Expanding the performance limit of current Li-ion batteries requires ion−ion and ion−solvent interaction, which governs the ion transport behavior of the electrolytes, to be fully understood as a matter of crucial importance. We herein examine the ionic speciation and conduction behavior of propylene carbonate (PC) electrolytes of 0.1−3.0 M LiPF 6 and LiBF 4 using Raman spectroscopy, dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS), and pulsed-field gradient NMR (PFG-NMR) spectroscopy. In both LiPF 6 − PC and LiBF 4 −PC, free ions and a solvent-shared ion pair (SIP) are dominant species at dilute salt concentrations (<0.8 M), and SIP becomes dominant at intermediate concentrations (0.8−1.5 M). At higher concentrations (1.5−3.0 M), the solvent-shared dimer (SSD) and contact dimer (CD) are dominant in LiPF 6 −PC, whereas the contact ion pair (CIP), CD, and agglomerate (AGG) prevail in LiBF 4 −PC. Ionic conduction in 0.1−1.5 M LiPF 6 −PC and LiBF 4 −PC is governed by the migration of free ions and SIP. Notably, above 1.5 M of the two PC electrolytes, SSD participates in ionic conduction via the migration mode as well. Furthermore, it is suggested that the large number of CIPs present in LiBF 4 −PC may contribute to ionic conduction via a Grotthuss-type mechanism.

Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) catalyze the irreversible oxidation of a wide range of reactive aldehydes to their corresponding carboxylic acids. Although the proteins have been studied from various organisms and at different growth stages, their roles in seed development have not been well elucidated. We obtained T-DNA insertional mutants in OsALDH7, which is remarkably inducible by oxidative and abiotic stresses. Interestingly, endosperms from the osaldh7 null mutants accumulated brown pigments during desiccation and storage. Extracts from the mutant seeds showed a maximum absorbance peak at 360 nm, the wavelength that melanoidin absorbs. Under UV light, those extracts also exhibited much stronger fluorescence than the wild type, suggesting that the pigments are melanoidin. These pigments started to accumulate in the late seed developmental stage, the time when OsALDH7 expression began to increase significantly. Purified OsALDH7 protein showed enzyme activities to malondialdehyde, acetaldehyde, and glyceraldehyde. These results suggest that OsALDH7 is involved in removing various aldehydes formed by oxidative stress during seed desiccation. The mutant seeds were more sensitive to our accelerated aging treatment and accumulated more malondialdehyde than the wild type. These data imply that OsALDH7 plays an important role in maintaining seed viability by detoxifying the aldehydes generated by lipid peroxidation.

Heated, humidified, high-flow nasal cannula (HHFNC) is frequently used as a noninvasive respiratory support for preterm infants with respiratory distress. But there are limited studies that compares HHFNC with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) only as the initial treatment of respiratory distress in preterm infants immediately after birth. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness and safety of HHFNC compared to nCPAP for the initial treatment of preterm infants with respiratory distress. Preterm infants at between 30 and 35 weeks of gestational age were randomized to HHFNC or nCPAP when they showed respiratory distress in less than 24 hours of age postnatally. Preterm infants who needed invasive respiratory supports were excluded. Primary outcome was the incidence of treatment failure (defined as need for the intubation or mechanical ventilation). Eighty-five infants were analyzed. Sixteen of 42 infants randomized to HHFNC showed treatment failure compared to 9 of 43 infants using nCPAP (Risk difference 17.17 [−1.90–36.23]; P = 0.099). In terms of the reason for treatment failure, the frequency of hypoxia was significantly higher in the HHFNC group than in the nCPAP group (P = 0.020). There was no difference between the 2 groups in terms of respiratory and clinical outcomes and complications. Although HHFNC is safe compared to nCPAP, it is not certain that HHFNC is effective compared to nCPAP non-inferiorly as an initial respiratory support in preterm infants with respiratory distress.

Wide range of color change in nanohole array structure on a metal film have been successfully demonstrated using asymmetric-lattice design of nanoholes and an electrically switching polarization rotator. Recently, some studies have been reported that various color states were obtained in a single unit cell structure using extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) of nanopatterned structure, which could be one of the most important solutions for achieving ultrahigh integration density in optoelectronic devices. However, because they used the interfacial refractive index or dielectric constant as controlling factors for the color tuning, they were not capable of inducing a changeable range of color with different primary color states. To overcome this limitation, in this study, an asymmetric-lattice nanohole array design was integrated with an electrically controlled polarization rotator, employing a twisted nematic (TN) liquid crystal (LC). This simple structure of nanohole arrays with a rectangular lattice enabled mixed color states as well as precisely designed two different primary colors, by modulating the polarization of the incident light. The color-tuning shift was greater than 120 nm. Since the surface plasmonic (SP) modes on both sides, a top and a bottom interface, were matched better by the TN-LC layer assembled on the rectangular-lattice nanohole metal layer, the transmittance at the resonance peak wavelength was increased by 158% compared to that of the bare nanohole structure. The nanohole-array-on-metal-film simultaneously functions as an electrode, and this advantage, coupled with the low driving voltage of the TN-LC layer, can open new possibilities in applications to various optoelectronic device concepts.

Autophagy degrades toxic materials and old organelles, and recycles nutrients in eukaryotic cells. Whereas the studies on autophagy have been reported in other eukaryotic cells, its functioning in plants has not been well elucidated. We analyzed the roles of OsATG10 genes, which are autophagy-related. Two rice ATG10 genes - OsATG10a and OsATG10b - share significant sequence homology (about 75%), and were ubiquitously expressed in all organs examined here. GUS assay indicated that OsATG10b was highly expressed in the mesophyll cells and vascular tissue of younger leaves, but its level of expression decreased in older leaves. We identified T-DNA insertional mutants in that gene. Those osatg10b mutants were sensitive to treatments with high salt and methyl viologen (MV). Monodansylcadaverine-staining experiments showed that the number of autophagosomes was significantly decreased in the mutants compared with the WT. Furthermore, the amount of oxidized proteins increased in MV-treated mutant seedlings. These results demonstrate that OsATG10b plays an important role in the survival of rice cells against oxidative stresses.