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Two-dimensional topological insulators hosting the quantum spin Hall effect have application potential in dissipationless electronics. To observe the quantum spin Hall effect at elevated temperatures, a wide band gap is indispensable to efficiently suppress bulk conduction. Yet, most candidate materials exhibit narrow or even negative band gaps. Here, via elegant control of van der Waals epitaxy, we have successfully grown monolayer ZrTe5 on a bilayer graphene/SiC substrate. The epitaxial ZrTe5 monolayer crystalizes in two allotrope isomers with different intralayer alignments of ZrTe3 prisms. Our scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy characterization unveils an intrinsic full band gap as large as 254 meV and one-dimensional edge states localized along the periphery of the ZrTe5 monolayer. First-principles calculations further confirm that the large band gap originates from strong spin−orbit coupling, and the edge states are topologically nontrivial. These findings thus provide a highly desirable material platform for the exploration of the high-temperature quantum spin Hall effect.Quantum spin Hall materials hold great potential for future nanoelectronics. Here, authors synthesize a potential host system — monolayer ZrTe5 — and demonstrate it possesses a band gap wide enough for potential room-temperature applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for topological superconductivity (TSC) is currently an exciting pursuit, since non-trivial topological superconducting phases could host exotic Majorana modes. However, the difficulty in fabricating proximity-induced TSC heterostructures, the sensitivity to disorder and stringent topological restrictions of intrinsic TSC place serious limitations and formidable challenges on the materials and related applications. Here, we report a new type of intrinsic TSC, namely intrinsic surface topological superconductivity (IS-TSC) and demonstrate it in layered AuSn4 with Tc of 2.4 K. Different in-plane and out-of-plane upper critical fields reflect a two-dimensional (2D) character of superconductivity. The two-fold symmetric angular dependences of both magneto-transport and the zero-bias conductance peak (ZBCP) in point-contact spectroscopy (PCS) in the superconducting regime indicate an unconventional pairing symmetry of AuSn4. The superconducting gap and surface multi-bands with Rashba splitting at the Fermi level (EF), in conjunction with first-principle calculations, strongly suggest that 2D unconventional SC in AuSn4 originates from the mixture of p-wave surface and s-wave bulk contributions, which leads to a two-fold symmetric superconductivity. Our results provide an exciting paradigm to realize TSC via Rashba effect on surface superconducting bands in layered materials. The authors study the layered superconductor AuSn4 (Tc = 2.4 K) and reveal a two-fold symmetric angular dependence, consistent with unconventional pairing. They argue that the two-fold symmetry results from the Rashba-driven mixture of p-wave surface and s-wave bulk contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scandium (Sc) is a dispersed metal in Earth's lithosphere, with an average abundance of 16 to 22 ppm. In the meantime, it is widely considered as a critical metal because of its paramount significance in scientific research and technical innovation. With surging demands that are not backed-up by current supplies globally, the market price of Sc oxide is astonishingly five times more than the most expensive rare earth oxide of terbium (Tb). Production of Sc is significantly held back due to scarcity of economically viable grades at explorable depths within the crust, compared with other critical metals such as REE, Nb and Ta. Nevertheless, typical high- to intermediate-grade Sc deposits, as compiled in this review, consistently show close relationships to specific magmatic (e.g. ultramafic-mafic and carbonatitic), supergene and hydrothermal processes during Sc enrichment, especially the former two. Known potential Sc deposits are tentatively classified based on their host rocks and metallogeny, including those hosted in the ultramafic-mafic rocks and related laterites, in carbonatite and related laterites, in bauxite residue and processed coals, hydrothermal Sc deposits and Sc deposits related to syenite intrusions, pegmatites or marine sediments. We also discuss the Sc enrichment mechanism and associated tectonics and partition coefficients of Sc among diverse minerals and melts, which reveal the preference of Sc for clinopyroxene, garnet and iron oxides by isomorphic replacement or ion absorption during diverse magmatic and supergene Sc enrichment processes. Lastly, Sc resources in the world-class Bayan Obo deposit are discussed in detail as an illustrative benchmark example, where hydrothermal aegirine may host majority of carbonatite-derived Sc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MiRNAs can affect the radiosensitization of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We aimed to analyze the function of miR-125 family members in HNSCC using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and determine their effect on radiation in laryngeal squamous cell cancer (LSCC). Methods: First, we systematically analyzed the role of the miR-125 family in HNSCC using the TCGA database and found that miR-125a-5p is associated with radiotherapy. We then performed comprehensive enrichment analysis of miR-125a-5p and predicted target genes. Then, we performed transfection, cell proliferation assays, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, apoptosis assays, micronucleus tests, and western blotting on hep-2 cells selected with puromycin. Results: MiR-125 family members exhibited significantly different expression in HNSCC. They were significantly associated with tumor–node–metastasis staging, clinical stages, and histological grades. Radiation therapy had a statistically effect on miR-125 family members, except miR-125a-3p. Moreover, miR-125a-5p was related to overall survival in LSCC. Thus, we predicted 110 target genes and seven hub genes of miR-125a-5p. The proliferation rate of cells transfected with lentivirus vector expressing miR-125a-5p was significantly reduced compared to the other groups. The radiation effect was enhanced in cells transfected with miR-125a-5p. The ratio of apoptotic cells transfected and exposed to X-rays (10 Gy) was distinctly higher than that of the Ad-control group. Western blotting analysis revealed that miR-125a-5p upregulated the apoptotic regulators P53 and rH2AX. Thus, miR-125a-5p may increase radiosensitivity in LSCC via upregulation of pro-apoptotic genes. Conclusions: MiR-125 family members could be prognostic biomarkers of HNSCC and improve HNSCC sensitivity to radiotherapy by activating P53. Upregulating miR-125a-5p via lentivirus vectors may be a novel strategy to strengthen the effect of radiotherapy on LSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excitons in solid state are bosons generated by electron-hole pairs as the Coulomb screening is sufficiently reduced. The exciton condensation can result in exotic physics such as super-fluidity and insulating state. In charge density wave (CDW) state, 1T-TiSe2 is one of the candidates that may host the exciton condensation. However, to envision its excitonic effect is still challenging, particularly at the two-dimensional limit, which is applicable to future devices. Here, we realize the epitaxial 1T-TiSe2 bilayer, the two-dimensional limit for its 2 × 2 × 2 CDW order, to explore the exciton-associated effect. By means of high-resolution scanning tunneling spectroscopy and quasiparticle interference, we discover an unexpected state residing below the conduction band and right within the CDW gap region. As corroborated by our theoretical analysis, this mysterious phenomenon is in good agreement with the electron-exciton coupling. Our study provides a material platform to explore exciton-based electronics and opto-electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carboxylic acids are an abundant and structurally diverse class of commercially available materials, which are commonly used as stable reagents in organic synthesis. The Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction directly using carboxylic acid as a substrate has been rarely reported. Here, we report an efficient coupling reaction of carboxylic acids with arylboronic acids in toluene in the presence of IPrCl-Cl, Pd(OAc)2 , PPh3 , and K3 PO4 ·7H2 O at 90 °C to give the corresponding aryl ketones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most challenging neoplasm to treat in clinical practice. Ankyrin repeat domain 49 protein (ANKRD49) is highly expressed in several carcinomas; however, its pattern of expression and role in LUAD are not known. Tissue microarrays, immunohistochemistry, χ2 test, Spearman correlation analysis, Kaplan–Meier, log‐rank test, and Cox's proportional hazard model were used to analyse the clinical cases. The effect of ANKRD49 on the LUAD was investigated using CCK‐8, clonal formation, would healing, transwell assays, and nude mice experiment. Expressions of ANKRD49 and its associated downstream protein molecules were verified by real‐time PCR, Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and/or immunofluorescence analyses. ANKRD49 expression was highly elevated in LUAD. The survival rate and Cox's modelling analysis indicated that there may be an independent prognostic indicator for LUAD patients. We also found that ANKRD49 promoted the invasion and migration in both in in vitro and in vivo assays, through upregulating matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐2 and MMP‐9 activities via the P38/ATF‐2 signalling pathway Our findings suggest that ANKRD49 is a latent biomarker for evaluating LUAD prognosis and promotes the metastasis of A549 cells via upregulation of MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 in a P38/ATF‐2 pathway‐dependent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Described herein is the enantioselective synthesis of Hantzsch‐type 1,4‐dihydropyridines (DHPs), which are frequently contained in pharmaceuticals. Readily available symmetrical 1,4‐DHPs were used as substrates, and the methyl group at the 2‐ or 6‐position of the 1,4‐DHP was selectively monobrominated by desymmetrizing enantioselective bromination. The inert C−H bond was converted into a versatile C−Br bond, which guaranteed the modification of the chiral 1,4‐DHP derivatives with high efficiency. Furthermore, axially chiral 4‐aryl pyridines were accessible by central‐to‐axial chirality conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a retraction note from the journal Molecular Biology Reports. The article in question, titled "MiR-125 family improves the radiosensitivity of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma," has been retracted by the Editor-in-Chief due to concerns about the data presented. The paper used the Hep-2 cell line as a model for laryngeal cancer cells, but it was later discovered that the cell line was contaminated with the HeLa cell line, which contains cervical adenocarcinoma cells. The Editor-in-Chief no longer has confidence in the reliability of the conclusions. The authors did not respond to correspondence from the publisher regarding the retraction. [Extracted from the article]

Alternating current (AC) corrosion behavior of carbon steel–copper couple in acidic red soil was studied by means of the electrochemical test, mass loss, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) characterization. Mathematical models were established to expound the impacts of AC and galvanic effect on the corrosion mechanism. The results demonstrate that the corrosion rate of the galvanic couple is positively related to AC intensity. Galvanic effect and AC synergistically aggravate the corrosion of steel. The composition of α-FeOOH declines while γ-FeOOH is increased with AC interference. Based on the statistical model, the galvanic effect has a more significant influence on steel corrosion compared with AC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep models, e.g., CNNs and Vision Transformers, have achieved impressive achievements in many vision tasks in the closed world. However, novel classes emerge from time to time in our ever-changing world, requiring a learning system to acquire new knowledge continually. Class-Incremental Learning (CIL) enables the learner to incorporate the knowledge of new classes incrementally and build a universal classifier among all seen classes. Correspondingly, when directly training the model with new class instances, a fatal problem occurs - the model tends to catastrophically forget the characteristics of former ones, and its performance drastically degrades. There have been numerous efforts to tackle catastrophic forgetting in the machine learning community. In this paper, we survey comprehensively recent advances in class-incremental learning and summarize these methods from several aspects. We also provide a rigorous and unified evaluation of 17 methods in benchmark image classification tasks to find out the characteristics of different algorithms empirically. Furthermore, we notice that the current comparison protocol ignores the influence of memory budget in model storage, which may result in unfair comparison and biased results. Hence, we advocate fair comparison by aligning the memory budget in evaluation, as well as several memory-agnostic performance measures. The source code is available at https://github.com/zhoudw-zdw/CIL_Survey/.

Two-dimensional topological insulators hosting the quantum spin Hall effect have application potential in dissipationless electronics. To observe the quantum spin Hall effect at elevated temperatures, a wide band gap is indispensable to efficiently suppress bulk conduction. Yet, most candidate materials exhibit narrow or even negative band gaps. Here, via elegant control of van der Waals epitaxy, we have successfully grown monolayer ZrTe 5 on a bilayer graphene/SiC substrate. The epitaxial ZrTe 5 monolayer crystalizes in two allotrope isomers with different intralayer alignments of ZrTe 3 prisms. Our scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy characterization unveils an intrinsic full band gap as large as 254 meV and one-dimensional edge states localized along the periphery of the ZrTe 5 monolayer. First-principles calculations further confirm that the large band gap originates from strong spin-orbit coupling, and the edge states are topologically nontrivial. These findings thus provide a highly desirable material platform for the exploration of the high-temperature quantum spin Hall effect., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Urethral sphincter insufficiency following radical prostatectomy (RP) is a common cause of non-neurogenic stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) insertion remains the standard of care for fit patients with SUI refractory to non-operative interventions. The proximal urethra is a common location for uncomplicated AUS placement. However, previous failed AUS, urethroplasty, or pelvic radiotherapy (RT) may compromise urethral tissue requiring technique modifications that optimise outcomes. In these situations, transcorporal cuff (TC) placement has been well described to facilitate continence restoration in men where there is no other feasible option other than urinary diversion or permanent incontinence. In the traditional TC approach, the procedure may be complicated by haematoma due to difficulty in completely closing the corporal defects behind the urethra. This narrated video demonstrates the tunical flap (TF) modification for transcorporal AUS implantation via a perineal and penoscrotal approach in patients with prior failed AUS placements secondary to urethral erosion. The TF technique for transcorporal AUS insertion provides circumferential reinforcement with tunica albuginea from the corpora cavernosa. Here, we show how this technique provides additional urethral support for compromised urethral tissue to help prevent cuff erosion. The TF preserves the corporal volume and does not limit candidacy for future penile prosthesis implantation. In our early results, there have been no postoperative haematoma formation with this technique., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://tau.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/tau-23-641/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Translational Andrology and Urology. All rights reserved.)

Strong electron correlation under two-dimensional limit is intensely studied in the transition metal dichalcogenides monolayers, mostly within their charge density wave (CDW) states that host a star of David period. Here, by using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations with on-site Hubbard corrections, we study the VTe_{2} monolayer with a different 2sqrt[3]×2sqrt[3] CDW period. We find that the dimerization of neighboring Te-Te and V-V atoms occurs during the CDW transition, and that the strong correlation effect opens a Mott-like full gap at Fermi energy (E_{F}). We further demonstrate that such a Mott phenomenon is ascribed to the combination of the CDW transition and on-site Coulomb interactions. Our work provides a new platform for exploring Mott physics in 2D materials.

Background: Currently, change in pelvic incidence (PI) in patients after spinal surgery have not been associated with clear clinical symptoms. This study sought to compare changes in the sagittal parameters of different patients before and after thoracolumbar spine surgery, the relationship between PI change and sacroiliac joint pain (SIJP) after surgery was clarified, and the correlation between PI change and sacroiliac joint (SIJ) activity was verified., Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the data of patients who underwent thoracolumbar fusion at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital from January 2019 to June 2021. The spinal and pelvic parameters [including pelvic tilt (PT), sacral slope (SS), PI, lumbar lordosis (LL) angle, etc.] of 409 patients with standard standing lateral radiographs before and after surgery were compared and analyzed. Postoperative follow-up of all patients with standardized SIJP assessment. The incidence of postoperative SIJP, and its correlation with sagittal parameters of the spine and pelvis, surgical methods, and the basic characteristics of patients were analyzed. The Chi-square test was used for categorical variables, the independent-sample t -test was used for generally conformed normally distributed continuous variables. Risk factors associated with the development of SIJP were analyzed using logistics regression. Correlations among SS, PI, and the 4 other sagittal parameters were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient (r)., Results: Postoperative PI changes tended to be larger in the lowest instrumented vertebra (LIV) (L4 and above: 1.63°; L5: 2.43°; S1: 3.83°; P<0.05) and longer fixed segment. The risk factors for SIJP included a PI >4° [odds ratio (OR) =13.051; P<0.001], LIV S1 (OR =3.378; P=0.023), and fixed total segment ≥3 (OR =2.632; P=0.038). ∆PI was significantly correlated with ∆SS in patients with non-S1 distal fixation vertebrae (R 2 =0.388; P<0.01), but no such correlation was found in patients with S1 distal fixation vertebrate., Conclusions: Changes in PI values after thoracolumbar spine surgery can correctly reflect the motion state of the SIJ. Excessive changes in PI (>4°) are similar to the mechanism of distal junctional kyphosis (DJK), while such changes make patients prone to SIJP following lumbar spine surgery., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://atm.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/atm-22-2413/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2022 Annals of Translational Medicine. All rights reserved.)

Described herein is the enantioselective synthesis of Hantzsch-type 1,4-dihydropyridines (DHPs), which are frequently contained in pharmaceuticals. Readily available symmetrical 1,4-DHPs were used as substrates, and the methyl group at the 2- or 6-position of the 1,4-DHP was selectively monobrominated by desymmetrizing enantioselective bromination. The inert C-H bond was converted into a versatile C-Br bond, which guaranteed the modification of the chiral 1,4-DHP derivatives with high efficiency. Furthermore, axially chiral 4-aryl pyridines were accessible by central-to-axial chirality conversion., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Aim: To investigate the ocular development of patients who had unilateral congenital cataract (CC) combined with persistent fetal vasculature (PFV)., Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study included patients who had unilateral CC and PFV and those with isolated unilateral CC. Axial length (AL), keratometry, anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness, and vitreous length were obtained. The ocular biometric parameters of the affected eyes of patients with CC and PFV were compared with the fellow eyes and with the affected eyes of patients with isolated CC., Results: A total of 110 patients were included and divided into 4 groups: group 1 (18 patients with CC and PFV, <24mo), group 2 (22 patients with CC and PFV, ≥24mo), group 3 (35 patients with CC, <24mo), and group 4 (35 patients with CC, ≥24mo). The ALs of the affected eyes were shorter than those of the fellow eyes in group 1 (20.02±1.06 vs 20.66±0.63 mm, P =0.025). While the ALs of the affected eyes were longer than those of the fellow eyes in group 2 (23.18±2.00 vs 22.31±1.06 mm, P =0.044) and group 4 (22.64±1.80 vs 22.02±1.01 mm, P =0.033). The keratometries of the affected eyes were steeper than those of the fellow eyes in group 2 (44.78±1.66 vs 43.83±1.38 D, P =0.041) and group 4 (43.76±1.91 vs 43.34±1.46 D, P =0.043). No difference of ACDs between two eyes was found in all groups (all P >0.05)., Conclusion: Compared with the fellow eyes, the ALs of the eyes with unilateral CC and PFV are shorter in patients younger than 24mo and longer in those older than 24mo; the keratometries of the eyes with unilateral CC and PFV are steeper in patients older than 24mo and similar with those younger than 24mo. These findings provide further understanding of ocular development in patients with both CC and PFV., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Aim: To assess the effectiveness of core vitrectomy-phacoemulsification-intraocular lens (IOL) implantation-capsulo-hyaloidotomy in treating phakic eye at least 1mo after the onset of malignant glaucoma., Methods: A retrospective analysis were performed on malignant glaucoma patients treated in Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center between 2016 and 2018. Demographic and clinical data were described. The preoperative and postoperative visual acuity (VA), intraocular pressure (IOP), number of IOP-lowering medications used, and anterior chamber depth (ACD) of the case series were compared by Wilcoxon signed-rank test., Results: Thirteen phakic eyes with long time intervals between onset and surgery were identified in this case series. Core vitrectomy-phacoemulsification-IOL implantation-capsulo-hyaloidotomy reduced the IOP ( P =0.046) and the number of IOP-lowering medications used ( P =0.004), deepened the ACD ( P =0.005). Complete success was achieved in 38.5% of the eyes, and anatomical success was achieved in 100% of the eyes without any recurrence. The only postoperative complication observed is corneal endothelial decompensation. It occurred in two cases., Conclusion: Core vitrectomy-phacoemulsification-IOL implantation-capsulo-hyaloidotomy is safe and effective for treatment of long onset phakic malignant glaucoma., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Background: The latest sepsis definition includes both infection and organ failure, as evidenced by the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score. However, the applicability of the pediatric SOFA score (pSOFA) is not yet determined. This study evaluated the effectiveness of both pSOFA and system inflammatory reaction syndrome (SIRS) scores in predicting sepsis-related pediatric deaths., Methods: This is a retrospective multi-center cohort study including hospitalized patients <18 years old with diagnosed or not-yet-diagnosed infections. Multivariate analyses were carried out to evaluate risk factors for in-hospital mortality. According to Youden index (YI), three sub-categories of pSOFA were screened out and a new simplified pSOFA score (spSOFA) was formed. The effectiveness and accuracy of prediction of pSOFA, SIRS and spSOFA was retrieved from the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and Delong's test., Results: A total of 1,092 participants were eligible for this study, and carried a 23.4% in-hospital mortality rate. The 24-h elevated pSOFA score (24 h-pSOFA), bloodstream infection, and mechanical ventilation (MV) requirement were major risk factors associated with sepsis-related deaths. The AUROC analysis confirmed that the spSOFA provided good predictive capability in sepsis-related pediatric deaths, relative to the 24 h-pSOFA and SIRS., Conclusions: The pSOFA score performed better than SIRS in diagnosing infected children with high mortality risk. However, it is both costly and cumbersome. We, therefore, proposed spSOFA to accurately predict patient outcome, without the disadvantages. Nevertheless, additional investigations, involving a large sample population, are warranted to confirm the conclusion of this study., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article., (Copyright: © World Journal of Emergency Medicine.)