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Binders play a crucial role in enhancing the cycling stability of silicon anodes in next-generation Li-ion batteries. However, traditional linear polymer binders have difficulty withstanding the volume expansion of silicon during cycling. Herein, inspired by the fact that animals’ claws can grasp objects firmly, a claw-like taurine-grafted-poly (acrylic acid) binder (Tau-g-PAA) is designed to improve the electrochemical performance of silicon anodes. The synergistic effects of different polar groups (sulfo and carboxyl) in Tau-g-PAA facilitate the formation of multidimensional interactions with silicon nanoparticles and the diffusion of Li ions, thereby greatly improving the stability and rate performance of silicon anodes, which aligns with results from density functional theory (DFT) simulations. As expected, a Tau-g-PAA/Si electrode exhibits excellent cycling performance with a high specific capacity of 1003 ​mA ​h ​g−1 ​at 1 ​C (1 ​C ​= ​4200 ​mA ​h ​g−1) after 300 cycles, and a high rate performance. The design strategy of using polar small molecule-grafted polymers to create claw-like structures could inspire the development of better binders for silicon-based anodes.

In order to grasp the main research status and hot spots of carrot juice at home and abroad, and predict the development trend of carrot juice research, this paper adopted bibliometrics method, and used Web of Science database and CNKI database as data set sources. The co-occurrence analysis of keywords, countries and authors were carried out by VOSviewer, Bibliometric and other analytical tools, and the publication distribution and research time distribution at home and abroad were compared. Through the mining of keywords and other data related to carrot juice, it could be concluded that carrot juice, as the main processing product of carrot, had important research significance, its research mainly focused on the antioxidant components of carrot juice, carrot juice fermentation and carrot juice sterilization storage and other aspects. Finally, the research contents and status quo of carrot juice in different research directions were summarized to provide reference for the follow-up research of carrot juice.

Mitochondrial dysfunction causes the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative damage, and oxidative stress and inflammation are considered key factors causing intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Thus, restoring the mitochondrial dysfunction is an attractive strategy for treating IVDD. Platelet-derived extracellular vesicles (PEVs) are nanoparticles that target inflammation. Moreover, the vesicles produced by platelets (PLTs) have considerable anti-inflammatory effects. We investigate the use of PEVs as a therapeutic strategy for IVDD in this study. We extract PEVs and evaluate their properties; test their effects on H2O2-induced oxidative damage of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells; verify the role of PEVs in repairing H2O2-induced cellular mitochondrial dysfunction; and demonstrate the therapeutic effects of PEVs in a rat IVDD model. The results confirm that PEVs can restore impaired mitochondrial function, reduce oxidative stress, and restore cell metabolism by regulating the sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)-peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1α (PGC1α)-mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) pathway; in rat models, PEVs retard the progression of IVDD. Our results demonstrate that the injection of PEVs can be a promising strategy for treating patients with IVDD.

The Ordos basin is one of the important oil-bearing basins in China, with abundant tight sandstone oil resources, wide distribution, and large thickness. It is the most realistic field of unconventional oil and gas exploration in China, and it is also an important oil and gas replacement resource at present. Oil accumulation in tight reservoirs is obviously different from conventional oil and gas accumulation, and the key lies in studying the effectiveness of oil filling in tight reservoirs. In order to solve this problem, this paper takes the tight sandstone reservoir of Member 7 of the Yancheng Formation in Ordos Basin as the research object, introduces the geological characteristics of this area after sorting out the previous research results, carries out the physical simulation experiment of oil filling, studies the relationship between the filling pressure and the lower limit of the filling throat, analyzes the effective accumulation space of the tight sandstone reservoir, defines the oil filling mechanism of the tight sandstone reservoir, and discusses the effectiveness and reservoir-forming effect of oil filling in different types of reservoirs. The results show that the rock types of tight sandstone reservoirs in the 7th member of the Yancheng Formation are mainly lithic feldspathic sandstone and feldspathic lithic sandstone, and the reservoirs have experienced strong compaction and carbonate cementation. The late iron-bearing carbonate cementation has further strengthened the degree of reservoir densification, and the reservoirs have been densified at the time of large-scale oil and gas filling. Through the simulation experiment of oil filling with natural cores with different physical properties, the relationship model between filling pressure and effective accumulation space of different types of tight sandstone reservoirs in Member 7 of the Yancheng Formation is established. With the change in filling pressure, the change trend and range of effective accumulation space of different types of tight sandstone reservoirs are obviously different. According to the relationship model between the filling pressure and the lower limit of the effective filling pore throat, the oil filling effectiveness of different types of tight sandstone reservoirs in the 7th member of the Yancheng Formation is determined. Class I and class II1 reservoirs are effective reservoirs for oil filling of tight sandstone reservoirs, which constitute the main oil-bearing section of tight sandstone reservoirs in member 7 of the Yancheng formation, while class II2 reservoirs are poor tight reservoirs, and class III reservoirs are basically oil-free, which are noneffective reservoirs for oil filling of tight sandstone reservoirs. The results provide theoretical data support for the next step of oil exploration and exploitation in tight sandstone reservoirs.

The Nenjiang Formation in the Centrel Depression of the Songliao Basin consists of organic-rich low-maturity shale with a wide distribution and large thickness. In this study, the spatial heterogeneity of organic matter (OM) abundance and types was studied based on core measurements and log data. A geological model was used to predict the potential of in situ electric heating using hydrocarbon generation kinetics and heat conduction models. All members of the Nenjiang Formation are in the immature to low-maturity stage and oil-prone. The first and second members of the Nenjiang Formation (K2n1+2) contain mainly types Ⅱ1 and Ⅱ2 kerogen with alginite the dominant maceral. The shale of K2n1 has the best generation quality, and the high-quality source rocks within this member are mainly distributed in the Xinbei-Daan area of the Changling Sag. It can be inferred from the in situ electric heating simulation that the temperature rises rapidly, and reaches above 600 ℃ after 4 years of heating at 2 kW heating power. At 1 kW of heating power, it would take about 8 years. As the organic matter conversion rate approached 100% by the fifth year of heating, the maximum resource abundance was achieved. At the 2 kW heating power, the resource of the K2n1 reaches 24.5×109 t at the end of the fifth year, and 6.6×109 t of the K2n2.

Objective: The aim of this study was to obtain the time range of non-industrial fresh watermelon juice (FWJ), which is widely used in the catering industry under different storage conditions, with safe-drinkable quality, and the drinking time range of fresh juice with good nutritional quality and sensory quality. Method: The quality of non-industrial FWJ was audited by assessing the shelf life of non-industrial FWJ through microbial safety, nutritional, and sensory quality investigating during 24 h of storage at 4, 25, and 37°C. Results: According to the microbial safety quality, the safe drinking time of FWJ was within 12, 4, and 4 h when stored at 4, 25, and 37°C, respectively. Based on the nutritional and sensory quality, FWJ was drinking with good quality within 2 h, and with just acceptable quality for no more than 4 h when stored at 4 or 25°C. Electronic nose and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) could effectively distinguish and identify the changes in volatile components in FWJ under different storage conditions. Conclusion: It is a feasible method to predict the shelf life of non-industrial FWJ by this method, and hence to guarantee non-industrial FWJ being drinking with safety and health, and it might be used in many other fresh juice shelf life predictions.

A new ultrasound-assisted enzymatic extraction (UAEE) method of starch from kiwifruit was established and optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Under optimal conditions (the pectinase-to-cellulase-to-papain ratio = 1:2:1 g/kg, solid/liquid ratio = 1:6.68, extraction pH = 5.23, ultrasound power = 300 W, and extraction temperature = 52 °C), the kiwi starch (KS) yield was about 4.25%, and the starch content of KS was 873.23 mg/g. Compared to other extraction methods, UAEE can obtain KS with high yield and purity with a shorter extraction time and less solvent and enzyme. The extracted KS has a low gelatinization enthalpy (8.02 J/g) and a high peak viscosity (7933 cP), with obvious particle properties and low adhesion. In addition, KS is rich in polyphenols, has strong antioxidant activity, and has higher contents of amylose starch (30.74%) and resistant starch (60.18%). This study established a novel and highly efficient method for KS extraction and suggest several possible applications for KS in the food industry.

Background: Genetic overexpression or pharmacological activation of heme oxygenase (HO) are identified as potential therapeutic target for spinal cord injury (SCI); however, the role of carbon monoxide (CO), which is a major product of haem degenerated by HO, in SCI remains unknown. Applying hemin or chemicals which may regulate HO expression or activity to increase CO production are inadequate to elaborate the direct role of CO. Here, we assessed the effect of CO releasing molecule-3 (CORM-3), the classical donor of CO, in SCI and explained its possible protective mechanism. Methods: Rat SCI model was performed with a vascular clip (30 g) compressing at T9 vertebral level for 1 min and CO was delivered immediately after SCI by CORM-3. The neurological deficits and neuron survival were assessed. Inflammasome and inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1) pathway were measured by western blot and immunofluorescence. For in vitro study, oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) simulated the SCI-inflammasome change in cultured the primary neurons. Findings: CORM-3 suppressed inflammasome signaling and pyroptosis occurrence, which consequently alleviated neuron death and improved motor functional recovery following SCI. As a pivotal sensor involving in endoplasmic reticulum stress-medicated inflammasome signaling, IRE1 and its downstream X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) were activated in SCI tissues as well as in OGD neurons; while inhibition of IRE1 by STF-083010 in SCI rats or by si-RNA in OGD neurons suppressed inflammasome signaling and pyroptosis. Interestingly, the SCI/OGD-stimulated IRE1 activation was attenuated by CORM-3 treatment. Interpretations: CO may alleviate neuron death and improve motor functional recovery in SCI through IRE1 regulation, and administration of CO could be a promising therapeutic strategy for SCI. Keywords: Spinal cord injury, Neuron death, Inflammasome, Carbon monoxide

Fruit thinning is a cultivation technique that is widely applied in horticulture in order to obtain high-quality horticultural crops. This practice results in the discarding of a large number of thinned unripe fruits in orchards each year, which produces a great waste of agricultural resources and causes soil pollution that may be an important reservoir for pest and plant diseases. Current studies showed that bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, organic acids, monosaccharides and starches are present in unripe fruits. Therefore, we reviewed the bioactive components obtained from thinned unripe fruits, their revalorization for the food industry, their beneficial effects for human health and the methods for obtaining these components. We also performed a calculation of the costs and benefits of obtaining these bioactive compounds, and we proposed future research directions. This review provides a reference for the effective utilization and industrial development of thinned unripe fruits obtained from horticultural crops. Furthermore, revalorizing the waste from this cultural practice may increase the economic benefits and relieve the environmental stress.

The effects of ultrasound (US), thermosonication (TS), ultrasound combined with nisin (USN), TS combined with nisin (TSN), and conventional thermal sterilization (CTS) treatments on the inactivation of microorganisms in grape juice were evaluated. TS, TSN, and CTS treatments provided the desirable bactericidal and enzyme inactivation, and nisin had a synergistic lethal effect on aerobic bacteria in grape juice while not having any obvious effect on the mold and yeast. Compared with CTS, the sensory characteristics of grape juice treated with TS and TSN are closer to that of fresh juice, its microbial safety is ensured, and the physicochemical properties are basically unchanged. More importantly, the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of juice treated with TS and TSN were significantly increased, and the total anthocyanin and flavonoid contents were largely retained. Taken together, these findings suggest that TS and TSN has great potential application value and that it can ensure microbial safety and improve the quality of grape juice.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) induces the disruption of blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB), which elicits neurological deficits by triggering secondary injuries. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a gaseous mediator that has been reported to have neuroprotective effect in the central nervous system. However, the relationship between H2S and BSCB disruption during SCI remains unknown. Therefore, it is interesting to evaluate whether the administration of NaHS, a H2S donor, can protect BSCB integrity against SCI and investigate the potential mechanisms underlying it. In present study, we found that SCI markedly activated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and autophagy in a rat model of complete crushing injury to the spinal cord at T9 level. NaHS treatment prevented the loss of tight junction (TJ) and adherens junction (AJ) proteins both in vivo and in vitro. However, the protective effect of NaHS on BSCB restoration was significantly reduced by an ER stress activator (tunicamycin, TM) and an autophagy activator (rapamycin, Rapa). Moreover, SCI-induced autophagy was remarkably blocked by the ER stress inhibitor (4-phenylbutyric acid, 4-PBA). But the autophagy inhibitor (3-Methyladenine, 3-MA) only inhibited autophagy without obvious effects on ER stress. Finally, we had revealed that NaHS significantly alleviated BSCB permeability and improved functional recovery after SCI, and these effects were markedly reversed by TM and Rapa. In conclusion, our present study has demonstrated that NaHS treatment is beneficial for SCI recovery, indicating that H2S treatment is a potential therapeutic strategy for promoting SCI recovery.