Giant Tunability of Intersubband Transitions and Quantum Hall Quartets in Few-Layer InSe Quantum Wells.

A two-dimensional (2D) quantum electron system is characterized by quantized energy levels, or subbands, in the out-of-plane direction. Populating higher subbands and controlling the intersubband transitions have wide technological applications such as optical modulators and quantum cascade lasers. In conventional materials, however, the tunability of intersubband spacing is limited. Here we demonstrate electrostatic population and characterization of the second subband in few-layer InSe quantum wells, with giant tunability of its energy, population, and spin-orbit coupling strength, via the control of not only layer thickness but also the out-of-plane displacement field. A modulation of as much as 350% or over 250 meV is achievable, underscoring the promise of InSe for tunable infrared and THz sources, detectors, and modulators.

Predictors and outcomes of recurrent retroperitoneal liposarcoma: new insights into its recurrence patterns.

BACKGROUND: The clinical profiles of recurrent retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RLS) need to be explored. The recurrence patterns of RLS are controversial and ambiguous. METHODS: A total of 138 patients with recurrent RLS were finally recruited in the study. The analysis of overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) was performed by Kaplan‒Meier analysis. To identify independent prognostic factors, all significant variables on univariate Cox regression analysis (P ≤ 0.05) were subjected to multivariate Cox regression analysis. The corresponding nomogram model was further built to predict the survival status of patients. RESULTS: Among patients, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 70.7%, 35.9% and 30.9%, respectively. The 1-, 3- and 5-year RFS rates of the 55 patients who underwent R0 resection were 76.1%, 50.8% and 34.4%, respectively. The multivariate analysis revealed that resection method, tumor size, status of pathological differentiation, pathological subtypes and recurrence pattern were independent risk factors for OS or RFS. Patients with distant recurrence (DR) pattern usually had multifocal tumors (90.5% vs. 74.7%, P < 0.05); they were prone to experience changes of pathological differentiation (69.9% vs. 33.3%, P < 0.05) and had a better prognosis than those with local recurrence (LR) pattern. R0 resection and combined organ resection favored the survival of patients with DR pattern in some cases. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with DR pattern had better prognosis, and they may benefit more from aggressive combined resection than those with LR pattern. Classifying the recurrence patterns of RLS provides guidance for individualized clinical management of recurrent RLS.

Predictors and outcomes of recurrent retroperitoneal liposarcoma with multiple tumors.

Background: Retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RLS) is a rare but severe disease. Repeated postoperative recurrence with multiple tumors is a therapeutic dilemma. The clinical outcomes and survival predictors of recurrent RLS with multiple tumors remain to be explored. Methods: Patients with recurrent RLS were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed to find independent prognostic factors that were correlated with Overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS). Factors significant in univariate analysis were further included into multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model. The nomogram model was built to predict the survival status of patients. Variables that were significant in multivariable analysis were added to the internally validated nomogram models. The analysis of OS and PFS was performed by Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test. Results: A total of 113 recurrent RLS patients with multiple tumors were enrolled in the study. The 1-, 3-, and 5-years OS (PFS) rates were 70.7% (76.1%), 35.9% (76.1%), and 30.9% (76.1%), respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that number of surgeries, resection methods, tumor size, status of pathological differentiation, pathological subtypes, and recurrence patterns were important prognostic factors for OS or PFS (each p < 0.05). Nomogram models were established to efficiently predict the prognostic status of patients. Patients with the local recurrence (LR) pattern had a poor prognosis and would derive no survival benefit from combined organ resection and R0/R1 resection (each p < 0.05). Conclusion: RLS patients recurrence with multiple tumors had a poor prognosis. Those patients should be followed up more frequently after surgery. The strategies of aggressive resection may not improve the survival of patients with LR pattern in the retroperitoneum. Prognostic factors in the efficient nomogram models should be considered in the individualized clinical management of recurrent RLS with multiple tumors.

Rational Design of High-Flux, Eco-Friendly, and Versatile Superhydrophobic/Superoleophilic PDMS@ZIF-7/Cu3(PO4)2 Mesh with Self-Cleaning Property for Oil-Water Mixture and Emulsion Separation.

In recent years, efficient oil-water separation has gradually become an indispensable part of environmental treatment. Superhydrophobic/superoleophilic materials with excellent self-cleaning performance are urgently required and remain challenging in the investigation of practical, rapid, and efficient separation of oil-water mixture and emulsion, especially those with robust surfaces that can be used in harsh conditions. In this work, a novel superhydrophobic/superoleophilic material was first fabricated by in situ constructing PDMS@ZIF-7/Cu3(PO4)2 hierarchical architectures on a copper mesh, which was adopted as a high flux and efficient separation material for gravity-driven separation of oil-water mixture as well as emulsion. The introduction of crucial Cu3(PO4)2 nanosheet interlayers created the ideal hierarchical structures and serve as partial templates for the subsequent in situ growth of hydrophobic ZIF-7 nanosheets. An improved superhydrophobicity (CA = 155°), permeation flux (102,000 L m-2 h-1), and preferred self-cleaning property were thus achieved by such manipulation of the copper mesh. The PDMS@ZIF-7/Cu3(PO4)2 mesh exhibited exceptional separation efficiency for diverse oil-water mixtures and emulsions attributed to the superhydrophobicity and the demulsification ability and considerable stability to cope with extreme environments including sunlight resistance, low temperature, and corrosion resistance, which prompted its promising applicability in cleaning emulsified wastewater.

Combining neoadjuvant chemotherapy with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors for locally advanced, resectable gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown promising prospects in locally advanced, resectable gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (GC/GEJC) immunotherapy, but their efficacy in neoadjuvant settings remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of integrating programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors into neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) of GC/GEJC treatment. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, and main oncology conference databases were systematically searched up to 19 November 2022, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies that evaluated the efficacy and safety of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus NACT were included. The main outcomes were pathological complete response (pCR), major pathological response (MPR), R0 resection rate, and treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). Results: A total of 753 patients from 20 prospective studies were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled pCR and MPR rates from studies reporting were 21.7% [95% confidence interval (CI), 18.1%-25.5%] and 44.0% (95% CI, 34.1%-53.8%), respectively. The pooled incidence rate of total TRAEs was 89.1% (95% CI, 82.7%-94.3%), and the incidence rate of grade 3 to 4 TRAEs was 34.4% (95% CI, 17.8%-66.5%). The pooled R0 resection rate was reported to be 98.9% (95% CI, 97.0%-99.9%). Subgroup analysis has not found significant differences in efficacy and safety among different PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Moreover, the efficacy in patients with positive PD-L1 expression (combined positive score ≥1) was comparable with that in the entire study population [pCR, 22.5% vs. 21.2% (p > 0.05); MPR, 48.6% vs. 43.7% (p > 0.05)]. Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis found that PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors combined with NACT for locally advanced GC/GEJC were well tolerated and may confer therapeutic advantages. The integration of ICIs into NACT has shown the potential for application in any PD-L1 expression population.

An Investigation of All Fiber Free-Running Dual-Comb Spectroscopy.

A dual-comb spectroscopy (DCS) system uses two phase-locked optical frequency combs with a slight difference in the repetition frequency. The spectrum can be sampled in the optical frequency (OF) domain and reproduces the characteristics in the radio frequency (RF) domain through asynchronous optical sampling. Therefore, the DCS system shows great advantages in achieving precision spectral measurement. During application, the question of how to reserve the mutual coherence between the two combs is the key issue affecting the application of the DCS system. This paper focuses on a software algorithm used to realize the mutual coherence of the two combs. Therefore, a pair of free-running large anomalous dispersion fiber combs, with a center wavelength of approximately 1064 nm, was used. After the signal process, the absorption spectra of multiple species were simultaneously obtained (simulated using the reflective spectra of narrow-bandwidth fiber Bragg gratings, abbreviated as FBG). The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) could reach 13.97 dB (25) during the 100 ms sampling time. In this study, the feasibility of the system was first verified through the simulation system; then, a principal demonstration experiment was successfully executed. The whole system was connected by the optical fiber without additional phase-locking equipment, showing promise as a potential solution for the low-cost and practical application of DCS systems.

Composition and phase engineering of metal chalcogenides and phosphorous chalcogenides.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials with multiphase, multielement crystals such as transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) (based on V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cd, Pt and Pd) and transition metal phosphorous chalcogenides (TMPCs) offer a unique platform to explore novel physical phenomena. However, the synthesis of a single-phase/single-composition crystal of these 2D materials via chemical vapour deposition is still challenging. Here we unravel a competitive-chemical-reaction-based growth mechanism to manipulate the nucleation and growth rate. Based on the growth mechanism, 67 types of TMCs and TMPCs with a defined phase, controllable structure and tunable component can be realized. The ferromagnetism and superconductivity in FeXy can be tuned by the y value, such as superconductivity observed in FeX and ferromagnetism in FeS2 monolayers, demonstrating the high quality of as-grown 2D materials. This work paves the way for the multidisciplinary exploration of 2D TMPCs and TMCs with unique properties.

Encyclopedia of emergent particles in three-dimensional crystals.

The past decade has witnessed a surge of interest in exploring emergent particles in condensed matter systems. Novel particles, emerged as excitations around exotic band degeneracy points, continue to be reported in real materials and artificially engineered systems, but so far, we do not have a complete picture on all possible types of particles that can be achieved. Here, via systematic symmetry analysis and modeling, we accomplish a complete list of all possible particles in time-reversal-invariant systems. This includes both spinful particles such as electron quasiparticles in solids, and spinless particles such as phonons or even excitations in electric-circuit and mechanical networks. We establish detailed correspondence between the particle, the symmetry condition, the effective model, and the topological character. This obtained encyclopedia concludes the search for novel emergent particles and provides concrete guidance to achieve them in physical systems.

Short and long-term outcomes between laparoscopic and open total gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) combined with surgery is regarded as an effective treatment for advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Laparoscopic surgery represents the mainstream of minimally invasive surgery. Currently, surgeons focus more on surgical safety and oncological outcomes of laparoscopic gastrectomy after NACT. Thus, we sought to evaluate short- and long-term outcomes between laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) and open total gastrectomy (OTG) after NACT. AIM: To compare the short and long-term outcomes between LTG and OTG for AGC after NACT. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the clinicopathological data of 136 patients who accepted gastrectomy after NACT from June 2012 to June 2019, including 61 patients who underwent LTG and 75 who underwent OTG. Clinicopathological characteristics between the LTG and OTG groups showed no significant difference. SPSS 26.0, R software, and GraphPad PRISM 8.0 were used to perform statistical analyses. RESULTS: Of the 136 patients included, eight acquired pathological complete response, and the objective response rate was 47.8% (65/136). The LTG group had longer operation time (P = 0.015), less blood loss (P = 0.003), shorter days to first flatus (P < 0.001), and shorter postoperative hospitalization days (P < 0.001). LTG spent more surgical cost than OTG (P < 0.001), while total hospitalized cost of LTG was less than OTG (P < 0.001). 21 (28.0%) patients in the OTG group and 14 (23.0%) in the LTG group had 30-d postoperative complications, but there was no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.503). The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate was 60.6% and 64.6% in the LTG and OTG groups, respectively [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.859, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.522-1.412, P = 0.546], while the 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 54.5% and 51.8% in the LTG and OTG group, respectively (HR = 0.947, 95%CI: 0.582-1.539, P = 0.823). Multivariate cox analysis showed that body mass index and pTNM stage were independent risk factors for OS while vascular invasion and pTNM stage were independent risk factors for DFS (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: After NACT, LTG shows comparable 30-d postoperative morbidity as well as 3-year OS and DFS rate to OTG. We recommend that experienced surgeons select LTG other than OTG for proper AGC patients after NACT.

Importance of Crystallographic Sites on Sodium-Ion Extraction from NASICON-Structured Cathodes for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

The V4+/V3+ (3.4 V) redox couple has been well-documented in cathode material Na3V2(PO4)3 for sodium-ion batteries. Recently, partial cation substitution at the vanadium site of Na3V2(PO4)3 has been actively explored to access the V5+/V4+ redox couple to achieve high energy density. However, the V5+/V4+ redox couple in partially substituted Na3V2(PO4)3 has a voltage far below its theoretical voltage in Na3V2(PO4)3, and the access of the V5+/V4+ redox reaction is very limited. In this work, we compare the extraction/insertion behavior of sodium ions from/into two isostructural compounds of Na3VGa(PO4)3 and Na3VAl(PO4)3, found that, by DFT calculations, the lower potential of the V5+/V4+ redox couple in Na3VM(PO4)3 (M = Ga or Al) than that in Na3V2(PO4)3 is because of the extraction/insertion of sodium ions through the V5+/V4+ redox reaction at different crystallographic sites, that is, sodium ions extracting from the Na(2) site in Na3VM(PO4)3 while from the Na(1) site in Na3V2(PO4)3, and further evidenced that the full access of the V5+/V4+ redox reaction is restrained by the excessive diffusion activation energy in Na3VM(PO4)3.

Physical Fingerprints of the 2O-tαP Phase in Phosphorene Stacking.

The 2O-tαP phase is a bilayer phosphorene stacking twisted by ∼70.5° standing out from all the potential candidates predicted by our previous work. Here, by linear response theory, we directly verified that the 2O-tαP phase preserves the intrinsic features of phonon spectrum of the existing AB phase, reflecting a stable thermodynamic behavior. Then we provided three distinct fingerprints to help finding this new phase: upon comparison to the existing shifting bilayer phosphorene, the in-plane elastic constants showed a much weaker anisotropic response, providing a characteristic mechanical criterion; the calculated Raman spectrum revealed for the low frequency rang the layer-breathing mode and the out-of-plane twisted mode, L-A1 and L-A2, both of which together stabilize the twisted structure; in particular, the simulated scanning tunneling microscope image presented recognizable cross stripes, which should withstand an examination of exfoliated bilayer and few-layer black phosphorus.

Intrinsic valley Hall transport in atomically thin MoS2.

Electrons hopping in two-dimensional honeycomb lattices possess a valley degree of freedom in addition to charge and spin. In the absence of inversion symmetry, these systems were predicted to exhibit opposite Hall effects for electrons from different valleys. Such valley Hall effects have been achieved only by extrinsic means, such as substrate coupling, dual gating, and light illuminating. Here we report the first observation of intrinsic valley Hall transport without any extrinsic symmetry breaking in the non-centrosymmetric monolayer and trilayer MoS2, evidenced by considerable nonlocal resistance that scales cubically with local resistance. Such a hallmark survives even at room temperature with a valley diffusion length at micron scale. By contrast, no valley Hall signal is observed in the centrosymmetric bilayer MoS2. Our work elucidates the topological origin of valley Hall effects and marks a significant step towards the purely electrical control of valley degree of freedom in topological valleytronics.

Moiré excitons: From programmable quantum emitter arrays to spin-orbit-coupled artificial lattices.

Highly uniform and ordered nanodot arrays are crucial for high-performance quantum optoelectronics, including new semiconductor lasers and single-photon emitters, and for synthesizing artificial lattices of interacting quasiparticles toward quantum information processing and simulation of many-body physics. Van der Waals heterostructures of two-dimensional semiconductors are naturally endowed with an ordered nanoscale landscape, that is, the moiré pattern that laterally modulates electronic and topographic structures. We find that these moiré effects realize superstructures of nanodot confinements for long-lived interlayer excitons, which can be either electrically or strain tuned from perfect arrays of quantum emitters to excitonic superlattices with giant spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Besides the wide-range tuning of emission wavelength, the electric field can also invert the spin optical selection rule of the emitter arrays. This unprecedented control arises from the gauge structure imprinted on exciton wave functions by the moiré, which underlies the SOC when hopping couples nanodots into superlattices. We show that the moiré hosts complex hopping honeycomb superlattices, where exciton bands feature a Dirac node and two Weyl nodes, connected by spin-momentum-locked topological edge modes.

Even-odd layer-dependent magnetotransport of high-mobility Q-valley electrons in transition metal disulfides.

In few-layer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), the conduction bands along the ΓK directions shift downward energetically in the presence of interlayer interactions, forming six Q valleys related by threefold rotational symmetry and time reversal symmetry. In even layers, the extra inversion symmetry requires all states to be Kramers degenerate; whereas in odd layers, the intrinsic inversion asymmetry dictates the Q valleys to be spin-valley coupled. Here we report the transport characterization of prominent Shubnikov-de Hass (SdH) oscillations and the observation of the onset of quantum Hall plateaus for the Q-valley electrons in few-layer TMDCs. Universally in the SdH oscillations, we observe a valley Zeeman effect in all odd-layer TMDC devices and a spin Zeeman effect in all even-layer TMDC devices, which provide a crucial information for understanding the unique properties of multi-valley band structures of few-layer TMDCs.

Observation of intervalley quantum interference in epitaxial monolayer tungsten diselenide.

The extraordinary electronic structures of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides, such as the spin-valley-coupled band edges, have sparked great interest for potential spintronic and valleytronic applications based on these two-dimensional materials. In this work, we report the experimental observation of quasi-particle interference patterns in monolayer WSe2 using low-temperature scanning tunnelling spectroscopy. We observe intervalley quantum interference involving the Q valleys in the conduction band due to spin-conserving scattering processes, while spin-flipping intervalley scattering is absent. Our results establish unequivocally the presence of spin-valley coupling and affirm the large spin splitting at the Q valleys. Importantly, the inefficient spin-flipping scattering implies long valley and spin lifetime in monolayer WSe2, which is a key figure of merit for valley-spintronic applications.

Electronic structures and theoretical modelling of two-dimensional group-VIB transition metal dichalcogenides.

Atomically thin group-VIB transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have recently emerged as a new class of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors with extraordinary properties including the direct band gap in the visible frequency range, the pronounced spin-orbit coupling, the ultra-strong Coulomb interaction, and the rich physics associated with the valley degree of freedom. These 2D TMDs exhibit great potential for device applications and have attracted vast interest for the exploration of new physics. 2D TMDs have complex electronic structures which underlie their physical properties. Here we review the bulk electronic structures of these new 2D materials as well as the theoretical models developed at different levels, along which we sort out the understanding of the origins of a variety of properties observed or predicted.

Nonlinear valley and spin currents from Fermi pocket anisotropy in 2D crystals.

The controlled flow of spin and valley pseudospin is key to future electronics exploiting these internal degrees of freedom of carriers. Here, we discover a universal possibility for generating spin and valley currents by electric bias or temperature gradient only, which arises from the anisotropy of Fermi pockets in crystalline solids. We find spin and valley currents to the second order in the electric field as well as their thermoelectric counterparts, i.e., the nonlinear spin and valley Seebeck effects. These second-order nonlinear responses allow two unprecedented possibilities to generate pure spin and valley flows without net charge current: (i) by an ac bias or (ii) by an arbitrary inhomogeneous temperature distribution. As examples, we predict appreciable nonlinear spin and valley currents in two-dimensional (2D) crystals including graphene, monolayer and trilayer transition-metal dichalcogenides, and monolayer gallium selenide. Our finding points to a new route towards electrical and thermal generations of spin and valley currents for spintronic and valleytronic applications based on 2D quantum materials.

Oolong tea drinking could help prevent bone loss in postmenopausal Han Chinese women.

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between oolong tea drinking and bone mineral density in postmenopausal Han Chinese women, while living and diet habits, fertility, disease elements and other baseline conditions were controlled. One group included 124 cases who routinely drank oolong tea, and the other included 556 who did not drink tea. Data were collected on participant age, lifestyle habits, fertility condition, disease elements, and lumbar, and hip bone densities. It was found that the bone densities of the greater trochanteric bone in tea drinkers were higher (0.793 ± 0.119 kg/cm(2)) than that in non-tea drinkers (0.759 ± 0.116 kg/cm(2), F = 6.248, p = 0.013). Similarly, the bone density of Ward's triangular bone in tea drinkers was higher (0.668 ± 0.133 kg/cm(2)) than that in non-tea drinkers (0.637 ± 0.135 kg/cm(2), F = 6.152, p = 0.013). Oolong tea drinking could help prevent bone loss in postmenopausal Chinese women.

Dirac cones and Dirac saddle points of bright excitons in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides.

In monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides, tightly bound excitons have been discovered with a valley pseudospin optically addressable through polarization selection rules. Here, we show that this valley pseudospin is strongly coupled to the exciton centre-of-mass motion through electron-hole exchange. This coupling realizes a massless Dirac cone with chirality index I = 2 for excitons inside the light cone, that is, bright excitons. Under moderate strain, the I = 2 Dirac cone splits into two degenerate I = 1 Dirac cones, and saddle points with a linear Dirac spectrum emerge. After binding an extra electron, the charged exciton becomes a massive Dirac particle associated with a large valley Hall effect protected from intervalley scattering. Our results point to unique opportunities to study Dirac physics, with exciton's optical addressability at specifiable momentum, energy and pseudospin. The strain-tunable valley-orbit coupling also implies new structures of exciton condensates, new functionalities of excitonic circuits and mechanical control of valley pseudospin.

Magnetoelectric effects and valley-controlled spin quantum gates in transition metal dichalcogenide bilayers.

In monolayer group-VI transition metal dichalcogenides, charge carriers have spin and valley degrees of freedom, both associated with magnetic moments. On the other hand, the layer degree of freedom in multilayers is associated with electrical polarization. Here we show that transition metal dichalcogenide bilayers offer an unprecedented platform to realize a strong coupling between the spin, valley and layer pseudospin of holes. Such coupling gives rise to the spin Hall effect and spin-dependent selection rule for optical transitions in inversion symmetric bilayer and leads to a variety of magnetoelectric effects permitting quantum manipulation of these electronic degrees of freedom. Oscillating electric and magnetic fields can both drive the hole spin resonance where the two fields have valley-dependent interference, making an interplay between the spin and valley as information carriers possible for potential valley-spintronic applications. We show how to realize quantum gates on the spin qubit controlled by the valley bit.