RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Saline nasal irrigation is an effective therapy for relieving common cold symptoms. This study aimed to investigate and explore the efficacy of physiological seawater nasal irrigation (PSNI) on children with mild and asymptomatic infection with Omicron. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in Shanghai, China, and 403 children with mild and asymptomatic infection with Omicron were included. These children were allocated into the PSNI group and the control group. The primary outcome was the duration of viral shedding (DVS), and the secondary outcome was the change in clinical symptoms. RESULTS: The median age of all participants was 5.59 (6.26) years old. The DVS was significantly shorter in the PSNI group [2.40 (1.13)] than in the control group [3.09 (2.14)] (P = 0.014). The multivariable Cox regression model also showed that patients in the PSNI group had an increased probability of shorter DVS compared with patients in the control group [hazard ratio (HR), 1.27; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04-1.55; P = 0.017]. Subgroup analysis suggested that the DVS of patients without full vaccination was significantly reduced in the PSNI group. The proportions of runny nose and stuffy nose were apparently reduced in the first three days in the PSNI group or the control group, but there was no evidence showing that PSNI contributes to the benefit compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: PSNI can reduce the DVS of patients with mild and asymptomatic infection with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 variant.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Different carbohydrates elicit various effects on the digestibility and the glucose release rate, so it is of interest to develop a sustained-release noodle based on the combination of different carbohydrates and reveal the sustained-release mechanism. RESULTS: The data obtained suggest that xanthan and konjac gum exhibited excellent and synergistic sustained-release properties, whereas cornstarch showed the lowest average digestion rate. The sustained release was particularly evident when the noodle consisted of the following components: 50 g of 25 g kg(-1) hydrophilic colloid mixture solution composed of a 1:1 mass ratio of xanthan:konjac gum and 100 g of reconstructed flour consisting of 200 g kg(-1) buckwheat flour, 400 g kg(-1) cornstarch, and 400 g kg(-1) plain flour. The morphological structure of noodles revealed that the composite hydrophilic colloids strengthened the interaction between the gluten network and starch granules. This buried starch within the three-dimensional structure thereby releasing glucose in a slow and sustained way. The most suitable model to describe glucose release from noodles was the Ritger-Peppas equation, which revealed that matrix erosion contributed to the release mechanism. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that the controlled use of hydrophilic colloids and starches in manufacturing noodles could modulate the glucose sustained-release. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.