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A novel amphoteric asphalt emulsifier of octadecylbis(propanamide)-(3’-sodium phosphate-2’-hydroxypropyl)ammonium chloride was synthesised from the raw materials octadecylamine, acrylamide, epichlorohydrin and sodium dihydrogen phosphate. The tertiary amine octadecyl-bis(propanamide) was synthesised from octadecylamine and acrylamide (step 1). Sodium 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl phosphate (intermediate) was obtained from epichlorohydrin and sodium dihydrogen phosphate (step 2). The asphalt emulsifier was obtained from octadecyl-bis(propanamide)-tertiary amine and the intermediate by quaternisation reaction (step 3). The yield of the final product reached 94.90%. The structure was identified by FTIR, 1H-NMR and elemental analysis. The critical micelle concentration of the product is 1.46 × 10–5 mol L–1. The surface tension at CMC is 37.78 mN ν–1. The saturated adsorption amount of asphalt emulsifier is 2.72 × 10–3 mmol ν–2. The occupied area per asphalt emulsifier molecule at CMC is 0.611 nm2 mol–1. The surfactant is a fast-setting asphalt emulsifier.

BackgroundThe role of serum S100A8/A9 in intestinal inflammation has been confirmed, and its role in food allergy is currently being investigated.ObjectiveTo explore the levels of S100A8/A9 and inflammatory factors, including Toll-like receptors 4 (TLR4), Nuclear transcription factors (NF-κB) and Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), in mild food allergies.MethodsEighty 3-week-old male Brown Norway rats were used. Forty rats were randomly assigned to the ovalbumin-sensitized experimental group, while 40 rats were assigned to the normal saline sham-sensitized control group. Body weight and length and the levels of serum ovalbumin-specific IgE (OVA-IgE), histamine, Th1-associated and Th2-associated factors, S100A8/A9 and inflammation-associated cytokines were compared.ResultsThrough the evaluation of OVA-IgE level and Th1/Th2 balance in the experimental group, a successful IgE-mediated food allergy model was constructed. Compared with the control group, the experimental group had higher serum S100A8/A9 levels on days 21, 28, 35 and 42 (allP < 0.05); higher TLR4 levels on days 28, 35 and 42 (allP < 0.05); higher TNF-α levels on days 28, 35 and 42 (allP < 0.05); higher NF-κB levels on days 35 and 42 (allP P < 0.05). Moreover, positive correlations were found between the serum levels of S100A8/A9 and inflammation-associated cytokines [TNF-α:r = 0.378,P = 0.039; IL-1β:r = 0.679,P = 0.000; IL-6:r = 0.590,P = 0.001].ConclusionS100A8/A9 and inflammatory-related factors, including TLR4, NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β, is closely related to food allergies. Moreover, immune and inflammatory factors interact with each other in food allergies, which may provide insight into food allergy causes and treatments.

OBJECTIVES: Existing clinical evidence indicates infant formulas containing bovine milk-derived oligosaccharides (MOS) promote soft stools and gut health among young infants. This prospective single-arm study aimed to assess effectiveness of a new growing-up milk (GUM) containing MOS and milk fat (naturally contains sn-2 palmitate) on digestive and social-emotional outcomes among healthy toddlers. METHODS: Toddlers age 12–36 months were enrolled from an urban area in China to receive the GUM for 28 days. Overall digestive comfort (primary outcome) was assessed by the Gut Comfort Composite Score (GCCS; range 10–60 with increasing scores for higher GI burden) from the 10-item Toddler Gut Comfort Questionnaire (Meng 2019). Other parent-reported culturally relevant outcomes included heatiness based on individual symptoms via Child Heatiness Questionnaire (Sheng 2020; total score range 0–10), and social-emotional outcomes via 3-day mood diary and Children's Playfulness Scale (Li 1995; range 0–69). RESULTS: A total of 98 toddlers were enrolled and completed the study. While overall GI burden was low at baseline (mean ± SD GCCS: 15.7 ± 4.7; range 10–32), GCCS at post-baseline visits was further reduced (14.7 ± 4.7 at D7, p = 0.02; 13.5 ± 4.0 at D14, p 0) was 40% at baseline and reduced to 26% by D28 (p = 0.011). Parents reported that their toddlers’ playful behaviors became more important to them by D28 from baseline (median [IQR]: 62 [13] vs. 58 [11.5], p = 0.002). Over 94% of parents reported their toddlers exhibited happy moods at each post-baseline visit, although not statistically different from baseline. Furthermore, lower gut comfort score was associated with more playful behaviors (p

Additional file 1: S1. The levels of S100A8/A9 in the experimental group. S2. The levels of S100A8/A9 in the control group. S3. The levels of TLR4 in the experimental group. S4. The levels of TLR4 in the control group. S5. The levels of TNF-α in the experimental group. S6. The levels of TNF-α in the control group. S7. The levels of GAPDH in the experimental group. S8. The levels of GAPDH in the control group.

Table S1. Criteria for assessment of colonic damage induced by TNBS. (DOCX 16 kb)

Additional file 1. (Nutrition Monitoring of Young Children, Third Version). (PDF 187 kb)

Background The local diet in high-poverty areas in China is mainly vegetarian, and children may be more vulnerable to vitamin B12 deficiency. Objective The aims of this study were to explore the vitamin B12 status of toddlers living in high-poverty areas of China and to observe the effects of different complementary foods on the vitamin B12 status and cognitive level of these toddlers. Methods The study was nested within a cluster-randomized controlled trial implemented in 60 administrative villages (clusters) of Xichou County in which infants aged 6 months old were randomized to receive 50 g/d of pork (meat group), an equi-caloric fortified cereal supplement (fortified cereal group) or local cereal supplement (local cereal group) for one year. At 18 months, a subsample of the 180 toddlers (60 from each group) was randomly tested for serum vitamin B12 and total homocysteine (tHcy) levels, and their neurodevelopment was evaluated. Results The median serum concentrations of vitamin B12 and tHcy were 360.0 pg/mL and 8.2 μmol/L, respectively, in children aged 18 months. Serum vitamin B12 concentrations less than 300 pg/mL were found in 62 (34.4%) children, and concentrations less than 200 pg/mL were found in 30 (16.7%) children. The median vitamin B12 concentration was significantly different among the three groups (P

Background Children in poor areas show significant growth retardation that does not improve with an adequate supply of energy and nutrients, which may be related to asymptomatic intestinal infection caused by poor sanitation. Our objective was to explore the mechanism of intestinal inflammation inhibiting growth in the setting of asymptomatic colitis. Methods Forty-eight 3-week-old Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: the control group, colitis group (with asymptomatic colitis induced by 2.5% trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid) and pair-fed group (daily food intake matched to the pair in the colitis group). The linear growth was assessed, and the plasma levels of hormone and systemic cytokines were detected and compared by independent two-sample t-test or one-way ANOVA among groups. Results At d5, the increases in the body length of the control, colitis and pair-fed groups were 1.65 ± 0.34 cm, 1.10 ± 0.30 cm and 1.38 ± 0.26 cm, respectively, and the increase in the body length in the colitis group was significantly less than that in the control group (P

Background: With recognition of the important roles of Vitamin D (VitD) in various physiological processes, increasing attention has been drawn to the status of VitD in early life. However, the VitD status of young children and the related factors in rural areas of Southwestern China remain unclear. This study aimed to explore VitD status and its seasonal variation in 18-month-old children living in rural Southwestern China. The association of VitD with biochemical and anthropometric variables was also investigated. Methods: A total of 177 18-month-old children in a rural area of Yunnan Province, Southwestern China, were enrolled. Serum concentrations of 25-hydroxy Vitamin D (25(OH)D) were measured through high-performance liquid chromatogram-tandem mass spectrometry. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were measured with a chemiluminescence assay. Serum concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were also measured. Anthropometric data and the outdoor activity time of each participant were collected. Results: The serum 25(OH)D concentration was 26.61 ± 7.26 ng/ml; concentrations lower than 30 ng/ml accounted for 70.6% of the participants and concentrations lower than 20 ng/ml accounted for 16.4%. The level of serum 25(OH)D was not significantly different among four seasons (P >0.05). A positive relationship was found between 25(OH)D concentration and the time of outdoor activities (r = 0.168, P < 0.05). Serum PTH concentration was negatively correlated with 25(OH)D concentration (r = −0.163, P < 0.05). A positive relationship was found between the serum concentrations of 25(OH)D and calcium (r = 0.154, P < 0.05). No significant association was observed between 25(OH)D and ALP, phosphorus, or anthropometric variables. Conclusions: The prevalence of VitD insufficiency is high among young children in the rural Southwestern China regardless of the seasons. VitD supplementation is still essential to maintain VitD sufficiency for children living in rural area.

The number of obese children in Shanghai has increased annually. Shanghai growth standards are higher than the World Health Organization's (WHO's) growth standards, which may influence caregiver feeding practices and enhance the risk of overweight in infants.A cluster-randomized controlled trial analysed 15,019 infants (healthy newborns, ≥3 clinical consultations in one year) from 19 community health service centers in two urban areas in Shanghai. Randomization was performed at the community level. A total of 8510 infants in the S-group were assessed with the Shanghai growth standards, and 6509 infants in the W-group were assessed by the WHO growth standards. Follow-up data were collected at 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12 and 18 months. Changes in the weight-for-age z score (WAZ), length-for-age z score (LAZ), and weight-for length z score (WLZ) were assessed using mixed regression models. Sex differences were compared between groups at all follow-up periods.Compared to the S-group, the percent of overweight in boys in the W-group significantly decreased starting at 9 months (4.9% vs 3.3%, P = 0.011 at 9 months, 4.5% vs 2.5%, P 0.001 at 12 months and 3.1% vs 0.8%, P 0.001 at 18 months), and the percent of overweight in girls in the W-group significantly decreased starting at 12 months (3.0% vs 1.8%, P = 0.009 at 12 months and 1.7% vs 0.6%, P = 0.039 at 18 months). A decreased weight in boys (from 4 months to 18 months, P 0.05) and an increased length in girls (from 6 months to 18 months, P 0.05) were the key reasons for the decreased overweight percentage in the W-group.The adoption of the WHO growth standards could result in markedly decreased weight gain in boys and increased length gain in girls beyond the age of 18 months among urban Shanghai infants.ChiCTR1800015371.

// Qingling Zhu 1, * , Feng Li 1, * , Junli Wang 1 , Jingqiu Ma 1 , Xiaoyang Sheng 1 1 Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children’s Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200092, Shanghai, China * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Xiaoyang Sheng, email: shengxiaoyangcn@aliyun.com Keywords: calprotectin, S100A8/A9, food hypersensitivity, IgE, animal experiment Received: December 07, 2016 Accepted: March 27, 2017 Published: April 08, 2017 ABSTRACT Calprotectin, also known as S100A8/A9, has been linked to gut inflammation caused by IgE-mediated food hypersensitivities, but the pathophysiologic abnormalities it causes remain to be determined. We created a mild food hypersensitivity model through oral gavage of ovalbumin in Norway brown rats without using immune adjuvant. Changes in the levels of calprotectin and inflammation-associated cytokines were then observed over time. We found that fecal calprotectin as well as jejunal and liver TLR4, TNF-α, NF-κB, IL-1β, and IL-6 were upregulated in hypersensitive rats. Additionally, the influence of calprotectin on CD4 + T and dendritic cells was observed by co-culturing CD4 + T cells with dendritic cells, which revealed a shift toward increased Th2 T cells in calprotectin-treated cultures. These results suggest that calprotectin, along with other inflammatory factors, promotes the inflammation seen in mild food allergy.

Background Iron deficiency (ID) is common in toddlers in developing countries. Iron fortified or meat-based complementary foods may be effective to prevent ID. Objective Our objective was to compare iron status at 18 months and growth from 6 to 18 months in rural poor toddlers fed 3 different complementary foods. Methods The study was nested within a larger trial in which 6-month-old infants were randomized to receive 50g/d meat (MG), an equi-caloric fortified cereal supplement (FG) or local cereal supplement (LG) for 1 year. Hb, sTfR, HsCRP, ferritin and AGP were measured in 410 blood samples collected by a random sampling (MG, 137; FG, 140; LG, 133); calprotectin was measured in feces. Body iron = -[log (sTfR ×1000/ferritin)-2.8229] /0.1207. ID = ferritin

Background Inappropriate feeding practices during infancy may lead to overweight. The aims of this study are to investigate the growth of children in the first 18 months of life; to evaluate the feeding practices of caregivers using developed Young Child Feeding Questionnaire; and to investigate caregivers’ feeding attitudes and behaviors associated with infants’ weight status. Methods Six month-old infants and their main caregivers entering the Kongjiang Community Health Center for a routine well-child check were recruited for this study and followed up every 6 months for 12 months. Questionnaire survey was carried out through on-site face-to-face interview at each visit with the main caregivers of children using Young Child Feeding Questionnaire, which included caregivers’ feeding attitudes and behaviors. The weight and length of children were measured at each visit. Results Among 197 children who completed the investigation at 18 months of age, 64 (32.49 %) children were overweight (BMI-for-age z scores > +1). The increases in weight-for-age z scores and BMI-for-age z scores from birth to 6 months, 12 to 18 months and birth to 18 months in overweight children were significantly higher than those in normal weight children (P

Objective Fecal calprotectin (FC) is an established biomarker of gut inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate FC concentrations in healthy children between 1 and 18 months of age. Methods Healthy children aged 1-18 months were enrolled in this study at the Department of Children's Health Care in Shanghai, China. Children’s stool samples were collected and analyzed, and FC concentration was determined using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The children's weights and lengths were measured. Parents were asked to complete a brief questionnaire regarding several clinical and sociodemographic factors. Results The FC concentrations were unevenly distributed; the median FC concentration was 174.3 μg/g (range: 6.0-1097.7 μg/g) or 2.241 log10 μg/g (range: 0.775-3.041 log10 μg/g) for all 288 children. The children were divided into several age groups: 1-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, 9-12 months and 12-18 months. The median FC concentrations for these age groups were 375.2 μg/g (2.574 log10 μg/g), 217.9 μg/g (2.338 log10 μg/g), 127.7 μg/g (2.106 log10 μg/g), 96.1 μg/g (1.983 log10 μg/g) and 104.2 μg/g (2.016 log10 μg/g), respectively. A significant correlation between age and FC concentration was found (r=-0.490, p4 years.

Background Controversial results have been reported on the effect of type of feeding on the level of fecal calprotectin in infants. Objective To assess fecal calprotectin levels in breast fed or nonbreast fed healthy infants. Design A study was conducted to compare fecal calprotectin in infants who were exclusively breastfed compared to those who were not breastfed in Shanghai, China. Stool samples were collected and analyzed, and the fecal calprotectin concentration was determined using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The infant's weight and length were measured. Parents were asked to fill in a brief questionnaire, with questions about several clinical and sociodemographic factors. Subjects This study included 105 healthy infants aged 0–5 months. Results Stool samples were obtained from 105 healthy infants (63 boys, 42 girls) with a median age of 2.86 months (range 1–5.88). The median fecal calprotectin concentration was significantly higher in breast fed infants (377 μg/g, range 35–937 μg/g) than that in nonbreast fed ones (233 μg/g, range 37–895 μg/g) (p = 0.001). A correlation was found that from 0 to 5 months, fecal calprotectin was negatively and significantly associated with age in both two kinds of feeding (breast fed: Spearman's rho − 0.346, p = 0.010; nonbreast fed: Spearman's rho − 0.478, p Conclusions Our findings show that the kind of feeding influences the fecal calprotectin concentration and breast fed infants have higher levels than nonbreast fed ones in the first months of life. This may represent that human milk influences the gut mucosa by immunomodulating factors.

This study aimed to explore the relationship between infant feeding practices and growth outcomes in the first 12 months of life.Investigators completed 262 questionnaires, which included infant feeding patterns, feeding environment, feeding beliefs/attitudes and caregivers' feeding behaviors through on-site face-to-face interviews with the main caregivers of infants at 12 months of age. The infant's weight and length at ages 6 and 12 months were measured.The study was conducted in urban Shanghai, China.This study included 262 healthy normal birth weight full-term singleton 6-month-old infants and their main caregivers.Among 262 infants, 86 (32.82%) infants were overweight [BMI-for-age z scores (BAZ)+1] at 12 months. Compared with normal weight infants, the overweight infants had higher birth weights (P=0.009). Furthermore, the overweight infants gained significantly more weight (P0.001) in the first year of life. In normal weight infants, caregivers worried more about infants being "underweight" and "eating less" (P0.001) whereas caregivers with overweight infants worried more about infants being "overweight" (P0.001). Consequently, the total score of caregivers' over-feeding behaviors was significantly higher in normal weight infants (P=0.029). However, in overweight infants, the scores of "fed quickly within 10 min" (r=0.223, P=0.039) and "feeding was the best way to stop the infant's fussiness" (r=0.285, P=0.008) were positively correlated with BAZ.Overweight in early life is associated with carelessness about excessive appetite and some particular infant feeding behaviors of caregivers in Shanghai.

Background Recently, an infant and child feeding index (ICFI) constructed on brief recalls of breastfeeding, feeding frequency and food diversification was assumed to provide long-term prediction about child feeding practices. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the cross-sectional ICFI (CS-ICFI) or longitudinal ICFI (L-ICFI) and child anthropometric indices in downtown Shanghai, China. Methods The prospective cohort study included 180 infants aged 5-7 mo with their main caregivers who were visited 3 times every 6 months over 12 months. A CS-ICFI was constructed for each visit by using data on feeding practices based on 24-h and 7-d recalls. An L-ICFI was constructed with use of the 3 CS-ICFIs. The associations between ICFI and length-for-age z score (LAZ), weight-for-age z score (WAZ), and weight-for-length z score (WLZ) were examined. The stability of the CS-ICFI was assessed by using repeatability coefficient (RC). Results The L-ICFI was positively associated with LAZ and WAZ at Visit 3(beta = 0.151, P = 0.040 and beta = 0.173, P = 0.024, respectively). Moreover, the CS-ICFI at Visit 1 was positively associated with LAZ, WAZ and WLZ (beta = 0.160, P = 0.029; beta = 0.191, P = 0.009; beta = 0.176, P = 0.020) at Visit 3, and the CS-ICFI at Visit 3 was also positively associated with LAZ (beta = 0.176, P = 0.016). Stability of the CS-ICFI was shown by the value of 0.14 (95% CI: 0.07, 0.31) of the RC, which differed significantly from 0 (P < 0.05). Conclusions The ICFI constructed on brief recalls based on cross-sectional studies can be used to evaluate the effects of child feeding practice on child growth.