Structure, Biological Functions, Separation, Properties, and Potential Applications of Milk Fat Globule Membrane (MFGM): A Review.

BACKGROUND: The milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) is a thin film that exists within the milk emulsion, suspended on the surface of milk fat globules, and comprises a diverse array of bioactive components. Recent advancements in MFGM research have sparked a growing interest in its biological characteristics and health-related functions. Thorough exploration and utilization of MFGM as a significant bioactive constituent in milk emulsion can profoundly impact human health in a positive manner. Scope and approach: This review comprehensively examines the current progress in understanding the structure, composition, physicochemical properties, methods of separation and purification, and biological activity of MFGM. Additionally, it underscores the vast potential of MFGM in the development of additives and drug delivery systems, with a particular focus on harnessing the surface activity and stability of proteins and phospholipids present on the MFGM for the production of natural emulsifiers and drug encapsulation materials. KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: MFGM harbors numerous active substances that possess diverse physiological functions, including the promotion of digestion, maintenance of the intestinal mucosal barrier, and facilitation of nerve development. Typically employed as a dietary supplement in infant formula, MFGM's exceptional surface activity has propelled its advancement toward becoming a natural emulsifier or encapsulation material. This surface activity is primarily derived from the amphiphilicity of polar lipids and the stability exhibited by highly glycosylated proteins.

Uncovering the symptom relationship between anxiety, depression, and internet addiction among left-behind children: A large-scale purposive sampling network analysis.

Facing long-term separation from their parents, left-behind children are at risk of the co-occurrence of internalizing and externalizing problems. Although previous research has gained substantial information examining the relationship between anxiety, depression, and internet addiction at the aggregate level of variables, little is known about the heterogeneity and interactions between these components at the symptom level with a large-scale purposive sample. Adopting the network approach, two network pathways, depression and anxiety, and associations between these variables and internet addiction were constructed. Our sample included 5367 left-behind children (Mage = 13.57; SDage = 1.37; 50.07% females). Relevant bridging, central symptoms, and network stability were identified. Two relatively stable networks were obtained. For the network of anxiety and depression, sleep problems and tachycardia were vital bridging symptoms. Central symptoms, including tachycardia, restlessness, fatigue, and emptiness, were symptoms of depression. For the network of symptoms of anxiety, depression, and internet addiction, the bridging symptoms remained the same, and the central symptoms included tachycardia, restlessness, loss of control, and emptiness. By identifying relevant bridging and central symptoms, those with higher levels of these symptoms could be regarded as intervention targets, providing a reference for the current issue of valuing diagnosis over prevention in left-behind children.

Profiles of Intolerance of Uncertainty Among 108,540 Adolescents: Associations with Sociodemographic Variables and Mental Health.

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is widely considered a transdiagnostic risk and maintaining factor for psychiatric disorders. However, little is known about the overall nature and profile of IU among adolescents. This study aims to investigate the profiles of IU among Chinese adolescents and explore their associations with sociodemographic characteristics and mental health problems. A sample of 108,540 adolescents provided data on IU, sociodemographic characteristics, and mental health via an online platform. Latent profile analysis revealed three profiles: Low IU, Medium IU, and High IU. Girls, older adolescents, and those with specific sociodemographics were more likely to belong to the "High IU" profile. Furthermore, the "High IU" profile was associated with the highest risk of several mental health problems. These findings provided valuable information for early prevention and intervention strategies targeting IU and highlighted the importance of IU-based interventions for mental health among adolescents.

The impact of epidemic information on the public's worries and attitude toward epidemic prevention measures during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Since the outbreak of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in December 2019, the Chinese government has implemented effective epidemic prevention measures. To provide useful information for governments to manage this public health crisis, we conducted an online survey among Chinese general population from February 24 to 28, 2020. In this study, we examined the impact of epidemic information and rumors on public's worries and attitude toward prevention measures during the outbreak of COVID-19. A total of 853 valid questionnaires (641 women, 75.1%) were collected from 24 provincial regions in China. Most respondents' ages ranged from 18 to 60 (833 participants, 97.66%). A mediation model was built to analyze the influence of epidemic information and rumors on worries and attitude. The results showed that the amount of epidemic information positively predicted public's worries, which in turn predicted a supportive attitude toward the prevention measures. Worries partially mediated the relationship between the amount of epidemic information and the supportive attitude. The amount of rumors negatively predicted the supportive attitude. The results of this study implied the importance of timely and credible information providing to evoke a certain level of worry and promote public cooperation, and the necessary attention to refute and resist rumors for effective risk communication in a public health crisis.

Anxiety and depression related to childhood maltreatment in teenagers: Comparing multiple individual risk model, cumulative risk model and latent profile analysis.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have employed person-centered approaches (i.e. latent profile analysis in this study) to investigate the specific patterns of childhood maltreatment in a large sample of Chinese adolescents, and little is known about the predictive validity of latent profile analysis on internalizing problems, compared with multiple individual risk model and cumulative risk model. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether differential patterns of maltreatment existed by employing latent profile analysis with a sample of 9071 Chinese adolescents, and further examined the predictive validity of latent profile analysis on internalizing problems, relative to the cumulative risk and multiple individual risk model. PARTICIPANTS: Using a stratified sampling approach, 10,515 participants (Mean age = 14.24; SD = 1.73) were chosen from three different types of middle schools in Chongqing city, China. 9071 valid responses (males = 4775; females = 4296) were obtained for final analysis. METHODS: Participants reported their childhood maltreatment experience, anxiety and depression symptoms. Latent profile analysis was used to obtain possible patterns of maltreatment with Mplus version 7. 4. Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars (BCH) method was used to test the association between maltreatment patterns and anxiety and depression symptoms. Relative weight analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to test the predictive validity of latent profile analysis, multiple individual risk and cumulative risk model. RESULTS: Using latent profile analysis, two patterns of childhood maltreatment were uncovered ("No Maltreatment" and "Multiple Maltreatment"). Further analysis showed that multiple individual risk model accounted for the largest variance in anxiety (R2 = 26.7%) and depression (R2 = 33%), followed by the latent profile analysis (R2 = 14.7% for anxiety and 18.6% for depression) and the cumulative risk model (R2 = 12.9% for anxiety and 15.2% for depression). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that the multiple individual risk model is the optimal model for identifying adolescents at the risk of developing anxiety and depression symptoms, and the results suggested emotional abuse and emotional neglect are risk factors for higher levels of anxiety and depression among adolescents.

Decreased COVID-related adaptive behavior and increased negative affect: A multivariate latent growth curve model.

Data from a longitudinal questionnaire investigation of three time waves were used to investigate affective and behavioral changes and their covariant relationship among Chinese general population during the COVID-19 pandemic from March to May 2020. 145 participants aging from 15 to 63 completed three waves of survey. Latent growth curve analyses found that negative affect gradually increased as the pandemic continued. A faster increase in negative affect was related to a greater decrease in adaptive behavior and faster increase in non-adaptive behavior. A higher initial level of negative affect was related to a slower increase in non-adaptive behavior.

Separation and purification of chlorogenic acid by molecularly imprinted polymer monolithic stationary phase.

Separation and purification of chlorogenic acid by removal of the impurities compounds co-existed in the product using molecular imprinting technique was firstly reported. In this work, an in situ synthesis method was utilized for the preparation of molecularly imprinted polymer monolithic stationary phase using the impurity molecule (caffeic acid) as template, the mixture of tetrahydrofuran and isooctane as solvent, and methacrylic acid and ethyl glycol dimethacrylate as functional monomer and cross-linker, respectively. The retention behavior of the monolithic polymer to chlorogenic acid molecule, the template and several main impurities compounds in the product was studied and the adsorption capacity of compounds on the stationary phase determined by frontal chromatographic technique. A relatively weak retention of the target product molecule (chlorogenic acid) on the polymer and a strong adsorption capability of the monolith to the template and several main impurities were observed. This might mainly result from the 'shape' difference of chlorogenic acid molecule with the impurities compounds molecules. This approach was shown to be successful for the separation and purification of chlorogenic acid from the extract of Eucommia ulmodies leaves.

Stereoselective histidine sensor based on molecularly imprinted sol-gel films.

A piezoelectric sensor coated with a thin molecularly imprinted sol-gel film has been developed for the determination of L-histidine in the liquid phase. Without preprotection, L-histidine was imprinted directly into silica sol-gel films that consisted of a hybrid mixture of functionalized organosilicon precursors (phenyltrimethoxysilane and methyltrimethoxysolane). The viscoelasticity of the film in the air and in buffer solution has been studied by the piezoelectric quartz crystal impedance technique. The binding of L-histidine to the imprinted film in the liquid phase was investigated by the piezoelectric microgravimetry and electrochemical impedance technique. Scatchard analysis showed that the maximum binding site (Qmax) of the L-histidine imprinted sol-gel film is about 23.7 micromol/g. A linear range from 5.0x10(-8) to 1.0x10(-4) M for a detection of L-histidine has been observed with a detection limit of 2.5x10(-8) M for S/N=3. The proposed imprinted sol-gel sensor exhibits good stability, high specificity, and excellent stereoselectivity.

Electrosynthesis of imprinted polyacrylamide membranes for the stereospecific L-histidine sensor and its characterization by AC impedance spectroscopy and piezoelectric quartz crystal technique.

L-histidine/D-histidine-imprinted membranes have been synthesized by electropolymerizing acrylamide onto Au electrodes or Au-coated quartz crystal electrodes in the presence of L-histidine/D-histidine. AC impedance spectroscopy and piezoelectric quartz crystal (PQC) technique were employed to verify the template effect of the membranes. The selectively rebinding of the enantiomers of histidine by their respective imprinted polymer membranes was confirmed. The result may lead to the construction of biomimetic sensors for the stereospecific determination of L-histidine and the chiral separation of histidine.