The HKT1 Na transporter protects plant fertility by decreasing Na content in stamen filaments.

Salinity stress can greatly reduce seed production because plants are especially sensitive to salt during their reproductive stage. Here, we show that the sodium ion transporter AtHKT1;1 is specifically expressed around the phloem and xylem of the stamen in to prevent a marked decrease in seed production caused by salt stress. The stamens of AtHKT1;1 mutant under salt stress overaccumulate Na, limiting their elongation and resulting in male sterility.

Outer layer scintillating fiber for low-energy β-ray detection.

Standard plastic scintillating fiber cannot detect low-energy β-rays as the cladding prevents them from reaching the fiber core. We developed an outer-layer scintillating (OLS) fiber with a plastic scintillator on the outermost layer for low-energy β-ray detection. The concept of fiber construction is presented.

Length-force characteristics of in vivo human muscle reflected by supersonic shear imaging.

Recently, an ultrasound-based elastography technique has been used to measure stiffness (shear modulus) of an active human muscle along the axis of contraction. Using this technique, we explored 1) whether muscle shear modulus, like muscle force, is length dependent; and 2) whether the length dependence of muscle shear modulus is consistent between electrically elicited and voluntary contractions. From nine healthy participants, ankle joint torque and shear modulus of the tibialis anterior muscle were measured at five different ankle joint angles during tetanic contractions and during maximal voluntary contractions.