Mindfulness and Alcohol-Related Problems among Individuals with Fibromyalgia: Chronic Pain and Depressive Symptoms as Mediators

Mindfulness is a cognitive attribute that is associated with better health and well-being. Fibromyalgia is a neurosensory disorder primarily characterized by chronic pain and comorbid depression, leading to an increased risk for alcohol-related problems. Empirical literature confirms mindfulness has beneficial associations with chronic pain, depression, alcohol-related problems, and fibromyalgia. Mindfulness may lead to better health and well-being by facilitating self-monitoring, objective reperceiving, and purposeful changing of health-related behaviors. It was hypothesized that higher levels of mindfulness would be related to lower levels of chronic pain and depressive symptoms, and, in turn, to fewer alcohol-related problems among individuals with fibromyalgia. Cross-sectional data was collected from 287 participants, and statistically analyzed using parallel mediation models. Hypotheses were only partially supported; mindfulness had an inverse relationship with alcohol-related problems, as hypothesized, although the relationship was not mediated by chronic pain or depressive symptoms

Physiotherapy after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy surgery: An assessment of costs to the National Health Service, patients and society

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine and inform clinicians, managers, and budget allocators of the costs incurred to the British National Health Service (NHS), patient, and society when attending clinic-based physiotherapy compared with not attending clinic-based physiotherapy after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy surgery. Methods: The valuation principle used in this study was the economic concept of opportunity cost. Costs were referred to as direct medical (NHS), direct nonmedical (patient), and indirect (societal) costs. Due to the difficulties of their measurement and valuation, intangible costs, in the form of pain and anxiety related to the effect of receiving or not receiving treatment, have not been considered in this analysis. Results: Providing clinic-based physiotherapy after knee arthroscopic partial meniscectomy surgery is more costly to the NHS and patient, but no more costly to society than when not providing it and does not result in reduced contact with the NHS. Conclusions: Clinic-based physiotherapy after knee arthroscopic partial meniscectomy surgery is costly and evidence is needed that its effectiveness is high enough to support its use

Staphylococcus aureus resists UVA at low irradiance but succumbs in the presence of TiO2 photocatalytic coatings

The aim of this study was to evaluate the bactericidal effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated upon irradiation of photocatalytic TiO2 surface coatings using low levels of UVA and the consequent killing of Staphylococcus aureus. The role of intracellular enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase in protecting the bacteria was investigated using mutant strains. Differences were observed in the intracellular oxidative stress response and viability of S. aureus upon exposure to UVA; these were found to be dependent on the level of irradiance and not the total UVA dose. The wild type bacteria were able to survive almost indefinitely in the absence of the coatings at low UVA irradiance (LI, 1 mW/cm2), whereas in the presence of TiO2 coatings, no viable bacteria were measurable after 24 h of exposure. At LI, the lethality of the photocatalytic effect due to the TiO2 surface coatings was correlated with high intracellular oxidative stress levels. The wild type strain was found to be more resistant to UVA at HI compared with an identical dose at LI in the presence of the TiO2 coatings. The UVA-irradiated titania operates by a “stealth” mechanism at low UVA irradiance, generating low levels of extracellular lethal ROS against which the bacteria are defenceless because the low light level fails to induce the oxidative stress defence mechanism of the bacteria. These results are encouraging for the deployment of antibacterial titania surface coatings wherever it is desirable to reduce the environmental bacterial burden under typical indoor lighting conditions

Genomic Stability of Composite SCCmec ACME and COMER-Like Genetic Elements in Staphylococcus epidermidis Correlates With Rate of Excision

NA is supported by a fellowship of the King Saud University (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia). The authors thank the work of the management team of the ALICE High Performance Computing Facility at the University of Leicester. JDR is supported by the BBSRC grant BB/P504737/1. Data AvailabiliTy Statement The datasets generated for this study can be found in the GenBank (accession numbers SAMN12840193–SAMN12840250).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Upregulation of nitric oxide synthase in mice with severe hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension

BACKGROUND: The importance of nitric oxide (NO) in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension has been demonstrated using nitric oxide synthase (NOS) knockout mice. In that model NO from endothelial NOS (eNOS) plays a central role in modulating pulmonary vascular tone and attenuating hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. However, the normal regulation of NOS expression in mice following hypoxia is uncertain. Because genetically engineered mice are often utilized in studies of NO, we conducted the present study to determine how hypoxia alters NOS expression in wild-type mice. METHOD: Mice were exposed to sea level, ambient conditions (5280 feet) or severe altitude (17,000 feet) for 6 weeks from birth, and hemodynamics and lung NOS expression were assessed. RESULTS: Hypoxic mice developed severe pulmonary hypertension (right ventricular systolic pressure [RVsP] 60 mmHg) as compared with normoxic mice (27 mmHg). Using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR, it was found that expressions of eNOS and inducible NOS (iNOS) increased 1.5-fold and 3.5-fold, respectively, in the lung. In addition, the level of lung eNOS protein was increased, neuronal NOS (nNOS) protein was unchanged, and iNOS was below the limit of detection. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated no change in lung iNOS or nNOS staining in either central or peripheral areas, but suggested increased eNOS in the periphery following hypoxia. CONCLUSION: In mice, hypoxia is associated with increases in lung eNOS, possibly in iNOS, but not in nNOS; this suggests that the pattern of lung NOS expression following hypoxia must be considered in studies using genetically engineered mice

Perinatal Exposure to Hazardous Air Pollutants and Autism Spectrum Disorders at Age 8

Hazardous air pollutants are plausible candidate exposures for autism spectrum disorders. They have been explored in recent studies for their role in the development of these disorders