Comparison of micronutrients in adult enteral formulas widely used in clinical practice.

In recent decades, great progress in the area of enteral nutrition has provided a large variety and commercial availability of enteral formulas, usually produced by the nutrition divisions of several pharmaceutical or dairy manufacturers, with specific compositions for each type of disease or patient condition. Despite the widespread use of enteral formulas, both in hospitals and at home, studies performed on the micronutrient compositions of adult enteral formulas are few in China. The content of micronutrients in 31 commercially available adult enteral formulas in the Chinese market was compared with the Chinese dietary reference intakes (DRIs), the tolerable upper limits (UL), the limit requirements in Food Safety National Standards General Rules of Foods for Special Medical Purposes (GB 29922-2013), and the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) micronutrient guideline (2022). The micronutrient content was calculated by multiplying the value provided on the nutrition label for each product by the daily energy dose of 1500 and 1800 Kcal/day. The research results showed that most adult enteral formulas were generally suitable for patients on long-term total enteral nutrition support in the Chinese market, and foods for special medical purpose (FSMP) formulas were more suitable than enteral nutrition preparation (ENP) formulas. However, the vitamin D, vitamin K, and iron content in these formulas should be appropriately increased to the limit recommended by the ESPEN micronutrient guideline. The results could provide a basis for manufacturers to research and develop more suitable enteral formulas and help clinical dietitians administer more effective enteral nutrition support for patients on long-term total enteral nutrition in clinical practice, especially individualized treatment.

Stability of vitamin A, E, C and thiamine during storage of different powdered enteral formulas.

In this study, two different kinds of commercial enteral formulas were selected to evaluate the changes of vitamin A, E, C and thiamine during the different storage conditions of different temperature and relative humidity (60 ± 1 °C, 60 ± 5% for 5 and 10 days; 37 ± 1 °C, 75 ± 5% for 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 months; 25 ± 1 °C, 60 ± 5% for 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months). The results showed that as the temperature or time increased, the content of vitamin A, E and thiamine was gradually decreased whilst the level of vitamin C remained stable. The vitamins exhibited more stability at the storage of 25 ± 1 °C, RH 60 ± 5%. Vitamin A and thiamine decreased more in the polymeric formula (EFA) than that in the oligomeric formula (EFB), while, vitamin E decreased less in EFA than that in EFB. The kinetics of vitamin A, E and thiamine degradation during storage followed first order kinetic equations. Furthermore, the final levels of vitamins were higher than the minimum level recommended by legislation.

A sustainable landscape ecosystem design: a case study.

Landscape planning is clearly ecologically and socially relevant. Concern about sustainability between human and environment is now a driving paradigm for this professional. However, the explosion of the sustainable landscape in China is a very recent phenomenon. What is the sustainable landscape? How is this realized in practice? In this article, on the basis of the reviews of history and perplexities of Chinese landscape and nature analysis of sustainable landscape, the ecothinking model, an implemental tool for sustainable landscape, was developed, which applies ecothinking in vision, culture, conservation and development of site, and the process of public participation for a harmonious relationship between human and environment. And a case study of the south entrance of TongNiuling Scenic Area was carried out, in which the most optimum scenario was chosen from among three models according to the ecothinking model, to illustrate the construction of the ecothinking model and how to achieve a sustainable landscape.

Microbial remediation and optimization of oil polluted wetlands at Dalian Bay in China.

OBJECTIVE: The wetland at Dalian Bay in the Northeast of China has been polluted by oil severely. The effect of various microbes and operation parameters on the bioremediation of oil-polluted wetlands at Dalian Bay was investigated and reported previously. In the study, other operation conditions related to the status of medium were investigated via statistical experimental design and analysis and a necessary information is involved to use micro-technology in the application. METHODS: The method used involved the direct inoculation of selected bacteria, which were capable of degrading oil. The operation conditions were further optimized and evaluated by gravimetrical assay. RESULTS: The optimal pH and temperature for the studied bacteria to degrade the existing oil pollutants were established as pH 8.0 and 27 degrees C. The mixed of various bacteria showed better results in terms of oil degradation than any single one. Among the selected four factors, disturbance, oxidant, nutrients, and biosurfactant, the former two contributed more impacts on the oil degradation in the early stage of process, while the latter two became the limiting factors in the late stage. Three sets of optimal conditions were obtained for each individual stage, but no one was suitable for the overall process. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated the technical feasibility of using direct inoculation into the contaminated soil samples to remove oil pollutants. It suggested that the operation conditions should be monitored and adjusted during the different stages of bio-reactions in the process to achieve the best result of oil degradation.

[Research of microbio-remediation of oil-contaminated wetland in Liaodong Bay].

To investigate the effect of microbes on oil degradation, we use the method of introducing selected bacteria to the soil samples. Experiment shows that the combined bacteria are preferable to the single ones because of their synergetic functions. The optimum condition for oil degradation was controlled at pH 8.0, 25 degrees C. Some surfactants are helpful to breed bacteria, thus improves the oil degradation. After adding TW-80 (300 mg x kg(-1)) for 8 days, the number of bacteria was amplified 6.22 times and the oil degradation rate was enlarged 20.1%. Adequate amount of H2O2 is beneficial for microbes to decompose oil, but its overdose may slay bacteria. 400 mg x L(-1) H2O2 each time is suitable dose. In 11 days after 7 000 mg x L(-1) H2O2 was added entirely, the oil degradation rate rose greatly from 39.81% (without H2O2) up to 66.79%.