Evidence for time-reversal symmetry-breaking kagome superconductivity.

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)3Sb5, 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.

Raman spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics for identification of adulteration and fraud in muscle foods: a review.

Muscle foods, valued for their significant nutrient content such as high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals, are vulnerable to adulteration and fraud, stemming from dishonest vendor practices and insufficient market oversight. Traditional analytical methods, often limited to laboratory-scale., may not effectively detect adulteration and fraud in complex applications. Raman spectroscopy (RS), encompassing techniques like Surface-enhanced RS (SERS), Dispersive RS (DRS), Fourier transform RS (FTRS), Resonance Raman spectroscopy (RRS), and Spatially offset RS (SORS) combined with chemometrics, presents a potent approach for both qualitative and quantitative analysis of muscle food adulteration. This technology is characterized by its efficiency, rapidity, and noninvasive nature. This paper systematically summarizes and comparatively analyzes RS technology principles, emphasizing its practicality and efficacy in detecting muscle food adulteration and fraud when combined with chemometrics. The paper also discusses the existing challenges and future prospects in this field, providing essential insights for reviews and scientific research in related fields.

Role of Emerin in regulating fibroblast differentiation and migration at the substrate of stiffness coupled topology.

In hypertrophic scars, the differentiation and migration of fibroblasts are influenced by the extracellular matrix microenvironment, which includes factors such as stiffness, restraint, and tensile force. These mechanical stresses incite alterations in cell behavior, accompanied by cytoskeletal protein reorganization. However, the role of nucleo-skeletal proteins in this context remains underexplored. In this study, we use a polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAA) to simulate the mechanical stress experienced by cells in scar tissue and investigate the impact of Emerin on cell behavior. We utilize atomic force microscopy (AFM) and RNA interference technology to analyze cell differentiation, migration, and stiffness. Our findings reveal that rigid substrates and cellular restriction elevate Emerin expression and diminish differentiation. Conversely, reducing Emerin expression leads to attenuated cell differentiation, where stiffness and constraining factors exert no notable influence. Furthermore, a softening of cells and an enhanced migration rate are also markedly observed. These observations indicate that variations in nuclear skeletal proteins, prompted by diverse matrix microenvironments, play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of hypertrophic scars (HSs). This research offers novel insights and a reference point for understanding scar fibrosis formation mechanisms and preventing fibrosis.

Observation of Electronic Nematicity Driven by the Three-Dimensional Charge Density Wave in Kagome Lattice KV3Sb5.

Kagome superconductors AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, Cs) provide a fertile playground for studying intriguing phenomena, including nontrivial band topology, superconductivity, giant anomalous Hall effect, and charge density wave (CDW). Recently, a C2 symmetric nematic phase prior to the superconducting state in AV3Sb5 drew enormous attention due to its potential inheritance of the symmetry of the unusual superconductivity. However, direct evidence of the rotation symmetry breaking of the electronic structure in the CDW state from the reciprocal space is still rare, and the underlying mechanism remains ambiguous. The observation shows unconventional unidirectionality, indicative of rotation symmetry breaking from six-fold to two-fold. The interlayer coupling between adjacent planes with π-phase offset in the 2 × 2 × 2 CDW phase leads to the preferred two-fold symmetric electronic structure. These rarely observed unidirectional back-folded bands in KV3Sb5 may provide important insights into its peculiar charge order and superconductivity.

Exosomes Derived from Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote Regeneration of Injured Liver in Minipigs.

Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) is an important factor affecting liver regeneration and functional recovery postoperatively. Many studies have suggested that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) contribute to hepatic tissue repair and functional recovery through paracrine mechanisms mediated by exosomes. Minipigs exhibit much more similar characteristics of the liver to those of humans than rodents. This study aimed to explore whether exosomes from adipose-derived MSCs (ADSCs-exo) could actively promote liver regeneration after hepatectomy combined with HIRI in minipigs and the role they play in the cell proliferation process. This study also compared the effects and differences in the role of ADSCs and ADSCs-exo in the inflammatory response and liver regeneration. The results showed that ADSCs-exo suppressed histopathological changes and reduced inflammatory infiltration in the liver; significantly decreased levels of ALT, TBIL, HA, and the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and CRP; increased levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and the pro-regeneration factors Ki67, PCNA, CyclinD1, HGF, STAT3, VEGF, ANG1, ANG2; and decreased levels of the anti-regeneration factors SOCS3 and TGF-ß. These indicators above showed similar changes with the ADSCs intervention group. Indicating that ADSCs-exo can exert the same role as ADSCs in regulating inflammatory responses and promoting liver regeneration. Our findings provide experimental evidence for the possibility that ADSCs-exo could be considered a safe and effective cell-free therapy to promote regeneration of injured livers.

Developing active and intelligent biodegradable packaging from food waste and byproducts: A review of sources, properties, film production methods, and their application in food preservation.

Food waste and byproducts (FWBP) are a global issue impacting economies, resources, and health. Recycling and utilizing these wastes, due to processing and economic constraints, face various challenges. However, valuable components in food waste inspire efficient solutions like active intelligent packaging. Though research on this is booming, its material selectivity, effectiveness, and commercial viability require further analysis. This paper categorizes FWBP and explores their potential for producing packaging from both animal and plant perspectives. In addition, the preparation/fabrication methods of these films/coatings have also been summarized comprehensively, focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of these methods and their commercial adaptability. Finally, the functions of these films/coatings and their ultimate performance in protecting food (meat, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables) are also reviewed systematically. FWBP provide a variety of methods for the application of edible films, including being made into coatings, films, and fibers for food preservation, or extracting active substances directly or indirectly from them (in the form of encapsulation) and adding them to packaging to endow them with functions such as barrier, antibacterial, antioxidant, and pH response. In addition, the casting method is the most commonly used method for producing edible films, but more film production methods (extrusion, electrospinning, 3D printing) need to be tried to make up for the shortcomings of the current methods. Finally, researchers need to conduct more in-depth research on various active compounds from FWBP to achieve better application effects and commercial adaptability.

Interactive effects of users' openness and robot reliability on trust: evidence from psychological intentions, task performance, visual behaviours, and cerebral activations.

Although trust plays a vital role in human-robot interaction, there is currently a dearth of literature examining the effect of users' openness personality on trust in actual interaction. This study aims to investigate the interaction effects of users' openness and robot reliability on trust. We designed a voice-based walking task and collected subjective trust ratings, task metrics, eye-tracking data, and fNIRS signals from users with different openness to unravel the psychological intentions, task performance, visual behaviours, and cerebral activations underlying trust. The results showed significant interaction effects. Users with low openness exhibited lower subjective trust, more fixations, and higher activation of rTPJ in the highly reliable condition than those with high openness. The results suggested that users with low openness might be more cautious and suspicious about the highly reliable robot and allocate more visual attention and neural processing to monitor and infer robot status than users with high openness.

The study could deepen practitioners' understanding of the effect of openness on trust in robots by examining the psychological intention, task performance, visual behaviours, and physiological activations. Moreover, the interaction effect could provide guidelines for designing robots adaptive to users' personalities, and the multimodal method would be practical for measuring trust in interaction.

ADSCs-exo attenuates hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury after hepatectomy by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress and inflammation.

Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury commonly occurs during liver surgery. Exosomes from adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs-exo) induce a hepatoprotective effect during hepatic I/R injury. This study aimed to investigate the possible mechanism by which ADSCs-exo attenuates hepatic I/R injury in rats. Rats were randomly divided into four groups: Sham, I30R + PH, ADSCs, and ADSCs-exo groups. Liver tissues were collected immediately after 24 h of reperfusion for further analyses. The content of inflammatory factors in liver tissue was detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The pathological changes in liver tissue were analyzed using HE staining. Transmission electron microscopy was used to visualize the ultrastructural changes of hepatocytes. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot analysis were used to detect the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-related genes and proteins. Liver histomorphology and hepatocyte ultrastructure changes improved after ADSCs-exo treatment. Moreover, ADSCs-exo treatment significantly downregulated tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and IL-6 levels while upregulating IL-10 levels. Western blot analysis suggested that the protein expressions of GRP78, p-PERK, p-eIF2α, p-IRE1α, XBP1s, ATF-6, ATF-4, CHOP, p-JNK, cleaved-Caspase-3, cleaved Caspase-9, and cleaved Caspase-12 significantly decreased after ADSCs-exo treatment. RT-qPCR results demonstrated that mRNA expression of GRP78, IRE1α, XBP1, ATF-6, ATF-4, CHOP, JNK, Caspase-3, Caspase-9, and Caspase-12 markedly reduced after ADSCs-exo treatment. In conclusion, ADSCs-exo protects against hepatic I/R injury after hepatectomy by inhibiting ERS and inflammation. Therefore, ADSCs-exo can be considered as a viable option for the treatment of hepatic I/R injury.

MIR-107/HMGB1/FGF-2 axis responds to excessive mechanical stretch to promote rapid repair of vascular endothelial cells.

The increase of vascular wall tension can lead to endothelial injury during hypertension, but its potential mechanism remains to be studied. Our results of previous study showed that HUVECs could induce changes in HMGB1/RAGE to resist abnormal mechanical environments in pathological mechanical stretching. In this study, we applied two different kinds of mechanical tension to endothelial cells using the in vitro mechanical loading system FlexCell-5000T and focused on exploring the expression of miR-107 related pathways in HUVECs with excessive mechanical tension. The results showed that miR-107 negatively regulated the expression of the HMGB1/RAGE axis under excessive mechanical tension. Excessive mechanical stretching reduced the expression of miR-107 in HUVECs, and increased the expression of the HMGB1/RAGE axis. When miR-107 analog was transfected into HUVECs with lipo3000 reagent, the overexpression of miR-107 slowed down the increase of the HMGB1/RAGE axis caused by excessive mechanical stretching. At the same time, the overexpression of miR-107 inhibited the proliferation and migration of HUVECs to a certain extent. On the contrary, when miR-107 was silent, the proliferation and migration of HUVECs showed an upward trend. In addition, the study also showed that under excessive mechanical tension, miR-107 could regulate the expression of FGF-2 by HMGB1. In conclusion, these findings suggest that pathological mechanical stretching promote resistance to abnormal mechanical stimulation on HUVECs through miR-107/HMGB1/RAGE/FGF-2 pathway, thus promote vascular repair after endothelial injury. The suggest that miR-107 is a potential therapeutic target for hypertension.

Application of three-dimensional cell culture technology in screening anticancer drugs.

The drug development process involves a variety of drug activity evaluations, which can determine drug efficacy, strictly analyze the biological indicators after the drug action, and use these indicators as the preclinical drug evaluation criteria. At present, most of the screening of preclinical anticancer drugs mainly relies on traditional 2D cell culture. However, this traditional technology cannot simulate the tumor microenvironment in vivo, let alone reflect the characteristics of solid tumors in vivo, and has a relatively poor ability to predict drug activity. 3D cell culture is a technology between 2D cell culture and animal experiments, which can better reflect the biological state in vivo and reduce the consumption of animal experiments. 3D cell culture can link the individual study of cells with the study of the whole organism, reproduce in vitro the biological phenotype of cells in vivo more greatly, and thus predict the activity and resistance of anti-tumor drugs more accurately. In this paper, the common techniques of 3D cell culture are discussed, with emphasis on its main advantages and application in the evaluation of anti-tumor resistance, which can provide strategies for the screening of anti-tumor drugs.

HMGB1/RAGE axis accelerates the repair of HUVECs injured by pathological mechanical stretching via promoting bFGF expression.

AIM: During hypertension-induced endothelial dysfunction, periodic mechanical stretching (MS) activates related inflammatory pathways and leads to endothelial damage, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The present study aimed to determine the injury of HUVECs caused by overstretching and the role of HMGB1-RAGE pathway in HUVECs after injury. MAIN METHODS AND KEY FINDINGS: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured and seeded in BioFlex™ plates (six wells). Cells were exposed to 5% (physiological state) and 20% (pathological state) mechanical stretch at 1 Hz for 12 or 24 h in a Flexcell-5000™, with unstretched cells serving as controls. It was found that excessive MS can inhibit cell viability, proliferation, and tube-forming ability resulting in disordered cell arrangement and orientation, slowing cell migration. All these changes cause endothelial damage compared to physiological MS. Endothelial cells (ECs) promote cell migration and self-repair after injury by increasing the High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) expression. Experiments and protein prediction networks have shown that HMGB1 can also promote the expression of downstream protein bFGF by binding to receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). Interestingly, VEGF protein expression did not change significantly during this repair process, implying that bFGF replaces the role of VEGF in vascular endothelial repair. SIGNIFICANCE: The present study demonstrates that in the context of endothelial injury caused by excessive MS, the HMGB1/RAGE/bFGF pathway is activated and promotes endothelial repair after injury. Therefore, understanding these mechanisms will help find new therapies for diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and aneurysm formation.

Study on Long-Term Tracing of Fibroblasts on Three-Dimensional Tissue Engineering Scaffolds Based on Graphene Quantum Dots.

In order to find a convenient and stable way to trace human skin fibroblasts (HSFs) in three-dimensional tissue engineering scaffolds for a long time, in this experiment, Graphene Oxide Quantum Dots (GOQDs), Amino Graphene Quantum Dots (AGQDs) and Carboxyl Graphene Quantum Dots (CGQDs) were used as the material source for labeling HSFs. Exploring the possibility of using it as a long-term tracer of HSFs in three-dimensional tissue engineering scaffolds, the contents of the experiment are as follows: the HSFs were cultured in a cell-culture medium composed of three kinds of Graphene Quantum Dots for 24 h, respectively; (1) using Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK8), Transwell migration chamber and Phalloidin-iFlior 488 to detect the effect of Graphene Quantum Dots on the biocompatibility of HSFs; (2) using a living cell workstation to detect the fluorescence labeling results of three kinds of Graphene Quantum Dots on HSFs, and testing the fluorescence attenuation of HSFs for 7 days; (3) the HSFs labeled with Graphene Quantum Dots were inoculated on the three-dimensional chitosan demethylcellulose sodium scaffold, and the living cell workstation was used to detect the spatial distribution of the HSFs on the three-dimensional scaffold through the fluorescence properties of the HSFs.. Experimental results: (1) the results of CCK8, Transwell migration, and FITC-Phalloidin cytoskeleton test showed that the three kinds of Graphene Quantum Dots had no effect on the biological properties of HSFs (p < 0.05); (2) the results of the fluorescence labeling experiment showed that only AGQDs could make HSFs fluorescent, and cells showed orange−red fluorescence; (3) the results of long-range tracing of HSFs which were labeled by with AGQDs showed that the fluorescence life of the HSFs were as long as 7 days; (4) The spatial distribution of HSFs can be detected on the three-dimensional scaffold based on their fluorescence properties, and the detection time can be up to 7 days.

The application of custom-made 3D-printed titanium augments designed through surgical simulation for severe bone defects in complex revision total hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: With the development of radiology and three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, custom-made 3D-printed titanium augments have been more widely used. However, the radiological and clinical outcomes of custom-made augments lack reports. To better understand the clinical effect of using 3D-printed titanium augments and the significance of accurate placement, the aim of this study was to assess the outcomes when using custom-made 3D-printed titanium augments and to validate the idea that surgical simulation should be done before designing custom-made augments. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on 31 surgical simulations and revision total hip arthroplasties using custom-made 3D-printed titanium augments. The safe zone, cup position, and hip rotation center were measured on anteroposterior radiographs. Clinical outcomes were assessed with a mean 21.1 months of follow-up. RESULTS: All patients were positioned within the safe zone, and none of the acetabular cups nor the custom-made augments had any evidence of migration at the latest follow-up. A strong correlation was found between the planned cup position and the postoperative position. The average vertical position of the center of rotation was significantly increased from 3.55 cm to 2.35 cm. The mean Harris Hip Score was increased from 40.81 preoperatively to 65.46 postoperatively. Complications included gait abnormality, groin pain, fracture of the greater trochanter, and partial palsy of the sciatic nerve. However, patient satisfaction reached 92.3%. CONCLUSION: Surgical simulations help to design custom-made augments accurately and improve surgical plans. Acetabular components supported with custom-made 3D-printed augments is a useful method to bridge severe bone deficiencies. In this study, both the radiologic results and clinical outcomes were favorable. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4.

Exosomes from adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells alleviate liver ischaemia reperfusion injury subsequent to hepatectomy in rats by regulating mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis.

Hepatic ischaemia reperfusion injury (HIRI) is a major factor leading to liver dysfunction after liver resection and liver transplantation. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) have potential therapeutic effects on HIRI. Exosomes derived from ADSCs (ADSCs-exo) have been widely studied as an alternative of ADSCs therapy. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the potential protective effect and related mechanism of ADSCs-exo on HIRI subsequent to hepatectomy. Rats were randomly divided into four groups: Sham, I30R+PH, ADSCs and ADSCs-exo group. After 24 h of reperfusion, liver and serum of the rats were immediately collected. ADSCs-exo improved liver function, inhibited oxidative stress and reduced apoptosis of hepatocytes in HIRI subsequent to hepatectomy in rats. ADSCs-exo significantly promoted the recovery of mitochondrial function, markedly increased the content of ATP in the liver tissue, and improved the ultrastructure of mitochondria in hepatocytes. Moreover, ADSCs-exo significantly increased the expression of OPA-1, MFN-1 and MFN-2 proteins related to mitochondrial fusion, while DRP-1 and Fis-1 mRNA and protein expression associated with mitochondrial fission were significantly decreased after the treatment with ADSCs-exo. In addition, ADSCs-exo significantly increased the expression of PGC-1α, NRF-1 and TFAM genes and proteins related to mitochondrial biogenesis. ADSCs-exo improves liver function induced by HIRI subsequent to hepatectomy in rats and maintains mitochondrial homeostasis by inhibiting mitochondrial fission, promoting mitochondrial fusion and promoting mitochondrial biogenesis. Therefore, ADSCs-exo may be considered as a potential promising alternative to ADSCs in the treatment of HIRI subsequent to hepatectomy.

Emergence of New van Hove Singularities in the Charge Density Wave State of a Topological Kagome Metal RbV_{3}Sb_{5}.

Quantum materials with layered kagome structures have drawn considerable attention due to their unique lattice geometry, which gives rise to flat bands together with Dirac-like dispersions. Recently, vanadium-based materials with layered kagome structures were discovered to be topological metals, which exhibit charge density wave (CDW) properties, significant anomalous Hall effect, and unusual superconductivity at low temperatures. Here, we employ angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to investigate the electronic structure evolution upon the CDW transition in a vanadium-based kagome material RbV_{3}Sb_{5}. The CDW phase transition gives rise to a partial energy gap opening at the boundary of the Brillouin zone and, most importantly, the emergence of new van Hove singularities associated with large density of states, which are absent in the normal phase and might be related to the superconductivity observed at lower temperatures. Our work sheds light on the microscopic mechanisms for the formation of the CDW and superconducting states in these topological kagome metals.

Factors influencing knee valgus alignment in Crowe type IV hip dysplasia after total hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Valgus deformity of the knee remains a complaint after total hip arthroplasty (THA) among some patients with Crowe type IV hip dysplasia. We aimed to identify the knee alignment in these patients before and after surgery, and to explore the factors contributing to postoperative knee valgus alignment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a series of Crowe type IV patients who received THA between February 2010 and May 2019 in our hospital. The patients' medical data were collected from the hospital information system. On both preoperative and postoperative full limb length standing radiographs, the following parameters were measured: hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA), mechanical lateral distal femoral angle (mLDFA), medial proximal tibial angle, anatomical tibiofemoral angle, anatomical lateral distal femoral angle, femoral neck-shaft angle, pelvic obliquity, limb length, height and lateral distance of hip center, and femoral offset. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression were used to identify the factors influencing postoperative knee valgus alignment. RESULTS: A total of 64 Crowe type IV patients (87 hips) were included in the study. Overall, HKA improved from 176.54 ± 3.52° preoperatively to 179.45 ± 4.31° at the last follow-up. Those hips were subdivided into non-valgus group (≥ 177.0°, n = 65) and valgus group (< 177.0°, n = 22) according to postoperative HKA. Only postoperative mLDFA was a significant factor in the multivariate regression model. CONCLUSIONS: The postoperative mLDFA is a major factor related to knee valgus alignment after THA, which combines the preoperative anatomy and surgical reconstruction. Other factors previously published were found to have no significance. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Model to Predict Need for Subtrochanteric Shortening Osteotomy During Total Hip Arthroplasty for Crowe Type IV Developmental Dysplasia.

BACKGROUND Indications for subtrochanteric shortening osteotomy (SSOT) during Crowe type IV developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) are unclear. The aim of this retrospective study was to create a model to predict the need for performing SSOT. MATERIAL AND METHODS One hundred forty-nine patients (186 hips) with Crowe Type IV DDH who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA) with S-ROM implants from January 2010 to November 2018 were included in the study. The acetabular components were placed at the true acetabulum and the trial femoral component was inserted. Reduction then was attempted and if it could not be achieved, SSOT was performed. Using multivariable Cox regression analysis, a model was constructed that included age, sex, surgical history, use of a cone- or triangle-shaped sleeve, secondary acetabulum formation, and percentage of dislocation as predictive factors for SSOT. RESULTS SSOTs were performed on 140 of 186 hips. Secondary acetabulum formation was present in 27 hips (58.70%) in which SSOT was not performed 7 (5.00%) in which it was performed. Cone-shaped sleeves were used in 17 hips (36.96%) in which SSOT was not performed versus 15 (10.71%) hips in which it was performed. Dislocation occurred in 31.30±5.80% hips in which SSOT was performed versus 24.05±4.39% of those in which it was not performed. Percentage of dislocation was associated with an increased likelihood of SSOT (odds ratio [OR] 1.24, 95% confidence interval 1.11-1.38), whereas secondary acetabulum formation (OR 0.10, 0.03-0.33) and use of a cone-shaped sleeve (0.18, 0.06-0.53) were associated with decreased likelihood of SSOT. We established a model for prediction of SSOT with a nanogram and the discriminative ability (C statistic) of it was 0.918 (0.79-0.92). CONCLUSIONS Factors that significantly affect likelihood of performing an SSOT were identified and a model with significant ability to predict the need for SSOT in patients with Crowe Type IV DDH was created.

Therapeutic effect and side effects of Bevacizumab combined with Irinotecan in the treatment of paediatric intracranial tumours: Meta-analysis and Systematic Review.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Bevacizumab (BVZ) is an angiogenesis inhibitor that often works well with chemotherapeutic drugs for the treatment of solid intracranial tumours in children. This meta-analysis discusses the efficacy and side effects of BVZ combined with irinotecan in the treatment of patients (younger than 21 years of age) with recurrent, progressive or refractory intracranial tumours. METHODS: We searched for articles published before 31 October 2018 in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library and Web of Science. We selected relevant literature on the combination of BVZ and irinotecan in the treatment of children with intracranial tumours. Objective response was evaluated by combining partial response (PR), complete response (CR), stable disease (SD) and progressive disease (PD), and survival time was evaluated by combining overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS); common side effects were also analysed. All data included were obtained from single-arm data, with no control groups. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A total of 13 studies involving 272 patients were included. We found that out of 41% patients who showed an objective response following the BVZ therapy combined with irinotecan, 28% achieved a PR, 13% achieved a CR, 32% showed a SD, and 43% had a PD; PFS and OS were 6.47 and 11.9 months, respectively; gastrointestinal dysfunction, leukopenia and hypertension were the three most common adverse events, accounting for 36.7%, 33.6% and 22.1%, respectively, whereas musculoskeletal disorders had the lowest occurrence, accounting for 3.9%. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: BVZ combined with irinotecan-based chemotherapy had a better response and prolonged survival in the treatment of paediatric intracranial tumours than radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Gastrointestinal dysfunction, leukopenia and hypertension were the toxic side effects with the highest incidence.

Coexistence of Topological Edge State and Superconductivity in Bismuth Ultrathin Film.

Ultrathin freestanding bismuth film is theoretically predicted to be one kind of two-dimensional topological insulators. Experimentally, the topological nature of bismuth strongly depends on the situations of the Bi films. Film thickness and interaction with the substrate often change the topological properties of Bi films. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy or spectroscopy and first-principle calculation, the properties of Bi(111) ultrathin film grown on the NbSe2 superconducting substrate have been studied. We find the band structures of the ultrathin film is quasi-freestanding, and one-dimensional edge state exists on Bi(111) film as thin as three bilayers. Superconductivity is also detected on different layers of the film and the pairing potential exhibits an exponential decay with the layer thicknesses. Thus, the topological edge state can coexist with superconductivity, which makes the system a promising platform for exploring Majorana Fermions.

Majorana Zero Mode Detected with Spin Selective Andreev Reflection in the Vortex of a Topological Superconductor.

Recently, theory has predicted a Majorana zero mode (MZM) to induce spin selective Andreev reflection (SSAR), a novel magnetic property which can be used to detect the MZM. Here, spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy or spectroscopy has been applied to probe SSAR of MZMs in a topological superconductor of the Bi_{2}Te_{3}/NbSe_{2} heterostructure. The zero-bias peak of the tunneling differential conductance at the vortex center is observed substantially higher when the tip polarization and the external magnetic field are parallel rather than antiparallel to each other. This spin dependent tunneling effect provides direct evidence of MZM and reveals its magnetic property in addition to the zero energy modes. Our work will stimulate MZM research on these novel physical properties and, hence, is a step towards experimental study of their statistics and application in quantum computing.