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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]

In the present study, we investigated the optimum adsorption conditions, adsorption characteristics and surviva of Lactobacillus acidophilus adsorbed on attapulgite (ATT). Results of single factor experiments showed that the optimum adsorption parameters were ATT concentration of 10%, initial pH of 6.5 and temperature of 35 °C. From the static experiments of adsorption characteristics, we found that the experimental data were fitted best to the pseudo-secondorder kinetics and Langmuir isotherm models, and the adsorption was a spontaneous and endothermic process. Bacteria survival test showed that the microencapsulated L. acidophilus stored at −18 °C for 30 days achieved the highest survival rate (83.2% ± 5.8) and obtained better protection at simulated conditions of gastric pH and at high bile salt concentrations when compared with free bacteria. The study demonstrated that microencapsulation of L. acidophilus in ATT was an effective technique of protection against low-temperature injury and under simulated gastrointestinal environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar is a well-known carbon material with diversified functionalities and excellent physicochemical characteristics with high wastewater treatment potential. This review aims to summarize recent advancements in the development of biochar and biochar-based nanohybrid materials as a potential tool for the removal of harmful organic compounds such as synthetic dyes/effluents. The formation of biochar using pyrolysis of renewable feedstocks and their applications in various industries are explained hereafter. The characteristics and construction of biochar-based hybrid materials are explained in detail. Diversity of feedstocks, including municipal wastes, industrial byproducts, agricultural, and forestry residues, endows different biochar types with a wide structural variety. The production of cost-effective biochar drives the interest in manipulating biochars and induces desire functionality using nanoscale reinforcements. Various types of biochars, such as magnetic biochar, layered nanomaterial coated biochar, nanometallic oxide composites, chemically and physically functionalized biochar, have been produced. With the aid of nanomaterial, hybrid biochar exhibits a high potential to remove toxic contaminants. Depending upon biochar type, dyes/effluents can be removed via different mechanisms, including the Fenton process, photocatalytic degradation, π–π interaction, electrostatic interaction, and physical adsorption. In conclusion, desired physicochemical features, and tunable surface properties of biochar present high potential material in removing organic dyes and other effluents. The blended biochar with different materials/nanomaterials endows broader development and multi-functional opportunities for treating dyes/effluents. [Display omitted] • Biochar-based nanohybrids, as trendy materials, are reviewed. • The characteristic rendering biochar matrices for environmental settings are given. • The work spotlight the efficient treatment of hazardous contaminants using biochar-based nanohybrids. [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]

Abstract In recent years, owing to the serious ecological risks and human health-related adverse effects, the wide occurrence of hazardous contaminants along with their potential to enter the environment have gained great public concerns. In this context, significant actions are urgently required to tackle the ignorance and inefficient monitoring/removal of emerging/(re)-emerging contaminants (ECs) in the environment from different routes of concerns, i.e., industrial waste, pharmaceutical, personal care products (PCPs), toxic effluents, etc. Laccases are multinuclear copper-containing oxidoreductases and can carry out one electron oxidation of a broad spectrum of environmentally related contaminants. In biotechnology, this group of versatile enzymes is known as a green catalyst/green tool with enormous potentialities to tackle ECs of high concern. In this review, we endeavored to present up-to-date literature concerning the potential use of immobilized laccases for the degradation and remediation of various types of environmental pollutants present in the environment. Both, pristine and immobilized, laccases have shown great capacity to oxidative degradation and mineralization of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDs) in batch treatment processes as well as in large-scale continuous reactors. These properties make laccase as particularly attractive biocatalysts in environmental remediation processes, and their use might be advantageous over the conventional treatments. This review summarizes the most significant recent advances in the use of laccases and their future perspectives in environmental biotechnology. Graphical abstract Image 1086 Highlights • Emerging contaminants (ECs) in the environment and their laccase-assisted degradation is reviewed. • Significant actions are required to avoid the ignorance and inefficient ECs removal. • New strategies are needed to control the ECs in the environment from different routes of concerns. • Laccase has emerged as green catalyst with enormous potentialities to tackle ECs of high concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]