The field-free Josephson diode in a van der Waals heterostructure.

The superconducting analogue to the semiconducting diode, the Josephson diode, has long been sought with multiple avenues to realization being proposed by theorists1-3. Showing magnetic-field-free, single-directional superconductivity with Josephson coupling, it would serve as the building block for next-generation superconducting circuit technology. Here we realized the Josephson diode by fabricating an inversion symmetry breaking van der Waals heterostructure of NbSe2/Nb3Br8/NbSe2. We demonstrate that even without a magnetic field, the junction can be superconducting with a positive current while being resistive with a negative current. The ΔIc behaviour (the difference between positive and negative critical currents) with magnetic field is symmetric and Josephson coupling is proved through the Fraunhofer pattern. Also, stable half-wave rectification of a square-wave excitation was achieved with a very low switching current density, high rectification ratio and high robustness. This non-reciprocal behaviour strongly violates the known Josephson relations and opens the door to discover new mechanisms and physical phenomena through integration of quantum materials with Josephson junctions, and provides new avenues for superconducting quantum devices.

Crystal Growth and Physical Properties of Hybrid CoSn-YCo6Ge6 Structure Type LnxCo3(Ge1-ySny)3 (Ln = Y, Gd).

There is an ongoing interest in kagome materials because they offer tunable platforms at the intersection of magnetism and electron correlation. Herein, we examine single crystals of new kagome materials, LnxCo3(Ge1-ySny)3 (Ln = Y, Gd; y = 0.11, 0.133), which were produced using the Sn flux-growth method. Unlike many of the related chemical analogues with the LnM6X6 formula (M = transition metal and X = Ge, Sn), the Y and Gd analogues crystallize in a hybrid YCo6Ge6/CoSn structure, with Sn substitution. While the Y analogue displays temperature-independent paramagnetism, magnetic measurements of the Gd analogue reveal a magnetic moment of 8.48 µB, indicating a contribution from both Gd and Co. Through anisotropic magnetic measurements, the direction of Co-magnetism can be inferred to be in plane with the kagome net, as the Co contribution is only along H//a. Crystal growth and structure determination of YxCo3(Ge,Sn)3 and GdxCo3(Ge,Sn)3, two new hybrid kagome materials of the CoSn and YCo6Ge6 structure types. Magnetic properties, heat capacity, and resistivity on single crystals are reported.

Incidental Prostate Cancer: A 23-Year Review Of A Tertiary Care Hospital.

Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed malignancy in men worldwide. The prevalence has been increasing with significant differences between regions. This study assesses the prevalence of incidental prostate cancer detected in specimens removed during bladder outlet obstruction operation. A retrospective analysis of the records of patients who had either endoscopic or open prostatectomy from January 1998 to December 2021 was conducted. The variables analysed were age, procedure, date of surgery, and Gleason score. A total of 2,842 patients underwent surgery on the prostate gland during the study period. Most of the patients, i.e. 2,733 (96.2%), were pathologically diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia, while only 110 (3.9%) had prostate cancer. The frequency of incidental prostate cancer following surgery for bladder outlet obstruction has decreased over the last two decades at our centre, possibly because of an increase in PSA testing.

SELWAK: A Secure and Efficient Lightweight and Anonymous Authentication and Key Establishment Scheme for IoT Based Vehicular Ad hoc Networks.

In recent decades, Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANET) have emerged as a promising field that provides real-time communication between vehicles for comfortable driving and human safety. However, the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) platform faces some serious problems in the deployment of robust authentication mechanisms in resource-constrained environments and directly affects the efficiency of existing VANET schemes. Moreover, the security of the information becomes a critical issue over an open wireless access medium. In this paper, an efficient and secure lightweight anonymous mutual authentication and key establishment (SELWAK) for IoT-based VANETs is proposed. The proposed scheme requires two types of mutual authentication: V2V and V2R. In addition, SELWAK maintains secret keys for secure communication between Roadside Units (RSUs). The performance evaluation of SELWAK affirms that it is lightweight in terms of computational cost and communication overhead because SELWAK uses a bitwise Exclusive-OR operation and one-way hash functions. The formal and informal security analysis of SELWAK shows that it is robust against man-in-the-middle attacks, replay attacks, stolen verifier attacks, stolen OBU attacks, untraceability, impersonation attacks, and anonymity. Moreover, a formal security analysis is presented using the Real-or-Random (RoR) model.

SNPs at 3'UTR of APOL1 and miR-6741-3p target sites associated with kidney diseases more susceptible to SARS-COV-2 infection: in silco and in vitro studies.

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a common manifestation of COVID-19 and several cases have been reported in the setting of the high-risk APOL1 genotype (common genetic variants). This increases the likelihood that African American people with the high-risk genotype APOL1 are at increased risk for kidney disease in the COVID-19 environment. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are found in various microRNAs (miRNAs) and target genes change the miRNA activity that leads to different diseases. Evidence has shown that SNPs increase/decrease the effectiveness of the interaction between miRNAs and disease-related target genes. The aim of this study is not only to identify miRSNPs on the APOL1 gene and SNPs in miRNA genes targeting 3'UTR but also to evaluate the effect of these gene variations in kidney patients and their association with SARS-COV-2 infection. In 3'UTR of the APOL1 gene, we detected 96 miRNA binding sites and 35 different SNPs with 10 different online software in the binding sites of the miRNA (in silico). Also we studied gene expression of patients and control samples by using qRT-PCR (in vitro). In silico study, the binding site of miR-6741-3p on APOL1 has two SNPs (rs1288875001, G > C; rs1452517383, A > C) on APOL1 3'UTR, and its genomic sequence is the same nucleotide as rs1288875001. Similarly, two other SNPs (rs1142591, T > A; rs376326225, G > A) were identified in the binding sites of miR-6741-3p at the first position. Here, the miRSNP (rs1288875001) in APOL1 3'UTR and SNP (rs376326225) in the miR-6741-3p genomic sequence are cross-matched in the same binding region. In vitro study, the relative expression levels were calculated by the 2-ΔΔCt method & Mann-Whitney U test. The expression of APOL1 gene was different in chronic kidney patients along with COVID-19. By these results, APOL1 expression was found lower in patients than healthy (p < 0.05) in kidney patients along with COVID-19. In addition, miR-6741-3p targets many APOL1-related genes (TLR7, SLC6A19, IL-6,10,18, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5, SWT1, NFYB, BRF1, HES2, NFYB, MED12L, MAFG, GTF2H5, TRAF3, angiotensin II receptor-associated protein, PRSS23) by evaluating online software in the binding sites of the miR-6741-3p. miR-6741-3p has not previously shown any association with kidney diseases and SARS-COV-2 infection. It assures that APOL1 can have a significant consequence in kidney-associated diseases by different pathways. Henceforth, this study represents and demonstrates an effective association between miR-6741-3p and kidney diseases, i.e., collapsing glomerulopathy, chronic kidney disease (CKD), acute kidney injury (AKI), and tubulointerstitial lesions susceptibility to SARS-COV-2 infection via in silico and in vitro exploration and recommended to have better insight.

Evidence of higher-order topology in multilayer WTe2 from Josephson coupling through anisotropic hinge states.

Td-WTe2 (non-centrosymmetric and orthorhombic), a type-II Weyl semimetal, is expected to have higher-order topological phases with topologically protected, helical one-dimensional hinge states when its Weyl points are annihilated. However, the detection of these hinge states is difficult due to the semimetallic behaviour of the bulk. In this study, we have spatially resolved the hinge states by analysing the magnetic field interference of the supercurrent in Nb-WTe2-Nb proximity Josephson junctions. The Josephson current along the a axis of the WTe2 crystal, but not along the b axis, showed a sharp enhancement at the edges of the junction, and the amount of enhanced Josephson current was comparable to the upper limits of a single one-dimensional helical channel. Our experimental observations suggest a higher-order topological phase in WTe2 and its corresponding anisotropic topological hinge states, in agreement with theoretical calculations. Our work paves the way for the study of hinge states in topological transition-metal dichalcogenides and analogous phases.

Author Correction: Evidence of higher-order topology in multilayer WTe2 from Josephson coupling through anisotropic hinge states.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Field-Modulated Anomalous Hall Conductivity and Planar Hall Effect in Co3Sn2S2 Nanoflakes.

Time-reversal-symmetry-breaking Weyl semimetals (WSMs) have attracted great attention recently because of the interplay between intrinsic magnetism and topologically nontrivial electrons. Here, we present anomalous Hall and planar Hall effect studies on Co3Sn2S2 nanoflakes, a magnetic WSM hosting stacked Kagome lattice. The reduced thickness modifies the magnetic properties of the nanoflake, resulting in a 15-time larger coercive field compared with the bulk, and correspondingly modifies the transport properties. A 22% enhancement of the intrinsic anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC), as compared to bulk material, was observed. A magnetic field-modulated AHC, which may be related to the changing Weyl point separation with magnetic field, was also found. Furthermore, we showed that the PHE in a hard magnetic WSM is a complex interplay between ferromagnetism, orbital magnetoresistance, and chiral anomaly. Our findings pave the way for a further understanding of exotic transport features in the burgeoning field of magnetic topological phases.

Lipoic Acid Combined with Melatonin Mitigates Oxidative Stress and Promotes Root Formation and Growth in Salt-Stressed Canola Seedlings (Brassica napus L.).

Lipoic acid (LA) and melatonin (MT) are pleiotropic molecules participating in plant stress resistance by modulating cellular biochemical changes, ion homeostasis, and antioxidant enzyme activities. However, the combined role of these two molecules in counteracting the detrimental impacts of salinity stress is still unknown. In the present study, we determined the effects of exogenous LA (0.5 µM), MT (1 µM) and their combination (LA + MT) on growth performance and biomass accumulation, photosynthetic pigments, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities, and ions homeostatic in canola (Brassica napus L.) seedlings under salinity stress (0, 100 mM) for 40 days. The results indicate that exogenous application of LA + MT improved the phenotypic growth (by 25 to 45%), root thickness (by 68%), number of later lateral roots (by 52%), root viability (by 44%), and root length (by 50%) under salinity stress. Moreover, total soluble protein, chlorophyll pigments, the concentration of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase peroxidase (CAT), and ascorbic peroxidase (ASA) increased with the presence of salt concentration into the growth media and then decreased with the addition of LA + MT to saline solution. Leaf protein contents and the degradation of photosynthetic pigments were lower when LA + MT treatments were added into NaCl media. The proline and phenol contents decreased in the exogenous application of LA + MT treatments more than individual LA or MT treatments under the salinity stress. The incorporation of LA or MT or a combination of LA + MT to saline solution decreased salinity-induced malondialdehyde and electrolyte leakage. In conclusion, the alteration of metabolic pathways, redox modulation, and ions homeostasis in plant tissues by the combined LA and MT application are helpful towards the adaptation of Brassica napus L. seedlings in a saline environment. The results of this study provide, for the first time, conclusive evidence about the protective role of exogenous LA + MT in canola seedlings under salinity stress.

Large, non-saturating magnetoresistance in WTe2.

Magnetoresistance is the change in a material's electrical resistance in response to an applied magnetic field. Materials with large magnetoresistance have found use as magnetic sensors, in magnetic memory, and in hard drives at room temperature, and their rarity has motivated many fundamental studies in materials physics at low temperatures. Here we report the observation of an extremely large positive magnetoresistance at low temperatures in the non-magnetic layered transition-metal dichalcogenide WTe2: 452,700 per cent at 4.5 kelvins in a magnetic field of 14.7 teslas, and 13 million per cent at 0.53 kelvins in a magnetic field of 60 teslas. In contrast with other materials, there is no saturation of the magnetoresistance value even at very high applied fields. Determination of the origin and consequences of this effect, and the fabrication of thin films, nanostructures and devices based on the extremely large positive magnetoresistance of WTe2, will represent a significant new direction in the study of magnetoresistivity.

Proposal to Detect Dark Matter using Axionic Topological Antiferromagnets.

Antiferromagnetically doped topological insulators (ATI) are among the candidates to host dynamical axion fields and axion polaritons, weakly interacting quasiparticles that are analogous to the dark axion, a long sought after candidate dark matter particle. Here we demonstrate that using the axion quasiparticle antiferromagnetic resonance in ATIs in conjunction with low-noise methods of detecting THz photons presents a viable route to detect axion dark matter with a mass of 0.7 to 3.5 meV, a range currently inaccessible to other dark matter detection experiments and proposals. The benefits of this method at high frequency are the tunability of the resonance with applied magnetic field, and the use of ATI samples with volumes much larger than 1 mm^{3}.

Ultrahigh mobility and giant magnetoresistance in the Dirac semimetal Cd3As2.

Dirac and Weyl semimetals are 3D analogues of graphene in which crystalline symmetry protects the nodes against gap formation. Na3Bi and Cd3As2 were predicted to be Dirac semimetals, and recently confirmed to be so by photoemission experiments. Several novel transport properties in a magnetic field have been proposed for Dirac semimetals. Here, we report a property of Cd3As2 that was unpredicted, namely a remarkable protection mechanism that strongly suppresses backscattering in zero magnetic field. In single crystals, the protection results in ultrahigh mobility, 9 × 10(6) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) at 5 K. Suppression of backscattering results in a transport lifetime 10(4) times longer than the quantum lifetime. The lifting of this protection by the applied magnetic field leads to a very large magnetoresistance. We discuss how this may relate to changes to the Fermi surface induced by the applied magnetic field.

Rifampicin resistance mutations in the 81 bp RRDR of rpoB gene in Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates using Xpert MTB/RIF in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a major public health problem especially in developing countries. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends use of Xpert MTB/RIF assay to simultaneously detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and rifampicin (RIF) resistance. The primary objective of this study was to determine the frequency of MDR-TB in patients suspected to have drug resistance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The frequency of probes for various rpoB gene mutations using Xpert MTB/RIF assay within 81 bp RRDR (Rifampicin Resistance Determining Region) was the secondary objective. METHODS: A total of 2391 specimens, received at Programmatic Management of Drug Resistant TB (PMDT) Unit, Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) Peshawar, Pakistan, between October 2011 and December 2014, were analyzed by Xpert MTB/RIF test. MTB positive with rifampicin resistance were further analyzed to first line anti-mycobacterial drug susceptibility testing (DST) using middle brook 7H10 medium. The data was analyzed using statistical software; SPSS version 18. RESULTS: Out of 2391 specimens, 1408 (59 %) were found positive for MTB and among them, 408 (29 %) showed rifampicin-resistance with four different rpoB gene mutations within 81 bp RRDR. The frequency of various probes among RIF-resistant isolates was observed as: probe E, in 314 out of 408 isolates; B, 44 out of 408; A, 5 out of 408; D, 34 out of 408; and probe C was observed among 6 out of 408 RIF-resistant isolates. The probe A&B and E&D mutation combination was found in only 1 isolate in each case, while B&D mutation combination was detected among 3 out of 408 RIF-resistant isolates. CONCLUSIONS: Hence, it is concluded from our study on a selected population, 29 % of patients had MDR-TB. Probe E related mutations (also known as codon 531and 533) were the most common rpoB genetic mutation [314 (77 %)], acknowledged by Xpert MTB/RIF assay. Least mutation was detected within the sequence 511 (1.2 %).

Intrinsic disorder in graphene on transition metal dichalcogenide heterostructures.

Semiconducting transition metal dichalchogenides (TMDs) are a family of van der Waals bonded materials that have recently received interest as alternative substrates to hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) for graphene, as well as for components in novel graphene-based device heterostructures. We elucidate the local structural and electronic properties of graphene on TMD heterostructures through scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy measurements. We find that crystalline defects intrinsic to TMDs induce substantial electronic scattering and charge carrier density fluctuations in the graphene. These signatures of local disorder explain the significant degradation of graphene device mobilities using TMD substrates, particularly compared to similar graphene on hBN devices.

Electronic structure basis for the extraordinary magnetoresistance in WTe2.

The electronic structure basis of the extremely large magnetoresistance in layered nonmagnetic tungsten ditelluride has been investigated by angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. Hole and electron pockets of approximately the same size were found at low temperatures, suggesting that carrier compensation should be considered the primary source of the effect. The material exhibits a highly anisotropic Fermi surface from which the pronounced anisotropy of the magnetoresistance follows. A change in the Fermi surface with temperature was found and a high-density-of-states band that may take over conduction at higher temperatures and cause the observed turn-on behavior of the magnetoresistance in WTe2 was identified.

Structure and magnetic properties of the spin-1/2-based honeycomb NaNi2BiO(6-δ) and its hydrate NaNi2BiO(6-δ)·1.7H2O.

We present the structure and magnetic properties of the honeycomb anhydrate NaNi2BiO6-δ and its monolayer hydrate NaNi2BiO6-δ·1.7H2O, synthesized by deintercalation of the layered α-NaFeO2-type honeycomb compound Na3Ni2BiO6. The anhydrate adopts ABAB-type oxygen packing and a one-layer hexagonal unit cell, whereas the hydrate adopts an oxygen packing sequence based on a three-layer rhombohedral subcell. The metal-oxide layer separations are 5.7 Å in the anhydrate and 7.1 Å in the hydrate, making the hydrate a quasi 2-D honeycomb system. The compounds were characterized through single crystal diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and elemental analysis. Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements show both to have negative Weiss temperatures (-18.5 and -14.6 K, respectively) and similar magnetic moments (2.21 and 2.26 µB/Ni, respectively), though the field-dependent magnetization and heat capacity data suggest subtle differences in their magnetic behavior. The magnetic moments per Ni are relatively high, which we suggest is due to the presence of a mixture of Ni(2+) and Ni(3+) caused by oxygen vacancies.

The crystal and electronic structures of Cd(3)As(2), the three-dimensional electronic analogue of graphene.

The structure of Cd3As2, a high-mobility semimetal reported to host electrons that act as Dirac particles, is reinvestigated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It is found to be centrosymmetric rather than noncentrosymmetric as previously reported. It has a distorted superstructure of the antifluorite (M2X) structure type with a tetragonal unit cell of a = 12.633(3) and c = 25.427(7) Å in the centrosymmetric I41/acd space group. The antifluorite superstructure can be envisioned as consisting of distorted Cd6□2 cubes (where □ = an empty cube vertex) in parallel columns, stacked with opposing chirality. Electronic structure calculations performed using the experimentally determined centrosymmetric structure are similar to those performed with the inversion symmetry absent but with the important implication that Cd3As2 is a three-dimensional (3D)-Dirac semimetal with no spin splitting; all bands are spin degenerate and there is a 4-fold degenerate bulk Dirac point at the Fermi energy along Γ-Z in the Brillouin zone. This makes Cd3As2 a 3D electronic analogue of graphene. Scanning tunneling microscopy experiments identify a 2 × 2 surface reconstruction in the (112) cleavage plane of single crystals; needle crystals grow with a [110] long axis direction.

Prediction of CO2 solubility in Ionic liquids for CO2 capture using deep learning models.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are highly effective for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2). The prediction of CO2 solubility in ILs is crucial for optimizing CO2 capture processes. This study investigates the use of deep learning models for CO2 solubility prediction in ILs with a comprehensive dataset of 10,116 CO2 solubility data in 164 kinds of ILs under different temperature and pressure conditions. Deep neural network models, including Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), were developed to predict CO2 solubility in ILs. The ANN and LSTM models demonstrated robust test accuracy in predicting CO2 solubility, with coefficient of determination (R2) values of 0.986 and 0.985, respectively. Both model's computational efficiency and cost were investigated, and the ANN model achieved reliable accuracy with a significantly lower computational time (approximately 30 times faster) than the LSTM model. A global sensitivity analysis (GSA) was performed to assess the influence of process parameters and associated functional groups on CO2 solubility. The sensitivity analysis results provided insights into the relative importance of input attributes on output variables (CO2 solubility) in ILs. The findings highlight the significant potential of deep learning models for streamlining the screening process of ILs for CO2 capture applications.

Structure and magnetic properties of the α-NaFeO2-type honeycomb compound Na3Ni2BiO6.

We present the structure and magnetic properties of Na3Ni2BiO6, which is an ordered variant of the α-NaFeO2 structure type. This layered compound has a 2:1 ordering of (Ni(2+)/Bi(5+))O6 octahedra within the a-b plane and sodium in octahedra between the layers. The structure is presented in the space group C2/m, determined through a combination of single crystal X-ray, powder neutron, and powder X-ray diffraction. Temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements show Na3Ni2BiO6 to display long-range antiferromagnetic ordering below 11 K, despite the dominance of ferromagnetic interactions above TN as indicated by a positive Weiss constant. Heat capacity measurements and low-temperature neutron diffraction support the magnetic ordering and are consistent with a TN of 10.4 K. A magnetic phase can be refined with (010) antiferromagnetic ordering along the b-axis in the honeycomb layer and moments aligned parallel to c. The compounds Na3Mg2BiO6 and Na3Zn2BiO6, synthesized as nonmagnetic analogues of Na3Ni2BiO6, are briefly described.

Stone clearance and complication rate of micro percutaneous nephrolithotomy and retrograde intrarenal surgery for lower pole renal stone: A randomized trial.

Background: The use of unhealthy food and a sedentary lifestyle increases daily health problems. Renal stones are one among others. Endourology promises the minimum complications and the highest stone clearance rate. Indications of the two procedures overlap micro-PCNL and RIRS. The objective was to evaluate stone clearance and complication rate of micro-PCNL and RIRS for lower pole renal stones. Methods: The research design of this study was a randomized trial and was done after approval of the ethical review committee. The sampling technique was consecutive sampling at the Urology department. Patients included in the study according to inclusion criteria were 96 in number. Randomization into two groups (RIRS vs micro-PCNL) was done by even odd method. All the procedure was done by a single senior urologist. Results: Their ratio among males and females was 2:1. Mean LOS in the RIRS group was 2.89±0.86 days and in the micro-PCNL group 2.58±0.65 days (p=0.047). The complication rate in the RIRS group was 6.2% and 8.3% in micro-PCNL (p=0.695). Mean post-operative haemoglobin was 12.30±1.07 g/dL among the RIRS group and among the micro-PCNL group it was 11.21±1.08 g/dL (p<0.001). There was an average haemoglobin drop in the micro-PCNL group of 1.09±0.01 g/dL. 75% clearance of stone after one session was achieved in the RIRS group while 79.2% was achieved in the micro-PCNL group (p=0.627). Conclusion: Length of hospital stay (LOS) and stone clearance rate (SFR) were similar in both groups with insignificant statistical differences. There is a need to conduct more studies with a large number of study participants and involving multi-centers.