Charge-Order Pattern of the Low-Temperature Phase of NaV2O5 Uniquely Determined by Resonant X-Ray Scattering from Monoclinic Single Domain

The present resonant x-ray scattering from each of monoclinically-split single domains of NaV2O5 has critically enhanced contrast between V4+ and V5+ ions strong enough to lead to unambiguous conclusion of the charge-order pattern of its low-temperature phase below Tc = 35 K. The zig-zag type charge-order patterns in the $ab$-plane previously confirmed have four kinds of configurations (A, A', B and B') and the stacking sequence along the c-axis is determined as the AAA'A' type by comparison with model calculations. By assigning the A and A' configurations to Ising spins, one can reasonably understand the previously discovered "devil's staircase"-type behavior with respect to the modulation of the layer-stacking sequences at high pressures and low temperatures, which very well resembles the global phase diagram theoretically predicted by the ANNNI model.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Construction of a consensus linkage map for red clover (Trifolium pratense L.)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Red clover (<it>Trifolium pratense </it>L.) is a major forage legume that has a strong self-incompatibility system and exhibits high genetic diversity within populations. For several crop species, integrated consensus linkage maps that combine information from multiple mapping populations have been developed. For red clover, three genetic linkage maps have been published, but the information in these existing maps has not been integrated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A consensus linkage map was constructed using six mapping populations originating from eight parental accessions. Three of the six mapping populations were established for this study. The integrated red clover map was composed of 1804 loci, including 1414 microsatellite loci, 181 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) loci and 204 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) loci, in seven linkage groups. The average distance between loci and the total length of the consensus map were 0.46 cM and 836.6 cM, respectively. The locus order on the consensus map correlated highly with that of accession-specific maps. Segregation distortion was observed across linkage groups. We investigated genome-wide allele frequency in 1144 red clover individuals using 462 microsatellite loci randomly chosen from the consensus map. The average number of alleles and polymorphism information content (PIC) were 9.17 and 0.69, respectively.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A consensus genetic linkage map for red clover was constructed for the first time based on six mapping populations. The locus order on the consensus map was highly conserved among linkage maps and was sufficiently reliable for use as a reference for genetic analysis of random red clover germplasms.</p

Mapping candidate QTLs related to plant persistency in red clover

Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is a diploid (2n = 14), self-incompatible legume that is widely cultivated as a forage legume in cold geographical regions. Because it is a short-lived perennial species, improvement of plant persistency is the most important objective for red clover breeding. To develop a marker-assisted selection (MAS) approach for red clover, we identified candidate QTLs related to plant persistency. Two full-sib mapping populations, 272 × WF1680 and HR × R130, were used for QTL identification. Resistance to Sclerotinia trifoliorum and Fusarium species, as well as to winter hardiness, was investigated in the laboratory and in field experiments in Moscow region (Russia), and Sapporo (Japan). With the genotype data derived from microsatellite and other DNA markers, candidate QTLs were identified by simple interval mapping (SIM), Kruskal–Wallis analysis (KW analysis) and genotype matrix mapping (GMM). A total of 10 and 23 candidate QTL regions for plant persistency were identified in the 272 × WF1680 and the HR × R130 mapping populations, respectively. The QTLs identified by multiple mapping approaches were mapped on linkage group (LG) 3 and LG6. The significant QTL interactions identified by GMM explained the higher phenotypic variation than single effect QTLs. Identification of haplotypes having positive effect QTLs in each parent were first demonstrated in this study for pseudo-testcross mapping populations in plant species using experimental data. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00122-009-1253-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Formation of vv lacunary polyoxovanadates and interconversion reactions of dodecavanadate species

金沢大学理工研究域物質化学系Oxidation, reactions of the reduced decavanadate [VIV2Vv8O26]4- (1) with halide guest anions were investigated for the synthesis of Vv host molecules. The reaction with Cl- afforded a new dodecavanadate, [HVV12O32(C1)]4-(3), which incorporated the guest chloride anion. The polyoxovanadate framework of 3 is different from, the bowl-shaped dodecavanadate [VV12O 32(CH3CN)]4- (2). The structure of 3 is regarded as a trilacunary counterpart of the pentadecavanadate [V V9VIV8O36C1] 4-. Employment: of an F-template yielded the layered polyoxovanadate [HVV11O29F2] 4- (4). The framework of 4 is a monolacunary structure of the fluoride-incorporated dodecavanadate [H6VV2VIv10O30F2] 6-, in which one of the VO groups at the belt position is removed. The three vana-dium atoms in the capping units are connected, by (μ3-F bridges. Reaction with Br provided [HVv12O32(Br)]4- (5) with minor formation of [H3VV10O28]3- Interconversion reactions between 2, 3, and 4 proceeded as follows: the reaction of 2 with Cl- prompted, an isomerization reaction of the bowl-type framework, affording 3; the reaction of 3 with F- gave 4; the reaction of 4 with CH3CN reproduced acetonitrile-incorporated 2. Complexes 3 and 4 were characterized by X-ray analysis. Polyoxovanadates 3 and 4, with the highest oxidation cores, exhibited distinct signals in the 51V NMR spectra, corresponding to lacunary polyoxovanadate geometries. © Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA

Difficulties in ensuring review quality performed by committees under the Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine in Japan

自由診療で行われる再生医療の審査に関する課題を調査 今後の制度改正に期待. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-02-28.Questionable practices identified by an examination of therapeutic plan reviews performed by certified committees under the Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-02-28.We outlined five studies regarding the quality of the review by committees based on the Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine. The findings raise serious concerns about the independence, integrity, and quality of reviews of therapeutic plans by these committees with inappropriately close relationships to medical institutions and companies

Giant multiple caloric effects in charge transition ferrimagnet

磁場と圧力でマルチに冷却可能な酸化物新材料 --フェリ磁性電荷転移酸化物におけるマルチ熱量効果の実証--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-06-22.Caloric effects of solids can provide us with innovative refrigeration systems more efficient and environment-friendly than the widely-used conventional vapor-compression cooling systems. Exploring novel caloric materials is challenging but critically important in developing future technologies. Here we discovered that the quadruple perovskite structure ferrimagnet BiCu₃Cr₄O₁₂ shows large multiple caloric effects at the first-order charge transition occurring around 190 K. Large latent heat and the corresponding isothermal entropy change, 28.2 J K⁻¹ kg⁻¹, can be utilized by applying both magnetic fields (a magnetocaloric effect) and pressure (a barocaloric effect). Adiabatic temperature changes reach 3.9 K for the 50 kOe magnetic field and 4.8 K for the 4.9 kbar pressure, and thus highly efficient thermal controls are achieved in multiple ways

教員養成系学部におけるゼミ配属のあり方について―学生のゼミ選択理由の分析―

　本研究は，教育演習（ゼミ）の配属先が決定した教員養成系の学部3 回生を対象に，どのような理由でゼミを選択したのか，また，希望進路によってその理由に違いはあるのか等を明らかにし，ゼミ配属のプロセスの改善に役立てることを目的とした。Google Forms を利用したアンケート調査を行った結果，ゼミ選択の理由として，「ゼミの分野や先生の研究テーマに興味・関心があるから」「先生の人柄が自分に合っていると思うから」といったゼミ担当教員の専門的な特性や人柄を重視する学生が多いことが明らかとなった。一方，「卒業論文を書かなくてもよいから」「楽（らく）そうだから」といった消極的な理由でゼミを選択した学生は少数であった。また，ゼミ配属のプロセスに対する意見・感想の自由記述を分析した結果，Google Forms の利用に対しては好意的な意見が寄せられた一方で，抽選の手続きに対しては不満の声があることも示唆された

Cloning of the Extracellular Acid Esterase Gene from Acidophilic Bacterium, Acidocella facilis

An acidophilic heterotrophic bacterium, Acidocella facilis sp. AIU409 produces an extracellular acid esterase when grown in a medium containing sorbitan mono ester, Tween 80. The estA gene encoding for the acid esterase was isolated from the genomic library of A. facilis AIU409, cloned into Escherichia coli MV1184, and the nucleotide sequence of the gene was determined. The structural gene of estA was found to be 1881bp. The open reading frame of estA encodes 627 amino acid residues (calculated molecular mass, 64,140 daltons). A rho-independent terminator was present just downstream of the termination codon, TGA. The deduced N-terminal amino acid showed that the presursor of the acid esterase had a signal peptide composed of 23 amino acids and a consensus sequence of lipase, G-X-S-X-S. The molecular mass excluding the signal peptide calculated from the deduced amino acid sequence if the acid esterase is 61,846. This is lower than the molecular mass, 64kDa estimated by gel electrophoresis. The predicated amino acid sequence of the acid esterase has high similarity to the acyltransferase from Aeromonas hydrophila and the lipase from Xenorhadbus luminescens.好酸性従属栄養細菌AcidocellafacilisAIU409株は，基質としてソルビタンモノエステルであるTweenを含む培地中で培養された時に，菌体外に熱安定性の高い酸性エステラーゼを生産する．エステラーゼをコードする遺伝子（estA）をA.facilisAIU409株のゲノムライブラリーから単離し，大腸菌MV1184にクローニングし，その遺伝子の全塩基配列を決定した．その結果，estAの構造遺伝子が，1881塩基対であることが明らかになった．酸性エステラーゼ遺伝子のオープンリーディングフレーム（ORF）は，627アミノ酸残基（計算された分子量は64,140ダルトン）をコードしていた．ロー因子非依存性の転写終結シグナルが終止コドンであるTGAのすぐ下流に存在していた．そのＮ末端予想アミノ酸配列より，酸性エステラーゼの前駆体は，Ｎ末端に23個のアミノ酸残基から成るシグナルペプチドを有していた．また，リパーゼのコンセンサス配列であるG-X-S-X-Sの配列が存在することが明らかとなった．酸性エステラーゼの予想アミノ酸配列から計算された分子量は61,486であり，これはSDS-PAGEによって予想されていた分子量より，やや低い値であった．また，Acidocellafacilis酸性エステラーゼの予想アミノ酸配列は，Aeromonashydrophila由来のacyltrans-feraseやXenorhabdusluminescens由来のリパーゼと高い相同性を示した