The impact of group music therapy in ameliorating the depression among patients with dementia in care homes: A randomized control trial.

Despite the increasing use of music therapy to treat patients with dementia, studies focused on developing nations are still in their embryonic stages. In this view, this study examined the impact of group music therapy intervention in ameliorating depression levels among older people in two care homes. A randomized control trial (RCT) was carried out in which a total of 121 patients were randomly divided into control 61 and experimental group 60.

Nuclei-induced formation of amyloid fibrils in whey protein: Effects of enzyme hydrolysis on the ability of nuclei to induce fibril formation.

Homogeneous and secondary nuclei (HN and SN) are aggregates formed at different stages of whey protein isolate (WPI) self-assembly. More fibrils can form when HN/SN are added as nuclei than when WPI self-assembles. We evaluated the effect of hydrolysis treatment on fibril-induction ability of nuclei derived from WPI, and investigated the relationship between induction ability and nuclear structure.

Homogeneous nuclei-induced, secondary nuclei-induced, and spontaneous whey protein concentrate nanofibril formation through different pathways.

The addition of homogeneous nuclei (HN) or secondary nuclei (SN) could lead to different kinetics and thermodynamics as the nucleation energy barrier decreases and the lag time is shortened to different degrees compared with spontaneous fibrillation. To explain these differences, we monitored the formation and depletion of HN during fibril formation and found that both SN-induced fibrils and HN-induced fibrils follow the same nucleated growth pathway as spontaneously formed WPC fibrils. Moreover, there were also other paths, which were confirmed by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy.

Effect of CaCl on 2 heat-induced whey protein concentrate fibrillation pathways: Spontaneous and nuclear induction.

Amyloid fibrils have many excellent functional properties that facilitate their applications in the food industry. There are 2 pathways for whey protein concentrate (WPC) to form amyloid fibril aggregates: spontaneous pathway and nuclear induction pathway. Low ionic strength is a necessary condition for the spontaneous pathway to proceed successfully.

Investigation on the interaction of acrylamide with soy protein isolate: Exploring the binding mechanism in vitro.

Acrylamide (AA), which is a carcinogen in humans, has been a research focus in terms of food risk assessment. However, few published studies have explored protein strategies to reduce the health risks of AA. The objective of this study was to investigate the binding of AA with soy protein isolate (SPI) and elucidate the binding mechanism.

Protective effect of seabuckthorn berry juice against acrylamide-induced oxidative damage in rats.

Acrylamide (AA), classified as a probable carcinogen, can be neurotoxic, genotoxic, and can damage DNA. This study explored the ability of seabuckthorn berries juice (SBJ) to alleviate AA-induced toxic injury in rats. Twenty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group, AA group (40 mg/kg), AA + SBJ (40 mg/kg AA and 5 mL/kg SBJ), and AA + vitamin C (VC) group (positive control group, 40 mg/kg AA and 100 mg/kg VC).

Comparative experiments of electrical conductivity from whey protein concentrates conventional film and nanofibril film.

We compared the electrical conductivity from two different aggregates of whey protein concentrates (WPC) film: conventional amorphous aggregation at natural pH (pH 6.5) and amyloid fibrils at a low pH (pH 2.0) far away from the isoelectric point.

The comparison of ultrasound-assisted immersion freezing, air freezing and immersion freezing on the muscle quality and physicochemical properties of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) during freezing storage.

This study investigated the impact of ultrasound-assisted immersion freezing (UIF), air freezing (AF), and immersion freezing (IF) on the ice crystal size, protein thermal stability, and physicochemical properties of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) muscle during frozen storage. UIF samples had smaller ice crystals throughout the storage period than AF and IF samples did, which led to less damage to the muscle tissue. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance analysis revealed that UIF reduced the mobility and loss of immobilized and free water.

Gold nanoparticle-based enhanced lateral flow immunoassay for detection of Cronobacter sakazakii in powdered infant formula.

Cronobacter sakazakii is an opportunistic foodborne pathogen that can infect newborns through powdered infant formula (PIF). In this study, we developed a novel enhanced lateral flow immunoassay (LFA) with enhanced sensitivity for detection of C. sakazakii in PIF by the naked eye.

The structure and amphipathy characteristics of modified γ-zeins by SDS or alkali in conjunction with heating treatment.

γ-Zein was modified by SDS or alkali combined with heating treatments in water and in 70% ethanol to change its amphipathic properties and explore the relationship between amphipathic characteristic and structure. γ-Zein water-dispersibility was dramatically increased via alkali or SDS combined with heating treatments, but their ethanol-dispersibilities were significantly different during ethanol evaporation. High both water-dispersibility and ethanol-dispersibility were found from alkali modified γ-zein while high water-dispersibility but low ethanol-dispersibility were obtained from SDS modified γ-zein, indicating that alkali modified γ-zein had better amphipathic characteristic compared with SDS modified γ-zein.

Acid-responsive properties of fibrils from heat-induced whey protein concentrate.

The heat-induced fibrils of whey protein concentrate (WPC) have demonstrated an acid-responsive property; that is, the fibrils went through formation-depolymerization-reformation as pH was adjusted to 1.8, 6.5, and back to 1.

The effect of limited proteolysis by different proteases on the formation of whey protein fibrils.

Four proteases: trypsin, protease A, pepsin, and protease M were selected to modify whey protein concentrate (WPC) at a low degree of hydrolysis (0.1, 0.2, and 0.

[Constituents of Dendrobium devonianum and their antioxidant activity].

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of Dendrobium devonianum and identify the material basis components of its function, and then provide the basis for development and utilization of D. devonianum.

Method: The constituents were separated and purified on the chromatography of silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and RP-18 silica gel, and then their structures were elucidated based on the spectra data.

Influence of radial stress on the performance of gate-all-around Ge(110) NW FETs with HfO2 dielectric.

In this work, a simulation method from strained valence band structures to strained mobility calculation to consider a radial stress at the boundary of HfO2 gate dielectric surrounding Ge(110) nanowire is developed. The simulation implements the radial stress to strain distribution calculation via finite element method and then to valence band calculation. The radial stress at the boundary of gate dielectric pushes the valence subbands downwards in contrast with lattice mismatch strain effects between Ge NW and gate dielectric.

[Phosphorescent effect of Ir (ppy)3 on the luminescent characteristic of Rubrene].

Many organic matters including heavy metal ions can validly utilize the singlet and triplet for luminescence owiog to the spin-orbit coupling. As a result, the internal quantum efficiency can easily achieve a value higher than traditional organic light emitting diodes in theory. There is a strong luminescence of PVK in PVK : PBD : Rubrene system.

[Study of transmittance of ZnO film deposited on different substrate].

ZnO films were deposited on different structural substrate by rf-reactive Magnetron sputtering. The optical characteristics of ZnO films were studied by X-ray diffraction and optical transmission spectrum. The ZnO films deposited on the Al2 O3 / AlN compound substrate had better crystallized and had a higher transmittance compared to the ones on AlN substrate.

[Content determination of psoralen in root of Ficus hitra by HPLC method].

Objective: To investigate the contents of psoralen in Ficus hitra.

Methods: High Performance Liquid Chromatography was performed on Diamonsil C18. The chromatographic conditions were as follows: methanol-water (60:40) as mobile phase, flow rate being 1 ml/min and detecting wavelength at 245nm.

[Resource investigation and exploitable foreground of Sarcandra glabra].

The investigation showed the wild resource of Sarcandra glabra (Thumb.) Nakai in the part region of South China including Guangdong, Guangxi and Jiangxi was very plentiful and had a wonderful developmental foreground.

[Study on tissue culture of Ficus hirta].

The tissue culture of Ficus hirta Vahl. was studied. The nodes were used as explants and 1/2MS media with different plant growth regulators were tested.

[Effects of various organic fertilizers on growth and mineral nutrient absorption of Morindar officinalis].

Objective: To study the effects of various organic fertilizers on the growth and the mineral nutrient absorption of Morindar officinalis.

Method: The growing character and the mineral nutrition contents were determined with conventional assay methods.

Result: The influences of four kinds of fertilizers on the bionomics and nutrient absorption of M.

[Observation and comparison of the flowers of Pogostemon cablin from different habitats].

The present work is concerned in the observation and comparison among the flowers of Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth. from 3 different habitats by microscopical identification and electron microscopy scanning. The results provided scientific basis for recognition and distinction of Pogostemon cablin varieties.

[In vitro culture and the Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of Morinda officinalis].

Objective: To establish an effective system for the Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of M. officinalis, for laying a foundation for the improvement of breeds and introduction of foreign objective genes.

Method: The explants used for culture were the nodular stem segments from M.

[The observation and comparison of Pogostemon cablin from different habitats].

The present work is concerned the observation and comparison among 4 kinds of Pogostemon cablin (Blanco.) Benth. from different habitats by some methods, such as descriptions identification, microscopical identification and scanning electron microscopy.