Gut microbiota reportedly affects both efficacy and toxicity in drug metabolism. Probiotics possess several enzymes and are increasingly used in clinical and food settings. However, the effect of probiotics on in vivo drug metabolism, activity, efficacy, and toxicity remains a pressing topic of investigation. We assessed the effects of the probiotic Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Zhang (LCZ) on lovastatin in vitro and in vivo. In vitro experiments indicated that LCZ metabolically activates lovastatin into lovastatin hydroxy acid. Subsequent in vivo investigations revealed that the combination of LCZ and low-dose lovastatin significantly improved the anti-hyperlipidemic effect in golden hamsters. However, the enhanced efficacy was not attributed to LCZ-mediated metabolism but rather to the modulation of the gut metabolite environment, facilitating lovastatin absorption. Increased lovastatin absorption elevated the expression of genes responsible for liver bile acid metabolism and lovastatin transformation, thereby enhancing drug efficacy. Furthermore, the effect of LCZ on lovastatin was dose-dependent, with higher lovastatin doses prompting increased absorption and potential toxicity. Comprehensive analyses of the metagenome and metabolites of commensal gut microbes, as well as the serum metabolome of the host, helped elucidate the mechanisms of probiotic-mediated absorption. This study highlights the interactions between probiotics and drugs from a safety perspective, providing insights into probiotic–drug co-treatment strategies and precision probiotics for personalized medicine.

Depressurization and heat injection are viewed as the main methods to be used in natural gas hydrate (NGH) exploitation. However, these methods have limitations, such as low energy-utilization efficiency or a limited extraction range, and are still far from commercial exploitation. In this work, we propose a potential commercial method to exploit NGHs by effectively using geothermal energy inside deep reservoirs. Specifically, a loop well structure is designed to economically extract geothermal energy. Based on an analysis of our developed model, when the looping well is coupled with depressurization, the profits of high NGH production can surpass the drilling costs of extracting geothermal energy. Moreover, as the temperature of fluids from the geothermal layer exceeds 62 °C, the fluid heat is mainly consumed by the rock matrix of the hydrate formation, instead of promoting NGH dissociation. Based on this threshold temperature, a loop well drilled to a depth of about 4000 m for hydrate sediment in the Shenhu area of the South China Sea would be able to efficiently extract geothermal energy, leading to an approximate 73% increase in gas production in comparison with conventional depressurization. An economic analysis suggests that our proposed method can reduce the exploitation cost of methane to 0.46 USD·m⁻³. Furthermore, as the hydrate saturation increases to 0.5, the exploitation cost can be further reduced to 0.14 USD·m⁻³. Overall, a looping well coupled with geothermal energy and depressurization is expected to pave the way for commercial NGH exploitation.

To maintain power grid stability under the increasing integration of renewable energy, the operational flexibility of thermal power plants is assuming growing significance. Flame stability and responsiveness on the combustion side under the extreme conditions of ultra-low loads and rapid load-change processes are the key to increasing the flexibility of thermal power plants. In this paper, a burner based on pre-gasification combustion technology is developed. The flexibility of the pre-gasification burner on a 5-MW pilot platform is investigated through simulation and performance verification. The results indicate that a single pre-gasification burner can maintain flame stability under a 9% load when burning bituminous coal, and a fuel load variation rate of 10% min^–1 can be supported. The pre-gasification combustion has a faster stabilization rate compared with traditional combustion under coal flow and air flow disturbances. The application of pre-gasification burners in different classes of boiler is simulated, and the results indicate that the pre-gasification burner has the potential to improve the flexibility of industrial to full-scale coal-fired boilers.

With the rapid growth of the global population and the increasing demand for healthier diets, improving the nutrient utilization efficiency of staple food crops has become a critical scientific and industrial challenge, prompting innovation in food processing technologies. This review introduces first the common nutritional challenges in the processing of staple food crops, followed by the comprehensive examination of research aiming to enhance the nutritional quality of staple food crop-based foods through innovative processing technologies, including microwave (MW), pulsed electric field (PEF), ultrasound, modern fermentation technology, and enzyme technology. Additionally, soybean processing is used as an example to underscore the importance of integrating innovative processing technologies for optimizing nutrient utilization in staple food crops. Although these innovative processing technologies have demonstrated a significant potential to improve nutrient utilization efficiency and enhance the overall nutritional profile of staple food crop-based food products, their current limitations must be acknowledged and addressed in future research. Fortunately, advancements in science and technology will facilitate progress in food processing, enabling both the improvement of existing techniques as well as the development of entirely novel methodologies. This work aims to enhance the understanding of food practitioners on the way processing technologies may optimize nutrient utilization, thereby fostering innovation in food processing research and synergistic multi-technological strategies, ultimately providing valuable references to address global food security challenges.