The course and predictors of depressive symptoms were analyzed using the generalized estimating equation model. Results Caregivers’ depressive symptoms increased as the patient’s death approached. Spousal or adult child family caregivers suffered

more depressive symptoms if they self-identified as lacking social support and confidence in offering substantial assistance for younger ABT-263 in vitro terminally ill cancer patients with higher levels of symptom distress. Caregivers were susceptible to higher levels of depressive symptoms if they were heavily burdened by caregiving, that is, experienced more disruptions in schedules, greater health deterioration, stronger sense of family abandonment, and lower caregiver esteem. Conclusions Psychological well-being of caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients deteriorated in response to progression of the patient’s disease and impending death. Effective interventions should be developed and provided to high-risk caregivers as identified

in our study. Increasing caregivers’ strength of perceived social support, facilitating their confidence in caregiving, and alleviating their subjective burden may lessen the development of depressive symptoms in caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients throughout the dying process. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.”
“Gelation is one of the most important properties of plant proteins. In this paper, a low denaturation salt extraction method was used to extract pea (Pisum sativum L.) protein isolate from commercial pea flour. The gelation properties of this isolate were selleck chemical examined and compared LY294002 nmr to commercial products. The pea protein isolate followed the three-step process of gelation that is generally accepted for heat-induced gelation of globular proteins. The minimum gelation concentration of salt-extracted pea protein isolate (PPIs) was 5.5% while that of commercial pea

protein isolate (PPIc) was 14.5%. The gelling point was in the range of 82-86 degrees C for 14.5% PPIs, 0.3 M NaCl at natural pH (5.65). With increasing heating rate, the gelling point tended to increase. Higher heating and cooling rates resulted in decreased final G’ (storage modulus) and G ” (loss modulus) values, indicative of decreased gel strength. A higher protein concentration resulted in higher G’ and G ” values and it Was found that there was a power law relationship between protein concentration and G’ and G ”. Tan delta (delta) values decreased with increasing protein concentration and at concentrations of 5.5% and above, tan delta remained constant which means the critical concentration for gel formation was 5.5%. The values Of G’ and G ” for Pills were greater than those of PPIc, and tan delta of PPIs was smaller, indicative of a stronger gel network. DSC data showed that PPIc had undergone denaturation whereas PPIs had not (Delta H = 15.81 J/g protein).