Astragali radix (Huangqi): a time-honored nourishing herbal medicine.

Astragali radix (AR, namded Huangqi in Chinese) is the dried root of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. var.

Heavy-to-light electron transition enabling real-time spectra detection of charged particles by a biocompatible semiconductor.

The current challenge of wearable/implantable personal dosimeters for medical diagnosis and radiotherapy applications is lack of suitable detector materials possessing both excellent detection performance and biocompatibility. Here, we report a solution-grown biocompatible organic single crystalline semiconductor (OSCS), 4-Hydroxyphenylacetic acid (4HPA), achieving real-time spectral detection of charged particles with single-particle sensitivity. Along in-plane direction, two-dimensional anisotropic 4HPA exhibits a large electron drift velocity of 5 × 10cm s at "radiation-mode" while maintaining a high resistivity of (1.

High-Performance Industrial-Grade CsPbBr Single Crystal by Solid-Liquid Interface Engineering.

All-inorganic metal halide perovskite CsPbBr crystal is regarded as an attractive alternative to high purity Ge and CdZnTe for room temperature γ-ray detection. However, high γ-ray resolution is only observable in small CsPbBr crystal; more practical and deployable large crystal exhibits very low, and even no detection efficiency, thereby thwarting prospects for cost-effective room temperature γ-ray detection. The poor performance of large crystal is attributed to the unexpected secondary phase inclusion during crystal growth, which traps the generated carriers.

Doping by Design: Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of GeSe Alloys Through Metavalent Bonding.

Doping is usually the first step to tailor thermoelectrics. It enables precise control of the charge-carrier concentration and concomitant transport properties. Doping should also turn GeSe, which features an intrinsically a low carrier concentration, into a competitive thermoelectric.

Strong charge carrier scattering at grain boundaries of PbTe caused by the collapse of metavalent bonding.

Grain boundaries (GBs) play a significant role in controlling the transport of mass, heat and charge. To unravel the mechanisms underpinning the charge carrier scattering at GBs, correlative microscopy combined with local transport measurements is realized. For the PbTe material, the strength of carrier scattering at GBs depends on its misorientation angle.

Atomic Level Defect Structure Engineering for Unusually High Average Thermoelectric Figure of Merit in n-Type PbSe Rivalling PbTe.

Realizing high average thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT ) and power factor (PF ) has been the utmost task in thermoelectrics. Here the new strategy to independently improve constituent factors in ZT is reported, giving exceptionally high ZT and PF in n-type PbSe. The nonstoichiometric, alloyed composition and resulting defect structures in new Pb Se Te (x = 0-0.

Polycrystalline SnSe with a thermoelectric figure of merit greater than the single crystal.

Thermoelectric materials generate electric energy from waste heat, with conversion efficiency governed by the dimensionless figure of merit, ZT. Single-crystal tin selenide (SnSe) was discovered to exhibit a high ZT of roughly 2.2-2.

Exceptionally High Average Power Factor and Thermoelectric Figure of Merit in n-type PbSe by the Dual Incorporation of Cu and Te.

Thermoelectric materials with high average power factor and thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) has been a sought-after goal. Here, we report new n-type thermoelectric system CuPbSeTe ( = 0.0025, 0.

Design of Domain Structure and Realization of Ultralow Thermal Conductivity for Record-High Thermoelectric Performance in Chalcopyrite.

Chalcopyrite compound CuGaTe is the focus of much research interest due to its high power factor. However, its high intrinsic lattice thermal conductivity seriously impedes the promotion of its thermoelectric performance. Here, it is shown that through alloying of isoelectronic elements In and Ag in CuGaTe , a quinary alloy compound system Cu Ag Ga In Te (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.

Ultrahigh Power Factor and Electron Mobility in n-Type BiTe-%Cu Stabilized under Excess Te Condition.

The thermoelectric (TE) community has mainly focused on improving the figure of merit (ZT) of materials. However, the output power of TE devices directly depends on the power factor (PF) rather than ZT. Effective strategies of enhancing PF have been elusive for BiTe-based compounds, which are efficient thermoelectrics operating near ambient temperature.

High Thermoelectric Performance in n-Type Polycrystalline SnSe via Dual Incorporation of Cl and PbSe and Dense Nanostructures.

Despite extensive studies on emerging thermoelectric material SnSe, its n-type form is largely underdeveloped mainly due to the difficulty in stabilizing the carrier concentration at the optimal level. Here, we dually introduce Cl and PbSe to induce n-type conduction in intrinsic p-type SnSe. PbSe alloying enhances the power factor and suppresses lattice thermal conductivity at the same time, giving a highest thermoelectric figure of merit ZT of 1.

High-Performance n-Type PbSe-CuSe Thermoelectrics through Conduction Band Engineering and Phonon Softening.

From a structural and economic perspective, tellurium-free PbSe can be an attractive alternative to its more expensive isostructural analogue of PbTe for intermediate temperature power generation. Here we report that PbSeBr-2%CuSe exhibits record high peak ZT 1.8 at 723 K and average ZT 1.

Highly robust and flexible n-type thermoelectric film based on AgTe nanoshuttle/polyvinylidene fluoride hybrids.

Highly robust and flexible n-type thermoelectric (TE) films based on Ag2Te nanoshuttle/polyvinylidene fluoride were prepared by a solution-processable method without a surfactant. A good power performance of over 30 μW (m K2)-1 at room temperature was achieved. Moreover, the synthesized fabrics also exhibited potential for application in flexible electronic devices with negligible performance change after 1000 bending cycles.

Defect Engineering for High-Performance n-Type PbSe Thermoelectrics.

Introducing structural defects such as vacancies, nanoprecipitates, and dislocations is a proven means of reducing lattice thermal conductivity. However, these defects tend to be detrimental to carrier mobility. Consequently, the overall effects for enhancing ZT are often compromised.

Enhancing p-Type Thermoelectric Performances of Polycrystalline SnSe via Tuning Phase Transition Temperature.

SnSe emerges as a new class of thermoelectric materials since the recent discovery of an ultrahigh thermoelectric figure of merit in its single crystals. Achieving such performance in the polycrystalline counterpart is still challenging and requires fundamental understandings of its electrical and thermal transport properties as well as structural chemistry. Here we demonstrate a new strategy of improving conversion efficiency of bulk polycrystalline SnSe thermoelectrics.

Fabrication of BiTe Se nanowires with tunable chemical compositions and enhanced thermoelectric properties.

Uniform BiTe Se nanowires (NWs) with tunable components are synthesized by a modified solution method free of any template, and inter-diffusion mechanism is proposed for the growth and transformation of ternary nanowires. Spark plasma sintering is adopted to fabricate the pellets of BiTe Se NWs and thermoelectric transport properties are measured. As compared to BiTe pellets, Se doping results in lowered electrical conductivity because of the reduced carrier concentration, both the Seebeck coefficient and the power factor are enhanced substantially.

Morphology-Controllable Synthesis of Cobalt Telluride Branched Nanostructures on Carbon Fiber Paper as Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Cobalt telluride branched nanostructures on carbon fiber paper (CFP) with two different morphologies were synthesized via solution-based conversion reaction. Both the CoTe2 with nanodendrite and CoTe with nanosheet morphologies on the CoTe2 nanotube (CoTe2 NDs/CoTe2 NTs and CoTe NSs/CoTe2 NTs) supported by CFP exhibit high activities toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Particularly, the CoTe NSs/CoTe2 NTs only require an overpotential of 230.

Nanowires as Building Blocks to Fabricate Flexible Thermoelectric Fabric: The Case of Copper Telluride Nanowires.

A general approach to fabricate nanowires based inorganic/organic composite flexible thermoelectric fabric using a simple and efficacious five-step vacuum filtration process is proposed. As an excellent example, the performance of freestanding flexible thermoelectric thin film using copper telluride nanowires/polyvinylidene fluoride (Cu1.75Te NWs/PVDF = 2:1) as building block is demonstrated.

[Experimental study on lumbar intervetebral disc degeneration model with kidney deficiency by ovariectomizing].

Objective: To observe effects of removing arms and ovarian on lumbar intervertebral disc and vertebral bone mineral density (BMD) by establishing rat model of lumbar intervetebral disc degeneration (IDD) with kidney deficiency, and to explore internal mechanism of disc degeneration, relationship between disc degeneration and osteoporosis.

Methods: Thirty Sprague-Dawley female rats aged one month were randomly divided into control group, lumbar IDD group and lumbar IDD with kidney deficiency group (combined group), 10 rats in each group. Lumbar IDD group removed double arms, lumbar IDD with kidney deficiency group removed double arms after 3 months, both ovaries were removed.

[Effects of Yiqi Huayu prescription on knee cartilage degeneration in HIF-1alpha gene knockout mice].

Objective: To study the role of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF1alpha) on knee cartilage degeneration,and to explore the effects and mechanisms of Chinese herbal compound Yiqi Huayu prescription on HIF-1alpha gene knockout mice on knee cartilage degeneration.

Methods: The 4-month and 6-month HIF-1alpha gene knock out mice were obtained by interbreeding, and divided into HIF-1alpha +/+ 4-month mice group,HIF-1alpha -/- 4-month mice group,HIF-1alpha +/+ 6-month mice group and HIF-1alpha -/- 6-month mice group, 3 mice in each group. And then the 2-month-old HIF-1alpha gene knock out mice were randomly divided into Yiqi Huayu prescription group and physiological saline group.

[Professor Shi Qi's experience of applying herbal paste for treating chronic musculoskeletal conditions].

Professor Shi Qi is a famous traditional Chinese medicine doctor specializing in orthopaedics and traumatology, who has formatted a set of systematic protocols for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic musculoskeletal conditions. When it is time for using tonics in winter, he advocates applying herbal paste for treating chronic musculoskeletal diseases. This paper introduces Professor Shi Qi's commonly used prescription for treating chronic musculoskeletal conditions and puts forward demands and understandings in concocting herbal paste, experience in herbal paste for treating chronic musculoskeletal diseases such as cervical spondylosis, lumbar disc herniation, lumbar spinal stenosis, lumbar muscle strain, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoporosis, knee osteoarthritis and avascular necrosis of femoral head, and the advantages of herbal paste for treating chronic musculoskeletal conditions as opposed to alternative treatments.

[The relationship between hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis: a review].

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common diseases seen in clinical practice. Cartilage survives in the hypoxic microenvironment. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is a key nuclear transcription factor which mediates the hypoxic response of cells.

Inhibitory effect of YQHYRJ recipe on osteoblast differentiation induced by BMP-2 in fibroblasts from posterior longitudinal ligament of mice.

Ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) is a common disease in Asian countries. Osteoblast differentiation in posterior longitudinal ligamentous fibroblast is a pathologic basis of OPLL. Nowadays, an effective pharmacotherapy for OPLL is still hunted for.

The expression of osteoprotegerin is required for maintaining the intervertebral disc endplate of aged mice.

Objective: Human chondrocytes and annulus fibrosus cells of intervertebral disc (IVD) express osteoprotegerin (OPG), but the effect of OPG on the pathogenesis of IVD degeneration remains unknown. Here we assessed the phenotype change of IVD in OPG(-/-) mice.

Methods: The IVDs from 12-, 20-, and 28-week-old OPG(-/-) mice and WT controls were subjected to histologic analyses including TRAP staining for osteoclasts, immunostaining for OPG and type I collagen protein expression, and TUNEL staining for apoptosis.