Effect of Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Emergency Nursing Using the SWOT Model on Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Objective: To explore the effect of interdisciplinary collaboration in emergency nursing using the strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats (SWOT) model on patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: Eighty AMI patients undergoing rescue treatment at Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from October 2020 to June 2022 were selected and randomly divided into the SWOT group and the control group. The patients in the control group received routine emergency nursing intervention, while those in the SWOT group were given interdisciplinary collaboration using the SWOT model. The emergency-related time, cardiac function indicators, incidence of adverse events, quality of life, and nursing satisfaction were compared between the two groups. Results: The waiting time, triage assessment time, electrocardiogram examination time, emergency treatment time, PCI duration and ICU stay time in SWOT group were significantly shorter than those in control group. The left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESd), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDd), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in the SWOT group were all superior to those in the control group. The SWOT group had a significantly lower incidence rate of adverse events than the control group. The quality of life scores of SWOT group were higher than those of control group. The nursing satisfaction in the SWOT group was higher than that in the control group. Conclusion: Interdisciplinary collaboration using the SWOT model for AMI patients can effectively shorten the rescue time, ameliorate cardiac function indicators, reduce the risk of adverse events, improve patients' quality of life, and enhance nursing satisfaction.

Interactions of hsian-tsao polysaccharide with corn starch to reduce its in vitro digestibility.

Hsian-tsao polysaccharide (HP) with preferable bioactivities was used to produce starchy gel foods. This study elucidated how interactions of HP (0-0.6 %, w/v) with gelatinized corn starch (CS, 6 %, w/v) reduced in vitro digestibility of CS. The CS digestibility (82.85 %, without HP) was reduced to 68.85 % (co-heated) and 74.75 % (non-co-heated) when 0.6 % HP was added, demonstrating that HP reduced the CS digestibility to a larger extent under co-heating by both HP-CS interactions and inhibiting digestive enzyme activities by HP which was dominated under non-co-heating. Moreover, when co-heated, HP bonded to the amylose of CS via physical forces with a composite index of 21.95 % (0.4 % HP), impeded CS swelling and promoted CS aggregation with the average particle size increased to 42.95 µm (0.6 % HP). Also, the HP-CS complexes formed strong association network structures that increased their apparent viscosity and digestive fluid viscosity. Additionally, HP enhanced the short-range ordered structure and crystal structure of CS. These results evidenced that HP-CS interactions significantly reduced the CS digestibility by forming physical barriers, viscosity effects, and ordered structures, to hinder the enzymes from accessing starch matrices. This laid a foundation for applying HP to starchy foods with a low predicted glycemic index.

Effects of hsian-tsao polysaccharide on myosin gel structure and its binding capacity to flavor compounds.

Hsian-tsao polysaccharide (HTP) with preferable biological activities was explored to improve the gel qualities of surimi. This study investigated the effects of HTP (0-1.0 mg/mL) on structural changes, in vitro digestibility, and fishy odor binding capacity of heat-induced myosin gels (30 mg/mL). HTP promoted the unfolding of myosin structure with transitions from α- helixes to ß-sheets, accompanied by the enhancement of hydrophobic bonds, hydrogen bonds, and non-disulfide covalent bonds dominated within gel networks. Moreover, HTP facilitated the formation of compact gel structures of myosin with superior elastic properties (G' > G'') and apparent viscosity, but without affecting the final in vitro digestibility. Moreover, the microstructure of gels markedly affected the adsorption rate of flavor compounds, with a lower adsorption rate obtained for myosin-HTP gels with compact gel networks embedded with evenly small cavities. Additionally, HTP affected the flavor-binding capacities of myosin gels by increasing hexanal and heptanal, but reducing nonanal and 1-octen-3-ol, in relation to the combined effects of myosin structural changes and newly formed gel networks. This work provides a new prospect for application of HTP to regulate the adsorption rate and binding capacity of myosin gels to fishy odors, critical for improvement of gel properties in surimi products.

Quality assessment of Red Yeast Rice by fingerprint and fingerprint-effect relationship combined with antioxidant activity.

Red Yeast Rice (RYR) is an important functional food ingredient that plays a critical role in promoting dietary guidance and maintaining health. To ensure its quality, four key compounds were quantified, and both HPLC fingerprint and electrochemical fingerprint (ECFP) were applied to assess quality. Additionally, 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS+•) scavenging test and ECFP were applied to assay the total antioxidant activity, with ascorbic acid as the positive control. The results showed that the holistic quality of samples was divided into 4 grades based on HPLC fingerprint analysis by the comprehensive linear quantitative fingerprint method. Additionally, the area of the total peak (Atp) in ECFP was found to be linearly correlated with the antioxidant activity (R > 0.99). A further fingerprint-efficacy relationship analysis determined the significant contributions to the antioxidant activity of peaks 20-Daidzein, 21-Glycitein, and 24-Genistein. Overall, this study suggested a comprehensive and reliable approach to the quality assessment of RYR.

[Characteristics of Bacterial Community Structure in the Sediment of Rural Black and Odorous Water Bodies].

Sediment microorganisms are the main drivers of the material circulation and organic matter degradation processes in rural black and odorous water bodies(RBOWB), and the community structure of sediment microorganisms follows the changes in the external environment. Here, the pollutant indicators, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and heavy metals in the overlying water and sediment of 29 RBOWB in Dongming County of Heze City were measured, respectively. Combined with Illumina sequencing results, the composition and diversity characteristics of sediment bacterial communities in RBOWB and their correlation with environmental factors were further analyzed. The experimental results showed a wide distribution of pollutants in both of the overlying water and sediment in the RBOWB of this region. Compared with agricultural non-point source pollution, the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants in the overlying water with domestic sewage as the main source of pollution were 3.1 and 1.5 times higher than those of agricultural non-point source pollution, respectively. In addition, the contents of heavy metals in the sediments of RBOWB were generally lower than the soil element background value in Heze City. The dominant bacteria phyla in the sediments of the RBOWB were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Firmicutes, and Acidobacteria, and the total abundance of these five dominant phyla accounted for 70.3%-83.6% of all sequences. The dominant classes were γ-Proteobacteria, α-Proteobacteria, Anaerolineae, and Actinobacteria. The dominant genera were Thiobacillus and Pseudarthrobacter. Moreover, Spearman correlation analysis showed that the environmental factors of DO, COD, TN, TP, and organic matter exerted significant effects(P<0.05) on sediment bacterial genera in RBOWB, and sediment bacterial community richness was significantly influenced by TN(P<0.05). The above results provided the microbiological knowledge for treating RBOWB.

Multifunctional bioactive glasses with spontaneous degradation for simultaneous osteosarcoma therapy and bone regeneration.

For the treatment of tumor-related bone defects resulting from surgical resection, simultaneous eradication of residual tumor cells and repair of bone defects represent a challenge. To date, photothermal therapy based on photothermal materials is used to remove residual tumor cells under near infrared light. However, most of photothermal materials have no function for bone repair, and even if combined with bioactive materials to enhance osteogenesis, they still cause potential harm to the body due to inability to degrade or poor degradability. Herein, multifunctional bioactive glasses (PGFe5-1100, PGCu5-1100) based on phosphate glass doped with transition metal elements were prepared for photothermal ablation, bone regeneration, and controllable degradation. The glasses exhibited excellent photothermal effect, which was derived from the electron in-band transition after light absorption due to energy level splitting of doped transition metal element and the subsequent electron nonradiative relaxation. The photothermal performance can be controlled by laser power density, element doping content and glass melting temperature. Moreover, the hyperthermia induced by the glasses can effectively kill tumor cells in vitro. In addition, the glasses degraded over time, and the released P, Ca, Na, Fe could promote bone cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. Therefore, these results successfully demonstrated that transition metal element-doped phosphate glasses have multifunctional abilities of tumor elimination, bone regeneration, and spontaneous degradation simultaneously with better biosecurity and bioactivity, which is believed to pave the way for the design of novel biomaterials for osteosarcoma treatment.

Peripheral blood nutrient indices as biomarkers for anti­PD­1 therapy efficacy and prognosis in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Immunotherapy offers survival benefits for patients with advanced gastric cancer, but not all populations can benefit from immunotherapy. Good nutritional status is fundamental to a patient's immune function and may have an impact on the efficacy of immunotherapy. The present study aimed to investigate changes in prognostic nutritional index (PNI), advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) and albumin-globulin ratio (AGR) values before and after immunotherapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer. The study also aimed to determine the potential association of the aforementioned values with patient outcomes and prognosis. Body mass index (BMI), serum albumin, total protein, peripheral blood lymphocyte, neutrophil, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen19-9 (CA19-9) and a-fetoprotein (AFP) data were collected from 195 patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent immunotherapy from January 2020 to October 2021. In addition, PNI, ALI and AGR values were calculated based on variables in blood collected from the patients within 3 days prior to immunotherapy and 3 weeks after immunotherapy. The results demonstrated that low PNI was associated with elevated CEA levels. Moreover, low ALI levels were associated with reduced BMI levels, elevated AFP levels, PD-L1 negative and first-line treatment. Comparison of responding and non-responding groups revealed that patients who responded to immunotherapy had higher PNI and AGR values than patients who did not respond, both before and after treatment, but had lower CEA and CA19-9 levels after treatment. Furthermore, in the non-responding group, PNI and AGR values were decreased and CEA values were increased following treatment compared with those prior to treatment. The objective response and disease control rates were higher in the high PNI and AGR groups compared with the low PNI and AGR groups, respectively. Moreover, PNI and AGR were found to be independent predictors of the short-term efficacy of immunotherapy for advanced gastric cancer, with cut-off values of 47.18 and 1.29, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that ALI was associated with the progression-free survival (PFS) of patients, while multivariate analysis demonstrated that baseline PNI and AGR were independent predictors of PFS. In conclusion, tumor progression leads to a decline in the nutritional level of patients, and the present study indicated that effective immunotherapy may alleviate this deterioration to a certain extent. Furthermore, PNI and AGR exhibit potential in predicting the efficacy of immunotherapy and the prognosis of patients with advanced gastric cancer, and may exhibit potential as biomarkers in clinical practice.

Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus supply levels and ratios on soil microbial diversity-ecosystem multifunctionality relationships in a coastal nontidal wetland.

Human activities have changed the levels and ratios of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in wetland ecosystems. However, the effects of N and P levels and ratios on wetland soil microbial community and ecosystem multifunctionality remain unclear, especially on the relationships between soil microbial diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality. In this study, the effects of a 7-year experimental nutrient addition on the soil microbial community and ecosystem multifunctionality (12 function variables related to carbon, N, and P cycling) were assessed by combining three N and P supply levels with three N:P supply ratios in a coastal nontidal wetland ecosystem. According to the obtained results, the N and P supply levels significantly affected soil bacterial community composition, as well as ecosystem multifunctionality, while no significant effects of N:P supply ratios were observed. Although N and P supply levels did not significantly affect bacterial and fungal diversity, they both changed the complexity of bacterial and fungal networks. Soil ecosystem multifunctionality was significantly and positively correlated with bacterial diversity rather than fungal diversity. Moreover, the correlation coefficient between bacterial diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality showed an increasing-decreasing trend with increasing N and P supply levels and an increasing trend with increasing N:P supply ratios. However, the correlation coefficient between bacterial diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality was not significantly correlated with bacterial network complexity. The current study provides new insights into the impacts of N and P levels and ratios on soil microbial community and ecosystem multifunctionality in a coastal nontidal wetland. In particular, the present study highlighted that changes in N and P supply levels and ratios lead to changes in the relationship between soil bacterial diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality, which should be considered in related studies to accurately predict the responses of ecosystem multifunctionality to N and P inputs in coastal nontidal wetlands.

Interactions involved in heat-induced gelatin gel containing hsian-tsao gum, and mechanisms to improve its properties.

BACKGROUND: Hsian-tsao gum (HG) has unique gel-promoting and nutritional properties; however, its use in processed foods is limited to starchy foods, partially due to a lack of knowledge related to its interaction with proteins. This study elucidated the interaction mechanism of heat-induced gelatin (G) (50 g kg-1 ) gel fortified with HG (0 ~ 20 g kg-1 ) using rheology, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), large deformation tests, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR), and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). RESULTS: Heating promoted synergistic interactions between G and more HG molecules with enhanced apparent viscosity and higher storage modulus G' than loss modulus G″, thus shortening the gel time (tg ) of G-HG sols into gels. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and DSC also confirmed the chemical interactions that occurred, facilitating the formation of ß-sheet structures of G. The microstructure of G gradually formed separate, coarse strands, and aggregated as HG was added, as observed by CLSM and SEM. This accelerated the gel formation rate and changed the textural properties. Although HG caused a disruptive decrease in the helix structure of G, it was possible to compensate for this by accelerating synergistic interactions, including depletion attractions and Maillard reactions, by heating. CONCLUSION: Hsian-tsao gum interacted synergistically with G as a result of heating and this accelerated the gel formation rate and improved the gel properties. Novel complex gels could be designed by blending HG to improve the gel properties of G in the heat processing of the food gel formulation. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Selenium-containing polysaccharide from Spirulina platensis alleviates Cd-induced toxicity in mice by inhibiting liver inflammation mediated by gut microbiota.

Selenium-containing polysaccharide from Spirulina platensis (Se-SPP) has been demonstrated to help in inhibiting cadmium-induced injury in mice, but the underlying mechanism has not been determined. This study aimed to investigate the beneficial effects of Se-SPP on alleviating Cd-induced toxicity in mice by targeting liver inflammatory and gut microbiota. Se-SPP supplementation for 28 days in Cd-induced toxic mice significantly mitigated liver pathological damage and inflammation, which was correlated to the upregulation of antioxidant enzyme activity. Furthermore, Se-SPP effectively restored Cd-induced disruption of the intestinal barrier compared to model group, as indicated by the depletion of Muribaculaceae and the enrichment of Ruminococcaceae. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed that the Se-SPP-altered microbes were highly correlated with inflammation-related indexes in Cd-induced toxic mice. Noteworthily, the modulation of Se-SPP on the Ruminococcaceae population contributed to the improvement of Cd-induced inflammation-related diseases by downregulating the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in the liver. These findings suggested that Se-SPP may act as prebiotics for ameliorating Cd-induced toxicity in mice by inhibiting liver inflammation mediated by gut microbiota, and target-specific microbiota of Cd-induced inflammation-related diseases deserve further attention.

Analysis of the Influence of Midwife Led Antenatal Clinic on the Delivery Outcomes of Primipara under the Evaluation of Medical Data.

Objective: In order to improve the comprehensive effect of primipara delivery outcomes, the midwife led prenatal clinic of data mining is analyzed to alleviate the negative emotions of patients and improve the delivery results of patients. Methods: A total of 86 patients who were filed in the obstetrics department of our hospital from October 2021 to May 2022 and planned to deliver in our hospital were selected as the research objects. They were divided into the reference group (n = 43) and the observation group (n = 43) according to the random number table method. Among them, the reference group received routine antenatal clinics, and the observation group received midwives' participation in antenatal clinics for intervention. The total duration of labor, the scores of various psychological states including antenatal anxiety (SAS) and antenatal depression (SDS), as well as the pregnancy outcome and delivery compliance rate of the two groups were compared. Results: The psychological state evaluation of delivery in the observation group, whether SAS score or SDS score, was significantly lower than that in the reference group, and the difference was statistically significant. The whole labor process time of patients in the observation group was significantly shorter than that in the reference group, and the difference was statistically significant. The delivery compliance of patients in the observation group during the whole perinatal period was also higher than that of the reference group, and the difference was statistically significant. All P values were<0.05. Conclusion: The antenatal clinic led by midwives can promote primiparas to increase the success rate of natural delivery, improve the treatment compliance of the whole perinatal period, reduce the psychological pressure of primiparas, effectively shorten the total time of production, and have a significant impact on the outcome of delivery. It should be widely used.

Mendelian randomization study on the causal effects of omega-3 fatty acids on rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To resolve the ongoing debate on the role of plasma omega-3 fatty acids in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we attempted to identify the association between omega-3 intake and the risk of RA. METHODS: We analyzed data from the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) for omega-3 fatty acids (N = 114,999 of European ancestry) and RA (14,361 cases and 43,923 controls of European ancestry). Mendelian randomization-egger_intercept, MR-PRESSO, and Cochran's Q test were used to determine pleiotropy and heterogeneity. Egger, weighted median, inverse variance weighted (IVW), simple mode, and weighted mode were used to evaluate the causal association of plasma omega-3 levels on RA. RESULTS: We found no significant pleiotropy, heterogeneity, and bias among the omega-3 genetic instrumental variables (IVs) in RA GWAS datasets. MR analysis demonstrated that as omega-3 levels genetically increased, the risk of MS increased using MR-egger (Beta = 0.137, p = 0.037; OR = 1.146, 95% CI: [1.014, 1.296]), weighted median (Beta = 0.162, p = 0.001; OR = 1.176, 95% CI: [1.070, 1.292]), IVW (Beta = 0.102, p = 0.025; OR = 1.108, 95% CI: [1.013, 1.211]), simple mode (Beta = 0.219, p = 0.149; OR = 1.245, 95% CI: [0.931, 1.665]), and weighted mode (Beta = 0.146, p = 0.006; OR = 1.157, 95% CI: [1.051, 1.274]). CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis suggested a causal association between genetically increased plasma omega-3 levels and the increased risk of RA in populations with European ancestry. Thus, to reduce the risk of RA, those of European descent should reduce omega-3 intake. Key Points • No significant pleiotropy or heterogeneity among the omega-3 genetic IVs in RA GWAS datasets. • Genetically increased plasma omega-3 levels enhanced the risk of RA in European lineages.

Treatment try of simulated agricultural surface runoff pollution by using a novel biomass concentrator reactor.

Increased agricultural surface runoff in rural watersheds is a leading cause of nonpoint source pollution. In this study, a new biomass concentrator reactor (BCR) is conducted to degrade simulated agricultural surface runoff for both start-up process and treatment process. The results show that both in the start-up phase and in the stable phase, BCR had a good degradation effect on simulated agricultural surface runoff. Within 13 days-15 days of completed start-up of BCR, degradation of COD can be considered to the first-order kinetics: lnCt=lnC0-0.1377t (R2 = 0.78). During the stabilization phase, the average removal rate of COD, NH4+-N, NO3--N, TN and TP from the effluents through the BCR membrane was 94.58%, 85.79%, 53.58%, 37.87%, and 60.62%, respectively, which was increased by 7.4%, 2.5%, 5.1%, 0.18% and 11.4%, respectively, compared to control experiment which the effluents without membrane. The pollutants degradation by BCR in stable phase show a partly relative model of Lawrence-McCarty equation, which the nitrogen and phosphorus degradation is vN=(4.1+S)/(2.53×S) (R2 = 0.69) and vP=(8.78+S)/(3.0×S) (R2 = 0.67), respectively. In the stable phase, the operation cost of BCR is about $0.08/(L•d). Future research on improved BCR maybe focus on the membrane pollution and cleaning, optimized operation conditions, new materials of membrane.

Mechanisms Affecting the Biosynthesis and Incorporation Rate of Selenocysteine.

Selenocysteine (Sec) is the 21st non-standard proteinogenic amino acid. Due to the particularity of the codon encoding Sec, the selenoprotein synthesis needs to be completed by unique mechanisms in specific biological systems. In this paper, the underlying mechanisms for the biosynthesis and incorporation of Sec into selenoprotein were comprehensively reviewed on five aspects: (i) the specific biosynthesis mechanism of Sec and the role of its internal influencing factors (SelA, SelB, SelC, SelD, SPS2 and PSTK); (ii) the elements (SECIS, PSL, SPUR and RF) on mRNA and their functional mechanisms; (iii) the specificity (either translation termination or translation into Sec) of UGA; (iv) the structure-activity relationship and action mechanism of SelA, SelB, SelC and SelD; and (v) the operating mechanism of two key enzyme systems for inorganic selenium source flow before Sec synthesis. Lastly, the size of the translation initiation interval, other action modes of SECIS and effects of REPS (Repetitive Extragenic Palindromic Sequences) that affect the incorporation efficiency of Sec was also discussed to provide scientific basis for the large-scale industrial fermentation for the production of selenoprotein.

Risk Factors of Coronavirus Disease 2019-Related Mortality and Optimal Treatment Regimens: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading rapidly worldwide, and scientists are trying to find a way to overcome the disease. We explored the risk factors that influence patient outcomes, including treatment regimens, which can provide a reference for further treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective cohort study analysis was performed using data from 97 patients with COVID-19 who visited Wuhan Union Hospital from February 2020 to March 2020. We collected data on demographics, comorbidities, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, treatment methods, outcomes, and complications. Patients were divided into a recovered group and a deceased group. We compared the differences between the 2 groups and analyzed risk factors influencing the treatment effect. RESULTS Seventy-six patients recovered and 21 died. The average age and body mass index (BMI) of the deceased group were significantly higher than those of the recovered group (69.81±6.80 years vs 60.79±11.28 years, P<0.001 and 24.95±3.14 kg/m² vs 23.09±2.97 kg/m², P=0.014, respectively). The combination of antiviral drugs and supportive therapy appears to be associated with the lowest mortality (P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that age, BMI, H-CRP, shock, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) were independent risk factors for patients with COVID-19 (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Elderly patients and those with a high BMI, as well as patients who experience shock and ARDS, may have a higher risk of death from COVID-19. The combination of antiviral drugs and supportive therapy appears to be associated with lower mortality, although further research is needed.

Clinical Efficacy of Vitamin D3 Adjuvant Therapy in Allergic Rhinitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D supplementation has been proven to be effective in the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR). OBJECTIVE: We conducted the present study to explore the role and efficacy of vitamin D adjuvant therapy for the treatment of inflammation in patients with AR. METHODS: Out of 127 patients with potential eligible AR, 60 were randomly assigned into two groups and were finally included in our analysis (n=30 for each intervention). The patients with potential eligible AR were randomly allocated to intervention with desloratadine citrate disodium (DCD, 8.8 mg/day) without and with vitamin D3 nasal drops (1.5х106 IU, once/week) for four weeks. Thirty healthy control subjects were included in our study. We assessed the changes in the serum 25(OH)D, peripheral blood eosinophils, interleukin (IL)-4 levels, and nasal symptoms. Serum 25(OH)D, peripheral blood eosinophils, and IL-4 levels were detected respectively with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), a blood detector, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Our patients who received vitamin D3 adjuvant therapy had a higher serum 25(OH)D level (47.57 ± 2.83 vs. 31.51 ± 2.95 ng/ml, p=0.000) and lower AR symptoms score (2.07 ± 1.89 vs. 3.37 ± 1.50, p=0.005), serum IL-4 (10.38 ± 3.41 vs. 12.79 ± 5.40 pg/ml, p=0.043), and peripheral blood eosinophils (0.34 ± 0.09 vs. 0.41 ± 0.10 109/l, p=0.003) compared with DCD single treatment. The efficacy rates of DCD with and without vitamin D3 in AR were 97% and 84%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Nasal vitamin D3 combined with DCD could improve the clinical symptoms of AR. Vitamin D3 adjunct therapy showed significant effects on inhibiting inflammation in patients with AR. We concluded that vitamin D3 supplementation could be an effective adjuvant therapy in AR patients.

Characterization of selenium-containing polysaccharide from Spirulina platensis and its protective role against Cd-induced toxicity.

Herein, selenium-containing polysaccharide from Spirulina platensis (Se-SPP) was prepared and its structural characteristics and protective role against Cd-induced toxicity in vivo and in vitro were investigated. Se-SPP was alkali-extracted from selenium-containing Spirulina platensis which was cultured in Zarrouk medium supplemented with Na2SeO3. The contents of carbohydrate, protein, uronic acid, sulfate and elements (including Se, C, H, O, N, and S) as well as the monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, surface morphology and FT-IR spectra of Se-SPP was compared to that of selenium-free polysaccharide (SPP). The results revealed that SPP and Se-SPP were both high-molecular-weight heteropolysaccharide with similar molecular weight and monosaccharide composition but significantly different selenium content, indicating that the covalently-bonding of a small amount of selenium did not destroy the original structure of polysaccharide. Furthermore, CdCl2 was utilized to build Cd-intoxicated cells model in vitro and rats model in vivo respectively. Then, the protective effect of Se-SPP against cadmium-induced toxicity was assessed. The results demonstrated that Se-SPP treatment provided significant protection against Cd-induced toxicity, which was superior compared to that of SPP or Na2SeO3 alone. The enhancement of protective role may be affected by the covalently-bonding of selenium to polysaccharide.

[Quality of life survey of patients with allergic rhinitis caused by airborne pollen in Inner Mongolia].

Objective:To study the quality of life of patients with allergic rhinitis（AR） caused by airborne pollen in Inner Mongolia, and provide reference for overall health intervention for AR patients. Method:According to the severity of disease, 268 cases of patients was divided into mild and moderate to severe group. The patients general condition questionnaire, standardized rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire（RQLQ）, quality of life questionare-core30（QOL-C30） were used to assess the quality of life of AR patients. At the same time 90 healthy volunteers with no symptoms of nasal（balanced gender, age） were recruited as control group. Result:In the intra-group comparison of the RQLQ questionnaire for AR patients, the total score of the RQLQ questionnaire and the 7 factor scores in the moderate to severe groups were significantly higher than those in the mild group（all P<0.05）. The QOL-C30 survey showed that the scores of the four dimensions of QOL-C30 assessment in the moderate to severe group of AR patients were generally lower than those in the control group（all P<0.05）. Compared with the control group, the score of physical function and psychological function in mild group decreased significantly（P<0.05）. Compared with the mild group, the moderate to severe groups showed significant decreases in physical function, psychological function and material life score（P<0.05）. Conclusion:Pollen, as a airborne allergen, is the main inducement of AR in Inner Mongolia. AR can seriously affect the physical and mental health of patients and reduce the quality of life. Clinical practice should focus on providing standardized treatment interventions and good health education for AR patients to improve quality of life.

Research progress on the biological activities of selenium polysaccharides.

Selenium polysaccharides are a new type of functional polysaccharide that combines inorganic selenium with polysaccharides to form an organic selenium product. Selenium polysaccharides are obtained using three different methods, have no toxicity or side effects, and are easily absorbed and utilized by the body. A number of studies have demonstrated that selenium polysaccharides possess better antioxidant, antitumour, immune regulation, hypoglycaemic, and heavy metal removal activities than that of either polysaccharides or inorganic selenium. Selenium polysaccharides have gradually become a research topic of interest for the development of functional foods and pharmaceutical products. However, further studies are required to investigate the structures and mechanisms of selenium polysaccharides. At present, reviews that focus on the bioactivities of selenium polysaccharides are lacking. The aim of this study was to summarize the selenium polysaccharide bioactivity reports from the past decades, describe the mechanisms and shortcomings of these studies, and evaluate the need for further development.

Elucidation of interactions between gelatin aggregates and hsian-tsao gum in aqueous solutions.

Interactions between gelatin aggregates (G, 0.5 wt%) and an anionic polysaccharide hsian-tsao gum (HG, 0-0.25 wt%) in aqueous solutions were investigated at 25 °C using zeta potentiometry, turbidimetric analysis, dynamic light scattering, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), fluorescence spectra and circular dichroism measurements. The results indicated that soluble and insoluble G-HG complexes formed mainly through electrostatic interactions followed critical pH-dependent structure-forming events. The phase transition points (pHφ1, pHopt and pHφ2) shifted to lower pH with HG increased, whereas pHc kept constant. Conformational transitions of G from α-helix to ß-sheet were promoted by interacting with HG, concurrent with changes in environment of hydrophobic residues. Additionally, CLSM evidenced phase transitions of G from homogeneity to separation occurred by interaction with HG, forming G-HG complexes with G centered and HG absorbed on the periphery. Findings aided in understanding interactions mechanism between G and HG to further apply HG in designing new food matrixes.