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Clostridium butyricum is a key anaerobic probiotic due to its ability to produce butyric acid and form spores. In this study, four strains were isolated from pig feces using tryptose sulfite cycloserine (TSC) plates and specific primers sequentially. The optimal strain, C. butyricum HADIG-CB003, identified via gas chromatography and enzyme tests, produced 1.54 g/L of butyric acid, with cellulase and amylase activities of 20.88 ± 1.27 U/mL and 16.04 ± 0.46 U/mL, respectively. In reinforced clostridial medium, it produced 2.48 L of gas per liter, with hydrogen making up 59.68% (1.48 L). The adhesion rate to porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-J2) was 9.16% in vitro. Twelve 3-week-old male Kunming mice were split into two groups and fed a basal diet with or without 1 × 10 10 CFU (colony-forming unit)/kg HADIG-CB003 for 2 weeks. The HADIG-CB003 diet did not significantly affect body weight or the feed-to-gain ratio but reduced harmful bacteria like Salmonella enterica and increased beneficial gut bacteria, elevating the Firmicutes / Bacteroidetes ratio ( p  < 0.05). Moreover, the HADIG-CB003 diet significantly increased fecal butyric acid levels and decreased microbial species richness (Chao1 index) in the cecal contents of the mice. The study shows that a TSC double-layer plate, PCR screening, and 16S rRNA sequencing effectively screen C. butyricum in pig feces. Additionally, adding HADIG-CB003 to Kunming mice diets significantly changed their gut microbiota in 2 weeks. Key points • This study presents an affordable and straightforward method for screening and fermenting C. butyricum that does not require anaerobic culture equipment. • This study suggests that C. butyricum HADIG-CB003 possesses the potential to enhance the intestinal health of host organisms.

Background In traditional Chinese medicine, herbal processing is used to modify the effects of herbs. Achyranthes bidentata BL (Niu Xi) is commonly used to treat atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, in both raw (RC) and salted (SRC) forms. Salting is known to enhance its effects, particularly on kidney function, but the differences in anti-atherosclerosis efficacy between RC and SRC have not been studied. Results A total of 491 and 501 chemical components were identified in RC and SRC, respectively, with 337 shared components. RC at a high dose (2.4 g/kg/d) was more effective against AS than the same dose of SRC over 12 weeks. Both RC and SRC increased SDF-1, SCF-1, and CXCR4 levels in the aorta of model mice compared to controls, suggesting these agents may protect the vascular endothelium through a related signaling axis. A gray relational analysis of 19 common components using UPLC-MS peak areas showed correlations (gray relational value > 0.6) with serum total cholesterol and bone marrow SDF-1 levels. Conclusions Both RC and SRC have anti-AS effects, but salt-processing does not improve this activity.

As the number of college students with left-behind experience grows, more scholars focus on their mental health and development. Most existing research highlights the negative consequences of the left-behind experience and rarely explores how individuals turn adversity into resources. In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 college students (men: n = 5, women: n = 11; age: 20–23) who had a left-behind experience. Thematic analysis was used to examine both the negative and positive effects of the left-behind experience and the mechanisms of positive transformation. Findings suggest that left-behind experience can result in both hidden costs and cultivated resilience. Negative effects include increased emotional sensitivity, difficulty forming close relationships, and reduced feelings of belonging. Positive outcomes include greater independence, stronger responsibility, and improved social adaptability. Further analysis shows that students use three strategies—cognitive restructuring, emotional regulation, and behavioral engagement—to convert negative experiences into positive psychological resources, thereby shifting from trauma to empowerment. The study shows that left-behind experience alone does not dictate long-term outcomes. Instead, individual meaning-making and resource integration shape development. By extending resilience theory to this student group, the findings offer a strengths-based framework for psychological support and education. These findings call for university mental health services and educational policies to move beyond a deficit model and incorporate the resilience and self-regulatory strategies identified in this population.

In this work, we report simulation evidence that the graphene surface decorated by carbon nanotube pillars shows strong dewettability, which can give it great advantages in dewetting and detaching metallic nanodroplets on the surfaces. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations show that the ultrathin liquid film first contracts then detaches from the graphene on a time scale of several nanoseconds, as a result of the inertial effect. The detaching velocity is in the order of 10 m/s for the droplet with radii smaller than 50 nm. Moreover, the contracting and detaching behaviors of the liquid film can be effectively controlled by tuning the geometric parameters of the liquid film or pillar. In addition, the temperature effects on the dewetting and detaching of the metallic liquid film are also discussed. Our results show that one can exploit and effectively control the dewetting properties of metallic nanodroplets by decorating the surfaces with nanotube pillars.

This paper uses green innovation and environmental pollution as the mediating variables to construct a mediating effect model to investigate whether China’s carbon emission trading policy can improve regional eco-efficiency by reducing regional environmental pollution and stimulating green innovation. This study is based on panel data from 30 provinces and municipalities directly under China’s central government and autonomous regions from 2003 to 2019. The eco-efficiency of these provinces is measured using the super-efficiency DEA model and the difference-in-difference method (DID). The results show that (1) China’s emission trading policy significantly improves regional ecological efficiency and the per capita GDP. The improvement can effectively improve regional ecological efficiency. (2) The mediating effect of green innovation and environmental pollution is significant. That is, China’s carbon emission trading policy further improves regional ecological efficiency by stimulating more green innovation and reducing the synergy brought by environmental pollution. (3) There are differences in the feedback of this impact mechanism between different regions: It shows the characteristics of the western region being more significant than the eastern region. The central region has no significant effect. The research conclusion can provide a policy reference for the subsequent unified promotion of the construction of a carbon emission trading market nationwide and a theoretical basis for helping to achieve the “dual carbon” goal.

Objective. Suanzaoren Decoction (SZRT) is a classic decoction to calm the nerves in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It has been extensively treated as an antianxiety drug in modern times, but the material basis and pharmacological mechanisms are still unclear. To explore the material basis and corresponding potential targets, as well as to elucidate the mechanism of SZRT, network pharmacology and molecular docking methods were utilized. Methods. The main chemical compounds and potential targets of SZRT were collected from the pharmacological database analysis platform (TCMSP). Anxiety targets were obtained from the GeneCards database. Then, a target compound network was established using overlapping genes and the corresponding potential compounds. Protein interaction analysis, GO enrichment, and KEGG pathway enrichment were performed using the STRING database, DAVID database, and KOBAS database. Finally, molecular docking was conducted between MAOB and its corresponding active compound in SZRT to further verify the results. Results. A total of 137 active components in SZRT were screened from the TCMSP database, and 210 corresponding targets were predicted. A total of 5434 anxiety-related targets were obtained from the disease target database, and finally 22 potential targets of SZRT on antianxiety were obtained. The constructed C-T network showed that the average degree of active components was 5.4, and four of them interacted with six or more targets. PPI analysis shows that key genes such as MAOA, MAOB, IL1B, TNF, NR3CI, and HTR3A were identified as potential therapeutic targets. A pathway analysis showed that SZRT may participate in neurotransmitter regulation and immunoregulation in a synergistic way to treat anxiety. The binding energy between the active compounds and MAOB was low, indicating good binding. The results of molecular docking showed that all the 10 active ingredients were able to successfully dock with MAOB, and the binding energy of coumaroyltyramine with MAOB was the lowest, that is, −9.6 kcal/mol, and the binding method was hydrogen bonding. Conclusions. SZRT produces antianxiety effects mainly by affecting the neurotransmitter release, transmission, and immunoregulation. This study provides a new approach to elucidating the molecular mechanism and material basis of SZRT in the treatment of anxiety, and it will also benefit the application of TCM in modern medicine.

The effect of hydrogen on the mechanical properties of X70 welded joint was investigated in simulated natural gas/hydrogen mixtures at 10 MPa. The hydrogen volume fraction was set as 0, 5.0 and 10.0 vol.%. The slow strain rate tensile test showed that the reduction in the area of the welded zone (WZ) metal was reduced more than that of the base metal. The variation in fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) from high to low followed the order: heat-affected zone (HAZ) metal, base metal and WZ metal. In addition, the difference became more obvious with increasing hydrogen volume fraction. For the HAZ metal, the FCGR in 10.0 vol.% hydrogen mixtures was approximately 22 times of that in nitrogen. Furthermore, based on FCGR and fracture mechanics, the predicted fatigue life of the X70 pipeline with an initial flaw depth of 0.5 mm dropped sharply from 34,302 cycles to 3457 cycles even though 5.0 vol.% hydrogen was added in the simulated natural gas.

SDG-14 aims to protect and develop marine areas. In this context, many countries need to apply technological developments to ensure environmental protection in the marine economy. This study therefore examines the difference between technological innovations at different stages of maritime development in promoting high-quality maritime development using individual fixed effects and threshold effects models. The study concludes that technological innovation in general plays a crucial role in promoting the development of China’s maritime economy. However, this role has a significant dual-threshold effect, which first shifts from inhibition to promotion and then gradually weakens as the stage of economic development continues to increase. There are also significant differences in the rise of technological innovation of the three major maritime economic cycles to the high-quality development of the maritime economy. Thus, the study highlights the crucial role of technological innovation in the sustainable development of China’s maritime areas and discusses various policy implications, such as focusing on economic development in coastal provinces in the early development stage, relying on technological innovation in coastal provinces in the growth stage, and trying to maintain the growth momentum of technological efficiency.