Evidence for three-dimensional Dirac semimetal state in strongly correlated organic quasi-two-dimensional material

The three-dimensional Dirac semimetal is distinct from its two-dimensional counterpart due to its dimensionality and symmetry. Here, we observe that molecule-based quasi-two-dimensional Dirac fermion system, $\alpha$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$I$_3$, exhibits chiral anomaly-induced negative magnetoresistance and planar Hall effect upon entering the coherent inter-layer tunneling regime under high pressure. Time-reversal symmetry is broken due to the strong electronic correlation effect, while the spin-orbit coupling effect is negligible. The system provides an ideal platform for investigating the chiral anomaly physics by controlling dimensionality and strong electronic correlation.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

Attempt to Generate Uniform Magnetic Field by Face-to-Face Magnet System Containing HTS Bulk Magnets

In order to develop small-scale nuclear magnetic resonance devices, the authors have been developing uniform magnetic fields in the space between the face-to-face settled magnetic poles which contain HTS bulk magnets. Since the NMR magnets in general require highly uniform field, it was expected to be difficult to form such homogeneous magnetic-field distribution with use of HTS bulk magnet, because the bulk magnets is characterized by its inhomogeneous magnetic field showing steep gradient. The authors modified the shape of the field distribution from convex to concave by attaching an iron plate on the pole surface. Then, the magnets were then settled face-to-face with various gaps, and the magnetic-field uniformity was estimated in the space. In order to detect the NMR signals, the field uniformity less than 1,500 ppm should be required after the former results on the hollow-type magnets. When we combined the concave and convex field distributions to compensate the uneven field distributions, the best uniformity reached 358 ppm in the 30 mm gaps, which exceeded the target value. In addition, we numerically simulated the feasible performance in this configuration, which resulted in obtaining the best uniformity of 30 ppm at 1.1 T at 7 mm distant from the pole surface in the gap of 30 mm. This result suggested that the concave and convex magnetic field distributions compensate the field uniformity with each other with keeping the magnetic field strength in the gap

Attempt to Generate a Strong and Uniform Magnetic Field by Face-to-face HTS Bulk Elements in a Magnet System

AbstractA unique experimental attempt aiming to obtain a uniform magnetic field space as required for NMR has been carried out with use of HTS bulk magnets. The magnetic poles were activated as 1.8 T (North) and 1.4 T (South) at 30K by applyinga pulsed magnetic field up to 7 T, and positioned face-to-face with gaps less than 70mm. The uniformity of the magnetic field required for detecting the NMR signals isless than 1,500ppm at more than 0.3 T in the cross sectional plane of 2 x 2 mm2. After thepreliminary trials whichrevealed auniformity of 5,421ppm at 0.44 T in a70mm gap, we attached a ferromagnetic iron plate to a magnetic pole surface to change the magnetic field distribution to be concave. The best uniformity of 358ppm at 1.11 T was obtained at 9mm distance from the iron plate surface in a gap of 30mm. It is stated that the concave magnetic field distribution was compensated by the counter conical-shape field, resulting in the uniform field plane

Electronic properties of alkali-metal loaded zeolites -- a "supercrystal" Mott insulator

First-principles band calculations are performed for the first time for an open-structured zeolite (LTA) with guest atoms (potassium) introduced in their cages. A surprisingly simple band structure emerges, which indicates that this system may be regarded as a "supercrystal", where each cluster of guest atoms with diameter $\sim$10\AA acts as a "superatom" with well-defined $s$- and $p$-like orbitals, which in turn form the bands around the Fermi energy. The calculated Coulomb and exchange energies for these states turn out to be in the strongly-correlated regime. With the dynamical mean-field theory we show the system should be on the Mott-insulator side, and, on a magnetic phase diagram for degenerate-orbital systems, around the ferromagnetic regime, in accord with experimental results. We envisage this class of systems can provide a new avenue for materials design.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Detection by western blotting of an antibody to the hepatitis C virus E1 envelope protein in sera of patients with chronic liver disease.

We detected an antibody to HCV envelope protein (E1) in sera of patients with HCV-related chronic liver diseases (20 patients with chronic hepatitis and 5 patients with liver cirrhosis) by Western blotting using the fusion protein of E1 envelope protein and beta-galactosidase as an antigen. The antibody to HCV E1 (anti-HCV E1) was detected in 8 (42%) of 19 patients positive for HCV-RNA (16 were positive and 3 were negative for antibody to C100-3) and in 1 (17%) of 6 patients negative for HCV-RNA but positive for antibody to C100-3. HCV-RNA was detected in 8 (89%) of 9 anti-HCV E1 positive sera. The value of alanine aminotransferase was significantly higher in patients positive for anti-HCV E1 than in patients negative for the antibody. Although an antibody to the envelope protein of HCV is suspected to be one of the candidates of virus-neutralizing antibodies, our results suggest this hypothesis appears to be unlikely.</p

Evaluation of Pulmonary Angioplastic Procedure with Bronchoplasty for Cancers

Postoperative pulmonary function is essential for ensuring the quality of life for aged lung cancer patients who underwent pulmonary resection. The operative procedures of bronchoplasty and pulmonary angioplasty are reliable for maintaining pulmonary function. The values of this procedures were evaluated on the basis of clinical experience. Pulmonary angioplasty which was concurently performed in 28 patients with bronchoplasty (29.2 %) and in eight with lobectomy was subjected to this study in relation to the survival and postoperative pulmonary function. The operative procedure of pulmonary angioplasty was of great use to preserve the pulmonary function as well as to predict the favorable survival in the selected patients with localized hilar carcinoma of squamous cell carcinoma and with no nodal involvement In addition, direct cancer infiltration to the wall of the pulmonary artery is better candidate rather than by way of metastatic nodes with respect to the survival. In conclusion, pulmonary angioplasty should be widely used in combination with lobectomy and brochoplasty to ensure high quality of life following pulmonary resection

Serum IgG4 as a biomarker reflecting pathophysiology and post-operative recurrence in chronic rhinosinusitis

Background: Type 2 chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), especially eosinophilic CRS (ECRS), is an intractable upper airway inflammatory disease. Establishment of serum biomarkers reflecting the pathophysiology of CRS is desirable in a clinical setting. As IgG4 production is regulated by type 2 cytokines, we sought to determine whether serum IgG4 levels can be used as a biomarker for CRS. Methods: Association between the serum IgG4 levels and clinicopathological factors was analyzed in 336 CRS patients. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was performed to determine the cut-off value of serum IgG4 levels that can be used to predict the post-operative recurrence. Results: Serum IgG4 levels were significantly higher in patients with moderate to severe ECRS versus those with non to mild ECRS. The levels were also significantly higher in asthmatic patients and patients exhibiting recurrence after surgery compared to controls. ROC analysis determined that the best cut-off value for the serum IgG4 level to predict the post-operative recurrence was 95 mg/dL. The corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 39.7% and 80.5%, respectively. When we combined the two cut-off values for the serum IgG4 and periostin, patients with high serum levels of either IgG4 or periostin exhibited a high post-operative recurrence (OR: 3.95) as compared to patients having low serum levels of both IgG4 and periostin. Conclusions: The present results demonstrate that the serum IgG4 level is associated with disease severity and post-operative course in CRS. In particular, the combination of serum IgG4 and periostin could be a novel biomarker that predicts post-operative recurrence