Development and Characterization of an Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Film Composited by Hydroxyethyl Cellulose and Sulfated Rice Bran Polysaccharides for Food Packaging.

The nonantimicrobial properties and relatively poor mechanical properties of hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) limit its use in packaging. Sulfated rice bran polysaccharides (SRBP) possess significant antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different concentrations of SRBP on the physical and mechanical properties and the functional characteristics of HEC/SRBP films. The physical properties of the HEC/20% SRBP films, such as water resistance, water vapor barrier, light barrier, and tensile strength, improved significantly (p < 0.05) compared with those of the HEC films. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry showed that HEC formed hydrogen bonds with SRBP and exhibited better compatibility. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the addition of SRBP was beneficial to the thermal stability of the films. In addition, the antioxidant and bacteriostatic properties of the films were enhanced by the addition of SRBP to HEC, with the 20% SRBP films showing the most significant enhancement in activity. Therefore, the HEC/20% SRBP films show potential for development for use as active food packaging.

Evidence Base of Clinical Studies on Qi Gong: A Bibliometric Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This bibliometric study aimed to systematically and comprehensively summarize the volume, breadth and evidence for clinical research on Qigong. And this bibliometric analysis also can provide the evidence of this field. DESIGN: Bibliometric analysis. METHODS: All types of primary and secondary studies on humans were included: systematic reviews, randomized clinical trials, non-randomized controlled clinical studies, case series and case reports. Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, Chinese Academic Conference Papers Database and Chinese Dissertation Database, PubMed and the Cochrane Library were searched from the date of inception to December 10, 2018. Bibliometric information, such as publication information, disease/condition, Qigong intervention and research results were extracted and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 886 clinical studies were identified: including 47 systematic reviews, 705 randomized clinical trials, 116 non-randomized controlled clinical studies, 12 case series and 6 case reports. The studies were conducted in 14 countries. The top 15 diseases/conditions studied were: diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, stroke, cervical spondylosis, lumbar disc herniation, insomnia, knee osteoarthritis, low back pain, and osteoporosis, Coronary heart disease, breast cancer, periarthritis of shoulder, depression, metabolic syndrome. Of the various Qigong exercises reported in these 886 clinical studies, Ba Duan Jin was the most frequently researched in 492 (55.5%) studies, followed by Health Qigong 107 (12.1%), Dao Yin Shu 85 (9.6%), Wu Qin Xi 67 (7.6%) and Yi Jin Jing 66 (7.4%). The most frequently used comparisons in randomized trials were maintaining normal way of life unchanged 149 (18.1%), the remaining controls included conventional treatment, mainly western medicine, Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, health education, psychological therapy, Yoga, Tai Chi and other non-drug therapy. The most frequently reported outcomes were physical function, quality of life, symptoms, pain and mental health indicators. Beneficial results from practicing Qigong were reported in 97% of studies. CONCLUSIONS: Qigong research publications have been increasing gradually. Reports on study types, participants, Qigong Intervention, and outcomes are diverse and inconsistent. There is an urgent need to develop a set of reporting standards for various interventions of Qigong. Further trials of high methodological quality with sufficient sample size and real world studies are needed to verify the effects of Qigong in health and disease management.

Application of positive behavior management in patients after breast cancer surgery.

BACKGROUND: As a radical treatment, breast cancer surgery has a positive psychological impact on most patients. However, some patients do not have a clear understanding of the disease, which requires a more scientific and comprehensive consideration during clinical intervention and are based on cognition. The positive behavior management model is based on this kind of background-derived new interventions, which can better serve the clinical rehabilitation process of patients. The positive behavior management model based on cognitive architecture is a new type of intervention derived from this background, which can better serve the clinical rehabilitation process of patients. AIM: To analyze the influence of a positive behavior management model based on cognitive framework on the degree of hope and self-efficacy of patients with breast cancer surgery. METHODS: Eighty-four patients with breast cancer who underwent surgical treatment in our hospital from August 2016 to December 2018 were included in the study. The patients were divided into the experimental group (n = 42) and control group (n = 42) by random number table grouping. The control group received traditional nursing intervention, while the experimental group received a positive behavior management model based on cognitive framework based on the traditional intervention of the control group. General Self-efficacy Scale, Herth Hope Scale, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale and Cancer Patient Specific Scale were used to evaluate the two groups before and 1 wk after intervention. RESULTS: After the intervention, self-efficacy and hope level of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Self-Rating Depression Scale scores in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the quality of life scores between the two groups before intervention (P > 0.05). The quality of life scores in all aspects in the experimental group after intervention were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The positive behavior management model based on cognitive framework applied to patients with breast cancer surgery improved hope for treatment and self-efficacy, reduced negative emotion, and improved quality of life.

Decreased expression of gap junction delta-2 (GJD2) messenger RNA and connexin 36 protein in form-deprivation myopia of guinea pigs.

BACKGROUND: More than ten genome-wide association studies have identified the significant association between the gap junction delta-2 (GJD2) gene and myopia. However, no functional studies have been performed to confirm that this gene is correlated with myopia. This study aimed to observe how this gene changed in mRNA and protein level in the form-deprivation myopia (FDM) animal model. METHODS: Four-week-old guinea pigs were randomly divided into two groups: control and FDM groups (n = 12 for each group). The right eyes of the FDM group were covered with opaque hemispherical plastic lenses for 3 weeks. For all the animals, refractive status, axial length (AL), and corneal radius of curvature were measured at baseline and 3 weeks later by streak retinoscope, A-scan ultrasonography, and keratometer, respectively. Retinal GJD2 mRNA expression and connexin 36 (Cx36) levels in FDM and control groups were measured by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analyses, respectively. Those results were compared using independent t test, Mann-Whitney U test, or paired t test. A significance level of P < 0.05 was used. RESULTS: Three weeks later, the FDM group (form-deprived eyes) showed about a myopic shift of approximately -6.75 (-7.94 to -6.31) D, while the control group remained hyperopic with only a shift of -0.50 (-0.75 to 0.25) D (Z = -3.38, P < 0.01). The AL increased by 0.74 (0.61-0.76) and 0.10 (0.05-0.21) mm in FDM and control groups, respectively (Z = -3.37, P < 0.01). The relative mRNA expression of GJD2 in the FDM group decreased 31.58% more than the control group (t = 11.44, P < 0.01). The relative protein expression of CX36 on the retina was lowered by 37.72% in form-deprivation eyes as compared to the controls (t = 17.74, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Both the mRNA expression of GJD2 and Cx36 protein amount were significantly decreased in the retina of FDM guinea pigs. This indicates that Cx36 is involved in FDM development, providing compensating evidence for the results obtained from genome-wide association studies.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial evaluation of carboxymethylated and hydroxamated degraded polysaccharides from Sargassum fusiforme.

In order to improve the bioactivity of the polysaccharide from Sargassum fusiforme (PSF), the degraded polysaccharide (DPSF) was modified by carboxymethylation, yielding carboxymethylated degraded polysaccharides (CDPSF), which were further modified to generate hydroxamated derivatives (HCDPSF). Both CDPSF and HCDPSF were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The molecular weight of CDPSF and HCDPSF was found to be 354 kDa and 375 kDa, respectively. The in vitro antioxidant activity of CDPSF and HCDPSF was evaluated by determining the radical scavenging ability and total antioxidant activity. The results indicated that the antioxidant activity of CDPSF and HCDPSF was significantly improved when compared to those of DPSF. Antimicrobial assays indicated that both CDPSF and HCDPSF possessed a marked antimicrobial ability, while DPSF did not exhibit such effects under the same conditions. Such polysaccharide derivatives have potentials in the pharmaceutical and food industries.

Post-translational modifications and their applications in eye research (Review).

Gene expression is the process by which genetic information is used for the synthesis of a functional gene product, and ultimately regulates cell function. The increase of biological complexity from genome to proteome is vast, and the post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins contribute to this complexity. The study of protein expression and PTMs has attracted attention in the post­genomic era. Due to the limited capability of conventional biochemical techniques in the past, large­scale PTM studies were technically challenging. The introduction of effective protein separation methods, specific PTM purification strategies and advanced mass spectrometers has enabled the global profiling of PTMs and the identification of a targeted PTM within the proteome. The present review provides an overview of current proteomic technologies being applied in eye research, with a particular focus on studies of PTMs in ocular tissues and ocular diseases.

Carboxymethylated degraded polysaccharides from Enteromorpha prolifera: Preparation and in vitro antioxidant activity.

In order to improve the bioactivities of the polysaccharide from Enteromorpha prolifera (PE), crude PE (Mw 1400kDa) was degraded to low molecular weight polysaccharide (44kDa) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide/ascorbic acid, followed by carboxymethylation. The reaction conditions for carboxymethylation of degraded polysaccharide (DPE) were optimized by Response Surface Methodology. The carboxymethyled degraded polysaccharide (CDPE) obtained under optimized conditions, with a degree of carboxymethylation of 0.849, was characterized by FT-IR and (13)C NMR. The molecular weight of CDPE was measured to be 53.7kDa. CDPE was evaluated for its antioxidant activity by determining the ability to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals, and by determining the ferric reducing power. The antioxidant activity of CDPE was found to be greatly improved in comparison with degraded polysaccharide (DPE) and crude polysaccharide from Enteromorpha prolifera (PE).

Improved antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase activity of polysaccharide from Sargassum fusiforme by degradation.

An efficient method for the degradation of polysaccharides isolated from Sargassum fusiforme (PSF) was developed by using ascorbic acid in combination with H2O2. The degradation conditions were optimized using a Box-Behnken response surface design (BBRS). The optimum conditions were established as: concentration of ascorbic acid (VC) and H2O2 17.26mM, degradation temperature 51°C and degradation time 1.6h. The DPPH radical scavenging rate of the degraded polysaccharides from S. fusiforme (DPSF) obtained under the optimal conditions was determined to be 75.22±0.02%, which was well matched with the value (75.21%) predicted by the BBRS model. In vitro antioxidant activity of the polysaccharides was evaluated by determining their radical (hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion radical and DPPH radical) scavenging abilities, and ferric iron reducing power. The inhibitory activity on tyrosinase of DPSF was also evaluated. The results indicate that the degraded polysaccharide has superior antioxidant activity and anti-tyrosinase effect to those of the original polysaccharide.