Volume 28 Issue 4

▪ Content : Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a 22-carbon omega 3 PUFA highly enriched in the neuronal cell membranes and rod outer segment membranes. When DHA is depleted from these cell membranes it is replaced nearly quantitatively by a 22-carbon omega 6 PUFA, docosapentaenoic acid, which has similar, but less potent, bio-physical and physiological properties to DHA. It is speculated that omega 6-docosapentaenoic acid is a buff-er to prevent the possible catastrophic effects of DHA depletion on brain and visual function. The primary insult from the loss of DHA from cell membrane glycerophospholipids, and replacement by omega 6-docosapentaenoic acid, is on the flexibility/compression of the membrane lipids which affects the optimal function of integral membrane proteins (receptors, voltage-gated io...

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Breast milk proteins are essential to infants as they provide nutrition and pro-tection. This study evaluated multiple factors that might influence breast milk proteins to identify the deter-minants that lead to inter-individual and longitudinal differences. Methods and Study Design: Five major breast milk proteins (β-casein, α-lactalbumin, lactoferrin, serum albumin and κ-casein) from breast milk sam-ples collected from 55 mothers in three cities (Hohhot, Wuhan and Qingdao) in China were analyzed using a validated ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Routine overnight fasting may increase the risk of postoperative complications and delay postoperative recovery. Oral carbohydrate drinks have been shown to reduce glucose utilization and postoperative negative nitrogen balance while preserving muscle mass and strength. This randomized controlled trial aimed to examine whether preoperative oral carbohydrate drinks can enhance postoperative physical recovery in patients undergoing major colorectal surgery. Methods and Study Design: Seventy pa-tients were randomly assigned to receive either a 12.5% oral carbohydrate drink or pure water.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: The optimal timing for initiating supplemental parenteral nutrition in chemo-therapy-induced severe granulocytopenia in patients with lung cancer remains uncertain. Methods and Study Design: A retrospective study was conducted among patients with lung cancer from February 2016 to June 2018. In total, 182 eligible patients were included and divided into 2 groups according to the time of supple-mental parenteral nutrition intervention: early initiation (within 72 hours of development of granulocytopenia) and late initiation (over 72 hours).

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: The results from epidemiological studies are controversial between vegetable and fruit consumption and lung cancer risk in participants with different smoking status. The present meta-analysis aimed to investigate these associations with prospective cohort studies. Meanwhile, the potential dose-response relationship was evaluated. Methods and Study Design: Relevant studies were identified with PubMed and Scopus databases up to June 2019.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Many patients develop a prolonged decrease of muscle strength after total hip arthroplasty (THA) despite their reconstructed hip joint. Physical exercise combined with branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation has been reported to improve muscle strength in elderly persons with sarcopenia. However, the effect of BCAA supplementation in patients after THA is unknown. This study ex-amined the effects of BCAA supplementation combined with exercise therapy on the improvement of physi-cal function in elderly patients after THA.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Copper dyshomeostasis can lead to many diseases, including cardiovascular disease. However, there are conflicting reports on the relationship between serum copper levels and heart failure (HF). To explore the relationship between serum copper levels and HF by performing a meta-analysis. Methods and Study Design: The PubMed and ScienceDirect databases until June 2019 were searched for re-ports on the association between serum copper levels and HF.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: A key measure for classifying bacteria as a probiotic is the ability to survive gastric transport and be recoverable in faeces. The aim of this study was to determine whether Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS) could be recovered in the faeces of healthy young Australian adults following in-gestion of a fermented milk drink. Methods and Study Design: A cohort of 25 healthy individuals (male/female: 14/11; age: 29.3±6.6 years; BMI: 25.3±2.7 kg/m2, mean±SD) ingested one 65 ml bottle of fer-mented milk containing 6.5×109 LcS live cells daily for 14 days.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Iron homeostasis abnormalities are associated with insulin resistance (IR), but studies on such associations in children and adolescents are limited and have contrasting results. The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between indicators of iron status and IR, and assesse if there are sex disparities in these associations. Methods and Study Design: We selected data of 689 children and adolescents (367 boys and 322 girls) aged 6-18 years in the analysis. Serum ferritin, transferrin, and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) levels were determined.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: We aimed to show the long-term results of patients who received percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes and to evaluate the usefulness of this method in advanced dementia pa-tients, which is considered to be of controversial benefit in the literature. Therefore, we compared three groups of patients: advanced dementia patients fed via PEG, stroke patients fed via PEG and advanced de-mentia patients not fed via PEG. Methods and Study Design: In total, 305 files of patients who underwent PEG implantation were screened retrospectively, and 283 were analyzed.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: To systematically assess the safety and effectiveness of probiotics in prevent-ing and treating chemotherapy-induced diarrhea (CID), so as to provide the evidence-based evidence for clin-ical practice. Methods and Study Design: Electronic databases, including EMbase, Cochrane Library, pub-Med, CNKI, VIP, CBM, and Wanfang databases, were retrieved to search for the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CIDs among patients with malignant tumors treated with probiotics as of March 2019. Later, the Rev Man 5.3 statistical software was employed to extract data and assess the quality of the identified litera-ture for meta-analysis.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Excessive salt intake is a major public health problem in several countries, es-pecially in China. However, few people are aware of their salt intake. The purpose of this study is to carry out salt intake test in routine physical examination, and to explore the salt intake of different populations and their correlation with diet. Methods and Study Design: Spot urine sample was collected to test urinary sodi-um and creatinine excretions for each participant recruited from physical examinations at the Third Xiangya Hospital.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Hyperhomocysteinaemia (HHcy) is an independent risk factors for several disorders, including cardiovascular disease. The understanding of the relationship among genetic, epigenetic and the efficacy of folate therapy for HHcy remain unclear. This study aim to investigate whether betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and DNA methylation are related to the efficacy of folate therapy for HHcy and whether BHMT DNA methylation mediates the SNP–folate therapy efficacy association. Methods and Study Design: A total of 638 patients with HHcy were in-volved in this prospective cohort study.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in normal-weight population is be-coming an important health issue. This study aimed to assess the association between serum ferritin (SF) and NAFLD among middle-aged and elderly Chinese with normal weight. Methods and Study Design: A total of 2029 Chinese adults aged 35-70 years with normal weight were involved in this cross-sectional study. Gen-eral information, lifestyle factors and laboratory characteristics were collected.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Hearing loss is a sensory impairment caused by genetic and environmental fac-tors. Previous epidemiological studies of magnesium intake and hearing loss have yielded conflicting results. Methods and Study Design: We investigated the association between serum magnesium concentrations and hearing loss in a population from the Zhejiang region of China. A cross-sectional study of 3,267 participants aged 18 years and older from five hospitals was conducted from October 2016 to May 2018.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Parents may play important roles in the regulation of children’s weight status and consequently the development of childhood hypertension. Thus, this study aimed to examine parental weight status, as a marker of parents’ diet and lifestyle, in relation to risk of hypertension in their children. Methods and Study Design: A total of 1,949 children aged 6 to 12 years (1,012 girls, 52%) and their parents were included. Information on demographics, anthropometrics, lifestyle, diet, and medical history were ob-tained from the participants and their parents through self-administered questionnaires.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Several studies have suggested that abnormal levels of serum cholesterol may be a major risk factor for osteoarthritis. However, no studies have been conducted to prevent osteoarthritis under controlled conditions of serum cholesterol. This study aimed to examine the relationship of sociodem-ographic and anthropometric characteristics, and nutrient and food intakes with osteoarthritis prevalence in Korean elderly subjects with controlled dyslipidaemia. Methods and Study Design: This study included 314 subjects aged ≥65 years who were diagnosed and treated for dyslipidaemia (data from the Seventh Korea Na-tional Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2016).

▪ Content : carcinoma (NPC), but findings from epidemiologic studies have been inconsistent. We aimed to synthesize the association by conducting a meta-analysis of existing evidence. Methods and Study Design: Databases including Medline, EMBASE, Web of science, and the Cochrane Library were searched for eligible studies up to March 2019 using a series comprehensive searching terms.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Attention is currently given to the nutrition potential of underutilized food crops; however, only few studies have focused on this potential for young children. We investigate the nutri-ent composition of selected underutilized food crops in Bangkalan District, Madura Island, Indonesia, to de-termine its potential in meeting the nutritional needs of young children during the complementary feeding pe-riod. Methods and Study Design: We obtained data on the availability of underutilized food crops from a cross-sectional study conducted in 2014 in Bangkalan District, Indonesia, and nutrient composition primarily from the Indonesian Food Composition Database.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the associations of dietary diversity with prevalences of allergic diseases. Methods and Study Design: The participants were 1,317 men and women aged 20 to 63 years who were living in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan during the period 2012–2013. We obtained anthropometric data and information on lifestyle characteristics and current medical histories of allergic diseases using a self-administered questionnaire. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and dietary diversity was determined using the Quantitative Index for Dietary Diversity (QUANTIDD).

▪ Content : Water is essential for life survival and development. Water is involved in metabolic function, modulates normal osmotic pressure, maintains electrolyte balance, and regulates body temperature. Both excessive wa-ter and insufficient water have negative effects on health, and adequate water intake is necessary for optimal hydration. Water requirements among people vary based on factors such as sex, age, physical activity, die-tary factors, environment temperature, and kidney concentration capacity. In recent years, water intake guidelines have been developed in some countries and organizations.

▪ Content : Depression is the most common debilitating psychiatric disease, the pathological mechanisms of which are associated with multiple aspects of neural function. While recent evidence has consistently suggested that a suboptimal vitamin D status is frequently observed in patients with depression, the results concerning whether vitamin D insufficiency is a causal factor of depression or is secondary to depressive behavior are conflicting; additionally, the lack of consistency of the method of vitamin D determination between labs has further worsened this confusion.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Anemia impairs the health and wellbeing of women and increases the risk of maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes. The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of postpartum anemia among urban lactating women; investigate the predictors of anemia and explore the po-tential health effects on lactating performance. Methods and Study Design: Multi-stage sampling methods were used to recruit 495 lactating women from 3 cities of China. Blood and breast milk samples were collect-ed to analyze hemoglobin levels and iron content, respectively.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Green tea is reported to have wide benefits on psychological states and cogni-tive functions. Studies that focus on the underlying neural mechanisms of green tea are limited to its single composition while people usually benefit from green tea water that contains various composition. In this study, we examined the human brain activity changes after drinking natural green tea by using regional ho-mogeneity and functional connectivity based on the resting-state functional MRI technique.

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Previous studies on the importance of metabolic syndrome (MS) as a cardio-vascular risk factor had not focused on older Chinese adults. The present study analyzed the association of MS with carotid atherosclerosis and the risk of cardiovascular events in Chinese adults. Methods and Study Design: Data of a representative cohort study with 5-year follow-up were used. Community-dwelling people (n=1257) aged ≥55 years without cardiovascular disease (CVD) at baseline were followed up from 2009 to 2014.