Normal-state properties of the antiperovskite oxide Sr3−x_{3-x}SnO revealed by 119^{119}Sn-NMR

We have performed $^{119}$Sn-NMR measurements on the antiperovskite oxide superconductor Sr$_{3-x}$SnO to investigate how its normal state changes with the Sr deficiency. A two-peak structure was observed in the NMR spectra of all the measured samples. This suggests that the phase separation tends to occur between the nearly stoichiometric and heavily Sr-deficient Sr$_{3-x}$SnO phases. The measurement of the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate $1/T_1$ indicates that the Sr-deficient phase shows a conventional metallic behavior due to the heavy hole doping. In contrast, the nearly stoichiometric phase exhibits unusual temperature dependence of $1/T_1$, attributable to the presence of a Dirac-electron band.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with the Maximum Voluntary Muscle Contraction Facilitates Motor Neuron Excitability and Muscle Force

Three trials of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) during the maximum voluntary muscle contraction (MVC) were repeated at 15-minute intervals for 1 hour to examine the effects on motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in the digital muscles and pinching muscle force before and after 4 high-intensity TMSs (test 1 condition) or sham TMS (test 2 condition) with MVC. Under the placebo condition, real TMS with MVC was administered only before and 1 hour after the sham TMS with MVC. Magnetic stimulation at the foramen magnum level (FMS) with MVC was performed by the same protocol as that for the test 2 condition. As a result, MEP sizes in the digital muscles significantly increased after TMS with MVC under test conditions compared with the placebo conditions (P < 0.05). Pinching muscle force was significantly larger 45 minutes and 1 hour after TMS with MVC under the test conditions than under the placebo condition (P < 0.05). FMS significantly decreased MEP amplitudes 60 minutes after the sham TMS with MVC (P < 0.005). The present results suggest that intermittently repeated TMS with MVC facilitates motor neuron excitabilities and muscle force. However, further studies are needed to confirm the effects of TMS with MVC and its mechanism

Penetration depth and gap structure in the antiperovskite oxide superconductor Sr3−x_{3-x}SnO revealed by μ\muSR

We report a $\mu$SR study on the antiperovskite oxide superconductor Sr$_{3-x}$SnO. With transverse-field $\mu$SR, we observed the increase of the muon relaxation rate upon cooling below the superconducting transition temperature $T_{\mathrm{c}}=5.4$ K, evidencing bulk superconductivity. The exponential temperature dependence of the relaxation rate $\sigma$ at low temperatures suggests a fully gapped superconducting state. We evaluated the zero-temperature penetration depth $\lambda(0)\propto1/\sqrt{\sigma(0)}$ to be around 320-1020 nm. Such a large value is consistent with the picture of a doped Dirac semimetal. Moreover, we revealed that the ratio $T_{\mathrm{c}}/\lambda(0)^{-2}$ is larger than those of ordinary superconductors and is comparable to those of unconventional superconductors. The relatively high $T_{\mathrm{c}}$ for small carrier density may hint at an unconventional pairing mechanism beyond the ordinary phonon-mediated pairing. In addition, zero-field $\mu$SR did not provide evidence of broken time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state. These features are consistent with the theoretically proposed topological superconducting state in Sr$_{3-x}$SnO, as well as with $s$-wave superconductivity.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, to be published in Physical Review

Sulfonamides identified as plant immune-priming compounds in high-throughput chemical screening increase disease resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana

Plant activators are agrochemicals that protect crops from diseases by activating the plant immune system. To isolate lead compounds for use as practical plant activators, we screened two different chemical libraries composed of various bioactive substances by using an established screening procedure that can selectively identify immune-priming compounds. We identified and characterized a group of sulfonamide compounds – sulfameter, sulfamethoxypyridazine, sulfabenzamide, and sulfachloropyridazine – among the various isolated candidate molecules. These sulfonamide compounds enhanced the avirulent Pseudomonas-induced cell death of Arabidopsis suspension cell cultures and increased disease resistance in Arabidopsis plants against both avirulent and virulent strains of the bacterium. These compounds did not prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria in minimal liquid media at 200 μM. They also did not induce the expression of defense-related genes in Arabidopsis seedlings, at least not at 24 and 48 h after treatment, suggesting that they do not act as salicylic acid analogs. In addition, although sulfonamides are known to be folate biosynthesis inhibitors, the application of folate did not restore the potentiation effects of the sulfonamides on pathogen-induced cell death. Our data suggest that sulfonamides potentiate Arabidopsis disease resistance by their novel chemical properties

S-wave Superconductivity in the Dirac Line-nodal Material CaSb2

We performed 121/123Sb-nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) measurements on the superconducting (SC) line-nodal material CaSb2 in order to investigate electronic properties in the normal and SC states from a microscopic point of view. In the normal state, the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T1 for the Sb(1) site, which is responsible for the line-nodal parts, is approximately proportional to temperature, indicating the conventional Fermi liquid state. From comparison with band structure calculations, it is considered that the NQR properties related to the line-nodal character are hidden because the conventional behavior originating from Fermi-surface parts away from the nodes is dominant. In the SC state, a clear coherence peak just below the transition temperature and an exponential decrease at lower temperatures were observed in 1/T1. These results strongly suggest that conventional s-wave superconductivity with a full gap is realized in CaSb2.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Searching for the Frequency of Cardiac Transthyretin Amyloidosis among Elderly Heart Failure Patients Noninvasively Using 99mTc-labeled Pyrophosphate Scintigraphy

Article信州医学雑誌 69(1): 37-44(2021)journal articl

The ground state of Sr3Ru2O7 revisited; Fermi liquid close to a ferromagnetic instability

We show that single-crystalline Sr3Ru2O7 grown by a floating-zone technique is an isotropic paramagnet and a quasi-two dimensional metal as spin-triplet superconducting Sr2RuO4 is. The ground state is Fermi liquid with very low residual resistivity (3 micro ohm cm for in-plane currents) and a nearly ferromagnetic metal with the largest Wilson ratio Rw>10 among paramagnets so far. This contrasts with the ferromagnetic order at Tc=104 K reported on single crystals grown by a flux method [Cao et al., Phys. Rev. B 55, R672 (1997)]. We have also found a dramatic changeover from paramagnetism to ferromagnetism under applied pressure. This suggests the existence of a substantial ferromagnetic instability on the verge of a quantum phase transition in the Fermi liquid state.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. B : Rapid co