Binary Semantic Classification Using Cortical Activation with Pavlovian-Conditioned Vestibular Responses in Healthy and Locked-In Individuals.

To develop a more reliable brain-computer interface (BCI) for patients in the completely locked-in state (CLIS), here we propose a Pavlovian conditioning paradigm using galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS), which can induce a strong sensation of equilibrium distortion in individuals. We hypothesized that associating two different sensations caused by two-directional GVS with the thoughts of "yes" and "no" by individuals would enable us to emphasize the differences in brain activity associated with the thoughts of yes and no and hence help us better distinguish the two from electroencephalography (EEG). We tested this hypothesis with 11 healthy and 1 CLIS participant. Our results showed that, first, conditioning of GVS with the thoughts of yes and no is possible. And second, the classification of whether an individual is thinking "yes" or "no" is significantly improved after the conditioning, even in the absence of subsequent GVS stimulations. We observed average classification accuracy of 73.0% over 11 healthy individuals and 85.3% with the CLIS patient. These results suggest the establishment of GVS-based Pavlovian conditioning and its usability as a noninvasive BCI.

Synthesis of Tetra-Substituted Trifluoromethyl-3,1-Benzoxazines by Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Cyclization of N-Benzoyl Benzoxazinones.

Invited for this month's cover are the group of Norio Shibata at Nagoya Institute of Technology (Japan). The cover picture is inspired by the diversity in the ocean also in cyberspace. In the present research, we can synthesize diverse heterocyclic molecules having a trifluoromethyl group in a single step by changing the N-substitution. You can see more variations of trifluoromethyl heterocycles in several papers by our group. Read the full text of their Communication at 10.1002/open.202000360.

Synthesis of Tetra-Substituted Trifluoromethyl-3,1-Benzoxazines by Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Cyclization of N-Benzoyl Benzoxazinones.

Efficient synthesis of N,O-heterocyclic tetra-substituted trifluoromethyl-3,1-benzoxazines via a transition-metal-catalyzed decarboxylative intramolecular cyclization was achieved. The decarboxylation of N-benzoyl trifluoromethyl-benzoxazinones generated the amide oxygen nucleophile, allowing a selective internal C1 -attack on Pd- or Cu-coordinated zwitterions, affording medicinally attractive tetra-substituted vinyl- or ethynyl-trifluoromethyl-3,1-benzoxazines. This protocol can be applied to the synthesis of perfluoroalkyl- and non-fluorinated 3,1-benzoxazines.

Pd-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Cyclization of Trifluoromethyl Vinyl Benzoxazinanones with Sulfur Ylides: Access to Trifluoromethyl Dihydroquinolines.

An unprecedented Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative cyclization of 4-trifluoromethyl-4-vinyl benzoxazinanones (4) with sulfur ylides (2) is reported. While the reactions of 4-vinyl/4-CF3 benzoxazinanones (1a/1c) with 2 furnished the 3-vinyl/3-CF3 indolines (3a/3c), via an attack on the C1 carbon of the π-allyl/benzyl zwitterionic intermediates, 4 was converted into 4-trifluoromethyl-dihydroquinolines (5) in good yields via an attack on the C3 carbon of the π-allyl intermediate. The corresponding methyl-substituted analogues afford different products via an attack on the C2 carbon.

Stille cross-coupling of secondary and tertiary α-(trifluoromethyl)-benzyl chlorides with allylstannanes.

A Stille cross-coupling reaction was developed that delivers for the first time trifluoromethyl-substituted homoallyl compounds from α-(trifluoromethyl)benzyl chlorides and allylstannanes. This reaction proceeds even with low catalyst loadings (1 mol%) via a rare CF3-Pd-π-benzyl intermediate.