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The short-term associations of ambient temperature exposure with lung function in middle-aged and elderly Chinese remain obscure. The study included 19,128 participants from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort's first (2013) and second (2018) follow-ups. The lung function for each subject was determined between April and December 2013 and re-assessed in 2018, with three parameters (forced vital capacity [FVC], forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1], and peak expiratory flow [PEF]) selected. The China Meteorological Data Sharing Service Center provided temperature data during the study period. In the two follow-ups, a total of 25,511 records (average age: first, 64.57; second, 65.80) were evaluated, including 10,604 males (41.57%). The inversely J-shaped associations between moving average temperatures (lag01–lag07) and FVC, FEV1, and PEF were observed, and the optimum temperatures at lag04 were 16.5 °C, 18.7 °C, and 16.2 °C, respectively. At lag04, every 1 °C increase in temperature was associated with 14.07 mL, 9.78 mL, and 62.72 mL/s increase in FVC, FEV1, and PEF in the low-temperature zone (

Abstract Background Coronavirus papain-like proteases (PLpros) play a crucial role in virus replication and the evasion of the host immune response. Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) encodes a proteolytically defective remnant of PL1pro and an active PL2pro. However, the function of PL1pro in IBV remains largely unknown. This study aims to explore the effect of PL1pro on virus replication and underlying mechanisms. Results The recombinant viruses rIBV-ΔPL1pro and rIBV-ΔPL1pro-N were obtained using reverse genetic techniques through the deletion of the IBV PL1pro domain and the N-terminal conserved sequence of PL1pro (PL1pro-N). We observed significantly lower replication of rIBV-ΔPL1pro and rIBV-ΔPL1pro-N than wild-type IBV. Further investigation revealed that the lack of PL1pro-N in IBV decreased virus resistance to interferon (IFN) while also inducing host immune response by enhancing the production of IFN-β and activating the downstream STAT1 signaling pathway of IFNs. In addition, the overexpression of PL1pro-N significantly suppressed type I IFN response by down-regulating the expressions of genes in the IFN pathway. Conclusions Our data demonstrated that IBV PL1pro plays a crucial role in IBV replication and the suppression of host innate immune responses, suggesting that IBV PL1pro could serve as a promising molecular target for antiviral therapy.

Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology has rapidly emerged in the display and lighting sectors due to its high contrast ratio, wide viewing angle, and sleek design. Beyond these attributes, OLEDs have also demonstrated crucial applications in medicine, fashion, sports, and more, leveraging their emissive properties and flexible design. As the cornerstone of full-color displays, blue OLEDs, whose performance directly impacts color rendition and saturation, have garnered significant attention from both scientific researchers and industrial practitioners. Despite the numerous advantages of OLED technology, blue OLEDs still confront formidable challenges in terms of luminous efficiency, durability, and material stability. This review examines the evolution of blue OLED materials over recent years, specifically focusing on three generations: fluorescent, phosphorescent, and thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). Through molecular design, device structure optimization, and the application of innovative technologies, remarkable advancements have been achieved in enhancing the luminous efficiency, lifetime, and color purity of blue OLEDs. However, to advance commercialization, future efforts must not only ensure high efficiency and long lifetime but also improve material stability, environmental sustainability, and reduce development costs. Emerging materials such as thermally activated exciton materials and the application of hyperfluorescent (HF) OLED technology represent vital driving forces for the continuous advancement of blue OLED technology. It is anticipated that significant milestones will continue to be achieved in the development of highly efficient blue OLEDs in the future.

Organic upconversion devices (OUDs) are a class of technology that convert low-energy infrared (IR) photons into high-energy visible photons, offering extensive application prospects in fields such as bioimaging, photovoltaics, and display technologies. In recent years, organic materials-based upconversion technology has attracted considerable attention and research interest due to its unique advantages in molecular design, material diversity, and flexible device fabrication. An up-conversion imager consists of the organic photosensitive layer as the sensitizer which is used for absorbing infrared light and the active layers of the organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) as emitters which are used for displaying visible light. Under the effect of their common, the incident IR light is converted to visible light. Here, we review the recent progress in the field of organic upconversion materials, explain their performance and characterization, and discuss the challenges and prospects.

Purpose: Intravitreal injection of conbercept (IVC) is a novel anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). This study aimed to assess the intraocular pressure (IOP) effect of IVC.Methods: All IVC surgeries were performed in the Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, from January 2021 to May 2021. In this study, 30 eyes of 15 infants who received intravitreal injections of conbercept at a dose of 0.25 mg/0.025 mL were included. The IOP of all participants was measured prior to administering the injection and subsequently at 2 min, 1 h, 1 day, and 1 week thereafter.Results: We included 30 eyes (10 boys and 5 girls) with ROP. For the male group, the mean birth weight, mean gestational age at birth, and the mean time of postmenstrual age (PMA) at IVC treatment were 1,174.0 ± 446.0 g, 28.4 ± 3.0 weeks, and 37.1 ± 1.6 weeks, respectively; for the female group, they were 1,108 ± 285.5 g, 28.2 ± 2.5 weeks, and 36.8 ± 2.1 weeks, respectively. For the male group, the IOP at baseline, 2 min, 1 h, 1 day, and 1 week after IVC were 12.4 ± 1.5 mmHg, 49.0 ± 3.1 mmHg, 26.3 ± 2.5 mmHg, 13.4 ± 2.2 mmHg, and 11.6 ± 1.7 mmHg, respectively; for the female group, they were 10.7 ± 2.0 mmHg, 47.3 ± 3.2 mmHg, 26.4 ± 3.2 mmHg, 10.7 ± 1.8 mmHg, and 10.2 ± 1.8 mmHg, respectively. In both groups, the IOP immediately (2 min) after the operation was significantly higher than that at any other time point (p < 0.01). IOP values returned to the preoperative baseline level on the first day after surgery, with no significant difference compared with that before injection (p > 0.05). IOP continued to be maintained at the preoperative baseline level on the first week after surgery, with no significant difference compared with that before surgery (p > 0.05).Conclusion: Infants with ROP who received IVC experienced a sharp increase in the IOP immediately after injection, which decreased to below 30 mmHg after 1 h and maintain that level for 1 week or longer.

Infrared-to-visible upconverters have widespread application prospects, including bioimaging, night vision, and defense security. A typical upconverter is generally constructed by integrating an infrared photodetector (PD) detecting low-energy infrared with a visible light-emitting diode (LED) emitting high-energy visible light. However, when photocarriers transport through the interface between PD and LED, lateral current spreading is inevitably present, which leads to optical cross-talking and hinders the realization of high-resolution and large-area infrared imaging. Here, near-infrared (NIR) upconverters are fabricated via the integration of silicon (Si) NIR detectors with organic LED (OLED) by complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor compatible manufacturing processes. The pixelated indium tin oxide electrodes introduced as the interfacial carrier transfer channel effectively suppress the lateral current spreading and ensure that the photogenerated carrier of PD could transport into the OLED with a well-defined spatial resolution. The Si-OLED upconverters possess a wafer-level luminous area and large-scale fabrication capacity and realize high-resolution infrared imaging with a resolution as high as 3629 dpi. By changing the organic luminescent layer of OLED, the Si-OLED upconverters could emit red/green/blue visible light under NIR illumination with a low turn-on voltage of 3 V and an excellent upconversion efficiency of 9.2%. Furthermore, the large-area Si-OLED upconverters exhibit flexibility with an infrared upconversion ability even under bending.

Metalloenzymes make extensive use of manganese centers for oxidative catalysis, including water oxidation; the need to develop improved synthetic catalysts for these processes has long motivated the development of bioinspired manganese complexes. Herein, we report a series of bpy-(imidazole)n (n = 1 or 2) (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridyl) ligands and their Mn2+ complexes. Four Mn2+ complexes are structurally characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, revealing different tridentate and tetradentate ligand coordination modes. Cyclic voltammetry of the complexes is consistent with ligand-centered reductions and metal-centered oxidations, and UV-vis spectroscopy complemented by TD-DFT calculations shows primarily ligand-centered transitions with minor contributions from charge-transfer type transitions at higher energies. In solution, ESI-MS studies provide evidence for ligand reorganization, suggesting complex speciation behavior. The oxidation of the complexes in the presence of water is probed using cyclic voltammetry, but the low stability of the complexes in aqueous solution leads to decomposition and precludes their ultimate application as aqueous electrocatalysts. Possible reasons for the low stability and suggestions for improvement are discussed.

Abstract Background Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is related to decreased lung function. However, whether oxidative damage is involved in this relationship remains unclear. This study was aimed to explore the potential mediating role of oxidative DNA or lipid damage in the association between PAH exposure and lung function. Methods The urinary levels of monohydroxy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites (OH-PAHs) and lung function parameters were measured among 3367 participants from the baseline of the Wuhan-Zhuhai cohort. Urinary 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and 8-isoprostane (8-iso-PGF2α) were determined to evaluate the individuals’ oxidative DNA and lipid damage degrees, respectively. Linear mixed models were used to investigate the associations of urinary OH-PAHs, 8-OHdG and 8-iso-PGF2α with lung function parameters. Mediation analysis was further conducted to assess the potential role of oxidative damage in the association between urinary OH-PAHs and lung function. Results Each one-percentage increase in the sum of urinary OH-PAHs, high-molecular-weight or low-molecular-weight OH-PAHs (ƩOH-PAHs, ƩHMW OH-PAH or ƩLMW OH-PAHs, respectively) was associated with a 0.2152-, 0.2076- or 0.1985- ml decrease in FEV1, and a 0.1891-, 0.2195- or 0.1634- ml decrease in FVC, respectively. Additionally, significantly positive dose-response relationships of ƩOH-PAHs, ƩHMW OH-PAH and ƩLMW OH-PAHs with urinary 8-OHdG or 8-iso-PGF2α, as well as an inverse dose-response relationship between urinary 8-OHdG and FVC, were observed (all P for trend

OBJECTIVES: Shift work is associated with metabolic disorders as it disturbs circadian rhythms. However, the potential association of shift work with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), a metabolic-related disease, has not been confirmed. The objective of this study was to quantify the association of shift work with the risk of KOA. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study comprising 13 741 retired workers from the Dongfeng Motor Corporation. KOA was defined by knee pain and clinical X-ray radiographs. Occupational history, including job description and shift work, was collected from face-to-face interviews using questionnaires. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate exposure–response relationships. RESULTS: During the 590 085 person-years of follow-up, a total of 847 cases of KOA (incidence of KOA was 143.5 per 100 000 person-years) were identified. After adjusting for potential confounders, shift work was independently associated with an elevated risk of KOA [hazard ratio (HR) 1.19, 95% confidence interval 1.03–1.36]. Compared with daytime workers, the risk of KOA increased with prolonged periods of shift work; the HR of KOA for participants with 1–9 years, 10–19 years, and ≥20 years shift work were 1.03 (95% CI 0.84–1.26), 1.19 (95% CI 0.98–1.46), and 1.42 (95% CI 1.15–1.76), respectively. The HR for KOA associated with shift work gradually decreased as the period after finishing shift work increased. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that shift work could be an independent risk factor for KOA.

We report the synthesis and characterization of a new ternary molybdenum pnictide superconductor, Cs2Mo3As3. The powder x-ray diffraction analysis reveals the quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) hexagonal crystal structure formed by Cs+ and infinite (Mo3As3)2− chains as indicated by the wire-like grain morphology. Electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility characterizations exhibit superconductivity with the onset transition temperature at 11.5 K, which is the highest in all Q1D superconductors reported so far. An upper critical magnetic field of about 61.7 T at zero temperature was extrapolated from the resistivity measurement under a magnetic field, which is much higher than the Pauli paramagnetic limit, and the reason for such a high upper critical field may lie in its unconventional nature of superconducting pairing symmetry. The discovery of Cs2Mo3As3 inspires the search for new superconductors for future high field applications.

To investigate the mechanism of sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate inhibiting hypoxia induced retinal neovascularization in rats. Forty 7 d old clean grade C57BL/6J male neonatal rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, low-dose group and high-dose group. The control group was kept in normal air for 10 d. Oxygen-induced retinopathy was studied in the model group, low-dose group, and high-dose group 30 mg/kg sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate. The body weight of mice in all groups was measured on the 12th and 17th d after birth, and the area without perfusion around the optic disc was observed and calculated. The number of neovascular endothelial cells was calculated using hematoxylin and eosin staining. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor-2 and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 were detected by Western blot. The no perfusion area around the optic disc in the model group was raised than that in the control group, and the no perfusion area around the optic disc in the low-dose group, and high-dose group was reduced than that in the model group (p<0.01). In the model group, the inner limiting membrane of retina was proliferated and disordered, and the surface was not smooth; in low-dose group, smooth limiting membrane of the retina, and a small number of endothelial cells could be seen breaking through the limiting membrane; in the high-dose group, the limiting membrane of retina was relatively complete and smooth, and the tissue structure of each layer could be seen. The number of neovascular endothelial cells in the model group was raised than that in the control group, and the number of neovascular endothelial cells in the lowdose group, and high-dose group was reduced than that in the model group, as the dose increased, it decreased (p<0.01). Vascular endothelial growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor-2 and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 in low-dose group, and high-dose group were raised than those in control group, and those proteins expression level of in model group was reduced than control group, as the dose increased, it decreased (p<0.05). Sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate can inhibit hypoxia induced retinal neovascularization in a dose-dependent manner, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor pathway related proteins by sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which proposed a controllable in situ electric field-activated doping method to construct lateral p-n junctions in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) mercury telluride (HgTe) colloidal quantum dot (CQD)-based photodetectors with a simple planar configuration. Topics discussed include planar p-n junction focal play array (FPA) imagers, SWIR imaging using FPA imagers, and device fabrication and characterization.

Background: Exposure to zinc was suggested to be associated with pulmonary damage, but whether zinc exposure affects lung function remains unclear.Objectives: To quantify the association between urinary zinc and lung function and explore the potential mechanisms.Methods: Urinary zinc and lung function were measured in 3917 adults from the Wuhan-Zhuhai cohort and were repeated after 3 years of follow-up. Indicators of systemic inflammation (C reactive protein), lung epithelium integrity (club cell secretory protein-16) and oxidative damage (8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine and 8-isoprostane) were measured at baseline. Linear mixed models were used to estimate the exposure-response relationship between urinary zinc and lung function. Mediation analyses were conducted to assess mediating roles of inflammation and oxidative damage in above relationships.Results: Each 1-unit increase in log-transformed urinary zinc values was associated with a 35.72 mL decrease in forced vital capacity (FVC) and a 24.89 mL decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) in the baseline analyses. In the follow-up analyses, there was a negative association between urinary zinc and FVC among participants with persistent high urinary zinc levels, with an estimated change of -93.31 mL (95% CI -178.47 to -8.14). Furthermore, urinary zinc was positively associated with restrictive ventilatory impairment. The mediation analyses suggested that C reactive protein mediated 8.62% and 8.71% of the associations of urinary zinc with FVC and FEV1, respectively.Conclusion: Urinary zinc was negatively associated with lung function, and the systemic inflammation may be one of the underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: CAR-T cell therapy has proven its importance in cancer treatment and currently there are five approved products on the market. However, these products are based on viral vectors, which presents a risk of insertional mutagenesis, it can also be immunogenic and its manufacture is extremely expensive. The development of a nonviral vector, suitable for an efficient and stable transfection of NK and T cells is the goal of this study. Methods: In this study we use a special episomal vector (extrachromosomal vectors) with i) scaffold/matrix attachment region (S/MAR) motifs that can actively mediate the episomal maintenance, ii) a plasmid replication enhancer, the replication-Initiation Region (IR) from the β-globin locus (pEP-IR) and iii) a CAR anti CD19 (pEP-IR-CAR). We electroporated activated and non-activated T cells and NK cells with different plasmid concentrations. We evaluated transfection efficiency and viability. Results and discussion: Our findings showed that unstimulated T cells are transfected more efficiently than activated T cells. Transfection of unstimulated T cells with 20 ug of supercoiled pEP-IR-GFP plasmid reached 22 to 63% of GFP and viability around 54% depending on the culture condition used after electroporation (FBS% and IL2). We then accessed the efficacy of pEP-IR-CAR and CAR expression, confirmed in 3,2% of the cells with 89% of viability. Cells expressing CAR on their surface were marked with anti-CAR antibody Biotin-SP-conjugated and selected by anti-Biotin microbeads, achieving an enrichment of 54,9% CAR+ cells. Conclusions: Our results showed that we established an optimized protocol resulting in an acceptable transfection efficiency and the transfected cells can be selected. So, the next step is to perform in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo assays with the episomal CAR+ cells. Funding: Financially supported by FAPESP 2020/09206-4, FAPESP 2019/25309-0, CTC Center for Cell-based Therapy (FAPESP 2013/08135-2), and National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (CNPq 573754-2008-0 and FAPESP 2008/578773).

Two porphyrin-bridged tetranuclear platinum(II) complexes are found to effectively stabilize various kinds of G-quadruplexes. Their clover-like shape endows them with the capability of targeting G-quadruplexes rather than the double-stranded structure. Their excellent anticancer activity is the result of a dual effect, inhibition of the telomerase activity and repression of oncogene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The (Ca,R)FeAs2 (R=La, Pr, etc.) superconductors with a signature of superconductivity transition above 40 K possess a new kind of block layers that consist of zig-zag As chains. We report the electronic structure of the new (Ca,La)FeAs2 superconductor investigated by both band structure calculations and high resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements. Band structure calculations indicate that there are four hole-like bands around the zone center Γ(0,0) and two electron-like bands near the zone corner M(π, π) in CaFeAs2. In our angle-resolved photoemission measurements on (Ca0.9La0.1)FeAs2, we have observed three hole-like bands around the Γ point and one electron-like Fermi surface near the M(π, π) point. These results provide important information to compare and contrast with the electronic structure of other iron-based compounds in understanding the superconductivity mechanism in the iron-based superconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report the preparation and superconductivity of the 133-type Cr-based quasi–one-dimensional (Q1D) RbCr3As3 single crystals. The samples were prepared by the deintercalation of Rb+ ions from the 233-type Rb2Cr3As3 crystals which were grown from a high-temperature solution growth method. The RbCr3As3 compound crystallizes in a centrosymmetric structure with the space group P63/m (No. 176) different from its non-centrosymmetric Rb2Cr3As3 superconducting precursor, and the refined lattice parameters are and . Electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility characterizations reveal the occurrence of superconductivity with an interestingly higher onset Tc of 7.3 K than other Cr-based superconductors, and an estimated high upper critical field Hc2(0) about 72.4 T in this 133-type RbCr3As3 crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently a new family of Cr-based A2Cr3As3 (A=K, Rb, Cs) superconductors was reported, which own a rare quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) crystal structure with infinite (Cr3As3)2- chains and exhibit intriguing superconducting characteristics possibly derived from spin-triplet electron pairing. The crystal structure of A2Cr3As3 is actually a slight variation of the hexagonal TlFe3Te3 prototype, although they have different lattice symmetry. Here we report superconductivity in a 133-type KCr3As3 compound that belongs to the latter structure. The single crystals of KCr3As3 were prepared by the deintercalation of K ions from K2Cr3As3 crystals which were grown from a high-temperature solution growth method, and it owns a centrosymmetric lattice in contrast to the noncentrosymmetric K2Cr3As3. After annealing at a moderate temperature, the KCr3As3 crystals show superconductivity at 5 K revealed by electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and heat capacity measurements. The discovery of this KCr3As3 superconductor provides a different structural instance to study the exotic superconductivity in these Q1D Cr-based superconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the iron-based high-bulk superconductors, above 50 K was only observed in the electron-doped 1111-type compounds. Here we revisit the electron-doped SmFeAsO polycrystals to make a further investigation for the highestin these materials. To introduce more electron carriers and less crystal lattice distortions, we study the Th and F codoping effects into the Sm-O layers with heavy electron doping. Dozens of SmThFeAsOFsamples are synthesized through the solid state reaction method, and these samples are carefully characterized by the structural, resistive, and magnetic measurements. We find that the codoping of Th and F clearly enhances the superconductingmore than the Th or F single-doped samples, with the highest recordup to 58.6 K when x = 0.2 and y = 0.225. Further element doping causes more impurities and lattice distortions in the samples with a weakened superconductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report the synthesis and discovery of superconductivity in a novel ternary iridium–arsenide compound BaIr2As2. The polycrystalline BaIr2As2 sample was first synthesized by a high temperature and high pressure method. Crystal structural analysis indicates that BaIr2As2 crystallizes in the ThCr2Si2-type layered tetragonal structure with space group I4/mmm (No. 139), and the lattice parameters were refined to be a = 4.052(9) Å and c = 12.787(8) Å. By the electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements we found type-II superconductivity in the new BaIr2As2 compound with a Tc (critical temperature) of 2.45 K, and an upper critical field μ0Hc2(0) about 0.2 T. Low temperature specific heat measurements gave a Debye temperature of about 202 K and a distinct specific jump with ΔCe/γTc = 1.36, which is close to the value of BCS weak coupling limit and confirms the bulk superconductivity in this new BaIr2As2 compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the synthesis, crystal structure, superconductivity and physical property characterizations of the ternary equiatomic compound ScRuSi. Polycrystalline samples of ScRuSi were prepared by an arc-melting method. The as-prepared samples were identified as the orthorhombic Co2P-type o-ScRuSi by powder x-ray diffraction analysis. Electrical resistivity measurements show o-ScRuSi to be a metal which superconducts below a Tc of 3.1 K; the upper critical field μ0Hc2(0) is estimated to be 0.87 T. The magnetization and specific heat measurements confirm the bulk type-II superconductivity in o-ScRuSi, with a specific heat jump within the BCS weak coupling limit. o-ScRuSi is the first Co2P-type superconductor to contain scandium. After annealing at 1273 K for a week, o-ScRuSi transforms into hexagonal Fe2P-type h-ScRuSi, which is a Pauli-paramagnetic metal with no superconductivity observed above 1.8 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single crystals of undoped CaFe2As2 are grown by an FeAs self-flux method, and the crystals are quenched in ice-water rapidly after high-temperature growth. The quenched crystal undergoes a collapsed tetragonal structural phase transition around 80 K revealed by the temperature-dependent x-ray diffraction measurements. Superconductivity below 25 K is observed in the collapsed phase by resistivity and magnetization measurements. The isothermal magnetization curve measured at 2 K indicates that this is a typical type-II superconductor. For comparison, we systematically characterize the properties of the furnace-cooled, quenched, and post-annealed single crystals, and find strong internal crystallographic strain existing in the quenched samples, which is the key for the occurrence of superconductivity in the undoped CaFe2As2 single crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the Sm-doping single crystals Ca1 − xSmxFe2As2 (x = 0 ∼ 0.2) were prepared by the CaAs flux method, and followed by a rapid quenching treatment after the high temperature growth. The samples were characterized by structural, resistive, and magnetic measurements. The successful Sm-substitution was revealed by the reduction of the lattice parameter c, due to the smaller ionic radius of Sm3+ than Ca2+. Superconductivity was observed in all samples with onset Tc varying from 27 K to 44 K upon Sm-doping. The coexistence of a collapsed phase transition and the superconducting transition was found for the lower Sm-doping samples. Zero resistivity and substantial superconducting volume fraction only happen in higher Sm-doping crystals with the nominal x > 0.10. The doping dependences of the c-axis length and onset Tc were summarized. The high-Tc observed in these quenched crystals may be attributed to simultaneous tuning of electron carriers doping and strain effect caused by lattice reduction of Sm-substitution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The single crystal of ThCr2Si2-type BaPd2As2 was successfully prepared by a self-flux method, and the crystal structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction method with the lattice parameters and (space group , No. 139). Bulk superconductivity below a Tc (critical temperature) of 3.85 K was revealed in this compound by the measurements of resistivity, magnetic susceptibility and specific heat, and this Tc is much higher than those of other isostructural Pd-based superconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Weyl semimetals (WSMs) hosting Weyl points (WPs) with different chiralities attract great interest as an object to study chirality-related physical properties, topological phase transitions, and topological superconductivity. Quantum oscillation measurements and theoretical calculations imply that the type-II WPs in NbIrTe4 are robust against the shift of chemical potential making it a good material for pressure studies on topological properties. Here we report the results of electrical transport property measurements and Raman spectroscopy studies under pressures up to 65.5 GPa accompanied by theoretical electronic structure calculations. Hall resistivity data reveal an electronic transition indicated by a change of the charge carrier from multiband character to hole-type at ~12 GPa, in agreement with the calculated Fermi surface. An onset of superconducting transition is observed at pressures above 39 GPa, with critical temperature increasing as pressure increases. Moreover, theoretical calculations indicate that WPs persist up to highly reduced unit cell volume (−17%), manifesting that NbIrTe4 is a candidate of topological superconductor.