Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy on the Performance Degradation of LiFePO4/Graphite Lithium-Ion Battery Due to Charge-Discharge Cycling under Different C-Rates

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) using a LiFePO4 cathode and graphite anode were assembled in　coin cell form and subjected to 1000 charge-discharge cycles at 1, 2, and 5 C at 25 C. The performance　degradation of the LIB cells under di erent C-rates was analyzed by electrochemical impedance　spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning electron microscopy. The most severe degradation occurred at 2 C　while degradation was mitigated at the highest C-rate of 5 C. EIS data of the equivalent circuit model　provided information on the changes in the internal resistance. The charge-transfer resistance within　all the cells increased after the cycle test, with the cell cycled at 2 C presenting the greatest increment　in the charge-transfer resistance. Agglomerates were observed on the graphite anodes of the cells　cycled at 2 and 5 C; these were more abundantly produced in the former cell. The lower degradation　of the cell cycled at 5 C was attributed to the lowered capacity utilization of the anode. The larger cell　voltage drop caused by the increased C-rate reduced the electrode potential variation allocated to the　net electrochemical reactions, contributing to the charge-discharge specific capacity of the cells

The effect of isoflavone-daidzein oral medication on cutaneous wound healing in female ovariectomized mice

This study investigated the influence of oral administration of isoflavone-daidzein on the cutaneous wound healing process in female ovariectomized mice. Eight-week-old female mice were divided into groups of ovariectomized mice and mice administered daidzein after an ovariectomy. Two full-thickness wounds on the dorsum were made in mice in both groups. There was no significant difference between wound areas of the two groups from wounding to healing during 15 days. The area in the group administered daidzein tended to be smaller than that in the ovariectomized group during the inflammatory phase 4 and 5 days after wounding . The rate of re-epithelialization in the group administered daidzein tended to be higher than that in the ovariectomized group in the inflammatory phase on day 3 (40.7 ± 17.6% and 21.0 ± 16.8%, respectively). Therefore, the administration of daidzein under lack of estrogen is expected to reduce the inflammation period and promote re-epithelialization. この研究は、卵巣摘出した雌マウスに皮膚創傷を作製し、経口投与したイソフラボン の一種であるダイゼインが、創傷治癒にどのような影響を与えるかを観察したもので ある。8 週令の雌マウスを卵巣摘出群と卵巣摘出し創作製した後にダイゼインを与え た2 群に分けた。両群共、卵巣摘出後、ダイゼインを含まない精製飼料で２週間飼育 後に、左右の背部に直径4mm の皮膚全層欠損層を作製した。創作製後、ダイゼインを 含まない飼料とダイゼインを含む飼料で2 週間飼育した。ダイゼインは、飼料1g に 0.01mg 含むように作製した。両群の創面積は、2 週間の間の毎日において、有意差は 見られなかった。しかし、炎症期である創作製後4 と5 日では、ダイゼイン食で飼育 した群が無ダイゼイン食で飼育した群が、やや創面積が小さい傾向がみられた（それ ぞれ、p 値が0.061、0.083 であった）。創作製後の3 日での、再上皮化の割合は、ダイゼイン群で40.7 ± 17.6%、無ダイゼイン群で21.0 ± 16.8%となり、ダイゼイ ン群はより上皮化が進んでいる傾向が見られた (p = 0.07)。これらの結果は、エス トロゲン欠乏状態で、ダイゼインの経口投与が、創傷治癒において、炎症を抑制し上 皮化を促進することを示唆している

Association of Lifestyle Changes Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic with Nutrient Intake and Physical Activity Levels during Pregnancy in Japan

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has introduced changes in our lifestyles, such as refraining from unnecessary outings. This study aimed to clarify the association of lifestyle changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic with nutrient intake and physical activity levels during pregnancy in Japan. A cross-sectional study involving 168 healthy pregnant Japanese women was conducted in 2020. Nutrient intake and physical activity levels were assessed using validated self-administered questionnaires. Participants who reported experiencing changes in both dietary habits and physical activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic were classified as the lifestyle-affected group. Analysis of covariance was used. Among primiparas, intake of the following nutrients was significantly higher in the lifestyle-affected group (n = 14) than in the unaffected group (n = 77): protein, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin B6. Among multiparas, the intake of dietary fiber and β-carotene were significantly lower in the lifestyle-affected group (n = 13) than in the unaffected group (n = 64). No significant differences in physical activity levels were observed in accordance with the lifestyle changes. These findings suggest that lifestyle changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic have positive effects on nutrient intake during pregnancy in primiparas, whereas in multiparas, these changes have negative effects

Contribution of different functional groups to the diet of major predatory fishes at a seagrass meadow in northeastern Japan

We examined the variation in habitat use and diet of three dominant fish species (Myoxocephalus brandti, Pholidapus dybowskii, and Pholis crassispina) in a seagrass meadow in the Akkeshi-ko estuary in northeastern Japan, where broad and dense Zostera marina beds exist, using a semi-quantitative census of the fishes and analyses of their stomach contents. Differences among the three fish species in the temporal variation in abundance of each age class (mainly 1- and 2-year age classes) indicated that the temporal pattern of utilization of the seagrass meadow were different among them. In the semi-quantitative dietary analysis, two prey categories, i.e., taxonomic group (order and suborder) and functional group, were used to explain the variation in prey composition with size-dependent changes. The six prey functional groups were classified based on the ecological traits of the prey, i.e., trophic level, size, and life type (habitat and behavior). Ontogenetic shifts in prey of the three fish species could be fully explained by a combination of the two prey categories, and not by the use of only-one category (taxonomic or functional group). The pattern of ontogenetic shifts in prey differed among the fish species and size (age) classes. These results indicate that segregation of habitat (seagrass meadow) and prey group (taxonomic and functional group) is performed among the three species, which may contribute to their coexistence in this estuary

Association of Lifestyle Changes Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic with Nutrient Intake and Physical Activity Levels during Pregnancy in Japan

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has introduced changes in our lifestyles, such as refraining from unnecessary outings. This study aimed to clarify the association of lifestyle changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic with nutrient intake and physical activity levels during pregnancy in Japan. A cross-sectional study involving 168 healthy pregnant Japanese women was conducted in 2020. Nutrient intake and physical activity levels were assessed using validated self-administered questionnaires. Participants who reported experiencing changes in both dietary habits and physical activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic were classified as the lifestyle-affected group. Analysis of covariance was used. Among primiparas, intake of the following nutrients was significantly higher in the lifestyle-affected group (n = 14) than in the unaffected group (n = 77): protein, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin B6. Among multiparas, the intake of dietary fiber and β-carotene were significantly lower in the lifestyle-affected group (n = 13) than in the unaffected group (n = 64). No significant differences in physical activity levels were observed in accordance with the lifestyle changes. These findings suggest that lifestyle changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic have positive effects on nutrient intake during pregnancy in primiparas, whereas in multiparas, these changes have negative effects

Psychosocial Experiences Related to Dietary Behavior of Japanese Lactating Women: A Qualitative Study

Adequate dietary intake during the lactation period is important for breast milk components, postpartum recovery, and physical and mental health. This study aimed to clarify the psychosocial experiences related to dietary behavior around one month postpartum among Japanese lactating women. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 women between February and June 2022 in Osaka, Japan. The data were analyzed using qualitative descriptive approaches. Four core categories were identified. All participants had a [desire to have healthy meals for themselves or their families] to improve their postpartum health, regain their pre-pregnancy body shape, produce sufficient and good-quality breast milk, and keep their families healthy. Some participants, who had [subjective difficulties in getting information on diet and preparing meals] due to insufficient or complicated information and viewing meal preparation as a burden, used [services and support regarding their postpartum diet] to alleviate these difficulties. They had [postpartum-specific appetite and dietary views], including an increased appetite triggered by breastfeeding and postpartum stress and the effects of the dietary changes during pregnancy. Some of these psychosocial experiences were influenced by Japanese traditional customs in the postpartum period and familiar food preferences in the Japanese. Healthcare professionals should consider these experiences when providing tailored dietary guidance

Comprehensive Search of Stable Isomers of Alanine and Alanine Precursors in Prebiotic Syntheses

International audienceEnantiomeric excesses of l-amino acids have been detected in meteorites; however, their molecular mechanism and prebiotic syntheses are still a matter of debate. To elucidate the origin of homochirality, alanine and the chiral precursors formed in prebiotic processes were investigated with regard to their stabilities among their isomers by employing the minimum energy principle, namely, the abundancy of a molecule in the interstellar medium is directly correlated to the stability among isomers. To facilitate the search for possible isomers, we developed a new isomer search algorithm, the random connection method, and performed a thorough search for all the stable isomers within a given chemical formula. We found that alanine and most of its precursors are located at higher energy by more than 5.7 kcal mol−1, with respect to the most stable isomer that consists of a linear-chain structure, whereas only the 2-aminopropanenitrile is the most stable isomer among all others possible. The inherent stability of the α-amino nitrile suggests that the 2-aminopropanenitrile is the dominant contribution in the formation of the common enantiomeric excess over α-amino acids