Chen Wang’s research while affiliated with Southwest University and other places

Coal spontaneous combustion (CSC) events pose hazards to miners, infrastructure, and the environment. To mitigate some of the risk of CSC, this study explored the influence of airflow rate (AFR), oxygen concentration (OxyC), and heating rate (HR) on CSC. A temperature programmed experiment was used to examine a coal sample under different AFRs, OxyCs, and HRs. The characteristic temperature was determined using index gas growth rate analysis, and the characteristic parameters were shown. The apparent activation energy (Ea) of the sample was computed by the Arrhenius equation, and variance analysis was employed to quantitatively characterise the impact of different environmental factors on the characteristic parameters of the coal samples. The experimental results show that the critical temperature of the coal samples ranges between 65 and 75 °C, and the cracking temperature ranges between 115 and 130 °C, dividing the low-temperature oxidation process of coal into three stages: before the critical temperature, between the critical temperature and the cracking temperature, and after the cracking temperature. An AFR of 120 mL min−1 was identified as the optimal level; exceeding or falling below this value inhibits the coal-oxygen reaction. Increasing OxyC and reducing HR improves coal oxidation. Compared to the same samples under AFR and HR conditions, the Ea of coal under oxygen conditions is lower, ranging between 20 and 35 kJ mol−1, while under AFR and HR conditions, the Ea is not less than 30 kJ mol−1, indicating a stronger tendency for spontaneous combustion under oxygen conditions. AFR substantially affects the oxygen consumption rate, CH4, and exothermic intensity at all stages, with a partial η2 of 0.6. Before the critical temperature, OxyC has the greatest impact on CO2; between the critical temperature and the cracking temperature, OxyC has the greatest impact on CO; and after the cracking temperature, OxyC has the greatest impact on CO, CO2, C2H4, and C2H6, with partial η2 values of 0.51, 0.59, 0.278, and 0.45, respectively.

Dietary fiber targets the regulation of the intestinal flora and thus affects host health, however, the complex relationship between these factors lacks direct evidence. In this study, the regulatory effects of Konjac glucomannan (KGM) on key metabolites of host intestinal flora were examined by using in vitro fermentation. The results showed that KGM could be utilized by the intestinal flora, which inhibited the relative abundance of Paeniclostridium, Lachnoclostridium, Phascolarctobacterium, and Bacteroides and enriched the relative abundance of Desulfovibrio, Sutterella, etc. Fermentation is accompanied by the production of short-chain acids, including acetic and propionic acids. Metabolomics revealed that KGM significantly promoted amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and the biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites. Correlation analysis results showed that the increase of panose and N-(1-carboxy-3-carboxanilidopropyl) alanylproline content was positively correlated with the relative abundance of Megamonas. These results provide evidence that KGM affects host health by regulating gut microbiota and its metabolites.

Hyperuricemia is a medical condition characterized by an elevated level of serum uric acid, closely associated with other metabolic disorders, and its global incidence rate is increasing. Increased synthesis or decreased excretion of uric acid can lead to hyperuricemia. Protein peptides from various food sources have demonstrated potential in treating hyperuricemia, including marine organisms, ovalbumin, milk, nuts, rice, legumes, mushrooms, and protein-rich processing by-products. Through in vitro experiments and the establishment of cell or animal models, it has been proven that these peptides exhibit anti-hyperuricemia biological activities by inhibiting xanthine oxidase activity, downregulating key enzymes in purine metabolism, regulating the expression level of uric acid transporters, and restoring the composition of the intestinal flora. Protein peptides derived from food offer advantages such as a wide range of sources, significant therapeutic benefits, and minimal adverse effects. However, they also face challenges in terms of commercialization. The findings of this review contribute to a better understanding of hyperuricemia and peptides with hyperuricemia-alleviating activity. Furthermore, they provide a theoretical reference for developing new functional foods suitable for individuals with hyperuricemia.

The impacts of probiotics on maintaining the host's intestinal health have been extensively confirmed. Organoid technology revolutionizes intestinal health research by providing a unique platform to study the effects of probiotics. It overcomes challenges posed by animal models and 2D cell models in accurately simulating the in vivo environment. This review summarizes the development of intestinal organoid technology and its potential applications in intestinal health research as well as highlights the regulatory mechanisms of probiotics on intestinal health, which have been revealed using intestinal organoid technology. Furthermore, an overview of its potential applications in probiotic research has also been provided. This review aims to improve the understanding of intestinal organoid technology's applications in this field as well as to contribute to its further development.

Diet, lifestyle, and gut microbiota composition are key risk factors for the progression of colon cancer. Probiotics are living microorganisms that can offer health benefits to the parasitifer when ingested in competent quantities. Several in vivo, in vitro, and clinical studies have demonstrated that probiotics can prevent and mitigate the development of colon cancer. The anti-colon cancer mechanisms of probiotics include the suppression of cell proliferation and the promotion of cancer cell apoptosis, immunomodulation, the modulation of intestinal microorganisms and their metabolism, strengthening the intestinal barrier, and antioxidant effects. This article describes the pathogenesis of colon cancer and the available therapeutic options. In addition, this paper reviews the mechanisms by which probiotics mitigate colon cancer as well as the mitigating effects of probiotic components and metabolites on colon cancer.

Sleep deprivation has become a common health hazard, affecting 37-58% of the population and promoting the occurrence and development of many diseases. To date, effective treatment strategies are still elusive. Accumulating evidence indicates that modulating the intestinal microbiota harbors significant potential for alleviating the deleterious impacts of sleep deprivation. This paper first reviews the effects of sleep deprivation on gastrointestinal diseases, metabolic diseases, and neuropsychiatric diseases, discussing its specific mechanisms of influence. We then focus on summarizing existing interventions, including probiotics, melatonin, prebiotics, diet, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Finally, we have discussed the advantages and limitations of each strategy. Compared with other strategies, probiotics showed a high potential in alleviating sleep deprivation-related hazards due to their reduced risk and high security. We suggest that future research should focus on the specific mechanisms by which probiotics mitigate the harms of sleep deprivation, such insights may unveil novel pathways for treating diseases exacerbated by insufficient sleep.

BACKGROUND Among type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients, the incidence rate of liver metabolic disorders is much higher than that in healthy subjects. It was observed in our previous research that diabetic symptoms were improved by Lactobacillus plantarum SHY130 (LPSHY130) isolated from yak yogurt in a murine model of T2D. This study sought to investigate the LPSHY130‐mediated hepatic metabolic regulation in a murine model of T2D. RESULTS Treatment with LPSHY130 improved liver function and pathological damage in diabetic mice. Untargeted metabolome analysis revealed that T2D‐induced changes in 11 metabolites were regulated after LPSHY130 treatment, mainly involving purine metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and choline metabolism and pantothenate and coenzyme A biosynthesis pathways. In addition, correlation analysis indicated that hepatic metabolic changes can be adjusted by the intestinal microbiota. CONCLUSION Overall, this study suggests that treatment with LPSHY130 relieves liver injury and regulates liver metabolism in a murine model of T2D, thus providing a theoretical basis for the use of probiotics as dietary supplements to regulate hepatic metabolic disorders associated with T2D. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.