Ruminal Disappearance and Passage Rates in Fresh Nezasa Dwarf Bamboo Growing in Japanese Native Pasture

Nezasa dwarf bamboo (Pleioblastus chino makino) is one of major native forages for grazing in Japan. However its nutritional utilisation in the rumen has been little studied. The object of this research was to measure ruminal disappearance and passage rates in fresh Nezasa dwarf bamboo compared with improved grass

Design of Titanium Alloys Insensitive to Thermal History for Additive Manufacturing

Powder bed fusion is the most common technology used for 3D printing, where thermal energy is used to selectively melt/sinter granular materials into solid shapes. The build platform is then lowered, more powder is added, and the process is repeated for the next layer to fully print the design. As a result, the built-up part is repeatedly heated. Therefore, materials that are not sensitive to thermal history are preferred for this process. The Ti–Zr system forms a continuous solid solution for both β- and α-phases. The presence of Fe in Ti alloys is inevitable; however, it provides some beneficial effects. The purpose of this work was to prepare Ti–Zr–Fe alloys and investigate their heat treatment behaviour. Ti-xmass%Zr-1mass%Fe alloys (x = 0, 5, 10) were prepared with arc melting. The formation of a solid solution of Zr in Ti was confirmed on the basis of X-ray diffraction peak shifts and hardening effects. A small amount of β-phase precipitation was suggested by the change in electrical resistivity after isothermal ageing at 673 and 773 K. However, no obvious phase or microstructural changes were observed. The laser scanning increased the volume of the precipitates and also coarsened them, but the effect was limited.Ueda M., Ting Hsuan C., Ikeda M., et al. Design of Titanium Alloys Insensitive to Thermal History for Additive Manufacturing. Crystals 13, 568 (2023); https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13040568

Molecular orbital formation and metastable short-range ordered structure in VO2_2

The metal-insulator transition (MIT) in vanadium dioxide VO$_2$ due to V-V dimerization has been extensively discussed for decades. While it is widely acknowledged that electron correlations, Peierls instabilities, and molecular orbital formations are crucial for understanding the MIT of VO$_2$, the primary origin of the MIT remains controversial. In this study, we delve into the crystal structure and orbital state of VO$_2$ through synchrotron x-ray diffraction experiments. The molecular orbital formation corresponding to the V-V dimerization is directly observed in the low-temperature insulating monoclinic phase, called the M1 phase, as indicated by the valence electron density distribution. Moreover, diffuse scattering observed in the high-temperature metal phase of rutile structure suggests the presence of short-range correlation of V displacements, which is not directly attributed to the structural fluctuation of the M1 phase. The short-range order in the rutile phase will be the key to understanding the MIT in this system.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Supplemental Materia

BATTLE: Genetically Engineered Strategies for Split-Tunable Allocation of Multiple Transgenes in the Nervous System

Elucidating fine architectures and functions of cellular and synaptic connections requires development of new flexible methods. Here, we created a concept called the “battle of transgenes,” based on which we generated strategies using genetically engineered battles of multiple recombinases. The strategies enabled split-tunable allocation of multiple transgenes. We demonstrated the versatility of these strategies and technologies in inducing strong and multi-sparse allocations of multiple transgenes. Furthermore, the combination of our transgenic strategy and expansion microscopy enabled three-dimensional high-resolution imaging of whole synaptic structures in the hippocampus with simultaneous visualizations of endogenous synaptic proteins. These strategies and technologies based on the battle of genes may accelerate the analysis of whole synaptic and cellular connections in diverse life science fields