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Nami Suzuki,1 Jaeduk Yoshimura Noh,1 Toshiaki Kameda,1 Ai Yoshihara,1 Hidemi Ohye,1 Miho Suzuki,1 Masako Matsumoto,1 Yo Kunii,1 Kenji Iwaku,1 Natsuko Watanabe,1 Koji Mukasa,1 Ai Kozaki,2 Toshu Inoue,2 Kiminori Sugino,1 Koichi Ito1 1Department of Internal Medicine, Ito Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Olympia Eye Hospital, Tokyo, Japan Background: Euthyroid Graves’ disease (EGD) is a rare condition defined as the presence of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) in patients with normal thyroid function. Due to the rarity of this disease, only a limited number of studies and case reports are available for further evaluation of the characteristics of the disease. The aim of this study was to examine the changes in the thyroid function, thyrotropin receptor antibodies (TRAb) and eye symptoms, and then determine whether TRAb is related to TAO in EGD patients. TRAb in this study was defined as including both thyrotropin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin (TBII) and thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin (TSAb). Patients and methods: Medical records of patients diagnosed with EGD were reviewed. Ophthalmologists specializing in TAO examined the eyes of all subjects. Results: Of the 58 patients diagnosed with EGD, 24.1% developed hyperthyroidism, while 3.4% developed hypothyroidism. A total of 72.4% of the 58 patients remained euthyroid throughout the entire follow-up period. At the initial presentation, TBII and TSAb were positive in 74.5% and 70.5%, respectively. Ophthalmic treatments were administered to 30 (51.7%) out of the 58 patients. A significant spontaneous improvement of the eye symptoms was found in 28 of the EGD patients who did not require eye treatments. EGD patients exhibited positive rates for both TBII and TSAb, with the number of the TRAb-positive patients gradually decreasing while the eye symptoms spontaneously improved over time. There were no correlations found between TRAb at initial presentation and the eye symptoms. Conclusion: TBII and TSAb were positive in about 70% of EGD patients at their initial visit. Thyroid functions of EGD patients who have been euthyroid for more than 6.7 years may continue to remain euthyroid in the future. Keywords: euthyroid Graves’ orbitopathy, euthyroid Graves’ ophthalmopathy, thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, TSH receptor antibody, thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin

The quantum vortex liquid (QVL) is an intriguing state of type-II superconductors in which intense quantum fluctuations of the superconducting (SC) order parameter destroy the Abrikosov lattice even at very low temperatures. Such a state has only rarely been observed, however, and remains poorly understood. One of the key questions is the precise origin of such intense quantum fluctuations and the role of nearby non-SC phases or quantum critical points in amplifying these effects. Here we report a high-field magnetotransport study of FeSe1−xSx and FeSe1−xTex which show a broad QVL regime both within and beyond their respective electron nematic phases. A clear correlation is found between the extent of the QVL and the strength of the superconductivity. This comparative study enables us to identify the essential elements that promote the QVL regime in unconventional superconductors and to demonstrate that the QVL regime itself is most extended wherever superconductivity is weakest. In a quantum vortex liquid, the superconducting vortex lattice is melted by quantum fluctuations instead of thermal fluctuations. Here, the authors present high-field magnetotransport measurements of FeSe1−xSx and FeSe1−xTex, which provide evidence for a broad quantum vortex liquid regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently discovered kagome superconductors AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, Cs) exhibit unusual charge-density-wave (CDW) orders with time-reversal and rotational symmetry breaking. One of the most crucial unresolved issues is identifying the symmetry of the superconductivity that develops inside the CDW phase. Theory predicts a variety of unconventional superconducting symmetries with sign-changing and chiral order parameters. Experimentally, however, superconducting phase information in AV3Sb5 is still lacking. Here we report the impurity effects in CsV3Sb5 using electron irradiation as a phase-sensitive probe of superconductivity. Our magnetic penetration depth measurements reveal that with increasing impurities, an anisotropic fully-gapped state changes to an isotropic full-gap state without passing through a nodal state. Furthermore, transport measurements under pressure show that the double superconducting dome in the pressure-temperature phase diagram survives against sufficient impurities. These results support that CsV3Sb5 is a non-chiral, anisotropic s-wave superconductor with no sign change both at ambient and under pressure. In the kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5 the symmetry of the superconducting gap is still in question, both at ambient pressure and under high pressure. Here, via controlled introduction of impurities, the authors report evidence for a non-chiral full superconducting gap with no sign change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a method for analysis of MFM (magnetic force microscopy) images. By using the proposed method, the influence of the magnetization fluctuations in transition regions can be analyzed. In the proposed method, the MFM images are processed as stochastic signals, and their stochastic parameters are obtained. The variance profile (the variance of MFM signals across the track direction), one of the parameters, is closely related to the magnetization fluctuations in the transition region. Therefore, by observation of the variance profile, the fluctuations can be quantitatively analyzed. An example of the analysis, which is based on the variance profile, is presented. From the analysis, it is found that the parameter L/W, which is introduced to characterize the variance profile, has the same trend as the S/[N.sub.m] ([N.sub.m]:medium noise) does. Index Terms--MFM, recording media, stochastic signals, variance, L/W

A fundamental issue concerning iron-based superconductivity is the roles of electronic nematicity and magnetism in realising high transition temperature (Tc). To address this issue, FeSe is a key material, as it exhibits a unique pressure phase diagram involving non-magnetic nematic and pressure-induced antiferromagnetic ordered phases. However, as these two phases in FeSe have considerable overlap, how each order affects superconductivity remains perplexing. Here we construct the three-dimensional electronic phase diagram, temperature (T) against pressure (P) and isovalent S-substitution (x), for FeSe1-xSx. By simultaneously tuning chemical and physical pressures, against which the chalcogen height shows a contrasting variation, we achieve a complete separation of nematic and antiferromagnetic phases. In between, an extended non-magnetic tetragonal phase emerges, where Tc shows a striking enhancement. The completed phase diagram uncovers that high-Tc superconductivity lies near both ends of the dome-shaped antiferromagnetic phase, whereas Tc remains low near the nematic critical point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on inelastic electron tunneling experiments performed in bismuth telluride semiconductor crystals. Details on methodology used to conduct experiments; Indication of results; Discussion on findings.