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Abstract: BACKGROUND: In this paper, two kinds of commonly used vegetable carbon black (VCB, 3000 mesh; nano) at 50 g kg−1 concentration (based on dried gelatin) were added to 48 g kg−1 of fish gelatin (GEL) solutions and their effects on mechanical, barrier and anti‐photooxidation properties of GEL films were investigated. RESULTS: From the SEM images, it was shown that compared with 3000 mesh VCB (1–2 μm), nano VCB (100–200 nm) made the microstructure of GEL film more compact and more gelatin chains were cross‐linked by nano VCB. The addition of nano VCB significantly increased gelatin film strength with the greatest tensile strength of 52.589 MPa and stiffness with the highest Young's modulus of 968.874 MPa, but led to the reduction of film elongation. Also, the VCB presence significantly improved water vapour and oxygen barrier properties of GEL film. Importantly, nano VCB increased GEL film with better UV barrier property due to its stronger UV absorption nature when compared with micron VCB. This property could help in the preservation of oil samples in the photooxidation accelerated test. CONCLUSION: With improved properties, the nano VCB‐reinforced GEL film may have great potential for application in the edible packaging field, especially for the anti‐photooxidation property. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of the study was to build a model to explain the relationships between social support, uncontrollability appraisal, adaptive coping, and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among cancer patients in China.Methods: The participants who were cancer patients in a cancer hospital in China filled out a survey. The final sample size was 201. Structural equation modeling was used to build a model explaining PTG.Results: Structural equation modeling results indicated that higher levels of social support predicted higher levels of adaptive coping, higher levels of uncontrollability appraisal predicted lower levels of adaptive coping, and higher levels of adaptive coping predicted higher levels of PTG. Moreover, adaptive coping was a mediator between social support and growth, as well as a mediator between uncontrollability and growth. The direct effects of social support and uncontrollability on PTG were insignificant.Conclusions: The model demonstrated the relationships between social support, uncontrollability appraisal, adaptive coping, and PTG. It could be concluded that uncontrollability appraisal was a required but not sufficient condition for PTG. Neither social support nor uncontrollability appraisal had direct influence on PTG. However, social support and uncontrollability might indirectly influence PTG, through adaptive coping. It implies that both internal factors (eg, cognitive appraisal and coping) and external factors (eg, social support) are required in order for growth to happen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study is to examine the relationships between perceived initial cancer disclosure communication with doctors, levels of hope, and levels of trust in doctors among cancer patients in China.Methods: A total number of 192 cancer inpatients in a cancer hospital in China were surveyed. Perceived disclosure strategies, levels of hope, levels of trust in their doctors, as well as the demographic information were obtained from the participants.Results: In addition to age, patients who had higher levels of perceived emotional support from doctors, or higher levels of perceived personalized disclosure from doctors, or higher levels of perceived discussion of multiple treatment plans with doctors were more likely to have higher levels of trust in doctors. In addition to perceived health status, perceived emotional support from doctors significantly predicted participants' levels of hope. That is, patients who had higher higher levels of perceived doctors' emotional support were more likely to have higher levels of hope. Key disclosure person was a marginally significant variable, that is, patients who were mainly disclosed by family members might have higher levels of hope compared with patients who were mainly disclosed by doctors.Conclusions: When communicating with a cancer patient, doctors might not ignore the importance of emotional support during cancer diagnosis communication. Doctors might want to involve family and collaborate with family to find out ways of personalized disclosure. During the communication process, doctors could provide their patients with multiple treatment options and discuss the benefits and side effects of each treatment. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]