175 research outputs found
Type-II Topological Dirac Semimetals: Theory and Materials Prediction (VAl3 family)
The discoveries of Dirac and Weyl semimetal states in spin-orbit compounds
led to the realizations of elementary particle analogs in table-top
experiments. In this paper, we propose the concept of a three-dimensional
type-II Dirac fermion and identify a new topological semimetal state in the
large family of transition-metal icosagenides, MA3 (M=V, Nb, Ta; A=Al, Ga, In).
We show that the VAl3 family features a pair of strongly Lorentz-violating
type-II Dirac nodes and that each Dirac node consists of four type-II Weyl
nodes with chiral charge +/-1 via symmetry breaking. Furthermore, we predict
the Landau level spectrum arising from the type-II Dirac fermions in VAl3 that
is distinct from that of known Dirac semimetals. We also show a topological
phase transition from a type-II Dirac semimetal to a quadratic Weyl semimetal
or a topological crystalline insulator via crystalline distortions. The new
type-II Dirac fermions, their novel magneto-transport response, the topological
tunability and the large number of compounds make VAl3 an exciting platform to
explore the wide-ranging topological phenomena associated with
Lorentz-violating Dirac fermions in electrical and optical transport,
spectroscopic and device-based experiments.Comment: 28 pages, 7 Figure
New fermions on the line in topological symmorphic metals
Topological metals and semimetals (TMs) have recently drawn significant
interest. These materials give rise to condensed matter realizations of many
important concepts in high-energy physics, leading to wide-ranging protected
properties in transport and spectroscopic experiments. The most studied TMs,
i.e., Weyl and Dirac semimetals, feature quasiparticles that are direct
analogues of the textbook elementary particles. Moreover, the TMs known so far
can be characterized based on the dimensionality of the band crossing. While
Weyl and Dirac semimetals feature zero-dimensional points, the band crossing of
nodal-line semimetals forms a one-dimensional closed loop. In this paper, we
identify a TM which breaks the above paradigms. Firstly, the TM features
triply-degenerate band crossing in a symmorphic lattice, hence realizing
emergent fermionic quasiparticles not present in quantum field theory.
Secondly, the band crossing is neither 0D nor 1D. Instead, it consists of two
isolated triply-degenerate nodes interconnected by multi-segments of lines with
two-fold degeneracy. We present materials candidates. We further show that
triplydegenerate band crossings in symmorphic crystals give rise to a Landau
level spectrum distinct from the known TMs, suggesting novel magneto-transport
responses. Our results open the door for realizing new topological phenomena
and fermions including transport anomalies and spectroscopic responses in
metallic crystals with nontrivial topology beyond the Weyl/Dirac paradigm.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figures, and 1 tabl
Experimental and Theoretical Electronic Structure and Symmetry Effects in Ultrathin NbSe2 Films
Layered quasi-two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), which
can be readily made in ultrathin films, offer excellent opportunities for
studying how dimensionality affects electronic structure and physical
properties. Among all TMDCs, NbSe2 is of special interest; bulk NbSe2 hosts a
charge-density-wave phase at low temperatures and has the highest known
superconducting transition temperature, and these properties can be
substantially modified in the ultrathin film limit. Motivated by these effects,
we report herein a study of few-layer NbSe2 films, with a well-defined
single-domain orientation, epitaxially grown on Gallium Arsenide (GaAs).
Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) was used to determine the
electronic band structure and the Fermi surface as a function of layer
thickness; first-principles band structure calculations were performed for
comparison. The results show interesting changes as the film thickness
increases from a monolayer (ML) to several layers. The most notable changes
occur between a ML and a bilayer, where the inversion symmetry in bulk NbSe2 is
preserved in the bilayer but not in the ML. The results illustrate some basic
dimensional effects and provide a basis for further exploring and understanding
the properties of NbSe2.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figure
Growing attention on the toxicity of Chinese herbal medicine: a bibliometric analysis from 2013 to 2022
Introduction: Despite the clinical value of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), restricted comprehension of its toxicity limits the secure and efficacious application. Previous studies primarily focused on exploring specific toxicities within CHM, without providing an overview of CHM’s toxicity. The absence of a quantitative assessment of focal points renders the future research trajectory ambiguous. Therefore, this study aimed to reveal research trends and areas of concern for the past decade.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on publications related to CHM and toxicity over the past decade from Web of Science Core Collection database. The characteristics of the publication included publication year, journal, institution, funding, keywords, and citation counts were recorded. Co-occurrence analysis and trend topic analysis based on bibliometric analysis were conducted on keywords and citations.Results: A total of 3,225 publications were analyzed. Number of annal publications increased over the years, with the highest number observed in 2022 (n = 475). The Journal of Ethnopharmacology published the most publications (n = 425). The most frequently used toxicity classifications in keywords were hepatotoxicity (n = 119) or drug-induced liver injury (n = 48), and nephrotoxicity (n = 40). Co-occurrence analysis revealed relatively loose connections between CHM and toxicity, and their derivatives. Keywords emerging from trend topic analysis for the past 3 years (2019–2022) included ferroptosis, NLRP3 inflammasome, machine learning, network pharmacology, traditional uses, and pharmacology.Conclusion: Concerns about the toxicity of CHM have increased in the past decade. However, there remains insufficient studies that directly explore the intersection of CHM and toxicity. Hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity, as the most concerned toxicity classifications associated with CHM, warrant more in-depth investigations. Apoptosis was the most concerned toxicological mechanism. As a recent increase in attention, exploring the mechanisms of ferroptosis in nephrotoxicity and NLRP3 inflammasome in hepatotoxicity could provide valuable insights. Machine learning and network pharmacology are potential methods for future studies
Early changes in peripheral blood cytokine levels after the treatment of metastatic hepatic carcinoma with CalliSpheres microspheres drug-eluting beads transcatheter arterial chemoembolization
ObjectiveTo observe the early changes in peripheral blood cytokine levels after treatment of metastatic hepatic carcinoma (MHC) with CalliSpheres microspheres drug-eluting beads (DEB) transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (CSM-TACE).MethodsTwenty-eight patients with refractory MHC who underwent CSM-TACE were selected prospectively, and 5mL of peripheral blood was collected before CSM-TACE and on the 2nd and 5th day after CSM-TACE. Flow cytometry was used to detect immunological indicators. The early changes in levels of peripheral blood cell inflammatory factors Th1 (interleukin 2 (IL-2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-a), interferon (IFN-r)), Th2 (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10), and Th17 (IL-17A) were observed after CSM-TACE, as well as the ratio of CD4+/CD8+.ResultsAll the 28 patients underwent CSM-TACE successfully. CT at 4 days after CSM-TACE showed clear outline low-density changes in liver tumors, and honeycomb necrosis was observed in the tumors in some cases. After CSM-TACE, the IL-6 and IL-10 levels were increased and then decreased again. After CSM-TACE, IL-2 showed a trend of transient increase and then decreased again, and the TNF-a level decreased temporarily, and then decreased. After CSM-TACE, the IFN-r level showed a continuous and slowly increasing trend. The IL-17 level showed a continuous downward trend, and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio showed a gradual and continuous upward trend, and there was a negative correlation between them.ConclusionsThere are complex dynamic changes in TH1/Th2 in the early stage of CSM-TACE, and the acute inflammatory response and the enhancement of the body’s immune anti-tumor response coexist
Rice Seedling Growth Promotion by Biochar Varies With Genotypes and Application Dosages
While biochar use in agriculture is widely advocated, how the effect of biochar on plant growth varies with biochar forms and crop genotypes is poorly addressed. The role of dissolvable organic matter (DOM) in plant growth has been increasingly addressed for crop production with biochar. In this study, a hydroponic culture of rice seedling growth of two cultivars was treated with bulk mass (DOM-containing), water extract (DOM only), and extracted residue (DOM-free) of maize residue biochar, at a volumetric dosage of 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1%, respectively. On seedling root growth of the two cultivars, bulk biochar exerted a generally negative effect, while the biochar extract had a consistently positive effect across the application dosages. Differently, the extracted biochar showed a contrasting effect between genotypes. In another hydroponic culture with Wuyunjing 7 treated with biochar extract at sequential dosages, seedling growth was promoted by 95% at 0.01% dosage but by 26% at 0.1% dosage, explained with the great promotion of secondary roots rather than of primary roots. Such effects were likely explained by low molecular weight organic acids and nanoparticles contained in the biochar DOM. This study highlights the importance of biochar DOM and crop genotype when evaluating the effect of biochar on plants. The use of low dosage of biochar DOM could help farmers to adopt biochar technology as a solution for agricultural sustainability
A simulation study on the measurement of D0-D0bar mixing parameter y at BES-III
We established a method on measuring the \dzdzb mixing parameter for
BESIII experiment at the BEPCII collider. In this method, the doubly
tagged events, with one decays to
CP-eigenstates and the other decays semileptonically, are used to
reconstruct the signals. Since this analysis requires good separation,
a likelihood approach, which combines the , time of flight and the
electromagnetic shower detectors information, is used for particle
identification. We estimate the sensitivity of the measurement of to be
0.007 based on a fully simulated MC sample.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure
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