Abstract
Topological superconductors (TSCs) are unconventional superconductors with bulk superconducting gap and in-gap Majorana states on the boundary that may be used as topological qubits for ...quantum computation. Despite their importance in both fundamental research and applications, natural TSCs are very rare. Here, combining state of the art synchrotron and laser-based angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we investigated a stoichiometric transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD), 2M-WS
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with a superconducting transition temperature of 8.8 K (the highest among all TMDs in the natural form up to date) and observed distinctive topological surface states (TSSs). Furthermore, in the superconducting state, we found that the TSSs acquired a nodeless superconducting gap with similar magnitude as that of the bulk states. These discoveries not only evidence 2M-WS
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as an intrinsic TSC without the need of sensitive composition tuning or sophisticated heterostructures fabrication, but also provide an ideal platform for device applications thanks to its van der Waals layered structure.
The asymmetric mechanical response and corresponding statistical grain-scale slip/twinning activity for extruded Mg-(0~5 wt%)Y sheets during room-temperature uniaxial tension and compression along ...the extruded direction were investigated using slip trace analysis and EBSD-based misorientation analysis. The tension-compression asymmetry, in terms of yield strength, ultimate strength and uniform elongation, reduced with the addition of 0.5% Y to Mg. Increasing the Y concentration to 5% resulted in a reversed yield asymmetry (compressive yield strength > tensile yield strength). The non-basal slip activity increased (up to 31%) and the twinning activity decreased with increasing Y content, for both tension and compression. The Y-induced texture change did not significantly affect the pyramidal <c + a> slip, while it promoted basal slip and suppressed prismatic slip. The observed trends of the slip activity suggested that the critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) ratios of CRSSpyramidal <c+a>/CRSSbasal and CRSSpyramidal <c+a>/CRSSprismatic decreased with Y addition. The correlation between macroscopic asymmetric behavior and slip/twinning activity implied that the pronounced pyramidal <c + a> slip, together with the negligible twinning, were responsible for the reversed yield asymmetry. A higher activity of pyramidal <c + a> slip was observed when the slip plane underwent tension compared with that for compression.
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•RT T-C asymmetry of extruded Mg-(0-5)Y sheets was comprehensively and quantitatively investigated.•Statistical grain-scale slip/twinning activity was quantified and correlated to the macroscopic deformation behavior.•Non-basal slip increased, and twinning decreased with increasing Y alloying content.•Enhanced pyramidal slip was observed when the slip plane underwent tension.•The reversed asymmetry was rationalized by the pronounced pyramidal slip and negligible twinning.
Summary
Background
Tong‐Xie‐Yao‐Fang (TXYF) is a Chinese herbal formula for treating chronic diarrhoea accompanied by abdominal pain. The results were inconsistent in previous trials examining its ...effect.
Aim
To study the efficacy of TXYF granules for treating diarrhoea‐predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS‐D).
Methods
We performed a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled randomised trial and enrolled 160 participants with IBS‐D. The participants had VAS scores ≥3 cm in IBS‐D global symptoms and ≥2 days in a week with abdominal pain and loose stools (Bristol score 5, 6 or 7). They were randomly assigned to received TXYF or placebo during a treatment period of 4 weeks, and they were followed up for 8 weeks after treatment. The primary outcome was adequate relief of IBS‐D global symptoms for at least 2 of 4 weeks during weeks 1‐4. Secondary outcomes included mean weekly VAS scores of IBS‐D major symptoms, mean weekly stool frequency, mean weekly Bristol score, and adverse events.
Results
155 of 160 patients completed the trial. We found a significantly higher rate of adequate relief of global symptoms in TXFY group during weeks 1 to 4 (57.5% vs 37.5%, χ2 = 5.6391, P = 0.017); logistic regression analysis showed a similar result (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.2‐4.4, P = 0.016). Most of the secondary outcomes showed superiority of TXYF over placebo in weekly assessment from week 3 to week 7. The adverse event rate was low in both groups (3.8% vs 3.8%, P = 1.000).
Conclusion
During a 4 week trial, TXFY granules were superior to placebo in controlling symptoms of IBS‐D.
Linked ContentThis article is linked to Vitta and Sayuk and Chen et al papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14902 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14906.
Linked Content
This article is linked to Chen et al and Vitta and Sayuk papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14817 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14902.
This study was aimed at investigating the role and molecular mechanism of Sam68 in cervical cancer lymph node metastasis.
Sam68 expression profile was detected by quantitative polymerase chain ...reaction, western blotting and immunohistochemical staining. Short hairpin RNA interfering approach was employed to suppress endogenous Sam68 expression in cervical cancer cells to determine its role in metastasis and the possible mechanism.
Sam68 expression in cervical cancer was significantly up-regulated at both messenger RNA and protein levels compared with that in normal cervical tissues. The high expression level of Sam68 and its cytoplasmic localization were significantly associated with risk factors including pelvic lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001), and served as independent prognostic factors for predicting shortening of the overall survival time and disease-free survival time in patients with early-stage cervical cancer. Moreover, down-regulation of Sam68 in cervical cancer cells remarkably inhibited cellular motility and invasion. In addition, down-regulation of Sam68 reversed epithelial–mesenchymal transition through inhibiting the Akt/ GSK-3β/Snail pathway.
This study demonstrated that Sam68 could induce cervical cancer lymph node metastasis through regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and Sam68 expression profile possessed the potential to serve as predictors of pelvic lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer patients.
Diabetes is a risk factor in infective endocarditis. However, few studies have focused on the prognostic value of prediabetes in infective endocarditis. This analysis aimed to explore the ...relationship between prediabetes and outcomes for people with infective endocarditis.
Diabetes and prediabetes definitions were based on the American Diabetes Association 2014 criteria. A total of 866 people who had been consecutively diagnosed with infective endocarditis between January 2009 and July 2015 were included in the analysis. They were divided into three groups: normoglycaemia (n = 469), prediabetes (n = 246) and diabetes (n = 151). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify risk factors for adverse outcomes.
Overall in-hospital mortality was 8.5% (74 of 866), and differed significantly among the normoglycaemia, prediabetes and diabetes groups (3.4%, 12.6% and 17.9%, respectively; P < 0.001). Compared with the normoglycaemia group, the adjusted odds ratio for in-hospital death was 2.42 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-5.31; P = 0.027) for prediabetes and 3.39 (95% CI 1.48-7.80; P = 0.004) for diabetes. The cumulative long-term death rate was significantly higher in the prediabetes or diabetes groups than in the normoglycaemia group (log-rank = 34.82; P < 0.001).
In addition to diabetes, prediabetes was also associated with a higher risk of in-hospital and long-term mortality among people with infective endocarditis. Therefore, attention should be paid to this population.
Nowadays the mechanism of homosexuality is little known. Few studies have been carried out to explore the brain functional changes of homosexual men during sexual arousal. We used functional MR ...imaging (fMRI) to determine whether the patterns of brain activation in homosexual and heterosexual men differed during visually evoked sexual arousal.
To all the subjects (10 homosexual and 10 heterosexual), real-time visual stimulation was provided by 3-minute exposure to 3 types of erotic film: heterosexual couples (F-M), male homosexual couples (M-M), and female homosexual couples (F-F) engaged in sexual activity, during which time fMRI was used to determine the patterns of brain activation. Self-reports of level of sexual arousal were collected immediately afterward.
Statistical parametric mapping showed that viewing erotic film excerpts that induced sexual arousal was associated, in both groups, with activation of the middle prefrontal gyrus, bilateral temporal lobe and postcentral gyrus, thalamus, insula, vermis, left precuneus, occipital cortex, parietal cortex, and cerebellum. In homosexual men, the left angular gyrus, left caudate nucleus, and right pallidum were activated; in contrast, heterosexual men showed no activation in these regions. However, heterosexual men showed activation in the bilateral lingual gyrus, right hippocampus, and right parahippocampal gyrus, areas not activated in homosexual men. In both groups, region-of-interest analysis revealed no correlation between the magnitude of amygdala or thalamus activation and the reported level of sexual arousal.
Our findings indicate that different neural circuits are active during sexual arousal in homosexual and heterosexual men and may contribute to a better understanding of the neural basis of male sexual orientation.
We have studied the giant elastocaloric effect of directionally solidified Ni–Mn–In magnetic shape memory alloys (MSMAs) near room temperature. The textured microstructure significantly enhances the ...ductility of Ni–Mn-based MSMAs, which allows obtaining the martensitic transition characteristics of polycrystalline samples in a uniaxial stress field. A significant cooling level of about 4K is measured when the stress is released. The experimentally measured temperature changes are found to be in good agreement with the theoretically calculated values.
Older age, renal dysfunction and low left ventricular ejection fraction are accepted predictors of poor outcome in patients with infective endocarditis (IE). This study aimed to investigate the ...prognostic significance of the age, creatinine and ejection fraction (ACEF) score in IE.
The study involved 1019 IE patients, who were classified into three groups according to the tertiles of ACEF score: low ACEF (<0.6, n = 379), medium ACEF (0.6-0.8, n = 259) and high ACEF (>0.8, n = 381). The ACEF score was calculated as follows: age (years)/ejection fraction (%)+1 (if serum creatinine value was >2 mg/dL). The relationship between ACEF score and adverse events was analyzed.
In-hospital mortality was 8.2%, which increased with the increase of ACEF score (4.2% vs. 5.0% vs. 14.4% for the low-, medium- and high-ACEF groups, respectively; P < 0.001). ACEF score had a good discriminative ability for predicting in-hospital death areas under the curve (AUC), 0.706, P < 0.001. The predictive value of ACEF score in surgical treatment was significantly higher than in conservative treatment for predicting in-hospital death (AUC, 0.812 vs. 0.625; P = 0.001). Multivariable analysis revealed that ACEF score was independently associated with in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 2.82; P < 0.001) and long-term mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.51; P < 0.001).
ACEF was an independent predictor for in-hospital and long-term mortality in IE patients, and it could be considered as a useful tool for risk stratification. ACEF score was more suitable for surgical patients in terms of assessing the risk of in-hospital mortality.
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