Effect of a One-Dimensional Columnar Structure on the Cathode Active Material Performance of Single-Component Hexaazatriphenylene Derivatives

Organic cathode active materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted considerable attention as viable alternatives to conventional cathode active materials based on rare-element-containing transition metal oxides. Structural pores that efficiently intercalate Li+ ions play an important role in a typical organic cathode active material in terms of battery performance. In this study, we investigated the correlation between packing structure and the charge/discharge properties of redox-active hexaazatriphenylene (HAT) derivatives composed of one-dimensional (1D) columnar structures. We synthesized 3,7,11-triethoxy-2,6,10-tricyano-1,4,5,8,9,12-hexaazatriphenylene (HATCNOC2), a single-component HAT derivative containing alternating electron-accepting nitrile (−CN) and electron-donating ethoxy (−OC2H5) groups. Furthermore, HATCNOC-poly, which was synthesized by the olefin metathesis of 3,7,11-tri(5-hexenyloxy)-2,6,10-tricyano-1,4,5,8,9,12-hexaazatriphenylene (HATCNO-hex) bearing 5-hexenyloxy side chains, exhibited improved structural stability. The testing of battery performance revealed that HATCNOC2 exhibits a fast charge/discharge performance (353.5 mA h g–1 at a current density of 500 mA g–1 in the first cycle) that originates from the rapid diffusion of Li+ ions via the intercolumnar voids between its 1D columnar structures, whereas HATCNOC-poly exhibits a slow charge/discharge performance (188.5 mA h g–1 at a current density of 500 mA g–1 in the first cycle) due to the absence of a 1D columnar structure and intercolumnar voids, thereby limiting any such diffusion process. This study provides clear structural insights into the design of organic-molecule-based cathode active material packing structures for LIBs

Effect of a One-Dimensional Columnar Structure on the Cathode Active Material Performance of Single-Component Hexaazatriphenylene Derivatives

Organic cathode active materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted considerable attention as viable alternatives to conventional cathode active materials based on rare-element-containing transition metal oxides. Structural pores that efficiently intercalate Li+ ions play an important role in a typical organic cathode active material in terms of battery performance. In this study, we investigated the correlation between packing structure and the charge/discharge properties of redox-active hexaazatriphenylene (HAT) derivatives composed of one-dimensional (1D) columnar structures. We synthesized 3,7,11-triethoxy-2,6,10-tricyano-1,4,5,8,9,12-hexaazatriphenylene (HATCNOC2), a single-component HAT derivative containing alternating electron-accepting nitrile (−CN) and electron-donating ethoxy (−OC2H5) groups. Furthermore, HATCNOC-poly, which was synthesized by the olefin metathesis of 3,7,11-tri(5-hexenyloxy)-2,6,10-tricyano-1,4,5,8,9,12-hexaazatriphenylene (HATCNO-hex) bearing 5-hexenyloxy side chains, exhibited improved structural stability. The testing of battery performance revealed that HATCNOC2 exhibits a fast charge/discharge performance (353.5 mA h g–1 at a current density of 500 mA g–1 in the first cycle) that originates from the rapid diffusion of Li+ ions via the intercolumnar voids between its 1D columnar structures, whereas HATCNOC-poly exhibits a slow charge/discharge performance (188.5 mA h g–1 at a current density of 500 mA g–1 in the first cycle) due to the absence of a 1D columnar structure and intercolumnar voids, thereby limiting any such diffusion process. This study provides clear structural insights into the design of organic-molecule-based cathode active material packing structures for LIBs

Image_2_Alterations of Both Dendrite Morphology and Weaker Electrical Responsiveness in the Cortex of Hip Area Occur Before Rearrangement of the Motor Map in Neonatal White Matter Injury Model.pdf

<p>Hypoxia-ischemia (H-I) in rats at postnatal day 3 causes disorganization of oligodendrocyte development in layers II/III of the sensorimotor cortex without apparent neuronal loss, and shows mild hindlimb dysfunction with imbalanced motor coordination. However, the mechanisms by which mild motor dysfunction is induced without loss of cortical neurons are currently unclear. To reveal the mechanisms underlying mild motor dysfunction in neonatal H-I model, electrical responsiveness and dendrite morphology in the sensorimotor cortex were investigated at 10 weeks of age. Responses to intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) revealed that the cortical motor map was significantly changed in this model. The cortical area related to hip joint movement was reduced, and the area related to trunk movement was increased. Sholl analysis in Golgi staining revealed that layer I–III neurons on the H-I side had more dendrite branches compared with the contralateral side. To investigate whether changes in the motor map and morphology appeared at earlier stages, ICMS and Sholl analysis were also performed at 5 weeks of age. The minimal ICMS current to evoke twitches of the hip area was higher on the H-I side, while the motor map was unchanged. Golgi staining revealed more dendrite branches in layer I–III neurons on the H-I side. These results revealed that alterations of both dendrite morphology and ICMS threshold of the hip area occurred before the rearrangement of the motor map in the neonatal H-I model. They also suggest that altered dendritic morphology and altered ICMS responsiveness may be related to mild motor dysfunction in this model.</p

Image_1_Central amygdala is related to the reduction of aggressive behavior by monosodium glutamate ingestion during the period of development in an ADHD model rat.TIF

IntroductionMonosodium glutamate (MSG), an umami substance, stimulates the gut-brain axis communication via gut umami receptors and the subsequent vagus nerves. However, the brain mechanism underlying the effect of MSG ingestion during the developmental period on aggression has not yet been clarified. We first tried to establish new experimental conditions to be more appropriate for detailed analysis of the brain, and then investigated the effects of MSG ingestion on aggressive behavior during the developmental stage of an ADHD rat model.MethodsLong-Evans, WKY/Izm, SHR/Izm, and SHR-SP/Ezo were individually housed from postnatal day 25 for 5 weeks. Post-weaning social isolation (PWSI) was given to escalate aggressive behavior. The resident-intruder test, that is conducted during the subjective night, was used for a detailed analysis of aggression, including the frequency, duration, and latency of anogenital sniffing, aggressive grooming, and attack behavior. Immunohistochemistry of c-Fos expression was conducted in all strains to predict potential aggression-related brain areas. Finally, the most aggressive strain, SHR/Izm, a known model of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), was used to investigate the effect of MSG ingestion (60 mM solution) on aggression, followed by c-Fos immunostaining in aggression-related areas. Bilateral subdiaphragmatic vagotomy was performed to verify the importance of gut-brain interactions in the effect of MSG.ResultsThe resident intruder test revealed that SHR/Izm rats were the most aggressive among the four strains for all aggression parameters tested. SHR/Izm rats also showed the highest number of c-Fos + cells in aggression-related brain areas, including the central amygdala (CeA). MSG ingestion significantly decreased the frequency and duration of aggressive grooming and attack behavior and increased the latency of attack behavior. Furthermore, MSG administration successfully increased c-Fos positive cell number in the intermediate nucleus of the solitary tract (iNTS), a terminal of the gastrointestinal sensory afferent fiber of the vagus nerve, and modulated c-Fos positive cells in the CeA. Interestingly, vagotomy diminished the MSG effects on aggression and c-Fos expression in the iNTS and CeA.ConclusionMSG ingestion decreased PWSI-induced aggression in SHR/Izm, which was mediated by the vagus nerve related to the stimulation of iNTS and modulation of CeA activity.</p

Effect of a One-Dimensional Columnar Structure on the Cathode Active Material Performance of Single-Component Hexaazatriphenylene Derivatives

Organic cathode active materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted considerable attention as viable alternatives to conventional cathode active materials based on rare-element-containing transition metal oxides. Structural pores that efficiently intercalate Li+ ions play an important role in a typical organic cathode active material in terms of battery performance. In this study, we investigated the correlation between packing structure and the charge/discharge properties of redox-active hexaazatriphenylene (HAT) derivatives composed of one-dimensional (1D) columnar structures. We synthesized 3,7,11-triethoxy-2,6,10-tricyano-1,4,5,8,9,12-hexaazatriphenylene (HATCNOC2), a single-component HAT derivative containing alternating electron-accepting nitrile (−CN) and electron-donating ethoxy (−OC2H5) groups. Furthermore, HATCNOC-poly, which was synthesized by the olefin metathesis of 3,7,11-tri(5-hexenyloxy)-2,6,10-tricyano-1,4,5,8,9,12-hexaazatriphenylene (HATCNO-hex) bearing 5-hexenyloxy side chains, exhibited improved structural stability. The testing of battery performance revealed that HATCNOC2 exhibits a fast charge/discharge performance (353.5 mA h g–1 at a current density of 500 mA g–1 in the first cycle) that originates from the rapid diffusion of Li+ ions via the intercolumnar voids between its 1D columnar structures, whereas HATCNOC-poly exhibits a slow charge/discharge performance (188.5 mA h g–1 at a current density of 500 mA g–1 in the first cycle) due to the absence of a 1D columnar structure and intercolumnar voids, thereby limiting any such diffusion process. This study provides clear structural insights into the design of organic-molecule-based cathode active material packing structures for LIBs

Purification of rice RAD51A1 and RAD51A2.

<p>(A) The amino acid sequences of rice RAD51A1 and RAD51A2 from japonica cultivar group, cv. Nipponbare, rice RAD51 from indica cultivar group, cv. Pusa Basmati 1, and human RAD51, aligned with the ClustalX software <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0075451#pone.0075451-Thompson1" target="_blank">[50]</a>. Black and gray boxes indicate identical and similar amino acid residues, respectively. The L1 and L2 loops, which are important for DNA binding, are represented by red lines. (B) Purified rice RAD51A1, RAD51A2, and human RAD51. Lane 1 indicates the molecular mass markers, and lanes 2, 3, and 4 represent rice RAD51A1 (0.5 µg), RAD51A2 (0.5 µg), and human RAD51 (0.5 µg), respectively. (C) The ATPase activities of <i>Oryza sativa</i> RAD51A1 and RAD51A2. The reactions were conducted with φX174 circular ssDNA (left panel), linearized φX174 dsDNA (center panel), or without DNA (right panel), in the presence of 5 µM ATP. Blue circles and red squares represent the experiments with RAD51A1 and RAD51A2, respectively. The averages of three independent experiments are shown with the SD values.</p

Table_1_Alterations of Both Dendrite Morphology and Weaker Electrical Responsiveness in the Cortex of Hip Area Occur Before Rearrangement of the Motor Map in Neonatal White Matter Injury Model.docx

<p>Hypoxia-ischemia (H-I) in rats at postnatal day 3 causes disorganization of oligodendrocyte development in layers II/III of the sensorimotor cortex without apparent neuronal loss, and shows mild hindlimb dysfunction with imbalanced motor coordination. However, the mechanisms by which mild motor dysfunction is induced without loss of cortical neurons are currently unclear. To reveal the mechanisms underlying mild motor dysfunction in neonatal H-I model, electrical responsiveness and dendrite morphology in the sensorimotor cortex were investigated at 10 weeks of age. Responses to intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) revealed that the cortical motor map was significantly changed in this model. The cortical area related to hip joint movement was reduced, and the area related to trunk movement was increased. Sholl analysis in Golgi staining revealed that layer I–III neurons on the H-I side had more dendrite branches compared with the contralateral side. To investigate whether changes in the motor map and morphology appeared at earlier stages, ICMS and Sholl analysis were also performed at 5 weeks of age. The minimal ICMS current to evoke twitches of the hip area was higher on the H-I side, while the motor map was unchanged. Golgi staining revealed more dendrite branches in layer I–III neurons on the H-I side. These results revealed that alterations of both dendrite morphology and ICMS threshold of the hip area occurred before the rearrangement of the motor map in the neonatal H-I model. They also suggest that altered dendritic morphology and altered ICMS responsiveness may be related to mild motor dysfunction in this model.</p

Image_1_Alterations of Both Dendrite Morphology and Weaker Electrical Responsiveness in the Cortex of Hip Area Occur Before Rearrangement of the Motor Map in Neonatal White Matter Injury Model.pdf

<p>Hypoxia-ischemia (H-I) in rats at postnatal day 3 causes disorganization of oligodendrocyte development in layers II/III of the sensorimotor cortex without apparent neuronal loss, and shows mild hindlimb dysfunction with imbalanced motor coordination. However, the mechanisms by which mild motor dysfunction is induced without loss of cortical neurons are currently unclear. To reveal the mechanisms underlying mild motor dysfunction in neonatal H-I model, electrical responsiveness and dendrite morphology in the sensorimotor cortex were investigated at 10 weeks of age. Responses to intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) revealed that the cortical motor map was significantly changed in this model. The cortical area related to hip joint movement was reduced, and the area related to trunk movement was increased. Sholl analysis in Golgi staining revealed that layer I–III neurons on the H-I side had more dendrite branches compared with the contralateral side. To investigate whether changes in the motor map and morphology appeared at earlier stages, ICMS and Sholl analysis were also performed at 5 weeks of age. The minimal ICMS current to evoke twitches of the hip area was higher on the H-I side, while the motor map was unchanged. Golgi staining revealed more dendrite branches in layer I–III neurons on the H-I side. These results revealed that alterations of both dendrite morphology and ICMS threshold of the hip area occurred before the rearrangement of the motor map in the neonatal H-I model. They also suggest that altered dendritic morphology and altered ICMS responsiveness may be related to mild motor dysfunction in this model.</p

The homologous-pairing activities of the RAD51A1(A2L2) and RAD51A2(A1L2) mutants.

<p>(A) Purified RAD51A1(A2L2) and RAD51A2(A1L2) mutants. Lane 1 indicates the molecular mass markers, and lanes 2 and 3 represent RAD51A1 and RAD51A2, respectively. Lanes 4 and 5 represent RAD51A1(A2L2) and RAD51A2(A1L2). An aliquot (0.5 µg) of each protein was analyzed. (B) The D-loop formation assay (Protein titration experiments). The indicated amounts of rice RAD51A1, RAD51A2, RAD51A1(A2L2), or RAD51A2(A1L2) were incubated with the ³²P-labeled 50-mer ssDNA, and the homologous-pairing reaction was initiated by the addition of superhelical dsDNA. Reactions were allowed to proceed for 5 min. Lane 1 indicates a negative control experiment without protein, and lanes 2–5, 6–9, 10–13, and 14–17 represent the reactions conducted with RAD51A1, RAD51A2, RAD51A1(A2L2), and RAD51A2(A1L2), respectively. The protein concentrations were 0.4 µM (lanes 2, 6, 10, and 14), 0.6 µM (lanes 3, 7, 11, and 15), 0.9 µM (lanes 4, 8, 12, and 16), and 1.2 µM (lanes 5, 9, 13, and 17).</p

Interactions of rice RAD51A1 and RAD51A2.

<p>(A) Purified His₆-tagged RAD51A1 protein. Lane 1 indicates the molecular mass markers, and lanes 2 and 3 represent the RAD51A1 and His₆-tagged RAD51A1 proteins (0.5 µg). (B) The pull-down assay with Ni–NTA beads. Lane 1 represents molecular mass markers. Lanes 2, 3, and 4 show purified protein controls of His₆-tagged RAD51A1, RAD51A1, and RAD51A2, respectively. Lane 5 indicates a negative control experiment without RAD51A1 and RAD51A2, in the presence of His₆-tagged RAD51A1. Lanes 8 and 9 indicate negative control experiments with RAD51A1 and RAD51A2, respectively, in the absence of His₆-tagged RAD51A1. Lanes 6 and 7 indicate experiments with RAD51A1 and RAD51A2, respectively, in the presence of His₆-tagged RAD51A1. The proteins bound to His₆-tagged RAD51A1 were pulled down by the Ni–NTA agarose beads. The samples were fractionated by 10% SDS–PAGE, and the protein bands were visualized by Coomassie Brilliant Blue staining. (C) The D-loop formation assay in the presence of Ca²⁺(Protein titration experiments). The indicated amounts of rice RAD51A1 and RAD51A2 were mixed and incubated with the ³²P-labeled 50-mer ssDNA, and the homologous-pairing reaction was initiated by the addition of superhelical dsDNA. Reactions were allowed to proceed for 5 min. Lane 1 indicates a negative control experiment without protein, and lanes 2–4 and 10–12 indicate positive control experiments with RAD51A1 and RAD51A2, respectively. The protein concentrations were 0.2 µM (lanes 2 and 12), 0.4 µM (lanes 3 and 11), and 0.6 µM (lanes 4 and 10). Lanes 5–9 represent experiments with various amounts of RAD51A1 and RAD51A2. Lane 5: RAD51A1 (0 µM) and RAD51A2 (0.6 µM). Lane 6: RAD51A1 (0.2 µM) and RAD51A2 (0.4 µM). Lane 7: RAD51A1 (0.3 µM) and RAD51A2 (0.3 µM). Lane 8: RAD51A1 (0.4 µM) and RAD51A2 (0.2 µM). Lane 9: RAD51A1 (0.6 µM) and RAD51A2 (0 µM).</p