Non-invasive brain stimulation for fibromyalgia: current trends and future perspectives.

Fibromyalgia, a common and enduring pain disorder, ranks as the second most prevalent rheumatic disease after osteoarthritis. Recent years have witnessed successful treatment using non-invasive brain stimulation. Transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, and electroconvulsion therapy have shown promise in treating chronic pain.

Simulated Gastric Acid Promotes the Horizontal Transfer of Multidrug Resistance Genes across Bacteria in the Gastrointestinal Tract at Elevated pH Levels.

The assessment of factors that can promote the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) across bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract is in great demand to understand the occurrence of infections related to antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) in humans. However, whether acid-resistant enteric bacteria can promote ARG transmission in gastric fluid under high-pH conditions remains unknown. This study assessed the effects of simulated gastric fluid (SGF) at different pH levels on the RP4 plasmid-mediated conjugative transfer of ARGs.

Predicting the concentrations of enteric viruses in urban rivers running through the city center via an artificial neural network.

Viral waterborne diseases are widespread in cities due largely to the occurrence of enteric viruses in urban rivers, which pose a significant concern to human health. Yet, the application of rapid detection technology for enteric viruses in environmental water remains undeveloped globally. Here, multiple linear regression (MLR) modeling and artificial neural network (ANN) modeling, which used frequently measured physicochemical parameters in river water, were constructed to predict the concentration of enteric viruses including human enteroviruses (EnVs), rotaviruses (HRVs), astroviruses (AstVs), noroviruses GⅡ (HuNoVs GⅡ), and adenoviruses (HAdVs) in rivers.

Decreased Antibiotic Susceptibility in Surviving UV Irradition.

Given its excellent performance against the pathogens, UV disinfection has been applied broadly in different fields. However, only limited studies have comprehensively investigated the response of bacteria surviving UV irradiation to the environmental antibiotic stress. Here, we investigated the antibiotic susceptibility of suffering from the UV irradiation.

Implant complications after one-level or two-level cervical disc arthroplasty: A retrospective single-centre study of 105 patients.

The aim of study was to investigate the complications of cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) and to discuss the factors affecting the mobility of the prosthesis and the measures to prevent these complications. Hundred and five patients who underwent CDA between 2009 and 2016 were enrolled. The clinical and radiographic outcomes were used to assess and the complications were recorded as well.

Contamination sources of the enteric virus in recreational marine water shift in a seasonal pattern.

Human enteric virus occurrence in bathing beaches poses a potential health risk to swimmers. They may come from several sources, but the understanding of the seasonal contribution of contamination sources to virus occurrence is still lacking. Here, the surveillance of human enteric viruses at the First Bathing Beach in Qingdao was performed January-December 2018.

Chlorine disinfection promotes the exchange of antibiotic resistance genes across bacterial genera by natural transformation.

Chlorine disinfection to drinking water plays an important role in preventing and controlling waterborne disease outbreaks globally. Nevertheless, little is known about why it enriches the antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in bacteria after chlorination. Here, ARGs released from killed antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), and culturable chlorine-injured bacteria produced in the chlorination process as the recipient, were investigated to determine their contribution to the horizontal transfer of ARGs during disinfection treatment.

Putative environmental levels of levofloxacin facilitate the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli via plasmid-mediated transformability.

Antibiotic residues in the environment pose a great risk to global public health. They increase antibiotic resistance by enhancing plasmid conjugation among bacteria or mutations within bacterial genomes. However, little is known about whether the putative environmental levels of antibiotics are sufficient to influence plasmid-mediated transformability.

Comparison of a Novel Tension Band and Patellotibial Tubercle Cerclage in the Treatment of Comminuted Fractures of Inferior Pole of the Patella.

Objective: To assess the therapeutic effect of a novel tension band using 3.0 mm cannulated screw combined with a titanium cable and specific shims comparatively with patellotibial tubercle cerclage in comminuted fractures of the inferior pole of the patella.

Methods: The retrospective study from March 2012 to July 2017 was conducted in Peking University Third Hospital and comprised 63 patients with comminuted fractures of the inferior pole of the patella: 41 treated with new tension band using 3.

Loss of the posteromedial support: a risk factor for implant failure after fixation of AO 31-A2 intertrochanteric fractures.

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze cases of AO31-A2 intertrochanteric fractures (ITFs) and to identify the relationship between the loss of the posteromedial support and implant failure.

Methods: Three hundred ninety-four patients who underwent operative treatment for ITF from January 2003 to December 2017 were enrolled. Focusing on posteromedial support, the A2 ITFs were divided into two groups, namely, those with (Group A, n = 153) or without (Group B, n = 241) posteromedial support post-operatively, and the failure rates were compared.

Predictors and reduction techniques for irreducible reverse intertrochanteric fractures.

Background: Reverse intertrochanteric fractures are usually initially treated with closed reduction. However, sometimes these fractures are not amenable to closed reduction and require open reduction. To date, few studies have been conducted on predictors of and reduction techniques for irreducible reverse intertrochanteric fractures.

Inactivation of Poliovirus by Ozone and the Impact of Ozone on the Viral Genome.

Objective: To investigate the mechanisms underlying ozone-induced inactivation of poliovirus type 1 (PV1).

Methods: We used cell culture, long-overlapping RT-PCR, and spot hybridization assays to verify and accurately locate the sites of action of ozone that cause PV1 inactivation. We also employed recombinant viral genome RNA infection models to confirm our observations.

Chlorine injury enhances antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa through over expression of drug efflux pumps.

Adaption to adverse environments plays an important role in bacterial survival and is receiving increasing globe attention now. Here, cultivable chlorine-injured Pseudomonas aeruginosa, produced on the chlorination process, was investigated about their resistance to antibiotics. Then, global transcriptional analyses, quantitative PCR (qPCR) validation and antioxidant enzymes measurement were performed to explore the underlying mechanisms.

Profiling of intracellular and extracellular antibiotic resistance genes in tap water.

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have gained global attention due to their public health threat. Extracelluar ARGs (eARGs) can result in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance via free-living ARGs in natural environments, where they promote ARB transmission in drinking water distribution systems. However, eARG pollution in tap water has not been well researched.

Role of Kir6.2 subunits of ATP-sensitive potassium channels in endotoxemia-induced cardiac dysfunction.

Background: Cardiac dysfunction is well-described in endotoxemia and diagnosed in up to 60% of patients with endotoxic shock. ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels are critical to cardiac function. This study investigates the role of Kir6.

[Mutation analysis of beta myosin heavy chain gene in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy families].

Objective: To detect the gene mutations of beta-myosin heavy chain gene (MYH7) in Chinese pedigrees with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and to analyze the correlation between the genotype and phenotype.

Methods: Exons 3, 5, 7-9, 11-16 and 18-23 of the MYH7 gene were amplified with PCR in three Chinese pedigrees with HCM. The products were sequenced.

Analysis of embryo, cytoplasmic and maternal genetic correlations for seven essential amino acids in rapeseed meal (Brassica napus L.).

Genetic correlations of nutrient quality traits including lysine, methionine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, valine and threonine contents in rapeseed meal were analysed by the genetic model for quantitative traits of diploid plants using a diallel design with nine parents of Brassica napus L. These results indicated that the genetic correlations of embryo, cytoplasm and/or maternal plant havemade different contribution to total genetic correlations of most pairwise nutrient quality traits. The genetic correlations among the amino acids in rapeseed meal were simultaneously controlled by genetic main correlations and genotype x environment (GE) interaction correlations, especially for the maternal dominance correlations.

[Screening and analysis of the mutations on beta-myosin heavy chain gene in 3 Chinese families with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy].

Objective: To detect gene mutations on beta-myosin heavy chain gene MYH7 in 3 Chinese families with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and to analyze the correlation between genotype and phenotype.

Methods: A denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) and sequencing mutation screening of the exons (exon3-23) coding for MYH7 gene were performed in 3 Chinese families with HCM.

Results: In this study, we identified several mutations in MYH7.

Role of vascular K(ATP) channels in blood pressure variability after sinoaortic denervation in rats.

Aim: To investigate the role of ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channels on blood pressure variability (BPV) in sinoaortic denervated (SAD) rats.

Methods: SAD was performed on male Sprague-Dawley rats 4 weeks before the study. mRNA expression of Kir6.

A potential role of alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in cardiac angiogenesis in a pressure-overload rat model.

This work investigated the expression of alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) in the left ventricle and its putative role in cardiac angiogenesis in a pressure overload rat model induced by abdominal aorta coarctation. Blood pressure and protein levels of α7nAChR were measured at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks after surgery. mRNA levels of α7nAChR, cardiac vagus nerve function, cardiac hypertrophy, and microvessel density of the left ventricle were determined at the final 16-week period.