Lavender essential oil alleviates depressive-like behavior in alcohol-withdrawn rats: Insights from gut metabolites and hippocampal transcriptome analysis.

Lavender, an aromatic plant with a history dating back to ancient Egypt and Greece, is consumed because of its diverse pharmacological properties, including sedation, sleep aid, and antidepressant effects. However, the mechanisms underlying these antidepressant properties remain unclear. In this study, we explored the impact of lavender essential oil (LEO) inhalation on the diversity of gut microbiota, metabolites, and differential gene expression in the hippocampus of alcohol-withdrawn depressive rats. Additionally, we examined alterations in the hippocampal transient receptor potential (TRP) channel-mediated inflammatory regulation within the brain-gut axis of depressive rats. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in sucrose preference, diminished activity in the central zone of the open field test, and prolonged immobility time in the forced swim test in alcohol-withdrawn depressive rats, indicating the amelioration of depressive states following lavender essential oil inhalation. 16 S rDNA sequencing analysis revealed a significant reduction in Bacteroidota and Muribaculaceae in the gut of alcohol-withdrawn depressive rats, whereas lavender essential oil significantly increased the relative abundance of Muribaculaceae and other bacterial species. Metabolomic analysis identified 646 distinct metabolites as highly correlated biomarkers between the model and lavender essential oil groups. Furthermore, lavender essential oil inhalation significantly attenuated hippocampal inflammatory factors IL-2, IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α. This study identified elevated expression of Trpv4 and Calml4 in the hippocampal region of alcohol-withdrawn depressed rats and showed that lavender essential oil inhalation regulated aberrantly expressed genes. Our research suggests that lavender essential oil downregulates Trpv4, modulates inflammatory factors, and alleviates depressive-like behavior in alcohol withdrawal rats.

Dielectric and Thermal Conductivity Characteristics of Epoxy Resin-Impregnated H-BN/CNF-Modified Insulating Paper.

High-voltage direct-current (HVDC) dry bushing capacitor-core insulation is composed of epoxy resin-impregnated insulating paper (RIP). To improve the thermal conductivity, breakdown strength, and space charge characteristics of RIP, 0.1 wt % nano-cellulose fiber (CNF)-modified RIP (CNF/RIP), 2.5-30 wt % hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN)-modified RIP (h-BN/RIP), and 2.5-30 wt % h-BN + 0.1 wt % CNF-modified RIP (h-BN + 0.1 wt % CNF/RIP) were prepared. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was implemented; the thermal conductivity, DC conductivity, DC breakdown strength, and space charge characteristics were tested. The maximum thermal conductivity of h-BN + 0.1 wt % CNF/RIP was 0.376 W/m.K with a h-BN content of 30 wt %. The thermal conductivity was 85.2% higher than that of unmodified RIP. The breakdown strength and charge suppression were the best in the case of 10 wt % h-BN + 0.1 wt % CNF/RIP. The maximum breakdown strength was 11.2% higher than that of unmodified RIP. These results can play a significant role in the research and development of insulation materials for HVDC dry bushing.

Dielectric and Thermal Conductivity of Epoxy Resin Impregnated Nano-h-BN Modified Insulating Paper.

Epoxy resin-impregnated insulation paper (RIP) composites are used as the inner insulation of dry condenser bushing in the ultra-high voltage direct current (UHVDC) power transmission system. To improve the dielectric properties and heat conductivity of RIP, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nano-flakes are added to the insulation paper at concentrations of 0-50 wt % before impregnation with pure epoxy resin. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, thermal conductivity as well as the typical dielectric properties of direct current (DC) volume conductivity. DC breakdown strength and space charge characteristics were obtained. The maximum of nano-h-BN modified heat conductivity reach 0.478 W/(m·K), increased by 139% compared with unmodified RIP. The DC breakdown electric field strength of the nano-h-BN modified RIP does not reduce much. The conductivity of nano-h-BN modified is less sensitive to temperature. As well, the space charge is suppressed when the content is 50 wt %. Therefore, the nano-h-BN modified RIP is potentially useful in practical dry DC bushing application.

Hydrogen Storage, Magnetism and Electrochromism of Silver Doped FAU Zeolite: First-Principles Calculations and Molecular Simulations.

The complex configuration, H2 adsorption binding energy, magnetic, and optical properties of FAU zeolites with Ag cations loaded by ion exchange in the vacant dielectric cavities were investigated by employing the first-principles calculations with all-electron-relativistic numerical atom-orbitals scheme and the Metropolis Monte Carlo molecular simulations. The visible absorption spectrum peaked at distinct wavelengths arranging from red or green to blue colors when changing the net charge load, due to the produced various redox states of Ag cations exchanging at multiple Li⁺-substituted sites. The spin population analyses indicate the ferrimagnetic coupling between Al⁻O⁻Si framework and Ag cations originates from the major ferromagnetic spin polarization in Ag cation cluster coordinating with sodalite cages, with the net spins appreciably depending on the Ag content and exchange site. The H2 adsorption capacities and binding energies represent significant dependence on the content, location, and electronic property of Ag cations introduced into the FAU zeolites. The evident decrease of H2 adsorption binding energy with increased loading concentration demonstrates repulsive interaction between H2 molecules and heterogeneous adsorption configuration on Ag cations. The adsorption sites of H2 sorted by the binding energy with different adsorption configurations were correlated with exchange sites of Ag cations under different Ag loading to comprehend the H2 adsorption mechanism.

Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Molecular Diffusion Equilibrium and Breakdown Mechanism of Oil-Impregnated Pressboard with Water Impurity.

The water molecule migration and aggregation behaviors in oil-impregnated pressboard are investigated by molecular dynamics simulations in combination with Monte Carlo molecular simulation technique. The free energy and phase diagram of H2O-dodecylbenzene (DDB) and H2O-cellulose mixtures are calculated by Monte Carlo technique combined with the modified Flory-Huggins model, demonstrating that H2O molecules can hardly dissolved with infinitesimal content in cellulose system at temperature lower than 650 K, based on which the oil/cellulose layered structure with water impurity representing three-phase coexistence in oil-impregnated pressboard are modeled and performed for molecular dynamics. The molecular dynamics of H2O/DDB/cellulose three-phase mixture simulating oil-paper insulating system with H2O impurity indicates that DDB molecules can thermally intrude into the cellulose-water interface so as to separate the water phase and cellulose fiber. The first-principles electronic structure calculations for local region of H2O/DDB interface show that H2O molecules can introduce bound states to trap electrons and acquire negative charges, so that they will obtain sufficient energy from applied electric field to break DDB molecular chain by collision, which are verified by subsequent molecular dynamics simulations of H2O-/DDB interface model. The electric breakdown mechanism under higher than 100 kV/m electric field is presented based on the further first-principles calculations of the produced carbonized fragments being dissolved and diffusing in DDB phase. The resulted broken DDB fragments will introduce impurity band between valence and conduction bands of DDB system, evidently decreasing bandgap as to that of conducting materials in their existence space. The conductance channel of these carbonized DDB fragments will eventually be formed to initiate the avalanche breakdown process by the cycle-feedback of injected charge carriers with carbonized channels.

Experimental Study on Influence of Trap Parameters on Dielectric Characteristics of Nano-Modified Insulation Pressboard.

In order to study the influence of trap parameters on dielectric characteristics of nano-modified pressboards, pressboards were made using the nano doping method with different nanoparticle components. The dielectric characteristics of the modified pressboards were measured, and the trap parameters were investigated using the thermally stimulated current (TSC) method. The test results indicated that the conductivity initially declined and then rose with the increase of nano-Al2O3 content, whereas it solely rose with the increase of nano-SiC content. Moreover, the conductivity exhibited nonlinear characteristics with the enhancement of electric field stress at high nanoparticle content. The relative permittivity of modified pressboard declines initially and then rises with the increase of nanoparticle content. In addition, the breakdown strength of modified pressboards exhibited a pattern of incline followed by decline with the increase of nano-Al2O3 content, while it always declined with the increase of nano-SiC content. The analysis based on the energy band theory on trap parameters of the constructed multi-core model concludes that the nanoparticle components added in pressboard altered both the depth and density of traps. It is therefore concluded that trap parameters have significant influence on the dielectric characteristics of nano-modified insulation pressboard.