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Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become central to lung cancer drug therapy, and establishing biomarkers that can predict effects and adverse events is awaited. We prospectively analyzed the association between the immune-related molecular expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and lung cancer tissues, and the effects of ICI monotherapy. Twenty-one patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who received ICI monotherapy were included. Changes in the expression of immune-related molecules in PBMCs before and after the administration of ICI were analyzed by flow cytometry. The MHC class I and PD-L1 expression of cancer cells, and the PD-L1, CD8 and CD103 expression of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in lung cancer tissue were confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Among immune-related molecules expressed in PBMCs, the CD103 + CD39 + CD8 + T cell change after administration correlated with the clinical response. In the univariate analyses of the factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS), CD103 + CD39 + CD8 + cell change after administration was identified as a significant prognostic factor, while the CD103 + CD39 + CD8 + cell change after administration and Brinkman index were independent prognostic factors in a multivariate analysis of the factors associated with PFS. The CD103 + CD39 + CD8 + cell change after administration may predict the efficacy of ICIs.

In video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for spontaneous pneumothorax, the initial trocar can be inserted into the pleurocutaneous fistula formed during preoperative chest drain placement. The use of an optical-access trocar to replace the initial trocar and chest tube may have a greater success rate than blind trocar insertion. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the use of an optical-access trocar to replace the initial trocar and chest tube during surgery for spontaneous pneumothorax.The present study included 28 patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for spontaneous pneumothorax following preoperative chest drain placement between April, 2017 and December, 2019. At the start of surgery, the chest drain was removed and the initial trocar was inserted into the pleural cavity. An optical-access trocar with an inner diameter of 5 mm was used as the initial trocar. To use a 0-degree endoscope for the optical-access trocar, this procedure requires the preparation of both, a 0-degree endoscope and a 30-degree endoscope. To evaluate the safety of the optical view method, the lungs and chest wall adjacent to the initial trocar insertion site were observed from the second trocar.The initial trocar could be inserted through the chest tube insertion site in 26 out of 28 cases (92.9%). No instances of lung injury or pulsatile bleeding around the initial trocar were observed. No cases of postoperative wound infection or wound dehiscence were observed.The use an optical-access trocar as the initial trocar when replacing a preoperatively placed chest tube is safe and feasible during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for spontaneous pneumothorax.

The structural and superconducting properties of alkali-Bi-based compounds, KBi2 and RbBi2, were investigated over a wide pressure range for the first time.

We investigated the pressure dependence of electric transport in a superconducting sample, Ba0.77Na0.23Ti2Sb2O, to complete the phase diagram of superconducting transition temperature (Tc) against pressure (p). This superconducting sample exhibits a Tc value of 5.8 K at ambient pressure. Here, the superconductivity of the recently reported sample was investigated over a wide pressure range. The Tc value monotonously decreased with pressure below 8 GPa. Interestingly, the Tc value rapidly increased above 8 GPa and slowly declined with pressure above 11 GPa. Thus, a new superconducting phase was discovered above ∼9 GPa. The crystal structure of Ba0.77Na0.23Ti2Sb2O was also elucidated at 0-22.0 GPa with synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. Consequently, an evident relation between the crystal structure and the superconductivity was revealed, namely, a clear structural phase transition was observed at 8-11 GPa, where the Tc value rapidly increased against pressure. This study provides detailed information on the superconductivity of Ba0.77Na0.23Ti2Sb2O under pressure, which will lead to a comprehensive understanding of pressure-driven superconductivity.

Herein, we report the preparation and characterization of BaBi3 clarified by DC magnetic susceptibility, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electrical transport. The superconducting properties of BaBi3 were elucidated through the magnetic and electrical transport properties in a wide pressure range. The superconducting transition temperature, Tc, showed a slight decrease (or almost constant Tc) against pressure up to 17.2 GPa. The values of the upper critical field, Hc2, at 0 K, were determined to be 1.27 T at 0 GPa and 3.11 T at 2.30 GPa, using the formula, because p-wave pairing appeared to occur for this material at both pressures, indicating the unconventionality of superconductivity. This result appears to be consistent with the topological non-trivial nature of superconductivity predicted theoretically. The pressure-dependent XRD patterns measured at 0–20.1 GPa indicated no structural phase transitions up to 20.1 GPa, i.e., the structural phase transitions from the α phase to the β or γ phase which are induced by an application of pressure were not observed, contrary to the previous report, demonstrating that the α phase is maintained over the entire pressure range. Admittedly, the lattice constants and the volume of the unit cell, V, steadily decrease with increasing pressure up to 20.1 GPa. In this study, the plots of Tcversus p and V versus p of BaBi3 are depicted over a wide pressure range for the first time.

The application of an electric field can be a new technique to control the electronic properties of two-dimensional materials. In a conventional double-gate structure, an ionic liquid is used in th...

A superconducting KBi2 sample was successfully prepared using a liquid ammonia (NH3) technique. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility (M/H) showed a superconducting transition temperature (Tc) as high as 3.6 K. In addition, the shielding fraction at 2.0 K was evaluated to be 87%, i.e., a bulk superconductor was realized using the above method. The Tc value was the same as that reported for the KBi2 sample prepared using a high-temperature annealing method. An X-ray diffraction pattern measured based on the synchrotron X-ray radiation was analyzed using the Rietveld method, with a lattice constant, a, of 9.5010(1) A under the space group of Fd[3 with combining macron]m (face-centered cubic, no. 227). The lattice constant and space group found for the KBi2 sample using a liquid NH3 technique were the same as those reported for KBi2 through a high-temperature annealing method. Thus, the superconducting behavior and crystal structure of the KBi2 sample obtained in this study are almost the same as those for the KBi2 sample reported previously. Strictly speaking, the magnetic behavior of the superconductivity was different from that of a KBi2 sample reported previously, i.e., the KBi2 sample prepared using a liquid NH3 technique was a type-II like superconductor, contrary to that prepared using a high-temperature annealing method, the reason for which is fully discussed. These results indicate that the liquid NH3 technique is effective and simple for the preparation of a superconducting KBi2. In addition, the topological nature of the superconductivity for KBi2 was not confirmed.

A new superconducting sample, BaTi2Bi2O, was synthesized and characterized over a wide pressure range. The superconducting transition temperature, Tc, of BaTi2Bi2O was 4.33 K at ambient pressure. The crystal structure was tetragonal (space group of P4/mmm (No. 123)), according to the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern at ambient pressure. The XRD pattern was analyzed using the Le Bail method. The magnetic-field dependence of the magnetization at different temperatures was precisely investigated to elucidate the characteristics of the superconductivity. The pressure-dependent XRD patterns showed absence of structural phase transitions up to 19.8 GPa. The superconducting properties of BaTi2Bi2O were investigated under pressure. Tc monotonously increased with the pressure (p) up to 4.0 GPa and saturated above 4.0 GPa. The variations in the Tc-p plot were thoroughly analyzed. The Cooper pair symmetry (or superconducting pairing mechanism) was analyzed based on the magnetic field dependence of the superconductivity at ambient and high pressures, which indicated a sign of p-wave pairing for the superconductivity of BaTi2Bi2O, i.e., topologically nontrivial sign was suggested for BaTi2Bi2O.

Herein, we report the preparation and characterization of BaBi

The crystal structures of Sb

The [10]phenacene and [11]phenacene molecules have been synthesized using a simple repetition of Wittig reactions followed by photocyclization. Sufficient amounts of [10]phenacene and [11]phenacene were obtained, and thin-film FETs using these molecules have been fabricated with SiO2 and ionic liquid gate dielectrics. These FETs operated in p-channel. The averaged measurements of field-effect mobility, <μ>, were 3.1(7) × 10−2 and 1.11(4) × 10−1 cm2 V−1 s−1, respectively, for [10]phenacene and [11]phenacene thin-film FETs with SiO2 gate dielectrics. Furthermore, [10]phenacene and [11]phenacene thin-film electric-double-layer (EDL) FETs with ionic liquid showed low-voltage p-channel FET properties, with <μ> values of 3(1) and 1(1) cm2 V−1 s−1, respectively. This study also discusses the future utility of the extremely extended π-network molecules [10]phenacene and [11]phenacene as the active layer of FET devices, based on the experimental results obtained.

To effectively develop road networks under budgetary and time constraints, high-standard arterial expressways in Japan incorporate dual four-lane roads with provisional two-way two-lane (TWTL) sections in areas of low traffic demand. In the majority of TWTL sections, rubber poles are used to partially separate inbound and outbound lanes, but safety risks, including head-on collisions resulting from lane departures into an opposite-direction lane, are considered problematic. To urgently address this situation, wire ropes were installed along some road sections nationwide to verify their effectiveness in preventing head-on collisions. This paper presents a multifaceted evaluation study of the effectiveness of wire ropes on TWTL sections, including drivability, maintainability, and effectiveness in accident prevention.

The transport properties of 3,10-ditetradecylpicene ((C14H29)2-picene) and [6]phenacene thin-film field-effect transistors (FETs) on Si and plastic substrates are reported, in which SiO2 and parylene are used as gate dielectrics, respectively. These devices show p-channel normally-off FET characteristics. A μ value of 1.34 cm2 V−1 s−1 is obtained in the (C14H29)2-picene thin-film FET, where 500 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and 1 μm thick parylene are used as the substrate and gate dielectric, respectively. Moreover, excellent FET performance is obtained in the (C14H29)2-picene thin-film FET using a high-k gate dielectric, ZrO2, which is formed on a 350 μm thick PET substrate, showing p-channel normally-off FET properties and low voltage operation. The μ value reaches 6.31 cm2 V−1 s−1 in the FET device. The FET properties of N,N′-dioctyl-3,4,9,10-perylenedicarboximide (PTCDIC8) thin-film FETs formed on PET are also reported, showing n-channel normally-off FET characteristics. We report a bias stress effect on flexible [6]phenacene thin film FETs that are fabricated on a PEN substrate. Two types of experiments are performed for investigating the bias stress effect on FETs, and the bias stress effect under light irradiation is very different from that under no irradiation. This difference is well explained based on the hole-filling of trap states by electron excitation. We show the characteristics of a complementary MOS inverter (CMOS), constituting a [6]phenecene thin-film FET (p-channel) and a PTCDIC8 thin-film FET (n-channel) formed on the PET and PEN substrates, i.e., a flexible CMOS inverter. The maximum gain reaches 300. Furthermore, we report low-voltage operation for the flexible CMOS inverter, where ZrO2 is used as the gate dielectric. Through this study, we have achieved the fabrication of flexible thin-film FETs with a high μ and low voltage operation, and flexible CMOS inverters with a high gain as well as low operation voltage. This study could provide a basis for future practical/human-compatible electronic devices.

Background Various immune cells that play a central role in antitumor immunity accumulate in primary tumors and regional lymph nodes. Such cellular accumulation and the molecular expression were analyzed to elucidate the immunological tumor microenvironment. Methods Fifty squamous cell lung cancer patients with complete resection were included. Resected specimens from primary lung tumors and regional lymph nodes were immunostained for immune-related molecules, such as CD8, CD103, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, and programmed cell death protein ligand-1 (PD-L1), and the relationship between the prognosis and clinicopathological factors was retrospectively analyzed. Results Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and CD8+ lymphocytes, intratumoral and intrastromal CD103+ lymphocytes, tumor diameter, pathological T and N factors, and pathological stage were significant prognostic factors for the disease-specific survival (DSS) in a univariate analysis. In a multivariate analysis, intratumoral and intrastromal CD103+ lymphocytes and pathological T and N factors were independent prognostic factors of the DSS. Significant concordance was found between the PD-L1 expression of primary tumors and metastatic lymph nodes as well as among tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, CD8+ lymphocytes and CD103+ lymphocytes. Infiltration of CD103+ lymphocytes into the tumor was significantly correlated with an increased PD-L1 expression of cancer cells in both primary tumors and reginal lymph node metastases. Both the intratumoral infiltration of CD103+ lymphocytes and PD-L1 expression of cancer cells were significantly higher in lymph node metastases than in primary tumors. Conclusions CD103+ lymphocyte infiltration in the primary tumor was shown to be strongly involved in the prognosis.

We investigated the pressure dependence of electric transport in a superconducting sample, Ba

Organic field-effect transistors (FETs) can be applied to radio-frequency identification tags (RFIDs) and active-matrix flat-panel displays. For RFID application, a cardinal functional block is a ring oscillator using an odd number of inverters to convert DC voltage to AC. Herein, we report the properties of two ring oscillators, one formed with [6]phenacene for a p-channel FET and N,N′-dioctyl-3,4,9,10-perylenedicarboximide (PTCDI-C8) for an n-channel FET, and one formed with 3,10-ditetradecylpicene ((C14H29)2-picene) for a p-channel FET and PTCDI-C8 for an n-channel FET. The former ring oscillator provided a maximum oscillation frequency, fosc of 26 Hz, and the latter a maximum fosc of 21 Hz. The drain–drain voltage, VDD, applied to these ring oscillators was 100 V. This may be the first step towards a future practical ring oscillator using phenacene molecules. The values of field-effect mobility, μ in the p-channel [6]phenacene FET and n-channel PTCDI-C8 FET, which form the building blocks in the ring oscillator with an fosc value of 26 Hz, are 1.19 and 1.50 × 10−1 cm2 V−1 s−1, respectively, while the values in the p-channel (C14H29)2-picene FET and n-channel PTCDI-C8 FET, which form the ring oscillator with an fosc of 21 Hz, are 1.85 and 1.54 × 10−1 cm2 V−1 s−1, respectively. The μ values in the p-channel FETs are higher by one order of magnitude than those of the n-channel FET, which must be addressed to increase the value of fosc. Finally, we fabricated a ring oscillator with ZrO2 instead of parylene for the gate dielectric, which provided the low-voltage operation of the ring oscillator, in which [6]phenacene and PTCDI-C8 thin-film FETs were employed. The value of fosc obtained in the ring oscillator was 24 Hz. In this ring oscillator, the VDD value applied was limited to 20 V. The durability of the ring oscillators was also investigated, and the bias stress effect on the fosc and the amplitude of the output voltage, Vout are discussed. This successful operation of ring oscillators represents an important step towards the realization of future practical integrated logic gate circuits using phenacene molecules.

The topological insulator PdBi

The pressure-induced change in the electronic structures of the superconductors ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ and ${\mathrm{Ag}}_{x}{\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ has been measured with high-resolution x-ray absorption spectroscopy. As a common feature for these compounds, we find that pressure causes the broadening of the Se $4p$ band and an energy shift of the Bi $6s$ band above the Fermi level up to the pressure of the first structural transition. These results, corroborated by density functional theory calculations, correlate with an increase of the carrier density, the disappearance of the band gap, and the emergence of superconductivity. The electronic structure changes significantly at the pressure of the first structural transition, which may be a trigger of the emergence of superconductivity, while above the pressure of the first phase transition it does not change much even around the second phase transition pressure, corresponding to the nearly constant ${T}_{\mathrm{c}}$ above the pressure of the second structural transition.

A new superconducting sample, BaTi2Bi2O, was synthesized and characterized over a wide pressure range. The superconducting transition temperature, Tc, of BaTi2Bi2O was 4.33 K at ambient pressure. The crystal structure was tetragonal (space group of P4/mmm (No. 123)), according to the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern at ambient pressure. The XRD pattern was analyzed using the Le Bail method. The magnetic-field dependence of the magnetization at different temperatures was precisely investigated to elucidate the characteristics of the superconductivity. The pressure-dependent XRD patterns showed absence of structural phase transitions up to 19.8 GPa. The superconducting properties of BaTi2Bi2O were investigated under pressure. Tc monotonously increased with the pressure (p) up to 4.0 GPa and saturated above 4.0 GPa. The variations in the Tc-p plot were thoroughly analyzed. The Cooper pair symmetry (or superconducting pairing mechanism) was analyzed based on the magnetic field dependence of the superconductivity at ambient and high pressures, which indicated a sign of p-wave pairing for the superconductivity of BaTi2Bi2O, i.e., topologically nontrivial sign was suggested for BaTi2Bi2O.

The crystal structure of BiSbTeSe

Background: Surgical procedures for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) include extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), extended pleurectomy/decortication (P/D) and P/D. EPP has been applied to MPM for a long time, but the postoperative status is extremely poor due to the loss of one whole lung. We compared the mortality, morbidity and median survival time (MST) of lung-sparing surgery (extended P/D or P/D) and lung-sacrificing surgery (EPP) for MPM by performing a systematic review. Methods: We extracted the number of events and patients from the literature identified in electronic databases. Ultimately, 15 reports were selected, and 2674 MPM patients, including 1434 patients undergoing EPP and 1240 patients undergoing extended P/D or P/D, were analyzed. Results: Our systematic review showed that lung-sparing surgery was significantly superior to lung-sacrificing surgery in both the surgical-related mortality (extended P/D vs. EPP: 3.19% vs. 7.65%, p < 0.01; P/D vs. EPP: 1.85% vs. 7.34%, p < 0.01) and morbidity (extended P/D vs. EPP: 35.7% vs. 60.0%, p < 0.01; P/D vs. EPP: 9.52% vs. 20.89%, p < 0.01). Lung-sparing surgery was not inferior to EPP in terms of MST. Conclusion: Although no prospective randomized controlled trial has been conducted, it may be time to change the standard surgical method for MPM from lung-sacrificing surgery to lung-sparing surgery.

We synthesized the alkaline-earth metal-doped FeSe compounds (NH

A superconducting KBi

The crystal structures of Sb2Te3-ySey(y = 0.6 and y = 1.2) at 0 - 24 GPa were investigated by synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD). The stoichiometry of Sb2Te3-ySeyused in this study was determined to be Sb2Te2.19(9)Se0.7(2)for y = 0.6 and Sb2Te1.7(1)Se1.3(3)for y = 1.2, on the basis of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The sample of Sb2Te2.19(9)Se0.7(2)showed a structural phase transition from a rhombohedral structure (space group No. 166,R3I…m) (phase I) to a monoclinic structure (space group No. 12,C2/m) (phase II), with increasing pressure up to ~9 GPa. A new structural phase (phase II') emerged at 17.7 GPa, a monoclinic structure with the space groupC2/c (No.15). Finally, a 9/10-fold monoclinic structure (space group No. 12,C2/m) (phase III) was observed at 21.8 GPa. In contrast, the sample of Sb2Te1.7(1)Se1.3(3) provided only phase I (space group No. 166,R3I…m) and phase II (space group No. 12,C2/m), showing one structural phase transition from 0 - 19.5 GPa. These samples were not superconductors at ambient pressure, but superconductivity suddenly appeared with increasing pressure. Superconductivity with superconducting transition temperatures (Tc's) of 2 and 4 K was observed above 6 GPa in phase I of Sb2Te2.19(9)Se0.7(2). In this sample, theTcvalues of 6 and 9 K were observed in phase II and phase II' or III of Sb2Te2.19(9)Se0.7(2), respectively. Superconductivity withTc's of 4 and 5 K suddenly emerged in Sb2Te1.7(1)Se1.3(3)at 13.6 GPa, which corresponds to phase II, and it evolved to 6.0 K under further increased pressure. ATcvalue of 9 K was finally found above 15 GPa. The magnetic field dependence ofTcin phase II of Sb2Te2.19(9)Se0.7(2)and Sb2Te1.7(1)Se1.3(3)followed ap-wave polar model, suggesting topologically nontrivial superconductivity.

We have produced a superconducting binary-elements intercalated graphite, CaxSr1−xCy, with the intercalation of Sr and Ca in highly-oriented pyrolytic graphite; the superconducting transition temperature, Tc, was ~3 K. The superconducting CaxSr1−xCy sample was fabricated with the nominal x value of 0.8, i.e., Ca0.8Sr0.2Cy. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy provided the stoichiometry of Ca0.5(2)Sr0.5(2)Cy for this sample, and the X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) pattern showed that Ca0.5(2)Sr0.5(2)Cy took the SrC6-type hexagonal-structure rather than CaC6-type rhombohedral-structure. Consequently, the chemical formula of CaxSr1−xCy sample could be expressed as ‘Ca0.5(2)Sr0.5(2)C6’. The XRD pattern of Ca0.5(2)Sr0.5(2)C6 was measured at 0–31 GPa, showing that the lattice shrank monotonically with increasing pressure up to 8.6 GPa, with the structural phase transition occurring above 8.6 GPa. The pressure dependence of Tc was determined from the DC magnetic susceptibility and resistance up to 15 GPa, which exhibited a positive pressure dependence of Tc up to 8.3 GPa, as in YbC6, SrC6, KC8, CaC6 and Ca0.6K0.4C8. The further application of pressure caused the rapid decrease of Tc. In this study, the fabrication and superconducting properties of new binary-elements intercalated graphite, CaxSr1−xCy, are fully investigated, and suitable combinations of elements are suggested for binary-elements intercalated graphite.

Background The prognosis of patients who undergo unilateral pneumonectomy and subsequently develop a contralateral pulmonary tumor can be improved by tumor resection. Thus, surgery is a treatment option if the patient’s pulmonary function and performance status are satisfactory. To date, there have been only few cases reporting thoracoscopic lung resection for pulmonary tumor after contralateral pneumonectomy because of the difficulty in respiratory management during surgery. Thoracoscopic surgery requires the maintenance of the operative field to allow the lung to collapse, and in partial lung resection we need to identify tumor localization. The identification of a tumor lesion just inferior to the pleura is easy; however, the identification of a tumor lesion in the deep parts is difficult. The tumor in the deep part of the lung segments can be easily located if the tumor-affected lobe is allowed to completely collapse. Therefore, ventilation technique should be modified according to the tumor localization. Case presentation Here, we report three cases of thoracoscopic partial lung resections for pulmonary tumors that developed after contralateral pneumonectomy. Intermittent manual ventilation using a tracheal tube was performed in two cases with a lesion just inferior of the pleura. The tumors in both patients were resected using automatic suturing devices while arresting manual ventilation. The affected lobe was allowed to collapse using a bronchial blocker in one of the cases with a lesion in the deep part. Furthermore, she had contralateral pneumothorax with bullae on the right upper and lower lobes of the lung. The tumor in the deep part of the lung segment and ruptured bullae were easily located and resected using automatic suturing devices. The hemodynamic status of the patients was stable, and the intra- and postoperative courses were uneventful. Conclusions Our cases demonstrate that thoracoscopic lung resection after contralateral pneumonectomy can be performed if intermittent manual ventilation is utilized when the tumor is located just inferior to the pleura and if selective double ventilation using an intrabronchial blocker is utilized when the tumor is located in the deep part.

Herein, we investigated the pressure dependence of electric transport in a new type of superconducting metal iridate compound, SrIr

We systematically investigated the pressure dependence of electrical transport and the crystal structure of topological insulator, $\mathrm{B}{\mathrm{i}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{b}}_{x}\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{e}}_{3\ensuremath{-}y}\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{e}}_{y}$, which showed no superconductivity down to 2.0 K at ambient pressure. The $\mathrm{B}{\mathrm{i}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{b}}_{x}\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{e}}_{3\ensuremath{-}y}\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{e}}_{y}$ crystal showed two structural phase transitions under pressure, from rhombohedral structure (space group No. 166, $R\overline{3}m$, termed phase I) to monoclinic structure (space group No. 12, $C2/m$, termed phase II), and from phase II to another monoclinic structure (space group No. 12, $C2/m$, termed phase III). Superconductivity appeared when applying pressure; actually the superconductivity of all $\mathrm{B}{\mathrm{i}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{b}}_{x}\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{e}}_{3\ensuremath{-}y}\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{e}}_{y}$ samples emerged in phase I. The superconducting transition temperature, ${T}_{\mathrm{c}}$, increased against pressure in a pressure range of 0--15 GPa for all $\mathrm{B}{\mathrm{i}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{b}}_{x}\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{e}}_{3\ensuremath{-}y}\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{e}}_{y}$ samples, and the maximum ${T}_{\mathrm{c}}$ was 5.45 K, recorded at 13.5 GPa in $\mathrm{B}{\mathrm{i}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{b}}_{x}\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{e}}_{3\ensuremath{-}y}\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{e}}_{y}$ at $x=0$ and $y=1.0$. The magnetic field (H) dependence of the R--T plot for $\mathrm{B}{\mathrm{i}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{b}}_{x}\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{e}}_{3\ensuremath{-}y}\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{e}}_{y}$ was measured to characterize the superconducting pairing mechanism of pressure-induced superconducting phase.

Pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors (NET), a subtype of lung cancer, comprises typical carcinoids (TCs), atypical carcinoids (ACs), large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). TCs and ACs are low-to-intermediate malignant tumors, on the other hand LCNEC and SCLC are high-grade carcinomas (1).

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms that are arranged in a two-dimensional honeycomb network. Since the successful isolation of graphene in 2004, its peculiar nature has been extensively studied. The linear dispersion relation, which is described by the massless Dirac equation, induces striking phenomena explained by relativistic quantum physics. In addition, the carrier mobility of graphene considerably exceeds that of silicon, which makes graphene a promising material for future electronics. This chapter aims at introducing the basic properties of graphene concisely to a broad readership. After summarizing the development of the study on graphene briefly, we provide the theoretical description of the electronic properties and experimental procedures to study graphene field-effect transistor (FET). Finally, two methods for carrier doping in graphene are discussed based on our recent study.