Cardioprotective Potential of Cymbopogon citratus Essential Oil against Isoproterenol-induced Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy:Possible Involvement of NLRP3 Inflammasome and Oxidative Phosphorylation Complex Subunits

Objective:Cymbopogon citratus(DC.)Stapf is a medicinal and edible herb that is widely used for the treatment of gastric,nervous and hypertensive disorders.In this study,we investigated the cardioprotective effects and mechanisms of the essential oil,the main active ingredient of Cymbopogon citratus,on isoproterenol(ISO)-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.Methods:The compositions of Cymbopogon citratus essential oil(CCEO)were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.Cardiomyocytes were pretreated with 16.9µg/L CCEO for 1 h followed by 10µmol/L ISO for 24 h.Cardiac hypertrophy-related indicators and NLRP3 inflammasome expression were evaluated.Subsequently,transcriptome sequencing(RNA-seq)and target verification were used to further explore the underlying mechanism.Results:Our results showed that the CCEO mainly included citronellal(45.66%),geraniol(23.32%),and citronellol(10.37%).CCEO inhibited ISO-induced increases in cell surface area and protein content,as well as the upregulation of fetal gene expression.Moreover,CCEO inhibited ISO-induced NLRP3 inflammasome expression,as evidenced by decreased lactate dehydrogenase content and downregulated mRNA levels of NLRP3,ASC,CASP1,GSDMD,and IL-1β,as well as reduced protein levels of NLRP3,ASC,pro-caspase-1,caspase-1(p20),GSDMD-FL,GSDMD-N,and pro-IL-1β.The RNA-seq results showed that CCEO inhibited the increase in the mRNA levels of 26 oxidative phosphorylation complex subunits in ISO-treated cardiomyocytes.Our further experiments confirmed that CCEO suppressed ISO-induced upregulation of mt-Nd1,Sdhd,mt-Cytb,Uqcrq,and mt-Atp6 but had no obvious effects on mt-Col expression.Conclusion:CCEO inhibits ISO-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy through the suppression of NLRP3 inflammasome expression and the regulation of several oxidative phosphorylation complex subunits.

Preparation and characterization of Ce_(1-x)Fe_xO_2 complex oxides and its catalytic activity for methane selective oxidation

A series of Ce1-xFexO2 （x=0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1） complex oxide catalysts were prepared using the coprecipitation method. The catalysts were characterized by means of XRD and H2-TPR. The reactions between methane and lattice oxygen from the complex oxides were investigated. The characteristic results revealed that the combination of Ce and Fe oxide in the catalysts could lower the temperature necessary to reduce the cerium oxide. The catalytic activity for selective CH4 oxidation was strongly influenced by dropped Fe species. Adding the appropriate amount of Fe2O3 to CeO2 could promote the action between CH4 and CeO2. Dispersed Fe2O3 first returned to the original state and would then virtually form the Fe species on the catalyst, which could be considered as the active site for selective CH4 oxidation. The appearance of carbon formation was significant and the oxidation of carbon appeared to be the rate-determining step; the amounts of surface reducible oxygen species in CeO2 were also relevant to the activity. Among all the catalysts, Ce0.6Fe0.402 exhibited the best activity, which converted 94.52% of CH4 at 900 ℃.

Catalytic performance of cerium iron complex oxides for partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas

The cerium iron complex oxides oxygen carrier was prepared by the co-precipitation method. The reactions between methane and lattice oxygen from the complex oxides were investigated in a fixed micro-reactor system. The reduced oxygen carder could be re-oxidized by air and its initial state could be restored. The characterizations of the oxygen carders were studied using XRD, O2-TPD, and H2-TPR. The results showed that the bulk lattice oxygen of CeO2-Fe2O3 was found to be suitable for the partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas. There were two kinds of oxygen species on the oxygen carrier： the stronger oxygen species that was responsible for the complete oxidation of methane, and the weaker oxygen species （bulk lattice oxygen） that was responsible for the selective oxidation of methane to CO and H2 at a higher temperature. Then, the lost bulk lattice oxygen could be selectively supplemented by air re-oxidation at an appropriate reaction condition. CeFeO3 appeared on the oxygen carrier after 10 successive redox cycles, however, it was not bad for the selectivity of CO and H2.

Synthesis and Electrocatalytic Properties of Complex Oxides Containing Lanthanum

A series of perovskite-type complex oxides LaNi1-xRuxO3 were prepared and studied by means of XRD. The effects of some factors on th complex oxides were discussed. Each kind of those perovskite-type complex oxides was used to prepare cathode by composite-electroplating technique. The cathodes were electrochemically charactrized. The results show that these novel cathode exhibit high activities and excellent stabilities during long-term continuous electrolysis with some current interruptions.

Eu(Ⅲ) complexes involving 1,3,5-triazine diphosphine oxides

The 1,3,5-triazine diphosphine oxide ligands with donor-acceptor properties formed strong complexes with europium（Ⅲ） ion in acetonitrile. Spectrophotometric titrations and mass spectra indicated that two ligands coordinated to one europium ion. The stability constants varied from 11.64 to 14.60 （log 13）. Binary complexes exhibited rather weak luminescence in solution. 1,3,5-triazine diphosphine oxides engaged as co-ligands in Eu（Ⅲ） （2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate）3 complex contributed to the overall photoluminescence and allowed for excitation with longer wavelengths than the parent complex.

Metal–Oleate Complex?Derived Bimetallic Oxides Nanoparticles Encapsulated in 3D Graphene Networks as Anodes for Efficient Lithium Storage with Pseudocapacitance

In this manuscript, we have demonstrated the delicate design and synthesis of bimetallic oxides nanoparticles derived from metal–oleate complex embedded in 3D graphene networks(MnO/CoMn_2O_4  GN), as an anode material for lithium ion batteries. The novel synthesis of the MnO/CoMn_2O_4  GN consists of thermal decomposition of metal–oleate complex containing cobalt and manganese metals and oleate ligand, forming bimetallic oxides nanoparticles, followed by a selfassembly route with reduced graphene oxides. The MnO/CoMn_2O_4  GN composite, with a unique architecture of bimetallic oxides nanoparticles encapsulated in 3D graphene networks, rationally integrates several benefits including shortening the di usion path of Li^+ ions, improving electrical conductivity and mitigating volume variation during cycling. Studies show that the electrochemical reaction processes of MnO/Co Mn_2O_4  GN electrodes are dominated by the pseudocapacitive behavior, leading to fast Li^+ charge/discharge reactions. As a result, the MnO/CoMn_2O_4  GN manifests high initial specific capacity, stable cycling performance, and excellent rate capability.

Study of engineering electronic structure modulated non-noble metal oxides for scaled-up alkaline blend seawater splitting

Scaled-up industrial water electrolysis equipment that can be used with abundant seawater is key for affordable hydrogen production.The search for highly stable,dynamic,and economical electrocatalysts could have a significant impact on hydrogen commercialization.Herein,we prepared energy-efficient,scalable,and engineering electronic structure modulated Mn-Ni bimetal oxides(Mn_(0.25)Ni_(0.75)O)through simple hydrothermal followed by calcination method.As-optimized Mn_(0.25)Ni_(0.75)O displayed enhanced oxygen and hydrogen evolution reaction(OER and HER)performance with overpotentials of 266 and115 mV at current densities of 10 mA cm^(-2)in alkaline KOH added seawater electrolyte solution.Additionally,Mn-Ni oxide catalytic benefits were attributed to the calculated electronic configurations and Gibbs free energy for OER,and HER values were estimated using first principles calculations.In real-time practical application,we mimicked industrial operating conditions with modified seawater electrolysis using Mn_(0.25)Ni_(0.75)O‖Mn_(0.25)Ni_(0.75)O under various temperature conditions,which performs superior to the commercial IrO_(2)‖Pt-C couple.These findings demonstrate an inexpensive and facile technique for feasible large-scale hydrogen production.

Mass Transfer-Promoted Fe^(2+)/Fe^(3+)Circulation Steered by 3D Flow-Through Co-Catalyst System Toward Sustainable Advanced Oxidation Processes

Realizing fast and continuous generation of reactive oxygen species(ROSs)via iron-based advanced oxidation processes(AOPs)is significant in the environmental and biological fields.However,current AOPs assisted by co-catalysts still suffer from the poor mass/electron transfer and non-durable promotion effect,giving rise to the sluggish Fe^(2+)/Fe^(3+)cycle and low dynamic concentration of Fe^(2+)for ROS production.Herein,we present a three-dimensional(3D)macroscale co-catalyst functionalized with molybdenum disulfide(MoS_(2))to achieve ultra-efficient Fe^(2+)regeneration(equilibrium Fe^(2+)ratio of 82.4%)and remarkable stability(more than 20 cycles)via a circulating flow-through process.Unlike the conventional batch-type reactor,experiments and computational fluid dynamics simulations demonstrate that the optimal utilization of the 3D active area under the flow-through mode,initiated by the convectionenhanced mass/charge transfer for Fe^(2+)reduction and then strengthened by MoS_(2)-induced flow rotation for sufficient reactant mixing,is crucial for oxidant activation and subsequent ROS generation.Strikingly,the flow-through co-catalytic system with superwetting capabilities can even tackle the intricate oily wastewater stabilized by different surfactants without the loss of pollutant degradation efficiency.Our findings highlight an innovative co-catalyst system design to expand the applicability of AOPs based technology,especially in large-scale complex wastewater treatment.

Synthesis and X-Ray Diffraction Study of All Rare-Earth Series Oxides REE_2Ti_2O_7

The pyrochlore supergroup natural minerals are the oxides for formula A2-xB2O7. In this formula, A typically is Ca, Na, TR, Ba, Fe and Mn cation. B is Ta, Ti, Nb, W, Sb. The pyrochlore supergroup is divided into five groups basis of the atomic proportions of the B-site atoms Nb, Ta, Sb, Ti, and W. They are pyrochlore, microlite, roméite, betafite, and elsmoreite, respectively. Some of these minerals containing rare-earth elements species or synthetic oxides have important applications in materials, as for optical materials, light catalyst materials, magnetoelectric materials and radioactive waste treatment etc.

High Performance Silicon Nitride-based Composite Materials with Rare-earth Oxides Additives

In the present paper,a silicon nitride-based composite processed with rare-earth oxidesadditives is presented.Its bend strength can be maintained at a value as high as 1000 MPafrom 1000 to 1370℃ and the fracture toughness measures 9-10 MPa·m1/2.The static fa-tigue behavior at 1370℃ of this material is also encouraging.Besides,two another α′/β′sialon composites doped with rare-earth oxides are also described.The effects of processingparameters on the microstructure and the properties of the materials are discussed in somedetails.

Mg/Al complex oxides-A new type of solid basic catalyst for epoxidation

Hydrotalcites known as anionic clays are found in nature. Hydrotalcites, hydrotalcite-like compounds, and calcined hydrotalcites (as mixed or complex oxides) as highly active, selective catalysts play an important role in many base/catalyzed reactions. Mg/Al hydrotalcite (MAH) as precursor was used to prepare Mg/Al metal complex oxides (MAO), used as epoxidation catalysts in the current research. In this paper, some primary physical and catalytic properties of MAH and MAO were investigated. The results indicated that the qualified MAH (Mg/Al mol ratio of 3) can be achieved when the suspension was crystallized under 80°C for 16h, and after being filtered, dried at 100 °C for 5h in a oven. MAO was prepared by calcining MAH for 4h in a muffle furnace, and calcination temperature was determined to be 500 °C by a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). Crystal structure and parameters of MAH and MAO were characterized by X/ray diffraction (XRD), good crystal structure was observed and typical peaks of MAH were detected when 2θ was at 11.5 (003), 23.0 (006), 35.0 (009), and 61.0 (110), respectively. The morphology of calcined precursor, i.e. MAO, was investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM);the finer lamellar structure and smaller average size of 3μm was observed. Molding research was performed and confirmed by SEM, the results indicated that the surface bulge and cavity with size of several micrometers were increased, which simultaneously suggested the increasing of specific surface area. The catalytic activity of molding MAO was finally examined by using octanol as starting reagent and ethylene oxide as reactant, and narrower molecular distribution was observed comparing with the traditional catalyst-KOH.

A Band Theory Perspective on Molecular Orbitals in Complex Oxides

In view of the growing interest in molecular orbitals (MOs) encountered in certain complex oxides, we review some of their properties from the band theory perspective and provide detailed examples based on real materials. Our discussion includes some technical aspects of identifying MOs in electronic structure calculations and considers cases when MOs can be both orthogonal and non-orthogonal. We also describe orthonormalization of MOs, a procedure converting them into Wannier functions, and discuss the problem of Wannier functions possibly being rather spatially extended and how using MO, rather than atomic orbital, based effective Hamiltonians might be a better choice in describing certain strongly correlated systems as well as systems with strong electron-phonon coupling. Furthermore, we address the problem of strongly correlated MOs and how it can be treated in band theory calculations.

SPECTRAL VARIATION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW VALENCY RARE EARTH IONS IN COMPLEX OXIDESⅢ.EFFECT OF THE CRYSTAL ENVIRONMENT AND CHEMICAL FACTORS ON LUMINESCENCE PROPERTIES OF EUROPIUM (Ⅱ) ION

In this paper,the influence of crystal-field on the Luminescence properties of Eu^(2+) in complex oxides are studied theoretically by using purely electrostatic model,the dependence of the 4f^65d levels on Eu-O bond distance is given.Quantum chemistry calculation shows that the splitting extent of 4f^65d energy band in cubic or in octahedral fields will be inversely proportional to R^5,where R is the distance of Eu^(2+) to oxygen ligand.The value of R affects slightly the location of the centre of 4f^65d energy band.According to the exper- imental spectrum data,we have discussed the influence of the host chemical composition,the replaced sites of Eu^(2+) and degree of covalency of Eu-O bond on luminescence properties of Eu^(2+).Some regularity of fluorescence spectrum was observed. In alkali-alkaline earth-phosphates,the splitting extent of 4f^65d band (△E) becomes smaller as the Eu-O bond distance (R) increases.In Na_(3-x)(PO_4)_(1-x)(SO_4)_x and Na_(2-x)CaSi_(1-x)P_xO_4 hosts,d-d emission peak of Eu^(2+) will shift to shorter wavelength with the increase of x's value. The crystal structure data show that Eu^(2+) in K_2Mg_2(SO_4)_3 is affected more strongly by crystal-field and covalancy than in KMgF_3,so K_2Mg_2(SO_4)_3:Eu^(2+) emits blue light (E_(em)~m=400nm) and KMgF_3:Eu^(2+) produces ultraviolet fluorescence.

Novel cobalt(Ⅱ) complexes of amino acids-Schiff bases catalyzed aerobic oxidation of various alcohols to ketones and aldehyde

Two cobalt（Ⅱ） complexes 1 and 2 of Schiff bases derived from amino acids were synthesized and used for oxidation of benzyl alcohol with molecular oxygen at different conditions of pH,solvent,temperature and complex/alcohol molar ratio to optimize reaction conditions and to evaluate the catalytic efficiency of new cobalt Schiff base complexes.Under obtained optimum conditions,various alcohols were oxidized to corresponding aldehydes and ketones.

Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Rice-Duck and Rice-Fish Complex Ecosystems and the Evaluation of Their Economic Significance

Rice-duck （RD） and rice-fish （RF） ecological systems are major complex planting and breeding models of rice paddy fields in southern China. Studying the methane （CH4） and nitrous oxide （N2O） emissions and their economic value from these two ecosystems can provide theoretical and practical basis for further development and utilization of these classical agricultural techniques. CH4 and N2O emissions from RD and RF ecological systems were measured in situ by using static chambers technique. Using global warming potentials （GWPs）, we assessed the greenhouse effect of CH4 and N2O and their economic value. Results showed that the peaks of CH4 emission fluxes from RD and RF appeared at full tillering stage and at heading stage, and the average emission fluxes were significantly （P〈 0.05） lower than that from CK. N2O fluxes remained low when the field is flooded and high after draining the water. Compared with CK, the total amount of N2O emissions was significantly （P〈0.05） higher and slightly lower than those from RD and RF, respectively. In 2006 and 2007, the total greenhouse effect of CH4 and N20 from RD and RF were 4 728.3 and 4 611 kg CO2 ha^-1, 4 545 and 4 754.3 kg CO2 ha^-1, respectively. The costs of greenhouse effect were 970.89 and 946.81 RMB yuan ha^-1, and 933.25 and 976.23 RMB yuan ha^-1, respectively, which were significant lower than those from CK （5 997.6 and 5 391.5 RMB yuan ha^-1）. Except for the environment cost of CH4 and N2O, the economic benefits from RD and RF were 2 210.64 and 4 881.92 RMB yuan ha^-1; 3 798.37 and 5 310.64 RMB yuan ha^-1, respectively, higher than those from CK. Therefore, RD and RF complex ecological planting and breeding models can effectively decrease and control CH4 and N2O emissions, and they are two of the effective strategies to reduce greenhouse gases from rice paddy fields and contribute in alleviating global warming. Thus, their adoption is important to the environment together with their economy benefits.

Synthesis of a new ordered mesoporous NiMoO_4 complex oxide and its efficient catalytic performance for oxidative dehydrogenation of propane

Highly ordered mesoporous NiMoO4 material was successfully synthesized using mesoporous silica KIT-6 as hard template via vacuum nanocasting method. The structure was characterized by means of XRD, TEM, N2 adsorption-desorption, Raman and FT-IR. The mesoporous NiMoO4 with the coexistence of a-NiMoO4 and fl-NiMoO4 showed well-ordered mesoporous structure, a bimodal pore size distribution and crystalline framework. The catalytic performance of NiMoOa was investigated for oxidative dehydrogenation of propane. It is demonstrated that the mesoporous NiMoO4 catalyst with more surface active oxygen species showed better catalytic performance in oxidative dehydrogena- tion of propane in comparison with bulk NiMoO4.

Catalytic combustion of diesel soot over K_2NiF_4-type oxides La_(2-x)K_xCuO_4

Nanostructure K2NiF4 type oxides La2-xKxCuO4 complex oxides were prepared using the Sol-Gel method, characterized by X-Ray Diffraction （XRD）, Fourier Transform Infrared （FT-IR）, and Scanning Electron Microscopy （SEM）. The catalytic activity for soot combustion was evaluated by the Temperature-Programmed Reaction （TPO） technique. The results demonstrated that the substitution quality of K^＋ for La^3＋ at the A-site would increase the catalytic activities of La2-xKxCuO4 for soot combustion greatly; the substitution quality affected the structure and catalytic activity obviously. The La1.8K0.2CuO4 complex oxides with tetrahedral structures had the best catalytic activity for soot combustion, and the ignition temperature of soot combustion was lowered from 490 to 320 ℃.

Dioxygen Affinity and Catalytic Performance of Bis-(furaldehyde) Schiff Bases Co(II) Complexes in Cyclohexene Oxidation

Oxygenation constants and thermodynamic parameters DeltaH degrees and DeltaS degrees of cobalt (II) complexes with bis-(furaldehyde) Schiff bases (1, 2, 3, 4)were obtained by mearsuring saturated dioxygen uptake of these complexes in pyridine at different temperature. These complexes could activate molecular oxygen and were used as catalysts in cyclohexene oxidation. The influence of ligand structure on the dioxygen affinity and catalytic activity of the complexes were discussed.

Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of ketones with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by Sn-aniline complex

Sn-aniline complex was prepared by a simple procedure. Cyclic and acyclic ketones were oxidized into lactones or esters with very high selectivity and yield with 30% hydrogen peroxide in the presence of Sn-aniline complex.