As the IV generation of packaging, biopolymers, with the advantages of biodegradability, process ability, combination possibilities and no pollution to food, have become the leading food packaging materials. Biopolymers can be directly extracted from biomass, synthesized from bioderived monomers and produced directly by microorganisms which are all abundant and renewable. The raw materials used to produce biopolymers are low-cost, some even coming from agrion dustrial waste. This review summarized the advances in protein-based films and coatings for food packaging. The materials studied to develop protein-based packaging films and coatings can be divided into two classes: plant proteins and animal proteins. Parts of proteins are referred in this review, including plant proteins i.e., gluten, soy proteins and zein, and animal proteins i.e., casein, whey and gelatin. Films and coatings based on these proteins have excellent gas barrier properties and satisfactory mechanical properties. However, the hydrophilicity of proteins makes the protein-based films present poor water barrier characteristics. The application of plasticizers and the corresponding post-treatments can make the properties of the protein-based films and coatings improved. The addition of active compounds into protein-based films can effectively inhibit or delay the growth of microorganisms and the oxidation of lipids. The review also summarized the research about the storage requirements of various foods that can provide corresponding guidance for the preparation of food packaging materials. Numerous application examples of protein-based films and coatings in food packaging also confirm their important role in food packaging materials.

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Aims Given the concerns of health inequality associated with mental illnesses, we aimed to reveal the extent of which general mortality and life expectancy at birth in people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depressive disorder varied in the 2005 and 2010 nationally representative cohorts in Taiwan. Methods Two nationally representative samples of individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depressive disorder were identified from Taiwan's national health insurance database in 2005 and 2010, respectively, and followed-up for consecutive 3 years. The database was linked to nationwide mortality registry to identify causes and date of death. Age-, gender- and cause-specific mortality rates were generated, with the average follow-up period of each age- and gender-band applied as ‘weighting’ for the calculation of expected number of deaths. Age- and gender-standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated for these 3-year observation periods with Taiwanese general population in 2011/2012 as the standard population. The SMR calculations were then stratified by natural/unnatural causes and major groups of death. Corresponding life expectancies at birth were also calculated by gender, diagnosis of mental disorders and year of cohorts for further elucidation. Results The general differential in mortality rates for people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder remained wide, revealing an SMR of 3.65 (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.55–3.76) for cohort 2005 and 3.27 (3.18-3.36) for cohort 2010 in schizophrenia, and 2.65 (95% CI: 2.55–2.76) for cohort 2005 and 2.39 (2.31-2.48) for cohort 2010 in bipolar disorder, respectively. The SMRs in people with depression were 1.83 (95% CI: 1.81–1.86) for cohort 2005 and 1.59 (1.57-1.61) for cohort 2010. SMRs due to unnatural causes tended to decrease in people with major mental illnesses over the years, but those due to natural causes remained relatively stable. The life expectancies at birth for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression were all significantly lower than the national norms, specifically showing 14.97–15.50 years of life lost for men and 15.15–15.48 years for women in people with schizophrenia. Conclusions Compared to general population, the differential in mortality rates for people with major mental illnesses persisted substantial. The differential in mortality for unnatural causes of death seemed decreasing over the years, but that due to natural causes remained relatively steady. Regardless of gender, people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression were shown to have shortened life expectancies compared to general population.

A central contribution of the ICF/ICF-CY is the universal language of codes for the components of body structure, body function, activities and participation and Environmental Factors. As such the codes provide taxonomical legitimacy and power for documenting dimensions of functioning and disability in clinical and rehabilitation contexts. As there are no codes of "personal factors", there is no basis for documentation of the component. Demographic information, if needed for identification, should be recorded in customary formats, independent of any component or codes of the ICF/ICF-CY.

The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of the renal nerves in adaptation to chronic reductions in sodium intake. Conscious dogs with unilateral (n = 7) or bilateral (n = 4) renal denervation were studied. In dogs studied before and after bilateral denervation, there were no differences in urine volume (UO), Na excretion (UNaV), or fractional reabsorption of Li (FR Li, an index of proximal tubular Na reabsorption) between innervated and denervated kidneys on either normal (80 meq/day) or low Na intake (5 meq/day, 15 days). Plasma renin activity (PRA) was attenuated following denervation on both normal (0.39 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.18 +/- 0.01 ng angiotensin I X ml-1 X h-1) and low Na intake (1.00 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.59 +/- 0.01). In unilaterally denervated dogs the left kidney was denervated and the bladder was split, allowing continuous urine collection from separate innervated and denervated kidneys in the same dog. There was no difference in UO between innervated and denervated kidneys on normal (80 meq/day) or low (7 meq/day, 9 days) Na intake. UNaV averaged 33.6 +/- 1.3 and 37.6 +/- 2.1 meq/day in innervated and denervated kidneys, respectively, on normal Na intake and 3.5 +/- 0.5 and 4.0 +/- 0.4 meq/day in innervated and denervated kidneys on low Na intake. FR Li was not different in denervated compared with innervated kidneys during normal or low sodium intake. Norepinephrine content was reduced by 99 +/- 1% in denervated kidneys.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)