Neural correlates of central pain sensitization in chronic low back pain: a resting-state fMRI study.

Purpose: The objective of this study is to explore the neural correlates of pain sensitization in patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP). While the association between cLBP and pain sensitization has been widely reported, the underlying brain mechanism responsible for this relationship requires further investigation.

Methods: Our study included 56 cLBP patients and 56 healthy controls (HC).

B Vitamins Supplementation Can Improve Cognitive Functions and May Relate to the Enhancement of Transketolase Activity in A Rat Model of Cognitive Impairment Associated with High-fat Diets.

Objective: To determine whether B vitamin treatment was sufficient to reduce cognitive impairment associated with high-fat diets in rats and to modulate transketolase (TK) expression and activity.

Methods: To test this, we separated 50 rats into five groups that were either fed a standard chow diet (controls) or a high-fat diet (experimental groups H0, H1, H2, and H3). H0 group animals received no additional dietary supplementation, while H1 group animals were administered 100 mg/kg body weight (BW) thiamine, 100 mg/kg BW riboflavin, and 250 mg/kg BW niacin each day, and group H2 animals received daily doses of 100 mg/kg BW pyridoxine, 100 mg/kg BW cobalamin, and 5 mg/kg BW folate.

Quantifying the Effect of Supplementation with Algae and Its Extracts on Glycolipid Metabolism: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Aims: The effect of algae and its extract supplementation on glycolipid metabolism has not been finalized. Therefore, the purpose of the meta-analyses was to assess the effects of its supplementation on glycolipid metabolism concentration.

Methods: We have systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library and Embase to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the impact of algae and its extracts supplementation on glycolipid metabolism.

PSMD4 regulates the malignancy of esophageal cancer cells by suppressing endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Proteasome 26S subunit non-ATPase 4 (PSMD4) is an important proteasome ubiquitin receptor and plays a key role in endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). However, the study of PSMD4 in esophageal cancer (EC) is relatively rare. Here, we found that the expression of PSMD4 was markedly enhanced in EC tissues and cell lines.

B Vitamins Can Reduce Body Weight Gain by Increasing Metabolism-related Enzyme Activities in Rats Fed on a High-Fat Diet.

B vitamins are enzyme cofactors that play an important role in energy metabolism. The aim of this study was to elucidate whether B vitamin administration can reduce body weight (BW) gain by improving energy metabolism-related enzyme activities in rats fed on a highfat diet. Fifty rats were randomly assigned to one of the following five groups: control group (C), including rats fed on standard rat chow; four treatment groups (HO, HI, H2, and H3), in which rats were fed on a high-fat diet.

Circulating long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid and incidence of stroke: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

Background: Circulating long-chain (LC) n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) can provide objective measures that reflect both dietary consumption and relevant biological processes. Nevertheless, prospective cohort studies on circulating LC n-3 PUFA in relation to incidence of stroke have yielded inconsistent results. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis to quantitatively evaluate the association.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 22 (PTPN22) gene single nucleotide polymorphisms and its interaction with T2DM on pulmonary tuberculosis in Chinese Uygur population.

Aims: To investigate the association of several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within Protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 22 () gene and additional gene- gene and gene- type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) interaction with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) risk in Chinese Uygur population.

Methods: A total of 722 participants (186 males, 536 females) were selected, including 360 PTB patients and 362 control participants. Generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) was used to screen the best interaction combination among SNPs and T2DM.

Vitamin D deficiency and the risk of tuberculosis: a meta-analysis.

Background And Aim: To conduct meta-analyses of all published studies on various aspects of association between vitamin D and tuberculosis (TB).

Methods: PubMed and Web of Knowledge were searched for all properly controlled studies on vitamin D and TB. Pooled odds ratio, mean difference or standardized mean difference, and its corresponding 95% confidence interval were calculated with the Cochrane Review Manager 5.

Combined chromium and magnesium decreases insulin resistance more effectively than either alone.

Background And Objectives: Peroral supplementation with trivalent-chromium (Cr) or magnesium (Mg) has been shown to improve insulin resistance (IR). The objective of this study was to determine whether combined peroral supplementation with Cr and Mg improves IR more effectively than Cr or Mg alone.

Methods And Study Design: Subjects (n=120, age range 45-59 years old) and diagnosed with IR were randomly divided into four groups and monitored for a period of 3 months: group 1 (the placebo control group), group 2 (160 μg/d Cr), group 3 (200 mg/d Mg), and group 4 (160 μg/d Cr plus 200 mg/d Mg).

The Chinese Mental Resilience Scale and its psychometric properties.

This study aimed to develop a Chinese Mental Resilience Scale. A total of 2500 healthy participants, in two representative samples of the Chinese population, were administered the scale. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and correlation analysis were used to obtain the relevant coefficients and verify the reliability and validity of the scale.

Correlations between drug resistance of Beijing/W lineage clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and sublineages: a 2009-2013 prospective study in Xinjiang province, China.

Background: The prevalence of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) in Xinjiang is higher than in other regions of China, and Beijing/W lineage Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is the dominant strain of MTB in Xinjiang. However, information on multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB, particularly the correlation between MDR and the Beijing/W lineage and the correlation between drug resistance and the Beijing/W sublineage strains, is limited.

Material/methods: We conducted a prospective study to describe the prevalence of MDR/XDR TB, Beijing/W lineage and sublineage strains in Xinjiang in China from 2009 to 2013.

Lack of effects of dietary folate intake on risk of breast cancer: an updated meta-analysis of prospective studies.

Background: Epidemiological findings are controversial relating to the relationship between dietary folate intake and the risk of breast cancer. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies to clarify this association.

Materials And Methods: PUPMED, EMBASE, and MEDLINE databases were searched for all relevant literature published in English from January 1, 1966 to August 2013.

Enhancement of vitamin A combined vitamin D supplementation on immune response to Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine revaccinated in Chinese infants.

Objective: To investigate whether there is an association between diameter of bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) scars and effect of purified protein derivative (PPD) reaction and to determine whether vitamin A (VA) combined vitamin D (VD) supplementation influences the immune response to BCG revaccinated in Chinese infants.

Methods: A cross-section and 3-month community-randomised trial was conducted. A total of 5 629 infants at 3, 6 and 12 months of age in Junan County of China were examined for BCG scar formation.

Protective effect of Aplysin on hepatic injury in ethanol-treated rats.

This study evaluated the protective effects of Aplysin against ethanol-induced hepatic injury in rats and analyzed the associated mechanisms. Rats were administered orally with ethanol 8-12 ml/kg bw excluding the rats in the control group at 1h after rats were administered by gavage doses of Aplysin (50, 100, and 150 mg/kg bw) every day. After 6 weeks, rats were sacrificed, and liver injury was evaluated by biochemical and pathological examination.

[Prevalence of thyroid nodules and influencing factors among employees of a company in Qingdao].

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of thyroid nodules and influencing factors among employees of a company in Qingdao.

Methods: Through questionnaires, physical examination, thyroid ultrasonography and urinary iodine test, personal health information and examinations of thyroid nodules of 9612 serving and retired employees in a company in 2010 who had lived in Qingdao for more than 5 years were collected to investigate the prevalence of thyroid nodules and its influencing factors.

Results: The prevalence of thyroid nodules was 36.

Antioxidant micronutrient supplementation increases erythrocyte membrane fluidity in adults from a rural Chinese community.

The objective of the present study was to investigate age-related differences in erythrocyte membrane fluidity (EMF) and changes in antioxidant capacity following supplementation. A total of seventy-four children were randomly divided into two groups: group A1 was the placebo-controlled group and group A2 was supplemented daily with 600 μg retinol, 1·0 mg β-carotene, 100 mg tocopherol, 300 mg ascorbic acid and 200 μg Se. A total of ninety young people were randomly divided into B1 and B2 groups, and ninety-one elderly subjects were divided into C1 and C2 groups.

Supplementation of iron alone and combined with vitamins improves haematological status, erythrocyte membrane fluidity and oxidative stress in anaemic pregnant women.

Pregnancy is a condition exhibiting increased susceptibility to oxidative stress, and Fe plays a central role in generating harmful oxygen species. The objective of the present study is to investigate the changes in haematological status, oxidative stress and erythrocyte membrane fluidity in anaemic pregnant women after Fe supplementation with and without combined vitamins. The study was a 2 months double-blind, randomised trial.

Supplementation with magnesium and vitamin E were more effective than magnesium alone to decrease plasma lipids and blood viscosity in diabetic rats.

Although magnesium and vitamin E (VE) have differing effects on diabetes, both are beneficial. We hypothesized that preventive supplementation of magnesium combined with VE could improve the metabolism of lipids and blood viscosity more effectively than the use of magnesium or VE alone. Our objective was to detect the effects of preventive supplementation of magnesium combined with VE on lipid peroxidation, lipid metabolic parameters, and blood viscosity in diabetic rats.

Micronutrient status in anemic and non-anemic Chinese women in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Background: Anemia is a major nutrition related problem in China. In addition to iron deficiency this may be due to deficiencies of other micronutrients.

Objective: To describe the micronutrient status of anemic and non-anemic pregnant women in China.

Effect of ethanol extract of alga Laurencia supplementation on DNA oxidation and alkylation damage in mice.

Laurencia terpenoid extract (LET) had been extracted from the red alga Laurencia tristicha. The study is to investigate the effects of LET supplementation on DNA oxidation and alkylation damages in mice. Forty healthy Kunming mice weighing between 18g and 25g were randomly assigned into 4 groups, each consisting of ten animals.

[Status of vitamin A, vitamin B2, iron and an-oxidantive activity in anemic pregnant women in China].

Objective: To investigate the status of vitamin A(VA), vitamin B2 (VB2), iron and anoxidative function in anemic and non-anemic pregnant women.

Methods: 426 anemic and 36 non-anemic pregnant women were included in the study. The survey of 24-hour's diet recall of pregnant women was made to evaluate intake of iron, VB2, folic acid, etc by the nutrition software provided by Beijing 301 hospital, iron and VA were measured by Radioimmunoassay (RIA) and by high-pressure liquid chromatography.

[Study on influence of different dosage of vitamin E on peripheral blood cell activities in rats].

Objective: To investigate the influences of vitamin E (VE) at different dosage on peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) proliferation and anti-DNA oxidative damage activities and erythrocyte membrane fluidity.

Methods: 48 Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups including control group, VE1, VE2, and VE3 groups supplemented with 7.5, 50, 200, 750 IU/kg bw x d VE, respectively.

[Effect of beta-carotene supplementation on DNA oxidative and alkylation damage in rats].

Objective: To investigate the effect of beta-carotene (P-C) supplementation on DNA oxidative and alkylation damage in rats.

Methods: Rats were randomly divided into five groups. The first group was no beta-C, and the second, the third, the forth and the fifth groups were daily supplemented with 0.