Effect of family integrated care on breastfeeding of preterm infants: A scoping review.

AIMS: The aims are to describe the key components of family integrated care intervention for preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and assess the impact on breastfeeding outcomes for those infants. DESIGN: A scoping review. METHODS: We conducted a systematic study search based on the databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science, MEDLINE, CINAHL, CNKI and Wanfang Database in December 2022. The search time ranged from database establishment to 31 December 2022. Papers by manual searching were also listed on the references. We adopted Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewer's Manual methodology and followed the PRISMA guidelines for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) to conduct the review. Two independent reviewers filtered the papers, extracted data and synthesized the findings. A table was used to extract data and synthesize results. RESULTS: After systematic searching, 11 articles that implemented family integrated care (FIcare) were finally included in this scoping review. By analysing the implementation of this nursing model, we identified seven main components: NICU staff training, parent education, parent participation in infants' care, parent involvement in medical plans, peer support, NICU environmental support and mobile app for parents. Based on the extracted breastfeeding data, this scoping review concludes that family integrated care shows a positive effect on increasing breastfeeding rates at discharge. Through this scoping review, we find that family integrated care is feasible and it can support breastfeeding of preterm infants. Further studies will be needed to provide more evidence that family integrated care could facilitate breastfeeding of preterm infants. IMPACT: This scoping review provides evidence for the positive role of family integrated care on breastfeeding outcomes. The analysis may contribute to the implementation of family integrated care. NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No further public or patient contribution was made in view of the review-based nature of the research.

Phototheranostic Agents Based on Nonionic Heptamethine Cyanine for Realizing Synergistic Cancer Phototherapy.

Asymmetrical heptamethine cyanine with near-infrared (NIR) absorption is used for photothermal therapy (PTT) of cancer. Aiming to overcome the drawbacks caused by the high temperature of PTT, the development of asymmetrical heptamethine cyanine with photothermal and photodynamic properties is still an attractive strategy. Different from the traditional method of the heavy atom effect, in this work, the carboxyl or sulfonic groups are introduced into the indole ring or branch chain of asymmetrical heptamethine cyanine to afford a series of new phototherapy agents. After being encapsulated by DSPE-PEG2000 , BSS-Et NPs exhibit robust photostability, efficient reactive oxygen species generation (49%), and excellent photothermal conversion efficiency of about 37.6% under 808 nm laser irradiation. BSS-Et NPs possess passive tumor-targeting properties in vivo to not only visualize the tumor by NIR fluorescence imaging but also eliminate the tumor without any recurrence by photodynamic therapy and PTT synergistic therapy under laser irradiation. In addition, benefitting from the characteristics of organic small molecules, they can be metabolized quickly through the liver without inducing toxicity in the whole body. In general, this study provides a new direction for the development of multifunctional phototherapy agents for cancer treatment.

Effects of an online mindfulness-based intervention on Fear of Cancer Recurrence and quality of life among Chinese breast cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVE: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) targeting cancer-related emotions and quality of life have attracted extensive attention in recent years. The purpose of the current study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of an online mindfulness-based intervention and examine its effects on Chinese breast cancer survivors. METHODS: Sixty-five breast cancer survivors were randomized to either an online MBI or to wait for the next available program. The control group received usual care, while the intervention group also received six weeks of online MBI training. Participants completed the Short Form of the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory (FCRI-SF), Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30) at baseline (T1), immediately after the intervention (postintervention: T2) and 1 month later (1-month postintervention: T3). In addition, answers provided to questions about the experience of participating in the course were analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the mindfulness, emotional and cognitive function of the MBI group was significantly improved after the intervention, and the FCR of breast cancer survivors was significantly alleviated. These effects were still significant 1 month after the end of the intervention. Additionally, participants were satisfied with the online MBI through the qualitative survey. CONCLUSION: This online MBI showed promise for Chinese breast cancer survivors, facilitating a reduction in FCR and improving their quality of life. The results of our study indicated that online MBI treatment could offer a scalable approach to manage FCR and maintain mental health for breast cancer survivors.

Upregulation of 4-Hydroxynonenal Contributes to the Negative Effect of n-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid on Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury and Hepatic Steatosis.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and the underlying mechanisms. C57BL/6J male mice were randomly fed a corn oil or palm oil diet (rich in n-6 PUFA and SFA, respectively) with or without ethanol for four weeks (n = 10/group). A series of experiments in vitro with AML-12 hepatocyte were conducted to better elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying the phenomenon observed in animals. Compared with palm oil, corn oil aggravated alcohol-induced liver injury and hepatic steatosis, indicated by a histological analysis and significant elevations of plasma alanine aminotransferase and hepatic triacylglycerol (TG) level. Apoptosis-associated proteins in the ASK1-JNK pathway were significantly enhanced in the liver of mice from the corn oil + ethanol group than in the palm oil + ethanol group. The corn oil + ethanol diet also inhibited the activation of both AMPK and downstream protein acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and promoted the SREBP-1c expression, subsequently accelerating lipid synthesis. In addition, 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) levels in plasma and liver were significantly upregulated in response to corn oil + ethanol feeding. Interestingly, the in vitro study showed that 4-HNE significantly attenuated cell viability, elevated the expression of cleaved-caspase 3 protein and TG level, and regulated key molecules in ASK1-JNK and AMPK pathways in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, the n-6 PUFA diet showed a negative effect on alcohol-induced liver injury and steatosis. It might be related to the upregulation of 4-HNE and subsequent changes of proteins, namely, ASK1, JNK, AMPK, ACC, and SREBP-1c.

Spectral Characteristic, Storage Stability and Antioxidant Properties of Anthocyanin Extracts from Flowers of Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea L.).

Anthocyanins from flowers of the butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea L.) are promising edible blue food colorants. Food processing often faces extreme pHs and temperatures, which greatly affects the color and nutritional values of anthocyanins. This study explored the color, spectra, storage stability, and antioxidant properties of C. ternatea anthocyanin extract (CTAE) at different pHs. The color and absorption spectra of CTAEs at a pH of 0.5-13 were shown, with their underlying structures analyzed. Then, the storage stability of CTAEs were explored under a combination of pHs and temperatures. The stability of CTAE declines with the increase in temperature, and it can be stored stably for months at 4 °C. CTAEs also bear much resistance to acidic and alkaline conditions but exhibit higher thermal stability at pH 7 (blue) than at pH 0.5 (magenta) or pH 10 (blue-green), which is a great advantage in food making. Antioxidant abilities for flower extracts from the butterfly pea were high at pH 4-7, as assessed by DPPH free radical scavenging assays, and decreased sharply when the pH value exceeded 7. The above results provide a theoretical basis for the application of butterfly pea flowers and imply their great prospect in the food industry.

Immunoregulatory Effect of Acanthopanax trifoliatus (L.) Merr. Polysaccharide on T1DM Mice.

BACKGROUND: Acanthopanax trifoliatus (L.) Merr. is a medicinal plant found in Southeast Asia, and its young leaves and shoots are consumed as a vegetable. The main bioactive components of this herb are polysaccharides that have significant anti-diabetic effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunoregulatory effect of A. trifoliatus (L.) Merr. polysaccharide (ATMP) on a mouse model of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). METHODS: The monosaccharide composition and mean molecular mass of ATMP were determined by HPLC and HPGPC. T1DM was induced in mice using STZ, and 35, 70 and 140mg/kg ATMP was administered daily via the intragastric route for six weeks. Untreated and metformin-treated positive control groups were also included. The body weight of the mice, food and water intake and fasting glucose levels were monitored throughout the 6-week regimen. Histological changes in the pancreas and spleen were analyzed by H&E staining. Oral glucose tolerance was evaluated with the appropriate test. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) mRNA and protein levels in the spleen were measured by quantitative real time PCR and Western blotting. IL-10, IFN-γ and insulin levels in the sera were determined by ELISA. The CD4+ and CD8+T cells in spleen tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). RESULTS: ATMP and metformin significantly decreased fasting blood glucose, and the food and water intake after 6 weeks of treatment. In contrast, serum insulin levels, glucose tolerance and body weight improved considerably in the high and medium-dose ATMP and metformin groups. T1DM was associated with pancreatic and splenic tissue damage. The high dose (140mg/kg) of ATMP reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells into the pancreas and restored the structure of islet ß-cells in the diabetic mice. Consistent with this, 35, 70 and 140mg/kg ATMP increased IL-10 levels and decreased that of IFN-γ, thereby restoring the CD4+/CD8+ and Th1/Th2 cytokine ratio. At the molecular level, high-dose ATMP up-regulated PPARγ in the splenic cells. CONCLUSION: ATMP exerts a hypoglycemic effect in diabetic mice by restoring the immune balance in the spleen.

Effective preparation of magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticle for the rapid and selective extraction of cyfluthrin from honeysuckle.

Cyfluthrin is a widely used pesticide. In this study, a sensitive and efficient magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (MMIP) was prepared by surface molecular imprinting, which used functionalized Fe3O4 particles as magnetic cores. Cyfluthrin was extracted and enriched using magnetic molecularly polymer for analyzing pesticide residue of Chinese herbal medicines. The crystal type, microstructure, particle size, saturation magnetization, and characteristic functional groups of the synthesized MMIPs were analyzed by analysis equipment. The results of isothermal adsorption and kinetic adsorption indicated that MMIPs reached adsorption equilibrium at 30 min, with a maximum capacity of 4.9 mg g-1, which had good adsorption performance, while selective adsorption experiments showed that MMIPs had higher affinity for cyfluthrin. Under the optimized conditions, the limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) were 32.987 ng ml-1 and 109.955 ng ml-1, respectively. And linear range (30-3000ng ml-1) of cyfluthrin with correlation coefficient R2=0.9979, and MMIPs were used in honeysuckle, the recoveries were 91.5%∼97.2%, and RSD was 5.35%∼8.32% (n = 3). It is indicated that the magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer can be used as an effective material for the specific separation of cyfluthrin from honeysuckle.

Exploring the effects of selenium treatment on the nutritional quality of tomato fruit.

In this work, the effects of selenium (Se) on the nutritional quality of tomato fruit were investigated. The results showed that application of 1 mg L-1 sodium selenate foliar spray increased Se content in the fruit without affecting other concentrations of other metals. Se treatment elevated the contents of soluble sugars (glucose and fructose), amino acids, and bioactive compounds, such as flavanoids, glutathione, vitamin C, and vitamin E, in pink tomato fruit. Proteomic analysis using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification was performed on tomato fruit at the commercial harvest stage. When comparing Se-enriched tomato fruit with the control group, we identified an aggregate of 269 differentially expressed proteins. Proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism, amino acids metabolism, and secondary metabolism were highly affected by Se treatment. The results help elucidate the mechanism of Se treatment on improved nutritional quality of tomato fruit.

A novel GhBEE1-Like gene of cotton causes anther indehiscence in transgenic Arabidopsis under uncontrolled transcription level.

Male-sterile lines are very important for selective breeding, and anther dehiscence defect is an effective way to generate male-sterile lines. Although several bHLH-family proteins in Arabidopsis have been characterized, little is known about the role of bHLH-family proteins in cotton. Here, we isolated a novel bHLH protein from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), named GhBEE1-Like. Protein domain analysis showed that GhBEE1-Like contained a basic domain and an HLH domain. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that GhBEE1-Like was a nuclear-localized protein. Expression pattern analysis showed GhBEE1-Like was highly expressed in floral organs, and its expression was induced by the active brassinosteroid (BR) substance 24-epi-BL. GhBEE1-Like overexpression in Arabidopsis resulted in two types of transgenic lines, one with normal anther dehiscence and the other with defective anther dehiscence. Semi-qRT-PCR and qRT-PCR analyses revealed that GhBEE1-Like transcript levels acted as a check-point determining how anther dehiscence proceeds in these transgenic lines; regulated transcript levels result in normal anther dehiscence, whereas uncontrolled transcript levels lead to anther indehiscence. These results suggest that GhBEE1-Like plays an important role via its accumulation in regulating anther dehiscence. Therefore, controlling the level of GhBEE1-Like expression in cotton could be a convenient tool for generating male-sterile lines to use in selective breeding.

[Efficiency and Mechanism of Purifying High Iron-Manganese from Ground Water in the Cold Villages and Towns Based on The Coupling of Rice Husk and Iron-Manganese Oxidizing Bacteria].

Aiming at the special geo-climatic conditions and typical problems constraining the development of villages and towns, making villages and towns have the following characteristics:green and low-carbon, energy saving and environmental friendly, the coupling process of adsorption by carbonized rice husk particles and biological oxidation using Bacillus megaterium bacteria was developed for purifying high iron-manganese from groundwater in the cold villages and towns. The quick start-up method of biological filter at low temperature was studied. Based on the contact oxidation and biological method, iron removal efficiency and reaction rate in different filtration layers under different filtration conditions were comparatively analyzed, and iron removal mechanism of biological filter was determined. Filter materials and the solid samples in backwash water at different stages were characterized and the manganese removal mechanism of biological filter was analyzed through SEM, FTIR, XPS, Raman spectra and EPR. The results showed that the active biological membrane reached mature and stable only after 15 d with the operation mode of bacteria liquid cycle and low filtration rate in the filter column. The effluent concentration met the requirements of drinking water quality (GB 5749-2006) in the stable operation process. Fe, Mn and bacteria were lower than 0.3 mg·L-1, 0.1 mg·L-1, 100 CFU·mL-1, respectively. Iron removal mechanism relied mainly on the physical and chemical effects, supplemented by biological function. During the biofilm culturing stage and initial stable operation stage of filter column, manganese removal relied mainly on the biological effect. The physical chemistry was preferred at later stable operation stage. The study provides technical support for the applications of treating collectively Fe2+ and Mn2+ in groundwater.

Preparation, structure and anticoagulant activity of a low molecular weight fraction produced by mild acid hydrolysis of sulfated rhamnan from Monostroma latissimum.

A low molecular weight fraction, designated LMWP, was prepared by mild acid hydrolysis of sulfated rhamnan from Monostroma latissimum and purified by anion-exchange and gel-permeation chromatography. Chemical and spectroscopic analyses showed that LMWP was mainly composed of rhamnose, and its molecular weight was about 33.6 kDa. The backbone of LMWP consists of 1,3-linked α-L-rhamnose units with partially sulfate groups at the C-2 position. Approximately 25% of 1,3-linked α-L-rhamnose units is substituted at C-2 by sulfated or non-sulfated 1,3-linked α-L-rhamnose and 1,2-linked α-L-rhamnose units. LMWP effectively prolonged clotting time as evaluated by the activated partial thromboplastin time assay and was a potent thrombin inhibitor mediated by heparin cofactor II. The investigation demonstrated that LMWP is a novel sulfated polysaccharide with anticoagulant activity.

[Effect of Fuzheng Jiangan formula on liver fibrosis induced by albumin in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Fuzheng Jiangan formula( FZJGF) on liver fibrosis using immune induced liver fibrosis rat model. METHOD: The rat models with immunity liver fibrosis were induced by the human serum albumin. Rats were treated with normal saline, FZJGF (9. 85,39. 4 g x kg(-1) , two dosage groups) and Colchicine (0. 000 1 g . kg(-1) ). The activities of ALT, AST, contents of ALB and TP, and A/G, The contents of Laminin (LN), Hyaluronic acid (HA) and collagen type IV (IV-C) in rat serum were measured by radioimmunoassay method. The level of hydroxyproline (Hyp) in liver was detected by chemistry method. The pathological changes of liver tissue were observed by HE and Von-Gieson staining. RESULT: FZJGF could significant decrease the serum activities of ALT and AST, and increase the levels of TP,Alb and ratio A/G. The levels of LN, HA and IV-C were decreased significantly after the treatment using FZJGF. The pathological improvements were observed. FZJGF could markedly alleviate the deposition of collageneous fiber, and reduce the liver pseudoluboli and the fibrosis scores in the liver tissue compared with model group. CONCLUSION: FZJGF can inhibit formation and development of rat hepatic fibrosis induced by the human serum albumin.