Search

A series of Ag-modified manganese-mullite (SmMn2O5) catalysts with different Ag contents (1, 3, and 6 wt.%) were prepared via a citric acid sol–gel method for catalytic soot oxidation. The catalysts were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and H2 temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR). The soot oxidation activity of the mullite was significantly promoted by the addition of silver and affected by the loading amount of the metal. Herein, the influences of silver loading on the metal size distribution and its interactions with the mullite were studied. Based on these characterizations, a possible soot oxidation reaction mechanism was proposed for silver-modified SmMn2O5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catalysts of Au−Pd bimetallic nanoparticles with different Au/Pd ratios supported on 3DOM Al2O3 were synthesized by micropores‐diffused reduction (MDR) method. Compared with supported monometallic Au or Pd catalysts, supported bimetallic Au−Pd nanoparticle catalysts, especially Au2‐Pd2/3DOM Al2O3, show higher catalytic activity for soot combustion due to good synergetic effects between gold and palladium. Au/Pd ratio has a significant influence on the chemical states and size of bimetallic nanoparticles. The co‐presence of Au is favorable for the formation of metallic Pd instead of PdO. And the size of Au−Pd bimetallic nanoparticles gradually decreases with increasing Au/Pd ratio. The effect of water in the reaction atmosphere and SO2‐presulfurization of the catalyst on the activity is also studied. It is unexpected that Au2‐Pd2/3DOM Al2O3 catalysts with SO2‐presulfurization has higher catalytic activity than the fresh catalysts. The increased activity is related to the formed surface aluminum sulfate and enhanced acidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two Mn0.15Ce0.85O2−δ mixed oxides were synthesized by a co-precipitation method using Mn(NO3)2 and KMnO4 as the manganese precursors, respectively. Structural analyses by X-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy reveal the formation of MnOx-CeO2 solid solutions. The Mn0.15Ce0.85O2−δ catalyst prepared from the high-valent manganese precursor exhibits higher activity for the catalytic oxidation of NO. The advantage of KMnO4 is related to the improved redox property of the catalyst as supported by H2 temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and O2 temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). The Mn-Ce interactions create more Mn4+, Ce3+ and oxygen vacancies on the KMnO4-synthesized mixed oxides based on the Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese oxides (MnOx) have attracted particular attention in the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 (NH3-SCR) because of their excellent low-temperature activity. Herein, we prepared a highly efficient MnO2 (MnO2-M) catalyst through a facile ball milling-assisted redox strategy. MnO2-M shows a 90% NOx conversion in a wide operating temperature window of 75–200 °C under a gas hourly space velocity of 40,000 h−1, which is much more active than the MnO2 catalyst prepared by the redox method without the ball-milling process. Moreover, MnO2-M exhibits better H2O and SO2 resistance. The enhanced catalytic properties of MnO2-M originated from the high surface area, abundant oxygen vacancies, more acid sites, and higher Mn4+ content induced by the ball-milling process. In situ DRIFTS studies probed the reaction intermediates, and the SCR reaction was deduced to proceed via the typical Eley–Rideal mechanism. This work provides a facile method to enhance the catalytic performance of Mn-based catalysts for low-temperature denitrification and deep insights into the NH3-SCR reaction process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the efficacy and mechanism of Bushen Daozhuo granules in the treatment of chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). Methods According to the selection criteria, 160 patients with CP/CPPS were collected and randomly divided into the control group and Chinese Medicine group, 80 cases each group. The patients in the control group were treated with oral tamsulosin hydrochloride sustained-release capsules, 0.2 mg/time, once a day, and the patients in the Chinese Medicine group with Bushen Daozhuo granules, 200 ml/time, twice a day. The chronic prostatitis symptom score (CPSI) and efficacy of the two groups were counted before treatment and 4 weeks after treatment, and their cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-10), hemorheology (HBV, MBV, LBV), and serum sex hormones (LH, FSH, T, E2) levels were also measured. Results A total of 152 patients completed the study, including 75 in the control group and 77 in the Chinese Medicine group. After 4 weeks of treatment, the urination score, quality of life score, with TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-10 in the prostate fluid of the control group were significantly improved compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). The cure rate, significant rate and total effective rate of the Chinese Medicine group were significantly higher than those of the control group. The CPSI scores, cytokines in the prostate fluid, blood rheology indexes and sex hormones (LH, T, E2) were significantly improved compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and the degree of improvement was better than that of the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Bushen Daozhuo granules is effective in treating CP/CPPS, and its mechanism may be to improve the inflammatory state in the prostate by regulating systemic hormones and hemorheology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A growing body of research suggests a link between varicocele and male infertility (MI). However, current evidence is mainly based on retrospective studies, which are prone to interference from confounding factors and cannot establish causal relationships. Mendelian randomization (MR) studies on the causal relationship between varicocele and MI are very limited. Therefore, this study conducted a two-sample MR study to elucidate the causal effect between the two., Methods: Download the data set GSE216907 from the GEO database, and use R software to screen differential genes in normal and varicocele tissue samples. The drug targets of Bu Shen Huo Xue Prescription (BSHXP) were derived from the Herb database. All genetic datasets were obtained using publicly available summary statistics based on individuals of European ancestry from the IEU GWAS database. MR analysis was performed using MR Egger, weighted median (WM) and inverse variance weighted (IVW) methods to assess the causal relationship between exposure and outcome and to validate the findings by comprehensively evaluating the effects of pleiotropic effects and outliers. The renal vein constriction method was used to establish a pathological model of varicocele infertility. The drug was administered continuously for 60 days and the relevant indicators of the rats were observed., Results: Obtain two therapeutic targets for varicocele through intersection analysis: MEGF9 and MLLT11, and were verified by molecular docking. MR analysis showed that MEGF9 was positively associated with MI (MR Egger, OR: 1.639, 95% CI: 1.124-2.391, P = 0.024; WM, OR: 1.235, 95% CI: 1.003-1.521, P = 0.047). MEGF9 is also positively associated with MI (IVW, OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.069-1.705, P = 0.012). Sensitivity analysis showed no heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy. The expression of MEGF9 and MLLT11 increased in the varicocele model group, while the expression decreased after treatment with low, medium, and high doses of BSHXP. In addition, the sperm number, motility, morphology, and fertility of rats in the model group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P <0.05). After BSHXP treatment, all indicators were significantly better than those of the model group ( P <0.05)., Conclusion: In conclusion, this study indirectly supports that varicocele causes MI. BSHXP inhibiting MEGF9 and MLLT11 may become a potential therapeutic target for alleviating varicocele and MI., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Cai, Sun, Deng, Jin, Zhao, Xing, Liu and Jin.)

The influences of gaseous, weakly adsorbed, and strongly adsorbed NH 3 on the low-temperature (<100 °C) hydrothermal stability of SAPO-34 and Cu-SAPO-34 were investigated. NH 3 temperature-programmed desorption (NH 3 -TPD), 1 H magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR), and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) were adopted to characterize the adsorption states of NH 3 and H 2 O in SAPO-34, and the destruction of the SAPO-34 framework was revealed by direct and cross-polarization 29 Si, 27 Al, and 31 P MAS NMR. Gaseous NH 3 coadsorbed with H 2 O inside SAPO-34 micropores and induced the hydrolysis of framework P-O-Al and Si-O(H)-Al bonds. Weakly adsorbed NH 3 was released during aging and played a similar negative role to gaseous NH 3 . When being combined with hydrolyzed Al species from the framework, active Cu ions transformed to inactive CuAl 2 O 4 -like species, leading to deactivation in low-temperature SCR of Cu-SAPO-34. Strongly adsorbed NH 4 + via 200 °C preadsorption protected the framework integrity of SAPO-34 and the SCR activity of Cu-SAPO-34.