Lateral–Medial Dissociation in Orbitofrontal Cortex–Hypothalamus Connectivity

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is involved in cognitive functions, and is also closely related to autonomic functions. The OFC is densely connected with the hypothalamus, a heterogeneous structure controlling autonomic functions that can be divided into two major parts: the lateral and the medial. Resting-state functional connectivity has allowed us to parcellate the cerebral cortex into putative functional areas based on the changes in the spatial pattern of connectivity in the cerebral cortex when a seed point is moved from one voxel to another. In the present high spatial-resolution fMRI study, we investigate the connectivity-based organization of the OFC with reference to the hypothalamus. The OFC was parcellated using resting-state functional connectivity in an individual subject approach, and then the functional connectivity was examined between the parcellated areas in the OFC and the lateral/medial hypothalamus. We found a functional double dissociation in the OFC: the lateral OFC (the lateral orbital gyrus) was more likely connected with the lateral hypothalamus, whereas the medial OFC (the medial orbital and rectal gyri) was more likely connected with the medial hypothalamus. These results demonstrate the fundamental heterogeneity of the OFC, and suggest a potential neural basis of the OFC-hypothalamic functional interaction

Direct Imaging Explorations for Companions around Mid-Late M Stars from the Subaru/IRD Strategic Program

The Subaru telescope is currently performing a strategic program (SSP) using the high-precision near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer IRD to search for exoplanets around nearby mid/late-M~dwarfs via radial velocity (RV) monitoring. As part of the observing strategy for the exoplanet survey, signatures of massive companions such as RV trends are used to reduce the priority of those stars. However, this RV information remains useful for studying the stellar multiplicity of nearby M~dwarfs. To search for companions around such ``deprioritized" M~dwarfs, we observed 14 IRD-SSP targets using Keck/NIRC2 observations with pyramid wavefront sensing at NIR wavelengths, leading to high sensitivity to substellar-mass companions within a few arcseconds. We detected two new companions (LSPM~J1002+1459~B and LSPM~J2204+1505~B) and two new candidates that are likely companions (LSPM~J0825+6902~B and LSPM~J1645+0444~B) as well as one known companion. Including two known companions resolved by the IRD fiber injection module camera, we detected seven (four new) companions at projected separations between $\sim2-20$~au in total. A comparison of the colors with the spectral library suggests that LSPM~J2204+1505~B and LSPM~J0825+6902~B are located at the boundary between late-M and early-L spectral types. Our deep high-contrast imaging for targets where no bright companions were resolved did not reveal any additional companion candidates. The NIRC2 detection limits could constrain potential substellar-mass companions ($\sim10-75\ M_{\rm Jup}$) at 10~au or further. The failure with Keck/NIRC2 around the IRD-SSP stars having significant RV trends makes these objects promising targets for further RV monitoring or deeper imaging with JWST to search for smaller-mass companions below the NIRC2 detection limits.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in A

Evaluation of three-dimensional glenoid structure using MRI

The tilting angle and the shape of the glenoid cavity are considered to relate closely to shoulder stability. They are also important when planning arthroplasty and developing new designs. This study examines the glenoid cavity using 3-dimensional MRI. Forty volunteers (20 men, 20 women; average age 21.4; range 18–35 y) were enrolled in the study. The tilting angles of the glenoid bone were measured in 5 consecutive axial planes perpendicular to the glenoidal long axis. Cross sections were divided into 3 types (concave, flat, convex) according to the shape on each plane. The average tilting angles for the 5 planes from the bottom to the top were 3.3±4.1, 1.4±3.8, −0.6±1.9, −1.4±3.3, and −6.2±3.3 degrees anteriorly, indicating that the 3-dimensional bony structure of the glenoid was twisted anteriorly to posteriorly. Images on the bottom plane consisted of 82.5% concave type, 15% flat type and 2.5% convex type, while only 3 cases (7.5%) showed concave at the top plane. The shape of the glenoid cavity is thought to be conducive to glenohumeral motion and stability

Liquid-phase syntheses of sulfide electrolytes for all-solid-state lithium battery

Solid sulfide electrolytes are key materials in all-solid-state lithium batteries because of their high lithium-ion conductivity and deformability, which enable the lithium-ion path to be connected between the material’s grain boundaries under pressure near room temperature. However, sulfur species are moisture-sensitive and exhibit high vapour pressures; therefore, syntheses of sulfide electrolytes need to be carefully designed. Liquid-phase reactions can be performed at low temperatures in controlled atmospheres, opening up the prospect of scalable processes for the preparation of sulfide electrolytes. Here, we review liquid-phase syntheses for the preparation of sulfide-based solid electrolytes and composites of electrolytes and electrodes, and we compare the charge–discharge performances of the all-solid-state lithium batteries using these components

Effect of Cu intercalation and pressure on excitonic interaction in 1T-TiSe2

We investigated the crystal structure of CuxTiSe2 and pressurized 1T -TiSe2 around the superconductivity state by synchrotron x-ray diffraction on single crystals. 1T -TiSe2 shows phase transition from a semimetallic to a triple-q charge-density wave state below Tc at ambient pressure. This phase transition is caused by cooperative phenomena involving electron-phonon and electron-hole interactions, and cannot be described by a standard charge-density wave framework. By Cu intercalation or compression, this phase-transition temperature is suppressed and superconductivity appears. However, it is not clear what kind of order parameters are affected by these two procedures. We found that the variations of structural parameters for the case of Cu intercalation and application of pressure are considerably different in the high-temperature phase. Moreover, the relationship between the critical points of the charge-density wave phase transition and the superconductivity dome are also different for the two cases. The excitonic interaction appears to play an important role in the P-T phase diagram of 1T -TiSe2, but not in the x-T phase diagram

Pressure-induced coherent sliding-layer transition in the excitonic insulator Ta2NiSe5

励起子絶縁体である積層構造物質Ta2NiSe5の高圧下における結晶構造を単結晶及び粉末シンクロトロンX線回折測定により決定した。常圧の単斜晶励起子絶縁体相IIは、加温または圧力下において半導体の斜方晶相Iへ転移する。より高い圧力（> 3GPa）では、斜方晶の半金属相IIIへの転移が起こる。この相Iから相IIIへの転移は、弱く結合した層が結晶全体でコヒーレントにスライドして起こる圧力誘起一次相転移であり、層間Seイオン間の幾何学的配置におけるクーロン相互作用によって大きく影響される。さらに低温では相IIIは単斜晶相IVに転移し、励起子絶縁体相IIに類似した構造となる。観測された層のスライドにもかかわらず、励起子相互作用が保持されているように見える