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Obtaining high-quality thin films of 5d transition metal oxides is essential to explore the exotic semimetallic and topological phases predicted to arise from the combination of strong electron correlations and spin-orbit coupling. Here, we show that the transport properties of SrIrO3 thin films, grown by pulsed laser deposition, can be optimized by considering the effect of laser-induced modification of the SrIrO3 target surface. We further demonstrate that bare SrIrO3 thin films are subject to degradation in air and are highly sensitive to lithographic processing. A crystalline SrTiO3 cap layer deposited in-situ is effective in preserving the film quality, allowing us to measure metallic transport behavior in films with thicknesses down to 4 unit cells. In addition, the SrTiO3 encapsulation enables the fabrication of devices such as Hall bars without altering the film properties, allowing precise (magneto)transport measurements on micro- and nanoscale devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A post-authorisation safety study (PASS) on delamanid (DLM) was conducted as part of a post-approval commitment to the European Medicines Agency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of DLM in a real-life setting, its safety, and treatment outcomes in patients with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB)., Methods: This was a prospective, multicentric, non-interventional study conducted in the European Union. MDR-TB Regimen selection and patient monitoring were conducted in accordance with existing medical practices. Data on the use of DLM, related adverse events, and treatment outcomes were collected for up to 30 months after the first DLM dose. Descriptive summary statistics were used for continuous and categorical variables., Results: Out of 86 patients, one had extrapulmonary TB. Two-thirds of the patients were treated with DLM for more than 24 weeks. The most frequent adverse drug reaction to DLM was QT interval prolongation. Resistance to DLM was detected in one patient during treatment. The treatment success rate was 77%., Conclusion: No new safety concerns were revealed, including in patients treated with DLM for more than 24 weeks. QT interval prolongations were well managed and did not lead to any clinically significant cardiac effects. The treatment outcomes were in line with the WHO target for Europe., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: NS, LB, ID, MD, SM, FA, OMK, CL, AD, and MHN are participating physicians of this study; sponsored by Otsuka Novel Products, Munich, Germany. NH, NL and AM are employees of Otsuka Novel Products. IK is a paid consultant to Otsuka Novel Products. BE and EvH. are employees of Otsuka Pharma, Frankfurt, Germany. VG is an employee of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development and Commercialization, Princeton, NJ, USA., (© 2024 The Authors.)

The cuprate high-temperature superconductors exhibit many unexplained electronic phases, but the superconductivity at high doping is often believed to be governed by conventional mean-field Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory 1 . However, it was shown that the superfluid density vanishes when the transition temperature goes to zero 2,3 , in contradiction to expectations from Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory. Our scanning tunnelling spectroscopy measurements in the overdoped regime of the (Pb,Bi) 2 Sr 2 CuO 6+δ high-temperature superconductor show that this is due to the emergence of nanoscale superconducting puddles in a metallic matrix 4,5 . Our measurements further reveal that this puddling is driven by gap filling instead of gap closing. The important implication is that it is not a diminishing pairing interaction that causes the breakdown of superconductivity. Unexpectedly, the measured gap-to-filling correlation also reveals that pair breaking by disorder does not play a dominant role and that the mechanism of superconductivity in overdoped cuprate superconductors is qualitatively different from conventional mean-field theory., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: We investigated potential for hypersensitivity reactions after repeated sugammadex administration and explored the mechanism of hypersensitivity., Methods: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study (NCT00988065), 448 healthy volunteers were randomised to one of three arms to receive three repeat i.v. administrations of either sugammadex 4 mg kg -1 , 16 mg kg -1 , or placebo. Primary endpoint was percentage of subjects with hypersensitivity (assessed by an independent adjudication committee). Secondary endpoint of anaphylaxis was classified per Sampson and Brighton criteria. Exploratory endpoints included skin testing, serum tryptase, anti-sugammadex antibodies [immunoglobulin (Ig) E/IgG], and other immunologic parameters., Results: Hypersensitivity was adjudicated for 1/148 (0.7%), 7/150 (4.7%), and 0/150 (0.0%) subjects after sugammadex 4 mg kg -1 , 16 mg kg -1 , and placebo, respectively. After sugammadex 16 mg kg -1 , one subject met Sampson criterion 1 and Brighton level 1 (highest certainty) anaphylaxis criteria; two met Brighton level 2 criteria. After database lock it was determined that certain protocol deviations could have introduced bias in the reporting of hypersensitivity signs/symptoms in a subject subset. Objective laboratory investigations indicated that potential underlying hypersensitivity mechanisms were unlikely to have been activated; the results suggest that most of the observed hypersensitivity reactions were unlikely IgE/IgG-mediated., Conclusion: Dose-dependent hypersensitivity or anaphylaxis reactions to sugammadex were observed when administered without prior neuromuscular blocking agent. Laboratory investigations do not suggest prevalent allergen-specific IgE/IgG-mediated immunologic hypersensitivity. Because it could not be fully excluded that estimates of hypersensitivity/anaphylaxis incidence were unbiased, an additional study was conducted to characterise the potential for hypersensitivity reactions and is described in a companion report., Clinical Trial Registration: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT00988065; Protocol number P06042., (Copyright © 2018 British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved.)

Although signatures of superconductivity in Dirac semimetals have been reported, for instance by applying pressure or using point contacts, our understanding of the topological aspects of Dirac semimetal superconductivity is still developing. Here, we utilize nanoscale phase-sensitive junction technology to induce superconductivity in the Dirac semimetal Bi 1-x Sb x . Our radiofrequency irradiation experiments then reveal a significant contribution of 4π-periodic Andreev bound states to the supercurrent in Nb-Bi 0.97 Sb 0.03 -Nb Josephson junctions. The conditions for a substantial 4π contribution to the supercurrent are favourable because of the Dirac cone's very broad transmission resonances and a measurement frequency faster than the quasiparticle poisoning rate. In addition, we show that a magnetic field applied in the plane of the junction allows tuning of the Josephson junctions from 0 to π regimes. Our results open the technologically appealing avenue of employing the topological bulk properties of Dirac semimetals for topological superconductivity research and topological quantum computer development.

Introduction: Two risk minimization (RM) tools-a healthcare professional frequently asked questions (HCP-FAQs) brochure and a patient/caregiver information brochure (PCIB)-were developed for HCPs and for adolescents (aged ≥ 13 years) receiving aripiprazole for bipolar I mania and their caregivers., Objectives: This study evaluated the effectiveness of these RM tools in improving the awareness and education of HCPs and patients/caregivers., Method: The RM tools were distributed to HCPs (identified in agreement with the marketing authorization holder [MAH] and local regulatory authorities), who in turn distributed the PCIBs to patients/caregivers. A web-based survey was then conducted targeting HCPs and patients/caregivers., Results: The response rate was low: 118 of 23,282 invited HCPs and 16 patients/caregivers completed the survey. Overall, 42% (49/118) of HCP respondents were aware of aripiprazole RM tools; of these, 59% (29/49) of HCPs read them at least once and 66% (19/29) of these used the RM tools while discussing the benefit-risk profile of aripiprazole with patients/caregivers. In total, 30 of the 118 HCPs (25%) were aware of the PCIB, and 26 distributed it to their patients/caregivers, whereas seven HCPs advised them to read the brochure. Overall, 15 of the 16 patients/caregivers were aware of the PCIB, and 13 read/referred to it. Of these, 12 found the PCIB useful, and five monitored their weight while receiving aripiprazole and reported potential risks immediately to their HCP., Conclusion: The response rate to the survey was low, and the tools displayed limited utility and effectiveness in improving awareness and education in a small number of responders. Therefore, the aripiprazole risk management plan was amended, and the tools were discontinued.

There are two prerequisites for understanding high-temperature (high-Tc) superconductivity: identifying the pairing interaction and obtaining a correct description of the normal state from which superconductivity emerges. The nature of the normal state of iron-pnictide superconductors, and the role played by correlations arising from partially screened interactions, are still under debate. Here we show that the normal state of carefully annealed electron-doped BaFe(2-x)Co(x)As2 at low temperatures has all the hallmark properties of a local Fermi liquid, with a more incoherent state emerging at elevated temperatures, an identification made possible using bulk-sensitive optical spectroscopy with high frequency and temperature resolution. The frequency dependent scattering rate extracted from the optical conductivity deviates from the expected scaling M2 (ω, T) ∝ (ħω)(2) + (pπkBT)(2) with p ≈ 1.47 rather than p = 2, indicative of the presence of residual elastic resonant scattering. Excellent agreement between the experimental results and theoretical modeling allows us to extract the characteristic Fermi liquid scale T0 ≈ 1700 K. Our results show that the electron-doped iron-pnictides should be regarded as weakly correlated Fermi liquids with a weak mass enhancement resulting from residual electron-electron scattering from thermally excited quasi-particles.

Low energy electron diffraction (LEED) experiments, LEED simulations, and finite slab density functional calculations are combined to study the cleavage surface of Co doped BaFe(2-x)Co(x)As2 (x = 0.1,0.17). We demonstrate that the energy dependence of the LEED data can only be understood from a terminating 1/2 Ba layer accompanied by distortions of the underlying As-Fe2-As block. As a result, surface-related Fe 3d states are present in the electronic structure, which we identify in angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) experiments. The close proximity of the surface-related states to the bulk bands inevitably leads to broadening of the ARPES signals, which excludes the use of the BaFe(2-x)Co(x)As2 system for accurate determination of self-energies using ARPES.

Background and Objective: Sugammadex facilitates rapid reversal of rocuronium- and vecuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade. This study aimed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of high doses of sugammadex (up to 96 mg/kg) in healthy subjects., Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled, single-centre study, 13 healthy adults were scheduled to receive three single intravenous doses of sugammadex in ascending order (32, 64 and 96 mg/kg) and placebo (interspersed between sugammadex doses), each separated by a 1-week washout period. Subjects were randomized to one of four treatment sequences, receiving doses as constant rate infusions over 5 minutes. Safety was assessed by adverse events, 12-lead ECGs, vital signs, and blood and urine laboratory parameters; pharmacokinetics were evaluated from blood and urine sugammadex concentrations., Results: Sugammadex was well tolerated in 12 of the 13 subjects, with adverse events being generally mild, of limited duration and more frequent at higher doses. The most common adverse event was dysgeusia; there were no serious adverse events. One subject was withdrawn from the study after experiencing several adverse events following first exposure to sugammadex, related to a probable hypersensitivity reaction to sugammadex. Pharmacokinetics were dose linear over the dose range studied (32-96 mg/kg), and 90-93% of the sugammadex dose was excreted unchanged in urine within 48 hours., Conclusion: High doses of sugammadex (up to 96 mg/kg) were well tolerated in 12 of the 13 subjects. One male subject experienced several adverse events associated with a probable hypersensitivity reaction to sugammadex. Pharmacokinetics were dose linear over the range 32-96 mg/kg, with elimination predominantly via the renal route.