Enabling Highly Enhanced Solar Thermoelectric Generator Efficiency by a CuCrMnCoAlN-Based Spectrally Selective Absorber.

Harvesting solar energy to enhance thermoelectric generator efficiency is a highly effective strategy. However, it is a grand challenge but essential to increase solar-thermal conversion efficiency. A spectrally selective absorber, which is capable of boosting solar absorptance (α) while suppressing thermal emittance (ε), shows great potential to elevate the solar-thermal conversion efficiency. Herein, we fabricate a multilayer spectrally selective absorber with the assistance of high-entropy nitrides, which shows outstanding spectral selectivity (α/ε = 95.2/10.9%). Benefitting from the high-entropy nitrides, it is experimentally demonstrated that the as-deposited absorber exhibits superior thermal stability, which is crucial to ensure service life. Under 1000 W·m-2 simulated solar illumination, it achieves a very high surface temperature of 109.6 °C, making it suitable to enhance the efficiency of solar thermoelectric generators. Impressively, the integration of the proposed absorber with a commercial thermoelectric generator efficiently reinforces thermoelectric performance, offering a high output power of 1.99 mW. More importantly, by taking advantage of a thermal concentration strategy, it enables a further increase of the output power by 2.98 mW. This work provides a promising solar-thermal material to boost high thermoelectric performance and extends the application category of high-entropy nitrides.

New insights into the reverse of chromium-induced reprotoxicity of pregnant mice by melatonin.

Hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) is a well-known environmental toxic metal that causes reprotoxicity in pregnant females. There are currently no appropriate interventions or treatments for Cr(VI) exposure during pregnancy. Herein, the protective effect of melatonin (MLT) against Cr(VI)-induced reprotoxicity is investigated by administrating MLT to pregnant mice exposed to Cr(VI). The results indicate that MLT effectively alleviates Cr(VI)-induced adverse pregnancy outcomes, restoring the decreased fetal weight and increased fetal resorption and malformation caused by Cr(VI) exposure to normal levels. MLT reduces the negative effects of Cr(VI) on follicular atresia and the development of primordial follicle in the maternal ovarian, thereby mitigating the decline in the reserve of primordial follicles. MLT alleviates Cr(VI)-induced oxidative stress, hence reducing the excessive accumulation of malondialdehyde in the maternal ovary. MLT inhibits Cr(VI)-induced apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells and the expression of cleaved caspase-3 in the ovary. MLT reduces the increase in serum follicle-stimulating hormone caused by Cr(VI) exposure, while elevating anti-Mullerian hormone levels. We demonstrate that MLT reverses Cr(VI)-induced reprotoxicity in pregnant mice, opening up a new avenue for treating reproductive defects caused by environmental stress.

Diagnostic performance of Neutrophil CD64 index, procalcitonin, and C-reactive protein for early sepsis in hematological patients.

BACKGROUND: Patients with hematological diseases are immunosuppressed due to various factors, including the disease itself and treatments, such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy, and are susceptible to infection. Infections in these patients often progress rapidly to sepsis, which is life-threatening. AIM: To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the neutrophil CD64 (nCD64) index, compared to procalcitonin (PCT) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), for the identification of early sepsis in patients with hematological diseases. METHODS: This was a prospective analysis of patients with hematological diseases treated at the Fuxing Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, between March 2014 and December 2018. The nCD64 index was quantified by flow cytometry and the Leuko64 assay software. The factors which may affect the nCD64 index levels were compared between patients with different infection statuses (local infection, sepsis, and no infection), and the control group and the nCD64 index levels were compared among the groups. The diagnostic efficacy of the nCD64 index, PCT, and hs-CRP for early sepsis was evaluated among patients with hematological diseases. RESULTS: A total of 207 patients with hematological diseases (non-infected group, n = 50; locally infected group, n = 67; sepsis group, n = 90) and 26 healthy volunteers were analyzed. According to the absolute neutrophil count (ANC), patients with hematological diseases without infection were divided into the normal ANC, ANC reduced, and ANC deficiency groups. There was no statistically significant difference in the nCD64 index between these three groups (P = 0.586). However, there was a difference in the nCD64 index among the non-infected (0.74 ± 0.26), locally infected (1.47 ± 1.10), and sepsis (2.62 ± 1.60) groups (P < 0.001). The area under the diagnosis curve of the nCD64 index, evaluated as the difference between the sepsis and locally infected group, 0.777, which was higher than for PCT (0.735) and hs-CRP (0.670). The positive and negative likelihood ratios were also better for the nCD64 index than either PCT and hs-CRP. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate the usefulness of the nCD64 index as an inflammatory marker of early sepsis in hematological patients.

Entropy-Assisted High-Entropy Oxide with a Spinel Structure toward High-Temperature Infrared Radiation Materials.

Developing advanced materials with a high-entropy concept is one of the hot trends in materials science. The configurational entropy of high-entropy materials can be tuned by introducing different atomic species, which can also impart a result in excellent physical and chemical properties. In this work, we synthesized a solid-solution oxide (Cu, Mn, Fe, Cr)3O4 by a simple and scalable solid-phase synthesis method. We extensively investigated the microstructure and chemical composition, indicating that (Cu, Mn, Fe, Cr)3O4 has a single-phase spinel structure. Simultaneously, we reasonably evaluated the position occupied by the elements of (Cu, Mn, Fe, Cr)3O4 in a spinel structure as (Cu0.75Fe0.25)(Fe0.25Cr0.375Mn0.375)2O4. Here, we first evaluated the infrared radiation performance of (Cu, Mn, Fe, Cr)3O4. The new, high-entropy oxide (HEO) (Cu, Mn, Fe, Cr)3O4 powder exhibits high infrared emissivity values of 0.879 and 0.848 in the wavelengths of 0.78-2.5 and 2.5-16 µm, respectively, and has excellent thermal stability. More importantly, the infrared emissivity values of as-prepared HEO coating reach 0.955 (0.78-2.5 µm) at room temperature and 0.936 (3-16 µm) at 800 °C. This work provides a viable strategy toward the laboratory mass production of this HEO for infrared radiation materials, which shows great potential in the energy-related applications.

Highly Enhanced Thermal Robustness and Photothermal Conversion Efficiency of Solar-Selective Absorbers Enabled by High-Entropy Alloy Nitride MoTaTiCrN Nanofilms.

Recent advances in high-entropy alloys have spurred many breakthroughs in the fields of high-temperature materials and optical materials and they provide incredible application potentialities for photothermal conversion systems. Solar-selective absorbers (SSAs), as key components, play a vital role in photothermal conversion efficiency and service life. The most pressing problem with SSAs is their inconsistent optical performance, an instability constraint induced by thermal stress. A feasible method of improving performance stability is the introduction of high-entropy materials, such as high-entropy alloy nitrides. In this study, enabled by an intrinsic MoTaTiCrN absorption layer, the solar configuration achieves greatly enhanced, exceptional thermotolerance and optical properties, leading to the formation of a scalable, highly efficient, and cost-effective structure. Computational and experimental approaches are employed to achieve optimum preparation parameters for thicknesses and constituents. The crystal structure of high-entropy ceramic MoTaTiCrN is fully investigated, including thickness-dependent crystal nucleation. High-temperature and long-term thermal stability tests demonstrate that our proposed SSA is mechanically robust and chemically stable. Moreover, a low thermal emittance (15.86%) at 500 °C promotes the photothermal conversion efficiency. In addition, due to the exceptional spectral selectivity (α/ε = 92.3/6.5%), thermal robustness (550 °C for 168 h), and photothermal conversion efficiency (86.9% at 550 °C under 100 sun), it is possible for our proposed SSA to enhance the practical realization of large-area photothermal conversion applications, especially for concentrated solar power systems.

[Clinical Analysis of 24 Acute myeloid Leukemia Patients Aged -over 80 Years].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features of acute myeloid leukemia patients aged over 80 years. METHODS: The clinical data from 24 cases of acute myeloid leukemia (non-M3) aged over 80 years were analyzed retrospectively. Clinical characteristics, therapeutic efficacy and overall survival rate of the patients received low dose chemotherapy and/or decitabine were compared with that received only supportive care. RESULTS: According to FAB classification, the 10 patients were M2 subtypes (41.7%), the 7 patients were M4 subtypes (29.2%), the 4 patiens were M5 (16.7%), the 3 patients were unclassifed (16.5%). 22 patients (91.0%) were complicated with underling diseases. Among 13 patients received low dose chemotherapy or decitabine, 8 cases (61.5%) achived partial remission or higher remission. The median survival time of patients who reseived chemotherapy was 30 weeks, and signicantly longer than that of patients received supportive care (median survival time was 9 weeks (P<0.05)). The univariated analysis showed that WBC≥50×109/L, ECOG≥2 and received supportive care were unfavonrable prognostic factors for overall survival. CONCLUSION: More than half of patients aged over 80 years who received individudized treatment can achieve partial remission or higher remission, and can have more longer survival time..

A new electrochemical sensor of nitro aromatic compound based on three-dimensional porous Pt-Pd nanoparticles supported by graphene-multiwalled carbon nanotube composite.

In this study, an electrochemical sensor of nitro aromatic compound based on three-dimensional porous Pt-Pd nanoparticles (Pt-Pd NPs) supported by reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets-multiwalled carbon nanotube (CNTs) nanocomposite (marked as Pt-Pd NPs/CNTs-rGO) was investigated for the first time. This hybrid nanocomposite has been prepared via a facile and versatile hydrothermal synthetic strategy while its structure and property are evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The result shows that 3D porous Pt-Pd NPs/CNTs-rGO nanocomposite has a large specific surface area of 326.6m(2)g(-1) and exhibited ultrahigh rate capability and good cycling properties at high rates. Electrochemical studies have been performed for the nitro aromatic compounds detection by using different pulse voltammetry (DPV) techniques. The proposed nanocomposite exhibited much enhanced elctrocatalytic activity and high sensitivity toward the detection of nitro aromatic compounds which compared with Pt-Pd NPs dispersed on functionalized rGO, Pt-Pd NPs dispersed on functionalized CNTs, rGO-CNTs and bare glass carbon electrode (GCE). On the basis of the above synergetic electrochemical sensing and synthesis procedure, the hybrid material can be recommended as a robust material for sensor-related applications. Moreover, the proposed sensor exhibits high reproducibility, long-time storage stability and satisfactory anti-interference ability.

Biomarker expression in lung of rabbit with pulmonary fibrosis induced by ammonium perchlorate.

Ammonium perchlorate (AP), an oxidizer, has been used in solid propellants. Although AP exposure has been suspected as a risk factor for the development of pulmonary fibrosis, data are still inconclusive. To evaluate the pulmonary toxicity and the potential pulmonary fibrosis caused by occupational exposure to this compound, 25 male rabbits were randomly allocated into five groups to receive AP or bleomycin or saline by intratracheal injection. All rabbits were sacrificed and total RNA from the lungs was extracted. Expressions of types I and III collagens, transforming growth factor-ß(1) (TGF-ß(1)) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) messenger RNA (mRNA) were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expressions of type I and III collagen mRNA in low, moderate and high dose AP groups were significantly higher (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05) than that in the saline group. There was also a significant increased level of TGF-ß(1) and TNF-α mRNA in the three AP groups compared with saline control group (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05). These results reveal that AP can increase gene expressions of types I, III collagens, TGF-ß(1) and TNF-α in lung of rabbits exposed to AP. The overexpression of these biomarkers were considered as effective indicator linking to the development of pulmonary fibrosis and finally demonstrated that AP has potential to induce pulmonary fibrosis.