A perovskite solar cell-photothermal-thermoelectric tandem system for enhanced solar energy utilization.

Photovoltaic-thermoelectric (PV-TE) tandem system has been considered as an effective way to fully utilize the solar spectrum, and has been demonstrated in a perovskite solar cell (PSC)-thermoelectric (TE) configuration. However, the conventional PSC-TE tandem architecture cannot convert infrared light transmitted through the upper PSC into heat effectively, impeding the heat-electricity conversion of TE devices. Herein, a semi-transparent PSC-photothermal-TE tandem system is designed for improved photothermal utilization. Through optimizing the buffer layer of the back transparent electrode, semi-transparent PSC with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 13% and an average transmittance of 53% in the range of 800-1500 nm was obtained. On this basis, a photothermal thin film was introduced between the semi-transparent PSC and the TE device, which increased the efficiency contribution ratio of the TE device from 14% to 19%, showing enhanced utilization of AM 1.5 G solar spectrum and improved photo-thermal-electric conversion efficiency.

We have constructed a semi-transparent perovskite solar cell-photothermal-thermoelectric tandem system through the optimization of transparent back electrode and the introduction of photothermal thin-film, realizing enhanced utilization of solar energy.

High Homocysteine-Thiolactone Leads to Reduced MENIN Protein Expression and an Impaired DNA Damage Response: Implications for Neural Tube Defects.

DNA damage is associated with hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) and neural tube defects (NTDs). Additionally, HHcy is a risk factor for NTDs. Therefore, this study examined whether DNA damage is involved in HHcy-induced NTDs and investigated the underlying pathological mechanisms involved. Embryonic day 9 (E9) mouse neuroectoderm cells (NE4C) and homocysteine-thiolactone (HTL, active metabolite of Hcy)-induced NTD chicken embryos were studied by Western blotting, immunofluorescence. RNA interference or gene overexpression techniques were employed to investigate the impact of Menin expression changes on the DNA damage. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate the epigenetic regulation of histone modifications. An increase in γH2AX (a DNA damage indicator) was detected in HTL-induced NTD chicken embryos and HTL-treated NE4C, accompanied by dysregulation of phospho-Atr-Chk1-nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway. Further investigation, based on previous research, revealed that disruption of NER was subject to the epigenetic regulation of low-expressed Menin-H3K4me3. Overexpression of Menin or supplementation with folic acid in HTL-treated NE4C reversed the adverse effects caused by high HTL. Additionally, by overexpressing the Mars gene, we tentatively propose a mechanism whereby HTL regulates Menin expression through H3K79hcy, which subsequently influences H3K4me3 modifications, reflecting an interaction between histone modifications. Finally, in 10 human fetal NTDs with HHcy, we detected a decrease in the expression of Menin-H3K4me3 and disorder in the NER pathway, which to some extent validated our proposed mechanism. The present study demonstrated that the decreased expression of Menin in high HTL downregulated H3K4me3 modifications, further weakening the Atr-Chk1-NER pathway, resulting in the occurrence of NTDs.

Recalcitrant nodular scabies showing excellent response to tofacitinib: five case reports.

Scabies is a contagious skin condition caused by Sarcoptes scabiei, and it is always associated with an intense, unbearable, nocturnal deteriorating itch. Its presentations include classic burrows, erythema, pruritic papules, pustules, vesicles, and inflammatory nodules, with diffuse or localized distribution on the finger webs, wrist flexors, elbows, axillae, buttocks, genitalia, and breasts. Nodular scabies is an uncommon clinical variant of scabies. Its management is still challenging for some patients up to date, although topical, intralesional or systemic corticosteroids, topical calcineurin inhibitors, and crotamiton as well as cryotherapy alone or in different combinations are used. We here report five male patients of nodular scabies, aged between 14 and 25 years, who had classical scabies that had been cured by sulfur ointment for at least 4 weeks except for their itching nodules, and their residual pruritic nodules also failed in previous treatments including antihistamines, topical applying and intralesional injection of steroids as well as topical tacrolimus in different combinations before being recruited to this study. The patients were administered tofacitinib 5 mg, twice a day, which led to excellent and rapid improvement for both lesions and symptoms after 1-4 weeks of treatment, respectively, without any associations. During 6 months of follow-up, only one had re-infection of scabies associated with nodules that were cured by sulfur ointment and tofacitinib again. No adverse reaction was observed. The present results suggested that tofacitinib might be a potential agent for nodular scabies with excellent response.

Hypoxia-inducible factor upregulation by roxadustat attenuates drug reward by altering brain iron homoeostasis.

Substance use disorder remains a major challenge, with an enduring need to identify and evaluate new, translational targets for effective treatment. Here, we report the upregulation of Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) expression by roxadustat (Rox), a drug developed for renal anemia that inhibits HIF prolyl hydroxylase to prevent degradation of HIF-1α, administered either systemically or locally into selected brain regions, suppressed morphine (Mor)-induced conditioned place preference (CPP). A similar effect was observed with methamphetamine (METH). Moreover, Rox also inhibited the expression of both established and reinstated Mor-CPP and promoted the extinction of Mor-CPP. Additionally, the elevation of HIF-1α enhanced hepcidin/ferroportin 1 (FPN1)-mediated iron efflux and resulted in cellular iron deficiency, which led to the functional accumulation of the dopamine transporter (DAT) in plasma membranes due to iron deficiency-impaired ubiquitin degradation. Notably, iron-deficient mice generated via a low iron diet mimicked the effect of Rox on the prevention of Mor- or METH-CPP formation, without affecting other types of memory. These data reveal a novel mechanism for HIF-1α and iron involvement in substance use disorder, which may represent a potential novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of drug abuse. The findings also repurpose Rox by suggesting a potential new indication for the treatment of substance use disorder.

Robustly Enhanced Seebeck Coefficient in the MXene/Organics/TiS2 Misfit Structure for Flexible Thermoelectrics.

The flexible thermoelectric (TE) generator has emerged as a superior alternative to traditional batteries for powering wearable electronic devices, as it can efficiently convert skin heat into electricity without any safety concerns. MXene, a highly researched two-dimensional material, is known for its exceptional flexibility, hydrophilicity, metallic conductivity, and processability, among other properties, making it a versatile material for a wide range of applications, including supercapacitors, electromagnetic shielding, and sensors. However, the low intrinsic Seebeck coefficient of MXene due to its metallic conducting nature poses a significant challenge to its TE application. Therefore, improving the Seebeck coefficient remains a primary concern. In this regard, a flexible MXene/organics/TiS2 misfit film was synthesized in this work through organic intercalation, exfoliation, and re-assembly techniques. The absolute value of Seebeck coefficient of the misfit film was significantly enhanced to 44.8 µV K-1, which is five times higher than that of the original MXene film. This enhancement is attributed primarily to the weighted effect of the Seebeck coefficient and possibly to energy-filtering effects at the heterogeneous interfaces. Additionally, the power factor of the misfit film was considerably improved to 77.2 µW m-1 K-2, which is 18 times higher than that of the original MXene film. The maximum output power of the TE device constructed of the misfit film was 95 nW at a temperature difference of 40 K, resulting in a power density of 1.18 W m-2, demonstrating the significant potential of this technology for driving low-energy consumption wearable electronics.

Organic-SnSe2 Hybrid Superlattice toward Synergistic Electrical Transport Optimization and Thermal Conductance Suppression.

Recently, layered SnSe2 has drawn broad research interest as a promising thermoelectric material that possesses great potential for application in energy conversion. However, extensive efforts have been devoted to optimizing the thermoelectric performance of SnSe2, but the ZT value is still far from satisfactory. Therefore, we developed an organic-inorganic superlattice hybrid by intercalating organic cations into SnSe2 interlayers in an attempt to enhance the thermoelectric properties. Organic intercalants can enlarge the basal spacing and decouple the SnSe2 layers, bringing about synergistic electrical transport modification and phonon softening. Thus, by simultaneously improving the electrical conductivity and reducing the thermal conductivity, a ZT value of 0.34 is achieved at 342 K in tetrabutylammonium-intercalated SnSe2, approximately two orders of magnitude higher than that of pristine SnSe2 single crystals. In addition, by opening van der Waals gaps via organic cations, outstanding flexibility of organic-intercalated SnSe2 is realized, with a superior figure of merit for flexibility of approximately 0.068. This work demonstrates a general and facile strategy to fabricate organic-inorganic superlattice hybrids with a considerable improvement in the thermoelectric performance via organic cation intercalation, which is promising for flexible thermoelectrics.

Dielectric Matching by the Unique Dynamic Dipoles in Hybrid Organic/Inorganic Superlattices toward Ultrathin Microwave Absorber.

There is an urgent demand of ultrathin high-performance microwave absorbing materials (MAMs) in the electromagnetic protection field. However, minimizing thickness is challenging mainly due to dielectric mismatch at high permittivity from excessive dielectric loss, leading to strong reflection at 2-18 GHz. Here, a hybrid TaS2 /Co(Cp)2 superlattice is fabricated with alternating [TaS2 ] inorganic layers and [Co(Cp)2 ] organic layers. Dynamic Ta─Co dipoles offer a unique interfacial polarization relaxation mechanism involving the inversion and rotation of dynamic Ta─Co dipoles. The prolonged relaxation time of limited dynamic Ta─Co dipoles contributes to enhanced dielectric matching at high permittivity, which is essential for ultrathin high-performance MAMs. Furthermore, the confinement of paramagnetic Co(Cp)2 molecules in the interlayer space of the diamagnetic TaS2 sublattice triggers unexpected ferromagnetism via interfacial magnetic coupling conducive to the improved microwave-absorbing performance at reduced thickness. Therefore, it presents a 1.271-mm thick ultrathin absorber that can attenuate up to 99.99% of electromagnetic wave energy with a broad effective absorption bandwidth of 4.05 GHz, thus pushing the limits of thickness of 2D-based high-performance MAMs. This paper demonstrates a new strategy toward ultrathin MAMs with tunable and decent electromagnetic loss derived from electrical and magnetic coupling at the atomic scale.

Constructing Randomly Lamellar HKUST-1@Clinoptilolite through Polyethylene Glycol-Assisted Hydrothermal Method and Coordinated Complexation for Enhanced Adsorptive Separation for CO2 and CH4.

Clinoptilolite (CP) was successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal route in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG), and it was then delaminated by washing using Zn2+ containing acid. HKUST-1, as one kind of the Cu-based MOFs, showed a high CO2 adsorption capacity owing to its large pore volume and specific surface area. In the present work, we selected one of the most efficient ways for preparing the HKUST-1@CP compounds via coordination between exchanged Cu2+ and ligand (trimesic acid). Their structural and textural properties were characterized by XRD, SAXS, N2 sorption isotherms, SEM, and TG-DSC profiles. Particularly, the effect of the additive PEG (average molecular weight of 600) on the induction (nucleation) periods and growth behaviors were detailed and investigated in the hydrothermal crystallization procedures of synthetic CPs. The corresponding activation energies of induction (En) and growth (Eg) periods during crystallization intervals were calculated. Meanwhile, the pore size of the inter-particles of HKUST-1@CP was 14.16 nm, and the BET specific area and pore volume were 55.2 m2/g and 0.20 cm3/g, respectively. Their CO2 and CH4 adsorption capacities and selectivity were preliminarily explored, showing 0.93 mmol/g for HKUST-1@CP at 298 K with the highest selective factor of 5.87 for CO2/CH4, and the dynamic separation performance was evaluated in column breakthrough experiments. These results suggested an efficient way of preparing zeolites and MOFs composites that is conducive to being a promising adsorbent for applications in gas separation.

Abnormal Out-of-Plane Vibrational Raman Mode in Electrochemically Intercalated Multilayer MoS2.

Raman spectroscopy is a powerful technique to probe structural and doping behaviors of two-dimensional (2D) materials. In MoS2, the always coexisting in-plane (E2g1) and out-of-plane (A1g) vibrational modes are used as reliable fingerprints to distinguish the number of layers, strains, and doping levels. In this work, however, we report an abnormal Raman behavior, i.e., the absence of the A1g mode in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-intercalated MoS2 superlattice. This unusual behavior is quite different from the softening of the A1g mode induced by surface engineering or electric-field gating. Interestingly, under a strong laser illumination, heating, or mechanical indentation, an A1g peak gradually appears, accompanied by the migration of intercalated CTA+ cations. The abnormal Raman behavior is mainly attributed to the constraint of the out-of-plane vibration due to intercalations and resulting severe electron doping. Our work renews the understanding of Raman spectra of 2D semiconducting materials and sheds light on developing next-generation devices with tunable structures.

Structure Features and Physicochemical Performances of Fe-Contained Clinoptilolites Obtained via the Aqueous Exchange of the Balanced Cations and Isomorphs Substitution of the Heulandite Skeletons for Electrocatalytic Activity of Oxygen Evolution Reaction and Adsorptive Performance of CO2.

Fe(III)-modified clinoptilolites (Fe-CPs) were prepared by hydrothermal treatment. The collapse of the heulandite skeletons was avoided by adjusting the pH value using HCl solution, showing the maximum relative crystallinity of the Fe-CPs at an optimal pH of 1.3. The competitive exchange performances between Fe3+ ions and H+ with Na+ (and K+) suggested that the exchange sites were more easily occupied by H+. Various characterizations verified that the hydrothermal treatments had a strong influence on the dispersion and morphology of the isolated and clustered Fe species. The high catalytic activity of the oxygen evolution reaction indicated the insertion of Fe3+ into the skeletons and the occurrences of isomorphic substitution. The fractal evolutions revealed that hydrothermal treatments with the increase of Fe content strongly affected the morphologies of Fe species with rough and disordered surfaces. Meanwhile, the Fe(III)-modified performances of the CPs were systematically investigated, showing that the maximum Fe-exchange capacity was up to 10.6 mg/g. Their thermodynamic parameters and kinetic performances suggested that the Fe(III)-modified procedures belonged to spontaneous, endothermic, and entropy-increasing behaviors. Finally, their adsorption capacities of CO2 at 273 and 298 K were preliminarily evaluated, showing high CO2 adsorption capacity (up to 1.67 mmol/g at 273 K).

Near-Infrared Trapping by Surface Plasmons in Randomized Platinum-Ceramic Metamaterial for Thermal Barrier Coatings.

As the operation temperature of next generation gas turbine is targeted to be 1800 °C toward a higher efficiency and lower carbon emission, the near-infrared (NIR) thermal radiation becomes a major concern for the durability of the metallic turbine blades. Although thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are applied to provide thermal insulations, they are translucent to the NIR radiation. It is a major challenge for TBCs to achieve optically thick with limited physical thickness (usually < 1 mm) for effectively shielding the NIR radiation damage. Here, an NIR metamaterial is reported, where a Gd2 Zr2 O7 ceramic matrix is randomly dispersed with microscale Pt (0.53 vol%) nanoparticles with a size of 100-500 nm. Attenuated by the Gd2 Zr2 O7 matrix, a broadband NIR extinction is achieved through the red-shifted plasmon resonance frequencies and higher-order multipole resonances of the Pt nanoparticles. A very high absorption coefficient of ≈3 × 104 m-1 , approaching the Rosseland diffusion limit for a typical coating thickness, minimizes the radiative thermal conductivity to ≈10-2  W m-1 K-1 and successfully shields the radiative heat transfer. This work suggests that constructing a conductor/ceramic metamaterial with tunable plasmonics could be a strategy to shield NIR thermal radiation for high temperature applications.

Carrier-filtering and phonon-blocking AgSnSe2-decorated grain boundaries to boost the thermoelectric performance of Cu2Sn0.9Co0.1S3.

Heavily co-doped Cu2SnS3 can achieve a high power factor by relying on a high electrical conductivity (σ), which subsequently limits the ZT value with a large electronic thermal conductivity (κe). We report here an enhanced ZT for Cu2Sn0.9Co0.1S3 decorated with micro-nanoscale AgSnSe2 along grain boundaries. The AgSnSe2 phase served as a charge carrier filter by ionized impurity scattering, with a noticeable bottoming out of carrier mobility and a rapid increase in the Seebeck coefficient as the temperature increased from 423 to 573 K, which properly reduced the large σ and κe while maintaining a high power factor of approximately 10 µW cm-1 K-2 at 773 K. Lattice thermal conductivity was markedly suppressed, and a low total thermal conductivity was obtained with strengthened phonon scattering by the AgSnSe2 phase as a phonon barrier. With the synergistic effects on electrical and thermal transport, a maximum ZT of 0.93 at 773 K was achieved in Cu2Sn0.9Co0.1S3-3 wt% AgSnSe2.

The study of GSDMB in pathogenesis of psoriasis vulgaris.

BACKGROUND: Gasdermin (GSDM) B is a member of the GSDM family, which is a protein that may be involved in the cell pyroptosis process and is associated with inflammatory diseases. OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between GSDMB and psoriasis vulgaris. METHODS: Skin lesions from 33 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 69 normal controls were collected. ELISA and Western blot were adopted to detect proteins. The HaCaT cell line was transfected with 3 sets of interfering sequence siRNA, and the mRNA and protein levels before and after the transfection were measured by qPCR and Western blot respectively, so as to establish a cell model with low GSDMB gene expression; the MTT method was used to detect cells viability, flow cytometry to detect cell apoptosis. RESULTS: The level of GSDMB protein in the skin lesions of patients with psoriasis vulgaris was lower than that in normal skin tissues (P < 0.05). The mRNA and protein expression levels of the target gene in the siRNA-GSDMB-3 group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The proliferation of HaCaT cells was decreased by MTT method and flow cytometry, and the apoptosis rate was increased (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The expression level of GSDMB in psoriasis vulgaris lesion tissue is lower than that of normal skin tissue. The down-regulation of GSDMB expression can inhibit cell proliferation and promote cell apoptosis. GSDMB may play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis by affecting the differentiation of keratinocytes and the function of T cells.

Novel IKBKG gene mutations in incontinentia pigmenti: report of two cases.

Incontinentia pigmenti (IP), an X-chromosome dominant genodermatosis caused by mutations in the IKBKG/NEMO gene, is a rare disease affecting the skin, teeth, eyes, and central nervous system. Here, we report two pedigrees of IP and detection of two novel mutations in the IKBKG gene associated with IP via genetic analysis. In addition, different gene mutation types can present with different clinical phenotypes, and the same gene mutation type can show different clinical phenotypes. This study provides clinical cases for further study of the genotype and phenotype of IP and enriches the mutation spectrum of IKBKG gene, which provides a basis for genetic counseling and genetic diagnosis of IP in the future.

Evaluation of the pharmacological effects and exploration of the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine preparation Ciwujia tablets in treating insomnia based on ethology, energy metabolism, and urine metabolomic approaches.

Ciwujia Tablets (CWT) are produced by concentrating and drying the extract solution of the dried rhizome of Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Maxim [Araliaceae; E. senticosus radix et rhizoma]. Besides, CWT is included in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia and is widely used in the treatment of insomnia. It mainly contains eleutheroside B, eleutheroside E, isofraxidin, eleutheroside C, ciwujiatone, and chlorogenic acid, as well as other chemical components. Although the clinical efficacy of CWT in treating insomnia has been confirmed, its functions and pharmacological effects have not been systematically evaluated and its mechanism of action in the treatment of insomnia remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, behavioral, energy metabolism, and metabonomics methods were applied to systematically evaluate the effect of CWT on insomnia. Additionally, urine metabonomics based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS were utilized to identify potential endogenous biomarkers of insomnia, detect the various changes before and after CWT treatment, explore the metabolic pathway and potential target of CWT, and reveal its pharmacological mechanism. Results revealed that CWT increased inhibitory neurotransmitter (5-HT and GABA) content and reduced the content of excitatory neurotransmitters (DA and NE). Moreover, CWT enhanced autonomous behavioral activity, stabilized emotions, and promoted the return of daily basic metabolic indexes of insomniac rats to normal levels. The urine metabolomics experiment identified 28 potential endogenous biomarkers, such as allysine, 7,8-dihydroneopterin, 5-phosphonooxy-L-lysine, and N-acetylserotonin. After CWT treatment, the content of 22 biomarkers returned to normal levels. The representative markers included N-acetylserotonin, serotonin, N-methyltryptamine, and 6-hydroxymelatonin. Additionally, the metabolic pathways in rats were significantly reversed, such as tryptophan metabolism, folate biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, and tyrosine metabolism. Ultimately, it is concluded that CWT regulated tryptophan metabolism, folate biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, and other metabolic levels in the body. This drug has been confirmed to be effective in the treatment of insomnia by regulating the content of serotonin, 6-hydroxymelatonin, N-acetylserotonin, and N-methyltryptamine to a stable and normal level in tryptophan metabolism.

From Brittle to Ductile: A Scalable and Tailorable All-Inorganic Semiconductor Foil through a Rolling Process toward Flexible Thermoelectric Modules.

Inorganic thermoelectric (TE) materials with outstanding capacity for energy conversion are expected to be promising eco-friendly and renewable power sources, but they are always intrinsically brittle, restricting their development in flexible TE electronics. Therefore, we have developed a facile manufacturing method of large-scale all-inorganic silver chalcogenide foils and flexible TE generators in this work. A rolling process, as an effective and facile molding technique, is applied in ductile TE materials. The figure-of-merit for flexibility of this free-standing foil is in the range of 0.02-0.13, suggesting the superior flexibility of the all-inorganic TE foils. A high TE figure-of-merit ZT of 0.47 at room temperature is reached for Ag2S0.45Se0.45Te0.1, which is one of the most promising room-temperature ZTs among flexible TE materials. A proof-of-concept flexible TE generator based on silver chalcogenide foils achieves an open-circuit voltage of 1.19 mV and an output power density of 1.8 mW/m2 with a temperature difference of 2.7 °C across the TE leg, showing great potential in heat-to-electricity conversion.

Theoretical insights into the Peierls plasticity in SrTiO3 ceramics via dislocation remodelling.

An in-depth understanding of the dislocations motion process in non-metallic materials becomes increasingly important, stimulated by the recent emergence of ceramics and semiconductors with unexpected room temperature dislocation-mediated plasticity. In this work, local misfit energy is put forward to accurately derive the Peierls stress and model the dislocation process in SrTiO3 ceramics instead of the generalized stacking fault (GSF) approach, which considers the in-plane freedom degrees of the atoms near the shear plane and describes the breaking and re-bonding processes of the complex chemical bonds. Particularly, we discover an abnormal shear-dependence of local misfit energy, which originates from the re-bonding process of the Ti-O bonds and the reversal of lattice dipoles. In addition, this approach predicts that oxygen vacancies in the SrTiO3 can facilitate the nucleation and activation of dislocations with improvement of fracture toughness, owing to the reduction of average misfit energy and Peierls stress due to the disappearance of lattice dipole reversal. This work provides undiscovered insights into the dislocation process in non-metallic materials, which may bring implications to tune the plasticity and explore unknown ductile compositions.

Exploring potential mechanism of ciwujia tablets for insomnia by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS, network pharmacology, and experimental validation.

Insomnia, whether chronic or intermittent, is a common central nervous system disease. Ciwujia Tablet (CWT) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) made from the extract of Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Maxim. This medication is commonly used for treating insomnia in China, but the lack of in-depth research focused on the chemical ingredients of CWT creates a gap in knowledge regarding its effective constituents against insomnia. Considering that the therapeutic material basis, targets, and pathways related to this drug have not been fully investigated by scholars in the field, the focus of this study is on identifying the chemical ingredients or structural characteristics of CWT by the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technique. Besides, concepts of network pharmacology were also used to investigate the targets and pathways of CWT. An insomnia rat model was established by intraperitoneal injection of p-chlorophenylalanine, and the results were verified through various experiments. A total of 46 ingredients were identified in CWT, such as eleutheroside B, eleutheroside E, isofraxidin, and chlorogenic acid. Among them, 17 ingredients with good solubility, favorable gastrointestinal absorption, and high bioavailability were selected for network pharmacological analysis. It was concluded that CWT participated in the regulation of neurotransmitter levels, modulation of ion transport, neurotransmitter receptor activity, synaptic transmission, dopaminergic transmission and other essential processes. Results from the animal experiments showed that CWT can increase the content of inhibitory neurotransmitters 5-HT and GABA in the brain, reduce the synthesis of excitatory escalating transmitters DA and NE, shorten the sleep latency and prolong the sleep duration of insomnia rats. Furthermore, CWT could significantly alleviate the symptoms of insomnia in model rats. Identifying the chemical ingredients of CWT in this experiment is of great significance for exploring its potential curative effects, which provides a solid basis for further understanding the therapeutic value of this medication.

Ant sting-induced whole-body pustules in an inebriated male: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Many ant species can harm humans; however, only a few cause life-threatening allergic reactions. Normally, reactions caused by ants occur in patients who come into contact with ant venom. Venom contains various biologically active peptides and protein components, of which acids and alkaloids tend to cause anaphylaxis. Ant venom can cause both immediate and delayed reactions. The main histopathological changes observed in ant hypersensitivity are eosinophil recruitment and Th2 cytokine production. CASE SUMMARY: A 70-year-old man was bitten by a large number of ants when he was in a drunken stupor and was hospitalized at a local hospital. Five days later, because of severe symptoms, the patient was transferred to our hospital for treatment. Numerous pustules were observed interspersed throughout the body, with itching and pain reported. He had experienced fever, vomiting, hematochezia, mania, soliloquy, sleep disturbances, and elevated levels of myocardial enzymes since the onset of illness. The patient had a history of hypertension for more than 1 year, and his blood pressure was within the normal range after hypotensive drug treatment. He had no other relevant medical history. Based on the clinical history of an ant bite and its clinical manifestations, the patient was diagnosed with an ant venom allergy. The patient was treated with 60 mg methylprednisolone for 2 d, 40 mg methylprednisolone for 3 d, and 20 mg methylprednisolone for 2 d. Oral antihistamines and diazepam were administered for 12 d and 8 d, respectively. Cold compresses were used to treat the swelling during the process. After 12 d of treatment, most pustules became crusts, whereas some had faded away. No symptoms of pain, itching, or psychological disturbances were reported during the follow-up visits within 6 mo. CONCLUSION: This case report emphasizes the dangers of ant stings.

Ultra-dense dislocations stabilized in high entropy oxide ceramics.

Dislocations are commonly present and important in metals but their effects have not been fully recognized in oxide ceramics. The large strain energy raised by the rigid ionic/covalent bonding in oxide ceramics leads to dislocations with low density (∼106 mm-2), thermodynamic instability and spatial inhomogeneity. In this paper, we report ultrahigh density (∼109 mm-2) of edge dislocations that are uniformly distributed in oxide ceramics with large compositional complexity. We demonstrate the dislocations are progressively and thermodynamically stabilized with increasing complexity of the composition, in which the entropy gain can compensate the strain energy of dislocations. We also find cracks are deflected and bridged with ∼70% enhancement of fracture toughness in the pyrochlore ceramics with multiple valence cations, due to the interaction with enlarged strain field around the immobile dislocations. This research provides a controllable approach to establish ultra-dense dislocations in oxide ceramics, which may open up another dimension to tune their properties.