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Sinapine is a natural polyphenol from the cruciferous plant family that has anti-aging effects but is low in bioavailability. To improve the bioavailability and therapeutic effect of sinapine, sinapine-crosslinked dual-protein-based hydrogels were prepared using soy protein isolate as a cross-linking agent. The preparation conditions were optimized by single-factor experiments, and the optimal ratios were obtained as follows: the concentration of sinapine was 300 μg/mL; the water–oil ratio was 1:3. The encapsulation rate was greater than 95%, and the drug loading capacity was 3.5 mg/g. In vitro, digestion experiments showed that the dual-protein-based hydrogels as a drug carrier stabilized the release of sinapine and improved the bioavailability of sinapine by 19.3%. The IC50 of DPPH antioxidants was 25 μg/mL as determined by in vitro digestion, and the antioxidant capacity of ABTS was about 20% higher than that of glutaraldehyde control. This is due to the addition of sinapine to enhance the antioxidant properties of the system. It can be seen that the developed hydrogels have potential applications in related fields, such as food nutrition fortification and drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the backdrop of cap-and-trade regulations, we construct a low-carbon supply chain in which a seller holds the manufacturer's equity. We investigate the impact of the seller's equity holding and the cap-and-trade regulations on the supply chain members' optimal decisions, profits and coordination in the cases of information symmetry and asymmetry. We find that, regardless of whether there is information asymmetry or symmetry, the manufacturer always benefits from an equity holding, while the seller can only earn higher profits through equity holding if the percentage of equity holding and the level of consumer low-carbon awareness are both sufficiently high. Both the seller and the manufacturer prefer the information asymmetry scenario when the manufacturer's efficiency in emission reduction is below a particular threshold. In addition, equity holding can incentivize the manufacturer to share its information with the seller. Equity holding is beneficial for emission reduction and market demand but is not always beneficial for improving the supply chain's total profit and reducing the supply chain's total carbon emissions. Finally, with a transfer payment contract, a decentralized supply chain can obtain the same optimal profits as in the centralized supply chain scenario, and both the manufacturer and seller can earn higher profits than before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent years have seen an increase in school refusal behavior among adolescents, potentially due to factors like excessive short-form video viewing, bullying, and school anxiety. Limited research has investigated how these factors contribute to school refusal behavior. This study used random forest regression, path analysis, and network analysis to identify key variables and pathways leading to school refusal behavior., Methods: In this cross-sectional questionnaire-based study, 2,056 (996 male, 1,060 female, mean age: 14.79 ± 1.24 years) middle and senior high school students were asked to complete the School Refusal Behavior Assessment questionnaire to assess school refusal behavior features, the Excessive Short-Form Video Viewing Scale as well as self-reported viewing times during leisure days to assess excessive short-form video viewing, the SNAP-IV Rating Scale to assess the severity of inattention symptoms, and the self-administered questionnaires to assess experiences of being bullied and school anxiety., Results: The prevalence of school refusal behavior in the surveyed adolescents was found to be 31.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 29.8-33.9%]. In terms of significance, the severity of inattention symptoms exhibited the greatest predictive power, while excessive short-form video viewing accounted for the most variance. Path analysis revealed that excessive short-form video viewing not only directly affects school refusal behavior features but also does so indirectly through severity of inattention symptoms and school anxiety. Key bridge factors in this pathway include intense fear and anxiety associated with school attendance, manifesting as somatic symptoms and avoidance behaviors., Conclusion: The findings indicate that not only does excessive short-form video viewing directly influence school refusal behavior features in adolescents, but it also indirectly impacts these features through mechanisms involving severity of inattention symptoms and school anxiety. The bridge factors highlight potential targets for interventions among the SRB features and predictors., 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 Du, Wang, Wang, Liu, Li, Lv, Peng, Chang, Li, Liu, Liu, Yu and Li.)