Direct Measurement of the Cosmic-Ray Helium Spectrum from 40 GeV to 250 TeV with the Calorimetric Electron Telescope on the International Space Station.

We present the results of a direct measurement of the cosmic-ray helium spectrum with the CALET instrument in operation on the International Space Station since 2015. The observation period covered by this analysis spans from October 13, 2015, to April 30, 2022 (2392 days). The very wide dynamic range of CALET allowed for the collection of helium data over a large energy interval, from ∼40  GeV to ∼250  TeV, for the first time with a single instrument in low Earth orbit.

Adsorption of SARS-CoV-2 Spike (N501Y) RBD to Human Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 at a Lipid/Water Interface.

The receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike proteins plays a crucial role in the process of severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) attachment to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The N501Y mutation and later mutations introduced extra positive charges on the spike RBD and resulted in higher transmissibility, likely due to stronger binding with the highly negatively charged ACE2. Consequently, many studies have been devoted to understanding the molecular mechanism of spike protein binding with the ACE2 receptor.

Study on the Psychological States of Olfactory Stimuli Using Electroencephalography and Heart Rate Variability.

In the modern information society, people are constantly exposed to stress due to complex work environments and various interpersonal relationships. Aromatherapy is attracting attention as one of the methods for relieving stress using aroma. A method to quantitatively evaluate such an effect is necessary to clarify the effect of aroma on the human psychological state.

Preliminary characterization and probabilistic risk assessment of microplastics and potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in garri (cassava flake), a common staple food consumed in West Africa.

Garri from cassava is one of the most consumed foods in West Africa, hence this research was conducted to examine microplastics (MPs) and potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in garri from Nigeria (West Africa) and Japan. This is the first investigation on MPs in garri samples that has been reported in the literature. The study analyzed both packaged and unpackaged vended garri samples using microscopic/spectroscopic and X-ray fluorescence techniques for MPs and PTEs respectively.

Difference in endocrine and behavior between short-term single- and paired-housing mice in metabolic cage.

Metabolic cage housing which is exposed to a number of environmental stressors is often used in pharmacokinetic studies. In this study, we compared the difference in stress response between single- and paired-housing in metabolic cages by evaluating the alteration of urinary stress hormones and behavior. Mice were randomly divided into single- or paired-housing groups and placed in a metabolic cage with wire mesh.

A disposable edoxaban sensor chip using carbon paste electrode grafted with molecularly imprinted polymer.

Although direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are generally safe and TDM is not required, blood levels of the drug are important information for response decisions in emergency care. In this study, an attempt was made to develop a disposable sensor chip for the rapid detection of edoxaban in blood, a type of DOAC. Molecularly imprinted polymers with edoxaban tosilate as a template and sodium p-styrene sulfonate as a functional monomer were grafted onto the surface of graphite particles, mixed with silicon oil dissolved in ferrocene to form a paste, and filled onto a substrate made of plastic film.

A study on the optimal condition of ground truth area for liver tumor detection in ultrasound images using deep learning.

Purpose: In recent years, efforts to apply artificial intelligence (AI) to the medical field have been growing. In general, a vast amount of high-quality training data is necessary to make great AI. For tumor detection AI, annotation quality is important.

Novel blood typing method by discrimination of hemagglutination and rouleaux using an erythrocyte aggregometer.

Background: In pretransfusion blood typing, pretreatments such as centrifugation and suspension of red blood cells (RBCs) and mixing them with sufficient amounts of reagents are required, but these steps are time-consuming and costly.

Objective: Aiming to develop a new blood typing method that requires no dilution and only a small amount of reagent, we attempted to determine blood type using syllectometry, an easy-to-use and rapid optical method for measuring the RBC aggregation that occurs when blood flow is abruptly stopped in a flow channel.

Methods: Samples of whole blood from 20 healthy participants were mixed with antibody reagents for blood typing at mixing ratios of 2.

Determination of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate using the hematocrit-corrected aggregation index and mean corpuscular volume.

Background: Determination of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) by measurement of erythrocyte aggregation is an alternative to the Westergren method and can be performed rapidly. However, its principle is opaque and the ESR values obtained can deviate from Westergren method values (WG ESR) due to hematocrit. Furthermore, WG ESR is affected by particle size, but no studies have examined the effect of individual mean corpuscular volumes (MCVs).

Disposable Sensor Chips with Molecularly Imprinted Carbon Paste Electrodes for Monitoring Anti-Epileptic Drugs.

is a neurological disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are critical for their management. However, the therapeutic window is narrow, and traditional laboratory-based therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) methods can be time consuming and unsuitable for point-of-care testing.

VORTEX: Network-Driven Opportunistic Routing for Ad Hoc Networks.

The potential of ad hoc networks, which enable flexible and dynamic network establishment only by mobile terminals equipped with wireless communication devices, has recently attracted attention for the coming IoT era. Although the nature of ad hoc networks shows the advantages of their autonomous and distributed network management, a manifestation of drawbacks owing to the nature of wireless communication and the mobility of terminals are inevitable. Many routing protocols have already been proposed to address the issues by adapting to nature and achieving a certain level of improvement.

Fabrication and Characterization of Acicular Micro-Textured Copper Sheet Device for Low-Temperature Heat Radiation.

An acicular microtextured sheet was developed as a heat radiation device from the high-temperature source to the cooling medium in the infrared (IR) spectrum. The copper surface was modified by acicular micro-texturing to place a semi-regular micro-/nano-cone structure onto it. FT-IR (Fourier transformation IR) spectroscopy was utilized to measure the transmittance diagram in near-IR to far-IR wavelengths.

Antarctic heavy metal pollution and remediation efforts: state of the art of research and scientific publications.

In Antarctica, human activities have been reported to be the major cause of the accumulation of heavy metal contaminants. A comprehensive bibliometric analysis of publications on heavy metal contamination in Antarctica from year 2000 to 2020 was performed to obtain an overview of the current landscape in this line of research. A total of 106 documents were obtained from Scopus, the largest citation database.

Improvement in the elution performance of an N,N,N',N-tetraoctyl diglycolamide impregnated extraction chromatography adsorbent using neodymium via micro-particle-induced X-ray emission analysis.

An adsorbent used for the recovery of trivalent minor actinides (MA(III); Am and Cm) from high level liquid waste generated from reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel was subjected to micro-particle induced X-ray emission (micro-PIXE) analysis to improve its elution performance. The experimental adsorbent comprised SiO particles, a polymer coating, and an N,N,N',N'-tetraoctyl diglycolamide (TODGA). The particles to be analyzed were subjected to Nd adsorption and an elution operation, but Nd in the adsorbent was found to be uniformly distributed.

Twendee X, a mixed antioxidant supplement, improves cognitive function, coordination, and neurotrophic factor expression in long-term vitamin E-deficient mice.

Oxidation products gradually accumulate during senescence, enhancing the risk of onset of many severe diseases. One such disease is dementia, and the number of cases of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, has been increasing world-wide. These diseases can be prevented via attenuation of age-related physiological dysfunction; one preventive approach is the ingestion of antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E.

Impact of cyanidin 3--glucoside on rat micro-and systemic circulation, possibly thorough angiogenesis.

Cyanidin 3--glucoside (C3G), an antioxidant, is one of the most abundant anthocyanin in plant foods. Intervention trials and subsequent meta-analyses have suggested that anthocyanins could reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases. This study investigated hemodynamic alterations following a single intragastric dose of C3G by measuring blood flow in rat cremaster muscle arteriole for 60 min.

Modulation of corticospinal excitability related to the forearm muscle during robot-assisted stepping in humans.

In recent years, the neural control mechanisms of the arms and legs during human bipedal walking have been clarified. Rhythmic leg stepping leads to suppression of monosynaptic reflex excitability in forearm muscles. However, it is unknown whether and how corticospinal excitability of the forearm muscle is modulated during leg stepping.

[Elucidation of Physiological Functions of Vitamin K in the Brain and Development of New Derivatives for Neuroregeneration].

Vitamin K plays an important role in blood coagulation and bone formation. However, apart from the liver and bone, the role of vitamin K in other tissues remains unknown. Previously, we have reported on high concentrations of vitamin K in the mouse brain and investigated vitamin K conversion in brain tissue.

Effects of substitute allowance on match activity characteristics in Japanese professional football across 2019, 2020, and 2021 seasons.

This study aimed to examine the effects of substitute player allowance per match on running performance in Japanese professional football over three consecutive seasons with different numbers of maximum substitutes. Match running performance was obtained from all outfield players in the official matches of the 1st Division of the Japan Professional Football League over three seasons (2019/2020/2021; 22291 player files) by a 4th generation TRACAB® system which provided the total distance covered (TD) and the number of sprinting runs (SP; ≥24.0 km/h for≥1.

Surgery assistance system for continuous resection of brain tumors-proposal of continuous tumor resection forceps, tumor cell separation, dehydration, and isolation mechanism.

The tumor resection ratio must be improved due the increased possibility of recurrence or malignancy. The purpose of this study was to develop a system that includes forceps with a continuous suction function and flow cytometry to diagnose the malignancy of the tumor for safe, accurate, and effective surgery. A newly developed continuous tumor resection forceps consists of a triple pipe structure, which enables continuous suction of the tumor by integrating the reflux water and suction system.