While microbial‐based therapy has been considered as an effective strategy for treating diseases such as colon cancer, its safety remains the biggest challenge. Here, probiotics and prebiotics, which possess ideal biocompatibility and are extensively used as additives in food and pharmaceutical products, are combined to construct a safe microbiota‐modulating material. Through the host–guest chemistry between commercial Clostridium butyricum and chemically modified prebiotic dextran, prebiotics‐encapsulated probiotic spores (spores‐dex) are prepared. It is found that spores‐dex can specifically enrich in colon cancers after oral administration. In the lesion, dextran is fermented by C. butyricum, and thereby produces anti‐cancer short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Additionally, spores‐dex regulate the gut microbiota, augment the abundance of SCFA‐producing bacteria (e.g., Eubacterium and Roseburia), and markedly increase the overall richness of microbiota. In subcutaneous and orthotopic tumor models, drug‐loaded spores‐dex inhibit tumor growth up to 89% and 65%, respectively. Importantly, no obvious adverse effect is found. The work sheds light on the possibility of using a highly safe strategy to regulate gut microbiota, and provides a promising avenue for treating various gastrointestinal diseases.

A novel ionic crosslinking sodium alginate (SA)/carboxymethylated bacterial cellulose (CM‐BC) composite with a semi‐interpenetrating polymer network (semi‐IPN) structure was developed in this study. The composite was prepared through the blending of an SA gel with CM‐BC then crosslinking by Ca2+ followed by a freeze‐drying process. Scanning electron microscopy showed the composite matrix organized in a three‐dimensional network of CM‐BC interpenetrated against SA molecular chains with a quantity of calcium alginate microspheres upon the surface. The swelling ratios of the composite were enhanced by 183, 198, and 212% with the supplementation of CM‐BC weight fractions of 25, 50, and 75%, respectively; the swelling ratios changed with changing pH. The tensile modulus, tensile strength, and elongation at break of SA were enhanced by 165, 152, and 188%, respectively, with the addition of 50 wt % CM‐BC. This study demonstrated that the semi‐IPN structure dramatically changed the swelling and mechanical properties of the composite, and the semi‐IPN will be a promising candidate for biomedical applications such as wound dressings and skin tissue engineering. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 39848.

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Parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have special needs about health information related to children. This research aims to understand how parents of children with ASD in China seek information in information grounds. We conducted field observations at a treatment and rehabilitation center, and interviewed 16 Chinese parents of children with ASD whose children participated in the therapy classes at this center. Results derived from qualitative coding and analysis suggest that: (1) parents' information needs evolve around improving their children's living skills, social connections are important information sources for them. (2) Parents' information grounds are closely related to their everyday life of looking after the children, such as classes and activities. Main topics of information sharing and exchange at such places include experiences of raising children with special needs, children's health status, and other child‐bearing topics. (3) Factors influencing parents' information behavior in the information grounds include homogeneity, familiarity, focal activity, reward expectation, and so on. (4) Parents benefit from such information grounds to gain useful information, emotional support, and social connections. These findings provide insights on better understanding the unique needs of parents with ASD children.