Multi-Dopant Engineering in Perovskite Cs2SnCl6: White Light Emitter and Spatially Luminescent Heterostructure.

Bi3+/Te4+ co-doped Cs2SnCl6 with dual emission spectrum (i.e., 450 and 575 nm) was achieved by a modified solution method, which can overcome the phase separation in the previous method for Cs2SnCl6 crystal growth. The two emission peaks arising from the two dopants Bi3+ and Te4+ have distinct photoluminescence (PL) lifetimes. Thus, the control of dopant ratio or PL delay time will regulate the PL intensity ratio between 450 and 575 nm peaks leading to adjustable emission color. The energy transfer between the two emission centers, which is confirmed by the optical spectra and PL lifetime, has a critical distance around 7.8 nm with a maximum of 50% transfer efficiency. The Bi3+/Te4+ co-doped Cs2SnCl6 with superior stability in water and aqua regia was fabricated into a single-phase white light-emitting diode. In the meantime, various luminescent heterostructures were obtained by epitaxial Cs2SnCl6 crystal growth with different dopants, which can broaden the study of composition engineering in halide perovskites.

Hydrogen-rich water ameliorates neuropathological impairments in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease through reducing neuroinflammation and modulating intestinal microbiota.

Hydrogen exhibits the potential to treat Alzheimer's disease. Stereotactic injection has been previously used as an invasive method of administering active hydrogen, but this method has limitations in clinical practice. In this study, triple transgenic (3×Tg) Alzheimer's disease mice were treated with hydrogen-rich water for 7 months. The results showed that hydrogen-rich water prevented synaptic loss and neuronal death, inhibited senile plaques, and reduced hyperphosphorylated tau and neurofibrillary tangles in 3×Tg Alzheimer's disease mice. In addition, hydrogen-rich water improved brain energy metabolism disorders and intestinal flora imbalances and reduced inflammatory reactions. These findings suggest that hydrogen-rich water is an effective hydrogen donor that can treat Alzheimer's disease. This study was approved by the Animal Ethics and Welfare Committee of Shenzhen University, China (approval No. AEWC-20140615-002) on June 15, 2014.

Itraconazole therapy for infant hemangioma: Two case reports.

BACKGROUND: Infantile hemangiomas (IHs) are the most common childhood benign tumors, showing distinctive progression characteristics and outcomes. Due to the high demand for aesthetics among parents of IH babies, early intervention is critical in some cases. ß-Adrenergic blockers and corticosteroids are first-line medications for IHs, while itraconazole, an antifungal medicine, has shown positive results in recent years. CASE SUMMARY: In the present study, itraconazole was applied to treat two IH cases. The therapeutic course lasted 80-90 d, during which the visible lesion faded by more than 90%. Moreover, no obvious side effects were reported, and the compliance of the baby and parents was desirable. CONCLUSION: Although these outcomes further support itraconazole as an effective therapeutic choice for IHs, large-scale clinical and basic studies are still warranted to improve further treatment.

Motor learning enhanced by combined motor imagery and noninvasive brain stimulation is associated with reduced short-interval intracortical inhibition.

BACKGROUND: Motor imagery (MI) improves motor skill learning, which is further enhanced when MI is paired with primary motor cortex transcranial brain stimulation or with electrical stimulation of the peripheral median nerve. Applying both stimulation types (here with 25 ms intervals) is called paired associative stimulation (PAS25). The final primary motor cortex output is determined by combined excitatory and intracortical inhibitory circuits, and reducing the latter is associated with enhanced synaptic transmission and efficacy. Indeed, short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) inhibits motor evoked potentials (MEPs), and motor learning has been associated with decreased SICI and increased cortical excitability. Here, we investigated whether cortical excitability and SICI are altered by PAS25 applied after MI-induced modulation of motor learning. METHODS: Peak acceleration of a hand-grasping movement and MEPs and SICI were measured before and after MI alone, PAS25 alone, and MI followed by PAS25 in 16 healthy participants to evaluate changes in motor learning, corticospinal excitability, and intracortical inhibition. RESULTS: After PAS25 alone, MEP amplitude increased while peak acceleration was unchanged. However, PAS25 applied following MI not only significantly enhanced both peak acceleration (p = 0.011) and MEP amplitude (p = 0.004) but also decreased SICI (p = 0.011). Moreover, we found that this decrease in SICI was significantly correlated with both the peak acceleration (r = 0.49, p = 0.029) and the MEP amplitude (r = 0.56, p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that brain function altered by PAS25 of the motor cortex enhances MI-induced motor learning and corticospinal excitability and decreases SICI, suggesting that SICI underlies, at least in part, PAS25 modulation of motor learning.