Gravity sensing in plant and animal cells

Gravity determines shape of body tissue and affects the functions of life, both in plants and animals. The cellular response to gravity is an active process of mechanotransduction. Although plants and animals share some common mechanisms of gravity sensing in spite of their distant phylogenetic origin, each species has its own mechanism to sense and respond to gravity. In this review, we discuss current understanding regarding the mechanisms of cellular gravity sensing in plants and animals. Understanding gravisensing also contributes to life on Earth, e.g., understanding osteoporosis and muscle atrophy. Furthermore, in the current age of Mars exploration, understanding cellular responses to gravity will form the foundation of living in space

On the mechanism of the peroxide epoxidation of olefins: A bond interaction perspective

A new picture of the reaction mechanism of peracid epoxidation of olefins is proposed from the perspective of bond interaction. In contrast to the mechanism from the perspective of electronic theory, which includes the movement of an electron from the -bond to the negatively charged oxygen atom, the olefin is initially protonated and then migrates to the oxygen atom

Prevention of redox shuttle using electropolymerized polypyrrole film in a lithium–oxygen battery

Among the recent advancements in lithium–oxygen (Li–O2) chemistries, redox mediators (RMs) have been revealed to play a significant role in decreasing overpotential on charging and in improving cycling performance. However, an intrinsic problem is redox shuttle of RMs, which leads to degraded RM utilization and induces the accumulation of discharge products on the cathode surface; this remains a significant issue in the current battery cell configuration (Li anode/separator/cathode). To address this detrimental problem, herein we propose a novel Li–O2 cell incorporating a freestanding electropolymerized polypyrrole (PPy) film for the restriction of the redox-shuttle phenomenon of lithium iodide (Li anode/separator/PPy film/cathode). In this study, a PPy film, which is prepared through oxidative electropolymerization using an ionic liquid of 1-methyl-1-butylpyrrolidinium mixed with pyrrole and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, is introduced between the cathode and the separator. From the charge–discharge voltage profile, it is confirmed that the PPy film suppresses the diffusion of the oxidized I3− to the Li anode, while allowing Li ion transport. Secondary scanning electron microscope measurements confirm that the chemical reactions between I3− and Li2O2 are facilitated by the presence of the PPy film because I3− remains near the cathode surface during the charging process. As a result, the cycling performance in the Li–O2 cells with PPy film exhibits a cycling life four times as long as that of the Li–O2 cells without PPy film

Intensity control in RF-knockout extraction for scanning irradiation

In cancer therapy using an ion beam, a scanning irradiation method has been developed in order to realize 3-D conformal irradiation. From studies of the scanning method, it has been required for a medical synchrotron to be capable of controlling the beam intensity during the duration of extraction. For this purpose, a beam-intensity control technique with RF-knockout slow-extraction has been studied and developed at the HIMAC synchrotron. Based on a simple one-dimensional model of extraction, the function of amplitude modulation (AM) for a transverse RF-field was analytically calculated to control the beam current. By cooperating with the feedback system, finally, we could control the beam intensity within a range of one order during a single flattop. We report on a simulation and the experiment result of intensity control for scanning irradiation

Grand-averaged event-related potential (ERP) waveform differences at three EEG sites (Fz, Cz, and Pz) for auditory tasks before (pre: Red solid line) and after (post3: Blue solid line) the sauna in the sauna group vs. the control group.

The ranges of the width of the red and blue lines represent s.e.m around the mean curve for pre and post3 stages.</p

S1 Dataset -

Saunas are becoming increasingly popular worldwide, being an activity that promotes relaxation and health. Intense feelings of happiness have been reported shortly after enjoying a hot sauna and cold water, what is known in Japan as the “totonou” state. However, no research has investigated what occurs in the brain during the “totonou” state. In the present study, participants underwent a sauna phase, consisting of three sets of alternating hot sauna, cold water, and rest. We elucidated changes in brain activity and mood in the “totonou” state by measuring and comparing brain activity and emotional scales before and after the sauna phase and during the rest phase in each set. We found significant increases in theta and alpha power during rest and after the sauna phase compared to before the sauna phase. Moreover, in an auditory oddball task, the p300 amplitude decreased significantly and MMN amplitude increased significantly after the sauna phase. The increase in MMN indicates higher activation of the pre-attentional auditory process, leading to a decrease in attention-related brain activity P300. Hence, the brain reaches in a more efficient state. Further, the response time in behavioral tasks decreased significantly. In addition, the participants’ subjective responses to the questionnaire showed significant changes in physical relaxation and other indicators after being in the sauna. Finally, we developed an artificial intelligence classifier, obtaining an average accuracy of brain state classification of 88.34%. The results have potential for future application.</div

Average scores of questions in “Altered states of consciousness rating scale” before sauna (pre) and at each rest during the sauna set (post1, post2, post3) in the sauna and control groups.

Average scores of questions in “Altered states of consciousness rating scale” before sauna (pre) and at each rest during the sauna set (post1, post2, post3) in the sauna and control groups.</p

Classification accuracy of decoding “totonou” for each participant in, and the average accuracy of the sauna group.

Classification accuracy of decoding “totonou” for each participant in, and the average accuracy of the sauna group.</p