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• The fine-grained relationship between anxiety, depression, and quality of life was revealed for the first-time using network analysis. • Critical central symptoms "frustrated" and "uncontrollable worry" may provide valuable insights into refining screening instruments and better identifying patients exhibiting relevant symptoms. • Bridge symptoms "difficulty finding pleasure" and "nervousness or anxiety" may represent as potential targets for improving quality of life. Comorbid depression and anxiety in patients with epilepsy (PWE) are common and frequently under-treated, thus, causing poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, little is known regarding the interconnections between anxious/depressive symptoms and the dimensions of HRQoL. Therefore, we conducted a network analysis to explore these relationships in detail among Chinese adult PWE. A cohort of adult PWE was consecutively recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. HRQoL, depression, and anxiety were measured with Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-31, Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale, respectively. A regularized partial correlation network was constructed to investigate the interconnections between symptoms of anxiety/depression and the dimensions of HRQoL. We calculated expected influence (EI) and bridge expected influence (BEI) values to identify the most influential nodes. A total of 396 PWE were enrolled in this study, 78.1% of whom had focal onset epilepsy. The prevalence of anxiety and depression was 30.3% and 28.8%, respectively. The symptoms "frustrated" and "uncontrollable worry" had the highest EI values, whereas "emotional well-being", "seizure worry", "difficulty finding pleasure", and "nervousness or anxiety" had the highest BEI values. This study provides new insights into the relationships among anxiety, depression, and HRQoL. Critical central symptoms and bridge symptoms identified in the network might help to quickly identify PWE comorbid anxiety and depression in busy outpatient settings, thereby enabling early intervention and enhancing quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ready-to-eat sea cucumbers (RSC) are prone to autolysis when stored at room temperature. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of high pressure steam sterilization (HPSS) and high temperature boiling (HTB) on the biochemical, physiochemical, and structural changes of RSC stored at 25°C. After undergoing thermal treatment by HPSS and HTB, the shelf life of RSC was significantly extended to 35 and 63 days, respectively, compared to the control (CT) group. The results from TVB-N, microbial, and pH measurements indicated that both HPSS and HTB effectively maintained the quality of RSC by decreasing protein breakdown and lactic acid accumulation through glucose decomposition, thereby inhibiting microbial growth. The HPSS group showed a significant increase in soluble protein content during storage, reaching a final value of 25.48±0.36 mg/100 g on day 35, while the HTB group recorded a respective value of 12.97±0.03 mg/100 g. Furthermore, Van Gieson's staining and scanning electron microscope images revealed a tight arrangement and structural integrity of collagen fibers in the RSC of the HTB group on day 35. These findings suggested that HTB treatment was more effective in extending the shelf life of RSC and improving RSC processing compared to HPSS. [Display omitted] • The quality of RSC was minimally affected by HTB treatment. • Thermal treatments were found to prolong the shelf life of RSC. • HTB was effective in inhibiting the growth and reproduction of microorganisms in RSC. • HTB inhibited the reduction of RSC freshness and degradation of collagen fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]