Allozyme diversity on 13 isozyme loci was investigated for two bulbous species, Lilium longiflorum and L. formosanum, endemic to the subtropical archipelago of continental origin located in East Asia. Degrees of allozyme variability and divergence for L. longiflorum were very high for insular endemic species, indicating relatively longtime persistence of the present widespread distribution across many islands in this phenotypically little-changed species. Lilium formosanum exhibited rather lower variability and divergence than did L. longiflorum and was genetically close to the southern peripheral populations of L. longiflorum with 0.978 as its highest genetic identity value. Combined with other biological and insular geohistorical information, our results suggest that L. longiflorum was established around the end of the Pliocene when the current distribution area was still a continuous part of the ancient Asian continent, and L. formosanum was derived from southern populations of L. longiflorum around the late Pleistocene when the mainland of Taiwan was completely separated from the adjacent islands and the main continent. Depauperization of allozyme variability in some L. longiflorum populations was found on islands with lower altitudes. This reflects bottleneck effects after the complete or almost complete submergence of such low islands during the archipelago's development.

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The purpose of this study is to investigate how grouping of students influence students interaction and achievement in LEGO activities. Through LEGO Robotics learning activities, students’ interaction and performance were collected and analyzed through statistical analysis. In addition, qualitative data from interviews, video recordings, and related documents provided evidences for explanation. The findings of this study indicated that LEGO Robotics mediated learning by providing group-based learning experiences. The grouping of students with diversity of background resulted in differences in interactions and learning outcomes. The major findings are as follows: First, students’ gender, age, and family background are not related to their learning outcomes. Secondly, the groups of the same gender significantly engaged in more communication than the groups consisting of more female than male students. And, the groups of underprivileged students communicated significantly less than the non-underprivileged groups during programming activities. Thirdly, for programming activities, more interactions between group members would lead to higher scores on performance.

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Lilium longiflorum and L. formosanum are closely related species endemic to subtropical islands in the Ryukyu Archipelago and Taiwan. Stem leaf morphology, flowering rate within population and individual net production during the first year seedling growth were determined to clarify whether they can differentiate these two species, and reflect adaptive strategy during species and local population establishment. Four experimental populations of L. longiflorum and five of L. formosanum with different locality covering almost their native distribution were grown under greenhouse condition in the University Farm located in northern Kyushu, Japan. L. longiflorum showed distinct lower ratio of leaf length/width than L. formosanum. Flowering rate and net production tended to decrease along the population location, northward across the archipelago arc and toward higher altitude within the mainland of Taiwan, showing obvious geographic cline (geographically continuous variation). Low degrees of flowering rate and net production in northern L. longiflorum were associated with high frequency of individuals that obtained little net production during spring to summer, indicating an acquired dormancy status. L. formosanum native to about 3000m altitude showed higher resource allocation to the mother bulb. These variations of the growth habits within the species reflect region-specific adaptive strategy of L. longiflorum and L. formosanum for climate during the glacial period and that in highlands of the mainland of Taiwan, respectively. Higher annual net production and an earlier shift to the reproductive phase of L. formosanum is highly likely more advantageous in population establishment under disturbed and competitive environment, where L. longiflorum is rarely found.

Lilium longiflorum is endemic to the islands of the Ryukyu Archipelago in Japan and to the eastern seacoasts and satellite islands of the mainland of Taiwan. The species is an important ornamental plant, and is cultivated throughout the world. Lilium longiflorum has long been regarded as a self-incompatible species but the existence of selfing in some natural populations was suggested by isozyme analysis in a previous study. To confirm the occurrence of self-compatible individuals and to clarify the evolutionary shift of floral traits associated with degree of self-compatibility in L. longiflorum by comparative analysis, we used 17 populations of L. longiflorum, and two populations of L. formosanum, the genetically closest species of L. longiflorum, covering the entire species distribution. Artificial self-pollination revealed that not all L. longiflorum individuals are self-incompatible and there is substantial quantitative variation of self-incompatibility among L. longiflorum individuals and populations. Self-compatible dominant populations allopatrically and independently evolved at the periphery of the species distribution area, the northern Ryukyu Archipelago and Taiwan. Increasing degree of selfcompatibility in L. longiflorum correlated with reduced corolla length, corolla width, corolla volume, and anther length for the Ryukyu Archipelago, in contrast to only reduced corolla width and volume for Taiwan. Approach between anther and stigma was not observed in any populations. Our data indicate that in the Ryukyu Archipelago increasing degree of self-compatibility evolved floral traits related to mating system evolution, to selfing, that does not depend on adjacency between anther and stigma position, but not in Taiwan.

In recent years, professional practice has been an issue of concern in higher education. The purpose of this study is to design students' projects to facilitate collaborative learning in authentic contexts. Ten students majoring in Management Information Systems conducted fieldwork with spatial technologies to collect data and provided information works for communities. Activity theory was used to analyze the activity system of the project. The results showed that the project had positive effects on students' attitudes toward practical knowledge and social communication. In the end, the author suggests the benefits and problems related to promoting learning through integration with community practices.