sustainable partnerships, their role in high school–university collaboration is underexplored. This study focuses on Queensland, Australia, and the North Island of New Zealand to explore the roles of coordinators who belong to universities.MethodSemi-structured interviews were conducted at four universities in February 2024. The results of four sets of 10 interviews were used to determine the positions and roles of coordinators at universities in charge of educational outreach to high schools, as well as their skills.ResultsAt the universities surveyed, professional coordinators were employed for educational outreach to high schools. The thematic analysis suggested that coordinators are proactively and centrally involved in various processes, such as relationship building, project development, oversight, evaluation, and personnel development. They contribute significantly to the success of these projects through strategic and autonomous management.DiscussionThe actual activities of coordinators of high school–university collaboration as university professionals have not been clarified in previous studies. Examples from the surveyed universities suggest that throughout high school–university collaboration, coordinators, in addition to teachers and learners, hold influence and play a vital role in the educational scene. Despite sample limitations, the findings provide a foundation for further exploration and institutional recognition of EOCs globally.

IntroductionIn recent years, universities have been expected to participate in Japanese high school education, especially in the “period for inquiry-based cross-disciplinary study.” Despite various university faculties engaging in diverse educational practices, there is insufficient research on human resource development and the creation of mechanisms to ensure continuous development.MethodsThis study conducted semi-structured interviews from July to November 2023, with 15 educators from universities and high schools, among others, to explore the current state of educational collaborations between these institutions and identify potential solutions.ResultsA reflective thematic analysis of the interview identified two key themes: the significance of university involvement in high school education and conflict areas generated from this collaboration. The findings suggest that the success of these initiatives relies on the involvement of coordinators who possess a high level of expertise and competencies.DiscussionThese coordinators, who work in the “third space” in universities, are crucial for realizing the ideal outcomes of educational collaborations between universities and high schools in Japan’s new educational environment.

Gene targeting (GT) enables precise genome modification—e.g., the introduction of base substitutions—using donor DNA as a template. Combined with clean excision of the selection marker used to select GT cells, GT is expected to become a standard, generally applicable, base editing system. Previously, we demonstrated marker excision via a piggyBac transposon from GT-modified loci in rice. However, piggyBac-mediated marker excision has the limitation that it recognizes only the sequence TTAA. Recently, we proposed a novel and universal precise genome editing system consisting of GT with subsequent single-strand annealing (SSA)-mediated marker excision, which has, in principle, no limitation of target sequences. In this study, we introduced base substitutions into the microRNA miR172 target site of the OsCly1 gene—an ortholog of the barley Cleistogamy1 gene involved in cleistogamous flowering. To ensure efficient SSA, the GT vector harbors 1.2-kb overlapped sequences at both ends of a selection marker. The frequency of positive–negative selection-mediated GT using the vector with overlapped sequences was comparable with that achieved using vectors for piggyBac-mediated marker excision without overlapped sequences, with the frequency of SSA-mediated marker excision calculated as ~40% in the T0 generation. This frequency is thought to be adequate to produce marker-free cells, although it is lower than that achieved with piggyBac-mediated marker excision, which approaches 100%. To date, introduction of precise substitutions in discontinuous multiple bases of a targeted gene using base editors and the prime editing system based on CRISPR/Cas9 has been quite difficult. Here, using GT and our SSA-mediated marker excision system, we succeeded in the precise base substitution not only of single bases but also of artificial discontinuous multiple bases in the miR172 target site of the OsCly1 gene. Precise base substitution of miRNA target sites in target genes using this precise genome editing system will be a powerful tool in the production of valuable crops with improved traits.

Forward genetics is a powerful approach used to link genotypes and phenotypes, and mutant screening/analysis has provided deep insights into many aspects of plant physiology. Gravitropism is a tropistic response in plants, in which hypocotyls and stems sense the direction of gravity and grow upwards. Previous studies of gravitropic mutants have suggested that shoot endodermal cells in Arabidopsis stems and hypocotyls are capable of sensing gravity (i.e., statocytes). In the present study, we report a new screening system using hypergravity conditions to isolate enhancers of gravitropism mutants, and we also describe a rapid and efficient genome mapping method, using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP)-based markers. Using the endodermal-amyloplast less 1 (eal1) mutant, which exhibits defective development of endodermal cells and gravitropism, we found that hypergravity (10 g) restored the reduced gravity responsiveness in eal1 hypocotyls and could, therefore, be used to obtain mutants with further reduction in gravitropism in the eal1 background. Using the new screening system, we successfully isolated six ene (enhancer of eal1) mutants that exhibited little or no gravitropism under hypergravity conditions, and using NGS and map-based cloning with SNP markers, we narrowed down the potential causative genes, which revealed a new genetic network for shoot gravitropism in Arabidopsis.

BackgroundAlthough excessive daytime napping has been shown to be involved in diabetes occurrence, its impact on insulin secretion and sensitivity has not been elucidated. It is speculated that excessive napping disrupts the sleep-wake rhythm and increases sympathetic nerve activity during the day, resulting in decreased insulin sensitivity, which may be a mechanism leading to development of diabetes. We previously conducted a cross-sectional study that showed an association of autonomic dysfunction with decreased insulin sensitivity, though involvement of autonomic function in the association between napping and insulin sensitivity remained unclear. Furthermore, the effects of napping used to supplement to short nighttime sleep on insulin secretion and sensitivity are also unknown. In the present cross-sectional study, we examined the relationships of daytime nap duration and autonomic function with insulin secretion and sensitivity in 436 subjects enrolled in the Hyogo Sleep Cardio-Autonomic Atherosclerosis (HSCAA) Cohort Study who underwent a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (75-g OGTT), after excluding those already diagnosed with diabetes.MethodsDaytime nap duration was objectively measured using actigraphy, with the subjects divided into the short (≤1 hour) and long (>1 hour) nap groups. Insulin secretion and sensitivity were determined using 75-g OGTT findings. Standard deviation of normal to normal R-R interval (SDNN), a measure of autonomic function, was also determined based on heart rate variability. Subgroup analysis was performed for the associations of napping with insulin secretion and sensitivity, with the results stratified by nighttime sleep duration of less or greater than six hours.ResultsSubjects in the long nap group exhibited lower insulin sensitivity parameters (QUICKI: β=-0.135, p