No abstract

As the global water shortage becomes increasingly serious, it is highly imperative to develop efficient, renewable, and large-scale water purification devices. Herein, an efficient solar-driven water purification device of wood coated with Fe2O3 nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes (Fe2O3/CNT) is fabricated in only a few seconds by one-step combustion of ferric acetylacetonate in an ambient environment. The thin layer of the Fe2O3/CNT hybrid coated on the upper surface of the wood serves as a solar-light absorber for converting solar energy to thermal energy, while the thermally insulating wood layer with vertically aligned channels endows the device with rapid water upward transport and localizes the generated heat inside the Fe2O3/CNT layer for solar-driven water evaporation. As a result, the wood/Fe2O3/CNT device achieves a high water steam generation capability of 1.42 kg m–2 h–1 along with an excellent evaporation efficiency of 87.2% under 1 sun irradiation, higher than most of the wood-based solar-driven water evaporation device reported. This device is also efficient in the purification of seawaters and wastewaters. This work demonstrates a rapid and facile methodology for large-scale fabrication of wood/Fe2O3/CNT devices for efficient solar-driven water purification.

Background. Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) represents the most frequent clinical complaint encountered by dermatologists and is characterized by a progressive miniaturization of the hair follicle. However, the efficacy and safety of current medical treatment remain limited, and more personalized therapeutic approaches for AGA are needed. Therefore, the present study is aimed at investigating the efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin type A (BTA) in patients with AGA. Methods. 63 patients with AGA meeting the inclusion criteria were included in this study and treated with BTA injection or BTA injection combined with oral finasteride (FNS). In the scalp, 30 sites were injected with 100 U of BTA in each site and patients received BTA after every 3 months for a total of 4 times. Hair counts, head photographs, evaluation scores, and self-assessment were assessed in patients with AGA. Results. Hair counts in both groups at all time points were significantly higher as compared with those before treatment. After 4 times of treatment, hair counts in the BTA+FNS group were higher than those in the BTA group. Hair growth and density were significantly augmented, and the area of hair loss was attenuated after each treatment as revealed by head photographs. The effective rates of BTA and BTA+FNS groups were 73.3% and 84.8%, respectively, following 4 times treatment. Conclusion. BTA is a safe and effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of AGA without adverse effects, and BTA combined with FNS exhibited a superior therapeutic effect than BTA alone.