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To describe the nursing experiences and care needs of family caregivers caring for neonates with enterostomies in China.A qualitative study.We conducted semi-structured interviews with family caregivers who care for neonates undergoing enterostomy. Family caregivers were selected using a purposive sampling method from three children's hospitals until no new data were generated (N = 26). Data analysis applied the thematic analysis method. The caregivers' experiences were described using qualitative content analysis.The experience of family caregivers was described as growing in adaptation, where five main themes emerged: (1) complex emotional responses; (2) uncertainty about everything; (3) lack of confidence, anxiety and helplessness; (4) eagerness for professional support; (5) active adaptation, gain-harvest and gain-growth. These findings increased understanding and added knowledge on this topic that is rarely studied in China. Healthcare authorities and professionals should recognize and understand the lives and situations of family caregivers (whose neonates undergo enterostomy) to better identify their difficulties and needs.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to identify the family members carried the same microdeletion and to discover the symptoms of a familial 16p11.2 microdeletion were greatly different. Case Report: The son, a 6-years-old boy, displayed scoliosis, mental retardation, and language retardation. The mother displayed mild mental retardation, but no scoliosis or language retardation or genital tract malformation. Pedigree research revealed that the mother, her son, and her fetus carried the same 16p11.2 microdeletion through CNV-sequencing, Whole Exon Sequencing, and PCR, but the father was normal. And her fetal displayed no scoliosis by ultrasound. After birth, the baby displayed genital tract malformation, but no scoliosis or mental retardation.Conclusions: This finding uncovered that the symptoms of 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome are greatly different, even in the same segment microdeletion.

Background: More than 100,000 neonates undergo enterostomy every year in China, and the incidence continues to increase gradually. Most neonates undergoing enterostomy are cared for by family after hospital discharge. However, there is a lack of qualitative studies on family caregivers’ experiences in caring for neonates undergoing enterostomy in China.Method: An explorative design was used in which qualitative semi-structured interviews with family caregivers were conducted. Family caregivers were selected using a purposive sampling method from a children’s hospital until no new data were generated (n = 26). Reporting adhered to the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research checklist.Results: The experience of family caregivers was described as growing in adaptation, where five main themes emerged: (1) complex emotional responses; (2) uncertainty about everything; (3) lack of confidence, anxiety, and helplessness; (4) eagerness for professional support; (5) active adaptation, harvest, and growth.Conclusion: These findings increased understanding and added knowledge on this topic that is rarely studied in China. Healthcare authorities and professionals should recognise and understand the lives and situations of family caregivers (whose neonates undergo enterostomy) to better identify their difficulties and needs. Appropriate and effective support, both from government and society, should be planned and implemented for family caregivers caring for neonates undergoing enterostomy and maintaining the quality of their own lives.

With the excellent ability to transform near-infrared light to localized visible or UV light, thereby achieving deep tissue penetration, lanthanide ion-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP) have emerged as one of the most striking nanoscale materials for more effective and safer cancer treatment. Up to now, UCNPs combined with photosensitive components have been widely used in the delivery of chemotherapy drugs, photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy. Applications in these directions are reviewed in this article. We also highlight microenvironmental tumor monitoring and precise targeted therapies. Then we briefly summarize some new trends and the existing challenges for UCNPs. We hope this review can provide new ideas for future cancer treatment based on UCNPs.

A new species, Gastrochilus deltoglossus, is described and illustrated from Taiwan. This species is characterized by the presence of pendulous stems, leaves without awned apex, 3.5–4.0 mm tall subconical hypochile, and broadly deltoid, ciliate, adaxially sparsely short-hairy epichile that are approximately as wide as hypochile. Notes on its distribution, ecology, conservation status and taxonomic affinities are presented.

Objective: The aim of this study was to establish a rapid and accurate method for the detection of the Streptococcus agalactiae antibody (SA-Ab) to determine the presence of the bovine mastitis (BM)-causative pathogen. Methods: The multi-subunit fusion protein rSip-Pgk-FbsA was prokaryotically expressed and purified. The triple activities of the membrane surface-associated proteins Sip, phosphoglycerate kinase (Pgk), and fibronectin (FbsA) were used as the diagnostic antigens to establish an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method for the detection of SA-Ab in BM. Results: The optimal antigen coating concentration was 2 μg/mL, the optimal serum dilution was 1:160, and the optimal dilution of the enzyme-labeled secondary antibody was 1:6000. The sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability tests showed that the method established in this study had no cross-reaction with antibodies to Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis in the sera. The results of the sensitivity test showed that a positive result could be obtained even if the serum dilution reached 1:12,800, indicating the high sensitivity and good repeatability of the method. The positive coincidence rate of this method was 98.6%, which is higher than that of previous tests established with the Sip or Pgk mono-antigen fusion protein, respectively, demonstrating the relatively higher sensitivity of this newly established method. The detection rate for 389 clinical samples was 46.53%. Conclusions: The indirect ELISA method established in this study could provide a more accurate and reliable serological method for the rapid detection of S. agalactiae in cases of BM.

Abelmoschus manihot var. pungens (Roxburgh) Hochreutiner is naturalized in abandoned land of central Taiwan. The distinguished characteristics of A. manihot var. pungens include the ovate-lanceolate epicalyx lobes, distinct prickly hairs all over the plant, and even over the margins of its epicalyx lobes. Descriptions, line drawings and photos of this species are provided.

Gastrodia theana Aver. was first publicized in Vietnam (2005). Recently, the species was found in humus of broad-leaved forest at elevations about 1,000 m in the central Taiwan. A line-drawing, photographs and distribution map of this newly recorded species are provided to aid in identification. The distinguished characters of G. theana are the perianth tube is distinctly striate outside and the column short, hardly visible.

Aim To describe the clinical characteristics with genetic lesions in a Chinese family with Crouzon syndrome. Methods All five patients from this family were included and received comprehensive ophthalmic and systemic examinations. Direct sequencing of the FGFR2 gene was employed for mutation identification. Crystal structure analysis was applied to analyze the structural changes associated with the substitution. Results All patients presented typical Crouzon features, including short stature, craniosynostosis, mandibular prognathism, shallow orbits with proptosis, and exotropia. Intrafamilial phenotypic diversities were observed. Atrophic optic nerves were exclusively detected in the proband and her son. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) implied a cystic lesion in her sellar and third ventricular regions. A missense mutation, FGFR2 p.Cys342Trp, was found as disease causative. This substitution would generate conformational changes in the extracellular Ig-III domain of the FGFR-2 protein, thus altering its physical and biological properties. Conclusion We describe the clinical presentations and genotypic lesions in a Chinese family with Crouzon syndrome. The intrafamilial phenotypic varieties in this family suggest that other genetic modifiers may also play a role in the pathogenesis of Crouzon syndrome.

Phytolacca icosandra L. (Phytolaccaceae), native to the South America has been found recently in central Taiwan. This newly naturalized species is distinguished by its erect spike-like racemes and 12–20 stamens. This paper describes the morphology of the species and provides line drawing and photographs for identification.

Management is an effective tool for increasing the productivity of Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica). This species has been widely planted in China, especially in sandy lands. However, optimization of management practices had not been fully explored. We established a system dynamic model to evaluate the effects of thinning and of manipulation of water supply on the productivity and population density of a Mongolian pine forest (17 scenarios in total). Different levels of thinning increased the mean biomass of Mongolian pine over no-management to a range from 202 to 256 t·ha-1. Increasing water supply decreased the mean biomass of Mongolian pine to a range from 176 to 199 t·ha-1. These results indicated that thinning at different levels may lead to an increase in biomass accumulation, while manipulating water supply may decrease biomass. Further, thinning appeared more effective than increasing water supply in efforts at maintaining high productivity of Mongolian pine forests. Moreover, the highest biomass occurred in a scenario with a thinning intensity of 30% in over-mature trees, indicating that this thinning intensity was the most effective choice for to the maintenance of the highest biomass in Mongolian pine forests. This study informs about the interactions between Mongolian pine and forest management, and provides guidelines for the practice of management of this forest type.

AIM: To establish the more feasible and sensitive assessment approach to the detection of adefovir (ADV) resistance-associated hepatitis B virus (HBV) quasispecies. METHODS: Based on the characteristics of rtA181V/T and rtN236T mutations, a new approach based on real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was established for the detection of ADV-resistant HBV quasispecies, total HBV DNA, rtA181 and rtN236 mutations in blood samples from 32 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with unsatisfactory curative effect on ADV and compared with routine HBV DNA sequencing. RESULTS: Both the sensitivity and specificity of this new detection approach to ADV-resistant HBV quasispecies were 100%, which were much higher than those of direct HBV DNA sequencing. The approach was able to detect 0.1% of mutated strains in a total plasmid population. Among the 32 clinical patients, single rtA181 and rtN236T mutation and double rtA181T and rtN236T mutations were detected in 20 and 8, respectively, while ADV-resistant mutations in 6 (including, rtA181V/T mutation alone in 5 patients) and no associated mutations in 26. CONCLUSION: This new approach is more feasible and efficient to detect ADV-resistant mutants of HBV and ADV-resistant mutations before and during ADV treatment with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 100%.

To investigate the feasibility of transplanted endothelial progenitor cells transfected with VEGF165 gene to ischemic flap with increased neovascularization and augmented the survival areas.EPCs were isolated from human cord blood and cultured in vitro. Plasmid PcDNA3.1(-)/VEGF165 containing VEGF gene was transfected into the EPCs. EPCs transfected with blank plasmid, and EPCs without transfection were used as controls. ELISA was used to detect the expression of VEGF protein in the culture fluids. The EPCs were dyed with CM-DiI 7 days later. Ischemic skin flaps were made on the backs of 27 nude mice. The mice were randomly divided into 3 equal groups with their skin flaps being transplanted with EPCs transfected with 3.1(-)/VEGF165 plasmid, EPCs not transfected with 3.1(-)/VEGF165 plasmid, and injected with M199 medium at the basal part. Four days after the peduncles of the skin flaps were cut. Seven days after the cutting-off of the peduncles the survival rate of skin flap was observed and the blood perfusion was observed with laser Doppler flowmetry, 10 days after the density of capillary arteries were observed with microcirculation microscope. Three specimens of skin flap were taken 7 and 11 days after the skin flaps were made to undergo histological examination to detect the density of capillary arteries by CD34 immunohistochemistry and to observe the proliferation of EPCs with fluorescence microscopy. Peripheral blood samples were collected 1, 4, 7, 14, and 28 days after the skin flaps were made to undergo ELISA to detect the levels of VEGF proteinThe VEGF levels in the culture supernatants of the groups A, B, and C were 352 ng/L +/- 35 ng/L, 45 ng/L +/- 5 ng/L, and 0 ng/L respectively with significant difference between any 2 groups (all P0.05). The skin flap survival rates of the three groups were 97.2%, 60.3%, and 34.2% respectively with significant difference between any 2 groups (all P0.05) and the survival quality of the group A was the best. The capillary density of the group A was greater than those of the groups B and C. The VEGF levels at any time point of the group A were all significantly higher than those of the group B and C (all P0.05) and there was not a significant difference between the groups B and C. The capillary density levels at different time points decreased progressively in the order of groups A, B, and C with significant difference between any 2 groups (all P0.05). No EPC was shown by fluorescence microscopy in the skin flaps of the group C. The EPC density in skin flap 7 and 11 days after the flaps were made were 136 +/- 10 and 75 +/- 6/mm(2) and 305 +/- 26 and 199 +/- 18/mm(2) respectively with significant differences between the groups A and B. (both P0.05).The EPCs from human cord blood, especially those transfected with VEGF165 gene increases the neovascularization in ischemic skin flaps and augments their survival rate.