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Kagome superconductors with TC up to 7 K have been discovered for over 40 y. Recently, unconventional chiral charge order has been reported in kagome superconductor KV3Sb5, with an ordering temperature of one order of magnitude higher than the TC. However, the chirality of the charge order has not been reported in the cousin kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5, and the electronic nature of the chirality remains elusive. In this paper, we report the observation of electronic chiral charge order in CsV3Sb5 via scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). We observe a 2 × 2 charge modulation and a 1 × 4 superlattice in both topographic data and tunneling spectroscopy. 2 × 2 charge modulation is highly anticipated as a charge order by fundamental kagome lattice models at van Hove filling, and is shown to exhibit intrinsic chirality. We find that the 1 × 4 superlattices form various small domain walls, and can be a surface effect as supported by our first-principles calculations. Crucially, we find that the amplitude of the energy gap opened by the charge order exhibits real-space modulations, and features 2 × 2 wave vectors with chirality, highlighting the electronic nature of the chiral charge order. STM study at 0.4 K reveals a superconducting energy gap with a gap size 2Δ=0.85meV, which estimates a moderate superconductivity coupling strength with 2Δ/kBTC=3.9. When further applying a c-axis magnetic field, vortex core bound states are observed within this gap, indicative of clean-limit superconductivity.

Magnetic impurities deposited on topological superconductor candidate PbTaSe2 can introduce a nonsplitting zero-energy state inside the superconducting gap, which has been proposed as a field-free platform for topological zero modes. However, it is still unclear how robust the topological state in PbTaSe2 is against magnetic impurities, which is related to the topological nature of the zero-energy state as well as its potential for quantum computation. In this paper, we use scanning tunneling microscopy to study the topological surface state in the normal state of PbTaSe2 under the perturbation of magnetic impurities. We visualize the quasiparticle interference (QPI) arising from the topological surface state. We then deposit Fe impurities on the surface to form atomic Fe adatoms. We find that each Fe adatom sits at a unique interstitial position on the surface and features a local state at high energies, both of which are consistent with our first-principles calculation that further reveals its large magnetic moment. Our systematic Fe deposition and subsequent measurements show that the arclike QPI pattern at the Fermi energy is robust with up to 3% Fe coverage where the atomic nature of Fe adatoms still holds. Our results provide evidence that the topological surface state at the Fermi energy in PbTaSe2 is robust against dilute magnetic impurities.

Superconductors with kagome lattices have been identified for over 40 years, with a superconducting transition temperature Tc up to 7 K. Recently, certain kagome superconductors have been found to exhibit an exotic charge order, which intertwines with superconductivity and persists to a temperature being one order of magnitude higher than Tc. In this work, we use scanning tunneling microscopy to study the charge order in kagome superconductor RbV3Sb5. We observe both a 2×2 chiral charge order and nematic surface superlattices (predominantly 1×4). We find that the 2×2 charge order exhibits intrinsic chirality with magnetic field tunability. Defects can scatter electrons to introduce standing waves, which couple with the charge order to cause extrinsic effects. While the chiral charge order resembles that discovered in KV3Sb5, it further interacts with the nematic surface superlattices that are absent in KV3Sb5 but exist in CsV3Sb5.

We report muon spin rotation (μSR) experiments together with first-principles calculations on microscopic properties of superconductivity in the kagome superconductor LaRu3Si2 with Tc≃ 7K. Below Tc, μSR reveals type-II superconductivity with a single s-wave gap, which is robust against hydrostatic pressure up to 2 GPa. We find that the calculated normal state band structure features a kagome flat band, and Dirac as well as van Hove points formed by the Ru-dz2 orbitals near the Fermi level. We also find that electron-phonon coupling alone can only reproduce a small fraction of Tc from calculations, which suggests other factors in enhancing Tc such as the correlation effect from the kagome flat band, the van Hove point on the kagome lattice, and the high density of states from narrow kagome bands. Our experiments and calculations taken together point to nodeless moderate coupling kagome superconductivity in LaRu3Si2.

Superconducting materials exhibiting topological properties are emerging as an exciting platform to realize fundamentally new excitations from topological quantum states of matter. In this letter, we explore the possibility of a field-free platform for generating Majorana zero energy excitations by depositing magnetic Fe impurities on the surface of candidate topological superconductors, LiFeAs and PbTaSe2. We use scanning tunneling microscopy to probe localized states induced at the Fe adatoms on the atomic scale and at sub-Kelvin temperatures. We find that each Fe adatom generates a striking zero-energy bound state inside the superconducting gap, which do not split in magnetic fields up to 8 T, underlining a nontrivial topological origin. Our findings point to magnetic Fe adatoms evaporated on bulk superconductors with topological surface states for exploring Majorana zero modes and quantum information science under field-free conditions.

Electronic systems with flat bands are predicted to be a fertile ground for hosting emergent phenomena including unconventional magnetism and superconductivity 1–15 , but materials that manifest this feature are rare. Here, we use scanning tunnelling microscopy to elucidate the atomically resolved electronic states and their magnetic response in the kagome magnet Co 3 Sn 2 S 2 (refs. 16–20 ). We observe a pronounced peak at the Fermi level, which we identify as arising from the kinetically frustrated kagome flat band. On increasing the magnetic field up to ±8 T, this state exhibits an anomalous magnetization-polarized many-body Zeeman shift, dominated by an orbital moment that is opposite to the field direction. Such negative magnetism is induced by spin–orbit-coupling quantum phase effects 21–25 tied to non-trivial flat band systems. We image the flat band peak, resolve the associated negative magnetism and provide its connection to the Berry curvature field, showing that Co 3 Sn 2 S 2 is a rare example of a kagome magnet where the low-energy physics can be dominated by the spin–orbit-coupled flat band.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly malignant tumor of the digestive system with a poor prognosis. Huge HCC, a subtype characterized by tumors measuring at least 10 cm in diameter, often presents with macrovascular invasion, satellite nodules, metastases, and other aggressive characteristics, posing significant challenges for treatment. The era of combined targeted therapy and immunotherapy has brought new hope to patients with advanced HCC. The development of innovative combination medication regimens for HCC is a current area of intense clinical research interest. We are trying to explore new combination therapies based on target-immunity combination therapy in the hope of better-benefiting patients with advanced huge HCC., Case Description: We present a patient with Barcelona Clinical Liver Cancer Stage C huge HCC who was treated with combined targeted therapy and immunotherapy as the primary therapeutic regimen, supplemented with tegafur long-term metronomic chemotherapy, as well as specialized adjuvant therapy such as thymosin, bisphosphonates, antiviral medication, and vitamin C supplementation. The tumor size was significantly reduced and microwave ablation was performed, after which, the patient was kept on the combination regimen, resulting in a partial response (PR), and maintaining PR without disease progression for 32 months., Conclusions: The combination regimen may enhance advanced huge HCC treatment and provide a new multimodal drug strategy for HCC., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://tgh.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/tgh-24-91/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2025 AME Publishing Company. All rights reserved.)

Background: Vector-borne parasitic infectious diseases associated with poverty (referred to as vb-pIDP), such as malaria, leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis, African trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease, and onchocerciasis, are highly prevalent in many regions around the world. This study aims to characterize the recent burdens of and changes in these vb-pIDP globally and provide a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of geographical and temporal trends., Methods: Data on the prevalence and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of the vb-pIDP were retrieved from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 for 21 geographical regions and 204 countries worldwide, from 1990-2021. The age-standardized prevalence rate and DALYs rate by age, sex, and sociodemographic index (SDI) were calculated to quantify temporal trends. Correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationship between the age-standardized rate and the SDI., Results: Over the past 30 years, the age-standardized prevalence rate and DALYs rate of these vb-pIDP have generally decreased, with some fluctuations. The distribution of vb-pIDP globally is highly distinctive. Except for Chagas disease, the age-standardized prevalence rate and DALYs rate of other vb-pIDP were highest in low-SDI regions by 2021. Malaria had the highest age-standardized prevalence rate (2336.8 per 100,000 population, 95% UI: 2122.9, 2612.2 per 100,000 population) and age-standardized DALYs rate (806.0 per 100,000 population, 95% UI: 318.9, 1570.2 per 100,000 population) among these six vb-pIDP globally. Moreover, significant declines in the age-standardized prevalence rate and DALYs rate have been observed in association with an increase in the SDI . Globally, 0.14% of DALYs related to malaria are attributed to child underweight, and 0.08% of DALYs related to malaria are attributed to child stunting., Conclusions: The age-standardized prevalence rate and DALY rates for the vb-pIDP showed pronounced decreasing trends from 1990-2021. However, the vb-pIDP burden remains a substantial challenge for vector-borne infectious disease control globally and requires effective control strategies and healthcare systems. The findings provide scientific evidence for designing targeted health interventions and contribute to improving the prevention and control of infectious diseases., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors have no competing interests to disclose., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Superconductivity and magnetism are often antagonistic in quantum matter, although their intertwining has long been considered in frustrated-lattice systems. Here we utilize scanning tunnelling microscopy and muon spin resonance to demonstrate time-reversal symmetry-breaking superconductivity in kagome metal Cs(V, Ta) 3 Sb 5 , where the Cooper pairing exhibits magnetism and is modulated by it. In the magnetic channel, we observe spontaneous internal magnetism in a fully gapped superconducting state. Under the perturbation of inverse magnetic fields, we detect a time-reversal asymmetrical interference of Bogoliubov quasi-particles at a circular vector. At this vector, the pairing gap spontaneously modulates, which is distinct from pair density waves occurring at a point vector and consistent with the theoretical proposal of an unusual interference effect under time-reversal symmetry breaking. The correlation between internal magnetism, Bogoliubov quasi-particles and pairing modulation provides a chain of experimental indications for time-reversal symmetry-breaking kagome superconductivity., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Anaplasma phagocytophilum ( A. phagocytophilum ) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen causing human granulocytic anaplasmosis, linked to small mammal reservoirs that harbor various zoonotic pathogens, underscoring their importance in public health and ecology. This study seeks to determine the prevalence of A. phagocytophilum in small mammals using PCR, then sequence and genotype positive samples, and assess infection risk factors. Small mammals were seasonally captured and a nested polymerase chain reaction (nested-PCR) was conducted targeting the 16S rRNA gene on spleen samples to detect A. phagocytophilum infection from three counties in western Yunnan province, China. Positive samples were sequenced and genotyped, revealing genetic diversity and regional clustering of the pathogen. A total of 1,605 small mammals belonging to 30 species, 18 genera, 6 families, 3 orders were captured seasonally and screened in this region, yielding a 0.93% infection rate with A. phagocytophilum (15/1605). Significant variations in infection rates were observed across different species, counties, and habitats. The 16Sr RNA genes of A. phagocytophilum were categorized into two distinct clades, indicating notable genetic diversity. The identification of genetic variants in spleen samples underscores the potential public health risk and the critical importance of the One Health approach in disease surveillance. Our findings emphasize the necessity for continuous monitoring and highlight the value of nested-PCR testing on spleen samples for accurate prevalence assessment., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Zhu, Zhang, Hong, Yu, Hong, Liu, Li and Yin.)

A nematic phase breaks the point-group symmetry of the crystal lattice and is known to emerge in correlated materials. Here we report the observation of an intra-unit-cell nematic order and associated Fermi surface deformation in the kagome metal ScV 6 Sn 6 . Using scanning tunnelling microscopy and scanning tunnelling spectroscopy, we reveal a stripe-like nematic order breaking the crystal rotational symmetry within the kagome lattice itself. Moreover, we identify a set of Van Hove singularities adhering to the kagome-layer electrons, which appear along one direction of the Brillouin zone and are annihilated along other high-symmetry directions, revealing rotational symmetry breaking. Via detailed spectroscopic maps, we further observe an elliptical deformation of the Fermi surface, which provides direct evidence for an electronically mediated nematic order. Our work not only bridges the gap between electronic nematicity and kagome physics but also sheds light on the potential mechanism for realizing symmetry-broken phases in correlated electron systems., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

The interplay of topology, magnetism, and correlations gives rise to intriguing phases of matter. In this study, through state-of-the-art angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, density functional theory, and dynamical mean-field theory calculations, we visualize a fourfold degenerate Dirac nodal line at the boundary of the bulk Brillouin zone in the antiferromagnet YMn 2 Ge 2 . We further demonstrate that this gapless, antiferromagnetic Dirac nodal line is enforced by the combination of magnetism, space-time inversion symmetry, and nonsymmorphic lattice symmetry. The corresponding drumhead surface states traverse the whole surface Brillouin zone. YMn 2 Ge 2 thus serves as a platform to exhibit the interplay of multiple degenerate nodal physics and antiferromagnetism. Interestingly, the magnetic nodal line displays a d-orbital dependent renormalization along its trajectory in momentum space, thereby manifesting Hund's coupling. Our findings offer insights into the effect of electronic correlations on magnetic Dirac nodal lines, leading to an antiferromagnetic Hund nodal line., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Superconductivity involving finite-momentum pairing 1 can lead to spatial-gap and pair-density modulations, as well as Bogoliubov Fermi states within the superconducting gap. However, the experimental realization of their intertwined relations has been challenging. Here we detect chiral kagome superconductivity modulations with residual Fermi arcs in KV 3 Sb 5 and CsV 3 Sb 5 using normal and Josephson scanning tunnelling microscopy down to 30 millikelvin with a resolved electronic energy difference at the microelectronvolt level. We observe a U-shaped superconducting gap with flat residual in-gap states. This gap shows chiral 2a × 2a spatial modulations with magnetic-field-tunable chirality, which align with the chiral 2a × 2a pair-density modulations observed through Josephson tunnelling. These findings demonstrate a chiral pair density wave (PDW) that breaks time-reversal symmetry. Quasiparticle interference imaging of the in-gap zero-energy states reveals segmented arcs, with high-temperature data linking them to parts of the reconstructed vanadium d-orbital states within the charge order. The detected residual Fermi arcs can be explained by the partial suppression of these d-orbital states through an interorbital 2a × 2a PDW and thus serve as candidate Bogoliubov Fermi states. In addition, we differentiate the observed PDW order from impurity-induced gap modulations. Our observations not only uncover a chiral PDW order with orbital selectivity but also show the fundamental space-momentum correspondence inherent in finite-momentum-paired superconductivity., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

A hallmark of unconventional superconductors is a complex electronic phase diagram where intertwined orders of charge-spin-lattice degrees of freedom compete and coexist. While the kagome metals such as CsV 3 Sb 5 also exhibit complex behavior, involving coexisting charge density wave order and superconductivity, much is unclear about the microscopic origin of the superconducting pairing. We study the vortex lattice in the superconducting state of Cs(V 0.86 Ta 0.14 ) 3 Sb 5 , where the Ta-doping suppresses charge order and enhances superconductivity. Using small-angle neutron scattering, a strictly bulk probe, we show that the vortex lattice exhibits a strikingly conventional behavior. This includes a triangular symmetry with a period consistent with 2e-pairing, a field dependent scattering intensity that follows a London model, and a temperature dependence consistent with a uniform superconducting gap. Our results suggest that optimal bulk superconductivity in Cs(V 1-x Ta x ) 3 Sb 5 arises from a conventional Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer electron-lattice coupling, different from spin fluctuation mediated unconventional copper- and iron-based superconductors., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The kagome spin ice can host frustrated magnetic excitations by flipping its local spin. Under an inelastic tunneling condition, the tip in a scanning tunneling microscope can flip the local spin, and we apply this technique to kagome metal HoAgGe with a long-range ordered spin ice ground state. Away from defects, we discover a pair of pronounced dips in the local tunneling spectrum at symmetrical bias voltages with negative intensity values, serving as a striking inelastic tunneling signal. This signal disappears above the spin ice formation temperature and has a dependence on the magnetic fields, demonstrating its intimate relation with the spin ice magnetism. We provide a two-level spin-flip model to explain the tunneling dips considering the spin ice magnetism under spin-orbit coupling. Our results uncover a local emergent excitation of spin ice magnetism in a kagome metal, suggesting that local electrical field induced spin flip climbs over a barrier caused by spin-orbital locking.

A novel visible-light-induced radical cascade bromocyclization of N -arylacrylamides has been accomplished. This reaction overcomes the overbromination at the benzene rings suffered in traditional electrophilic reactions, thus enabling the first highly chemoselective synthesis of valuable 3-bromomethyloxindoles. The combination of pyridine and anhydrous medium is identified as the key factor for the high chemoselectivity in the current photoreaction system, which might work by suppressing the in situ generation of low-concentration Br 2 from N -bromosuccinimide. Moreover, the mild reaction conditions ensure the generation of a wide range of the new desired products with excellent functional group tolerance.

Kagome superconductors AV 3 Sb 5 (A = K, Rb, and Cs) have attracted enormous interest due to the coexistence of charge density wave (CDW) order, unconventional superconductivity (SC) and anomalous Hall effect (AHE). In this paper, we reported an intensive investigation on Cs(V 1-x Ta x ) 3 Sb 5 single crystals with systematic Ta doping. Ta was confirmed to be doped into V-site in the Kagome layer from both single crystal X-ray diffraction structural refinement and scanning transmission electron microscopy observation. The highest Ta doping level was found to be about 16%, which is more than twice as much as 7% in Nb-doped CsV 3 Sb 5 . With the increase of Ta doping, CDW order was gradually suppressed and finally vanished when the doping level reached to more than 8%. Meanwhile, superconductivity was enhanced with a maximum critical temperature (Tc) of 5.3 K, which is the highest Tc in the bulk crystal of this Kagome system at ambient pressure so far. The μ 0 H c2 (T) behavior demonstrates that the system is still a two-band superconductor after Ta doping. Based on the electrical transport measurement, a phase diagram was set up to exhibit the evolution of CDW and SC in the Cs(V 1-x Ta x ) 3 Sb 5 system. These findings pave a new way to search for new superconductors with higher Tc in the AV 3 Sb 5 family and establish a new platform for tuning and controlling the multiple orders and superconducting states., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Scrub typhus has become widespread across various regions in China in recent decades, causing a considerable burden on residents. While meteorological variables significantly impact the spread of scrub typhus, there is insufficient quantitative evidence illustrating this association in known high-endemic areas., Methods: A distributed lag non-linear model was applied to explore the relationship between meteorological parameters and scrub typhus incidence from 2010 to 2019 in Baoshan City, western Yunnan Province, China., Results: High monthly mean (20°C) and maximum (30°C) temperatures were associated with a peak risk of scrub typhus in the current month. Higher minimum temperatures and higher relative humidity were followed by increasing cumulative risks over the ensuing 3 months. Higher precipitation was followed by increasing cumulative risk over the ensuing 2-month period, peaking at around 30 cm., Conclusion: The non-linear lag associations between meteorological parameters and scrub typhus incidence suggest that higher monthly minimum temperature and relative humidity could be associated with an increased risk of scrub typhus in the subsequent several months, while warm temperature is more likely to impact the occurrence of scrub typhus in the current month., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Luo, Geater and Yin.)

Haemaphysalis ticks are pathogenic vectors that threaten human and animal health and were identified in Chongming, the third largest island in China. To understand the distribution of these ticks and determine their potential invasion risk, this study aimed to identify the habitat suitability of the dominant tick H. flava based on natural environmental factors. Geographic information system (GIS) images were combined with sample points from tick investigations to map the spatial distribution of H . flava . Data on 19 bioclimatic variables, environmental variables, and satellite-based landscapes of Chongming Island were retrieved to create a landcover map related to natural environmental determinants of H. flava . These data included 38 sites associated with the vectors to construct species distribution models with MaxEnt, a model based on the maximum entropy principle, and to predict habitat suitability for H. flava on Chongming Island in 2050 and 2070 under different climate scenarios. The model performed well in predicting the H . flava distribution, with a training area under the curve of 0.84 and a test area under the curve of 0.73. A habitat suitability map of the whole study area was created for H. flava . The resulting map and natural environment analysis highlighted the importance of the normalized difference vegetation index and precipitation in the driest month for the bioecology of H. flava , with 141.61 km 2 (11.77%), 282.94 km 2 (23.35%), and 405.30 km 2 (33.69%) of highly, moderately, and poorly suitable habitats, respectively. The distribution decreased by 135.55 km 2 and 138.82 km 2 in 2050 and 2070, respectively, under the shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) 1.2.6 climate change scenario. However, under SSP 5.8.5, the total area will decrease by 128.5 km 2 in 2050 and increase by 151.64 km 2 in 2070. From a One Health perspective, this study provides good knowledge that will guide tick control efforts to prevent the spread of Haemaphysalis ticks or transmission risk of Haemaphysalis -borne infections at the human-animal-environment interface on the island., Competing Interests: Xiao-Nong Zhou is the Editor-in-Chief of Science in One Health, Xiao-Kui Guo is the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of this journal. They were not involved in the peer review or handling of the manuscript. The authors have no other competing interests to disclose., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Topology 1-3  and interactions are foundational concepts in the modern understanding of quantum matter. Their nexus yields three important research directions: (1) the competition between distinct interactions, as in several intertwined phases, (2) the interplay between interactions and topology that drives the phenomena in twisted layered materials and topological magnets, and (3) the coalescence of several topological orders to generate distinct novel phases. The first two examples have grown into major areas of research, although the last example remains mostly unexplored, mainly because of the lack of a material platform for experimental studies. Here, using tunnelling microscopy, photoemission spectroscopy and a theoretical analysis, we unveil a 'hybrid' topological phase of matter in the simple elemental-solid arsenic. Through a unique bulk-surface-edge correspondence, we uncover that arsenic features a conjoined strong and higher-order topology that stabilizes a hybrid topological phase. Although momentum-space spectroscopy measurements show signs of topological surface states, real-space microscopy measurements unravel a unique geometry of topologically induced step-edge conduction channels revealed on various natural nanostructures on the surface. Using theoretical models, we show that the existence of gapless step-edge states in arsenic relies on the simultaneous presence of both a non-trivial strong Z 2 invariant and a non-trivial higher-order topological invariant, which provide experimental evidence for hybrid topology. Our study highlights pathways for exploring the interplay of different band topologies and harnessing the associated topological conduction channels in engineered quantum or nano-devices., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

The One Health (OH) approach is used to control/prevent zoonotic events. However, there is a lack of tools for systematically assessing OH practices. Here, we applied the Global OH Index (GOHI) to evaluate the global OH performance for zoonoses (GOHI-Zoonoses). The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process algorithm and fuzzy comparison matrix were used to calculate the weights and scores of five key indicators, 16 subindicators, and 31 datasets for 160 countries and territories worldwide. The distribution of GOHI-Zoonoses scores varies significantly across countries and regions, reflecting the strengths and weaknesses in controlling or responding to zoonotic threats. Correlation analyses revealed that the GOHI-Zoonoses score was associated with economic, sociodemographic, environmental, climatic, and zoological factors. Additionally, the Human Development Index had a positive effect on the score. This study provides an evidence-based reference and guidance for global, regional, and country-level efforts to optimize the health of people, animals, and the environment., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Charge density wave (CDW) orders in vanadium-based kagome metals have recently received tremendous attention, yet their origin remains a topic of debate. The discovery of ScV 6 Sn 6 , a bilayer kagome metal featuring an intriguing [Formula: see text] CDW order, offers a novel platform to explore the underlying mechanism behind the unconventional CDW. Here, we combine high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, Raman scattering and density functional theory to investigate the electronic structure and phonon modes of ScV 6 Sn 6 . We identify topologically nontrivial surface states and multiple van Hove singularities (VHSs) in the vicinity of the Fermi level, with one VHS aligning with the in-plane component of the CDW vector near the [Formula: see text] point. Additionally, Raman measurements indicate a strong electron-phonon coupling, as evidenced by a two-phonon mode and new emergent modes. Our findings highlight the fundamental role of lattice degrees of freedom in promoting the CDW in ScV 6 Sn 6 ., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Charge ordered kagome lattices have been demonstrated to be intriguing platforms for studying the intertwining of topology, correlation, and magnetism. The recently discovered charge ordered kagome material ScV 6 Sn 6 does not feature a magnetic groundstate or excitations, thus it is often regarded as a conventional paramagnet. Here, using advanced muon-spin rotation spectroscopy, we uncover an unexpected hidden magnetism of the charge order. We observe an enhancement of the internal field width sensed by the muon ensemble, which takes place within the charge ordered state. More importantly, the muon spin relaxation rate below the charge ordering temperature is substantially enhanced by applying an external magnetic field. Taken together with the hidden magnetism found in AV 3 Sb 5 (A = K, Rb, Cs) and FeGe kagome systems, our results suggest ubiqitous time-reversal symmetry-breaking in charge ordered kagome lattices., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Small mammals serve as the main reservoir for Bartonella and as a proxy indicator of the potential risk of Bartonella transmission from nature to humans. They offer a valuable early warning for human infection. Nevertheless, geographical variations in the impact of the host on the occurrence of Bartonella infection are underestimated. This study was designed to investigate the infection characteristics of Bartonella and explore its species diversity in wild small mammals in western Yunnan Province, China., Methods: Wild small mammals were captured from Yulong, Jianchuan, and Lianghe counties in western Yunnan Province between 2015 and 2016. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to detect Bartonella infection, and the Bartonella species were identified by phylogenetic analysis. The factors associated with Bartonella infection in small mammals were analyzed by the Chi-square Test., Results: The prevalence of Bartonella in small mammals was 47.85% (768/1605). Lianghe County had the highest Bartonella infection rate, with 56.27% of the samples tested positive, followed by a rate of 50.91% was tested in Yulong County, and 39.97% in Jianchuan County ( p  < 0.001). Bartonella was detected positive in a total 25 small mammal species, with infection rates ranging from 2.17% to 100%. Niviventer fulvescens had the highest Bartonella infection rate. In comparison with the dominant small mammal species, Eothenomys mileyus had the lowest Bartonella infection rate than that in Apodemus chevrieri , Rattus tanezumi , and Apodemus draco ( p  < 0.001). Male small mammals had a higher infection rate than females ( p  < 0.05). The prevalence of Bartonella in small mammals during the summer season was higher compared to the other three seasons ( p  < 0.001). Woodland landscape had the highest Bartonella infection rate ( p  < 0.001). Bartonella rochalimae , B. japonica , B. tribocorum , B. washoensis , B. sylvatica , and B. rattimassiliensis were obtained from infected small mammals., Conclusion: This study showed a high prevalence of Bartonella was detected with various Bartonella species in small mammals in Yulong, Jianchuan, and Lianghe counties of western Yunnan Province. These findings hold significant scientific clues, providing valuable reference points for further research of Bartonella natural foci in Yunnan or other analogues environments., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Luo, Yu, Zhang, Liu, Hong, Hong, Ai, Zhu and Yin.)

Prion diseases are a group of transmissible neurodegenerative diseases primarily caused by the conformational conversion of prion protein (PrP) from α-helix-dominant cellular prion protein (PrP C ) to β-sheet-rich pathological aggregated form of PrP Sc in many mammalian species. Dogs exhibit resistance to prion diseases, but the mechanism behind the phenomenon remains poorly understood. Compared with human PrP and mouse PrP, dog PrP has two unique amino acid residues, Arg177 and Asp159. Because PrP C contains a low-complexity and intrinsically disordered region in its N-terminal domain, it undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in vitro and forms protein condensates. However, little is known about whether these two unique residues modulate the formation of PrP C condensates. Here, using confocal microscopy, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching assays, thioflavin T binding assays, and transmission electron microscopy, we report that Arg177 and Asp159 from the dog PrP slow the LLPS of full-length human PrP C , shifting the equilibrium phase boundary to higher protein concentrations and inhibit amyloid formation of the human protein. In sharp contrast, His177 and Asn159 from the human PrP enhance the LLPS of full-length dog PrP C , shifting the equilibrium phase boundary to lower protein concentrations, and promote fibril formation of the canid protein. Collectively, these results demonstrate how LLPS and amyloid formation of PrP are inhibited by a single residue Arg177 or Asp159 associated with prion disease resistance, and how LLPS and fibril formation of PrP are promoted by a single residue His177 or Asn159. Therefore, Arg177/His177 and Asp159/Asn159 are key residues in modulating PrP C liquid-phase condensation., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Kagome magnet has been found to be a fertile ground for the search of exotic quantum states in condensed matter. Arising from the unusual geometry, the quantum interactions in the kagome lattice give rise to various quantum states, including the Chern-gapped Dirac fermion, Weyl fermion, flat band and van Hove singularity. Here we review recent advances in the study of the R166 kagome magnet (RT 6 E 6 , R = rare earths; T = transition metals; and E = Sn, Ge, etc) whose crystal structure highlights the transition-metal-based kagome lattice and rare-earth sublattice. Compared with other kagome magnets, the R166 family owns the particularly strong interplays between the d electrons on the kagome site and the localized f electrons on the rare-earth site. In the form of spin-orbital coupling, exchange interaction and many-body effect, the quantum interactions play an essential role in the Berry curvature in both the reciprocal and real spaces of R166 family. We discuss the spectroscopic and transport visualization of the topological electrons hosted in the Mn kagome layer of RMn 6 Sn 6 and the various topological effects due to the quantum interactions, including the Chern-gap opening, the exchange-biased effect, the topological Hall effect and the emergent inductance. We hope this work serves as a guide for future explorations of quantum magnets., (© 2023 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

The intertwining between spin, charge, and lattice degrees of freedom can give rise to unusual macroscopic quantum states, including high-temperature superconductivity and quantum anomalous Hall effects. Recently, a charge density wave (CDW) has been observed in the kagome antiferromagnet FeGe, indicative of possible intertwining physics. An outstanding question is that whether magnetic correlation is fundamental for the spontaneous spatial symmetry breaking orders. Here, utilizing elastic and high-resolution inelastic x-ray scattering, we observe a c-axis superlattice vector that coexists with the 2[Formula: see text]2[Formula: see text]1 CDW vectors in the kagome plane. Most interestingly, between the magnetic and CDW transition temperatures, the phonon dynamical structure factor shows a giant phonon-energy hardening and a substantial phonon linewidth broadening near the c-axis wavevectors, both signaling the spin-phonon coupling. By first principles and model calculations, we show that both the static spin polarization and dynamic spin excitations intertwine with the phonon to drive the spatial symmetry breaking in FeGe., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

To reveal the effects of nitrogen (N) inputs and mowing on the abundance and richness of insect community in meadow steppe, we investigated the abundance and diversity of herbivorous insects under four treatments in Inner Mongolia meadow steppe in August 2022, including control, N addition, mowing, and combined N addition and mowing. At a long-term control experimental platform, we collected insects using the vacuum sampling method. The results showed that N addition significantly increased the abundance of herbivorous insects, and mowing significantly decreased the abundance of herbivorous insects. Nitrogen addition significantly increased insect abundance in unmown condition but not in the mown condition. The responses of insect abundance at the community level to N addition were mainly driven by the dominant groups, Cicadellidae and Lygaeidae, which was affected by the abundance of Gramineae species. In contrast, their responses to mowing were the opposite. Both N addition and mowing did not affect the diversity of herbivorous insects. Our results indicated that the responses of herbivorous insect abundance to N inputs and mowing were directly regulated by food resources. With increasing food resource availability, the abundance but not the diversity of herbivorous insects increased, with stronger responses of dominant groups than subordinate ones.

Recent experiments report a charge density wave (CDW) in the antiferromagnet FeGe, but the nature of the charge ordering and the associated structural distortion remains elusive. We discuss the structural and electronic properties of FeGe. Our proposed ground state phase accurately captures atomic topographies acquired by scanning tunneling microscopy. We show that the 2 × 2 × 1 CDW likely results from the Fermi surface nesting of hexagonal-prism-shaped kagome states. FeGe is found to exhibit distortions in the positions of the Ge atoms instead of the Fe atoms in the kagome layers. Using in-depth first-principles calculations and analytical modeling, we demonstrate that this unconventional distortion is driven by the intertwining of magnetic exchange coupling and CDW interactions in this kagome material. The movement of Ge atoms from their pristine positions also enhances the magnetic moment of the Fe kagome layers. Our study indicates that magnetic kagome lattices provide a material candidate for exploring the effects of strong electronic correlations on the ground state and their implications for transport, magnetic, and optical responses in materials.

The century-long development of surface sciences has witnessed the discoveries of a variety of quantum states. In the recently proposed "obstructed atomic insulators", symmetric charges are pinned at virtual sites where no real atoms reside. The cleavage through these sites could lead to a set of obstructed surface states with partial electronic occupation. Here, utilizing scanning tunneling microscopy, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and first-principles calculations, we observe spectroscopic signature of obstructed surface states in SrIn 2 P 2 . We find that a pair of surface states that are originated from the pristine obstructed surface states split in energy by a unique surface reconstruction. The upper branch is marked with a striking differential conductance peak followed by negative differential conductance, signaling its localized nature, while the lower branch is found to be highly dispersive. This pair of surface states is in consistency with our calculational results. Our finding not only demonstrates a surface quantum state induced by a new type of bulk-boundary correspondence, but also provides a platform for exploring efficient catalysts and related surface engineering., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The newly discovered kagome superconductors represent a promising platform for investigating the interplay between band topology, electronic order and lattice geometry 1-9 . Despite extensive research efforts on this system, the nature of the superconducting ground state remains elusive 10-17 . In particular, consensus on the electron pairing symmetry has not been achieved so far 18-20 , in part owing to the lack of a momentum-resolved measurement of the superconducting gap structure. Here we report the direct observation of a nodeless, nearly isotropic and orbital-independent superconducting gap in the momentum space of two exemplary CsV 3 Sb 5 -derived kagome superconductors-Cs(V 0.93 Nb 0.07 ) 3 Sb 5 and Cs(V 0.86 Ta 0.14 ) 3 Sb 5 -using ultrahigh-resolution and low-temperature angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Remarkably, such a gap structure is robust to the appearance or absence of charge order in the normal state, tuned by isovalent Nb/Ta substitutions of V. Our comprehensive characterizations of the superconducting gap provide indispensable information on the electron pairing symmetry of kagome superconductors, and advance our understanding of the superconductivity and intertwined electronic orders in quantum materials., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can involve persistence, sequelae, and other clinical complications that last weeks to months to evolve into long COVID-19. Exploratory studies have suggested that interleukin-6 (IL-6) is related to COVID-19; however, the correlation between IL-6 and long COVID-19 is unknown. We designed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the relationship between IL-6 levels and long COVID-19., Methods: Databases were systematically searched for articles with data on long COVID-19 and IL-6 levels published before September 2022. A total of 22 published studies were eligible for inclusion following the PRISMA guidelines. Analysis of data was undertaken by using Cochran's Q test and the Higgins I-squared (I 2 ) statistic for heterogeneity. Random-effect meta-analyses were conducted to pool the IL-6 levels of long COVID-19 patients and to compare the differences in IL-6 levels among the long COVID-19, healthy, non-postacute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (non-PASC), and acute COVID-19 populations. The funnel plot and Egger's test were used to assess potential publication bias. Sensitivity analysis was used to test the stability of the results., Results: An increase in IL-6 levels was observed after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The pooled estimate of IL-6 revealed a mean value of 20.92 pg/ml (95% CI = 9.30-32.54 pg/ml, I 2  = 100%, P < 0.01) for long COVID-19 patients. The forest plot showed high levels of IL-6 for long COVID-19 compared with healthy controls (mean difference = 9.75 pg/ml, 95% CI = 5.75-13.75 pg/ml, I 2  = 100%, P < 0.00001) and PASC category (mean difference = 3.32 pg/ml, 95% CI = 0.22-6.42 pg/ml, I 2  = 88%, P = 0.04). The symmetry of the funnel plots was not obvious, and Egger's test showed that there was no significant small study effect in all groups., Conclusions: This study showed that increased IL-6 correlates with long COVID-19. Such an informative revelation suggests IL-6 as a basic determinant to predict long COVID-19 or at least inform on the "early stage" of long COVID-19., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The spacetime light cone is central to the definition of causality in the theory of relativity. Recently, links between relativistic and condensed matter physics have been uncovered, where relativistic particles can emerge as quasiparticles in the energy-momentum space of matter. Here, we unveil an energy-momentum analogue of the spacetime light cone by mapping time to energy, space to momentum, and the light cone to the Weyl cone. We show that two Weyl quasiparticles can only interact to open a global energy gap if they lie in each other's energy-momentum dispersion cones-analogous to two events that can only have a causal connection if they lie in each other's light cones. Moreover, we demonstrate that the causality of surface chiral modes in quantum matter is entangled with the causality of bulk Weyl fermions. Furthermore, we identify a unique quantum horizon region and an associated 'thick horizon' in the emergent causal structure., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The author declares that he has no conflict of interest.