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The International Journal on Drug Policy Jun 2024James Cunningham and co-authors did pioneering work in evaluating the impact of precursor control on methamphetamine markets and related harms. We discuss their studies,...
James Cunningham and co-authors did pioneering work in evaluating the impact of precursor control on methamphetamine markets and related harms. We discuss their studies, as well as others that followed, and review what is known of precursor control's short-run and long-run impacts. We interpret the evidence to suggest that precursor control was likely cost-effective initially. However, long-run supply adjustments by illicit meth producers weakened the controls' efficacy. Meanwhile, regulations on legal consumers of cold medications were permanent and unavoidable, which may have closed the gap on the positive net benefits that had accrued initially in the short run. Our review underscores the challenges policymakers face in achieving their goals when supply can adjust long-term, but non-participants in illegal markets cannot.
PubMed: 38944557
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104501 -
Soins. Psychiatrie 2024Over the last fifteen years or so in France, the deployment of peer professionals in mental health seems to have accelerated. The benefits of peer support have been...
Over the last fifteen years or so in France, the deployment of peer professionals in mental health seems to have accelerated. The benefits of peer support have been widely demonstrated. It is based on the experiential knowledge acquired by certain patients who have recovered during their course of treatment, which can be passed on by positive identification, stimulating hope and motivation. These unique skills are then complemented by more theoretical knowledge sanctioned by a diploma that legitimises the future professionals and gives them access to undisputed recognition to work alongside pre-existing systems. However, it is not always easy to integrate them into health and social teams.
Topics: Humans; Peer Group; France; Mental Disorders; Social Support; Psychiatric Nursing
PubMed: 38944530
DOI: 10.1016/j.spsy.2024.05.003 -
Soins. Gerontologie 2024The use of technical aids has a positive impact on the autonomy and quality of life of elderly or disabled people, and is also beneficial for the caregivers and...
The use of technical aids has a positive impact on the autonomy and quality of life of elderly or disabled people, and is also beneficial for the caregivers and professionals who support them. Nevertheless, there are still major obstacles to their use, notably a general lack of information on technical aids. This observation led us to produce a set of information tools to help people better understand these aids and how to use them.
Topics: Humans; Personal Autonomy; Aged; Disabled Persons
PubMed: 38944469
DOI: 10.1016/j.sger.2024.04.008 -
Acta Tropica Jun 2024Gram-positive catalase-negative cocci (GPCNCs) are significant components of the genital microbiota in sheep and goats. However, characterizing them can be difficult due...
Gram-positive catalase-negative cocci (GPCNCs) are significant components of the genital microbiota in sheep and goats. However, characterizing them can be difficult due to overlapping culture features and the limited information on their susceptibility to antibiotics. In this study, 97 foreskin and 13 vaginal swabs were investigated using a culturomic approach. Of 110 animals, 76 (69.09%) hosted GPCNCs, including strains from Streptococcaceae (37, 33.64%), Aerococcaceae (30, 27.27%), Enterococcaceae (6, 5.45%) and other minor species. With increasing antimicrobial resistance rates in livestock, surveillance programs are globally required, so we conducted a pilot study on GPCNCs isolated from the genital mucosa surfaces of sheep and goats using the minimal inhibitory concentration assay (MIC). Due to gaps in interpretative standard breakpoints, normalized resistance interpretation was used for setting epidemiological susceptibility cut-off values (CO). Of 57 suitable strains, the majority (80.71%) showed high CO with decrease susceptibility to at least one antimicrobial class, with 22.81% displaying multiresistant profiles. Of interest, combined resistances to beta-lactams, macrolides, lincosamides, and tetracyclines were detected in strains of Streptococcus plurianimalium. Further combinations, including resistance to beta-lactams, pleuromutilins, aminoglycosides, and lincosamides, were also recorded in both Streptococcus uberis and Enterococcus spp. strains. Being beta-lactams, macrolides, and tetracyclines the most used antibiotics in livestock worldwide, our results highlight the need for their prudent use. Collectively, our findings highlight that small ruminant genital microbiota can serve as reservoirs for opportunistic severe pathogens, often zoonotic, carrying multidrug resistances, thus standing for high risks for both animals and humans.
PubMed: 38944406
DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107305 -
Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy Jun 2024Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) has been employed for the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing treatment....
BACKGROUND
Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) has been employed for the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing treatment. However, information about the survival of patients receiving PBMT is still lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to correlate the survival of patients who either received or did not receive PBMT, combined with cancer treatments, and to assess whether the number of PBMT sessions had a positive impact on survival.
METHODS
The records of 751 patients seen at Hospital de Caridade São Vicente de Paulo diagnosed with head and neck cancer, treated by D.L.P., the sole operator of PBMT, between 2000 and 2016, were analyzed. The median survival rates were compared by analyzing diagnostic staging, the combination of cancer treatments, and the number of PBMT sessions. Correlation analyses were performed to assess the interactions between the number of PBMT sessions and survival.
RESULTS
PBMT increased survival by 55.14%, from 1.07 (Without PBMT) to 1.66 years (With PBMT) for the total population and more significantly in Group 41 (stages III and IV, radiation therapy/chemotherapy, with more than five PBMT sessions), the median survival value of 1.83 years, which represents a 66.36% higher survival rate. In all the analyzed populations, the larger number of sessions was associated with better survival. In terms of survival, advanced stages III and IV almost equated with stages I and II in the absence of PBMT.
CONCLUSIONS
PBMT seems to interfere with the survival of patients with head and neck cancer, corroborating its recommendation for the treatment of mucositis, but further research is needed to investigate possible synergistic effects between PBMT and cancer treatments.
PubMed: 38944404
DOI: 10.1016/j.pdpdt.2024.104248 -
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters Jun 2024Chronic pain is a common and challenging clinical problem that significantly impacts patients' quality of life. The sodium channel Nav1.8 plays a crucial role in the...
Chronic pain is a common and challenging clinical problem that significantly impacts patients' quality of life. The sodium channel Nav1.8 plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development of chronic pain, making it one of the key targets for treating chronic pain. In this article, we combined virtual screening with cell membrane chromatography techniques to establish a novel method for rapid high-throughput screening of selective Nav1.8 inhibitors. Using this approach, we identified a small molecule compound 6, which not only demonstrated high affinity and inhibitory activity against Nav1.8 but also exhibited significant inhibitory effects on CFA-induced chronic inflammatory pain. Compared to the positive drug VX-150, compound 6 showed a more prolonged analgesic effect making it a promising candidate as a Nav1.8 inhibitor with potential clinical applications. This discovery provides a new therapeutic option for the treatment of chronic pain.
PubMed: 38944398
DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2024.129862 -
Biological Psychiatry. Cognitive... Jun 2024'Voice-hearing' (VH) is a transdiagnostic experience that is common in trauma-related disorders (trauma-D). However, the neural substrates underlying trauma-related VH...
BACKGROUND
'Voice-hearing' (VH) is a transdiagnostic experience that is common in trauma-related disorders (trauma-D). However, the neural substrates underlying trauma-related VH remain largely unexplored. While auditory perceptual dysfunction is among the abnormalities implicated in schizophrenia VH, whether VH in trauma-D also involves auditory perceptual alterations is unknown.
METHODS
We investigated auditory cortex (AC)-related functional connectivity (FC) in n=65 women with trauma-D related to childhood abuse with varying severities of VH. Using a novel, computationally-driven and individual-specific method of functionally parcellating the brain, we calculated the FC of two distinct AC subregions-Heschl's gyrus (HG, corresponding to primary AC) and lateral superior temporal gyrus (lSTG, in non-primary AC)- with both the cerebrum and cerebellum. We then measured the association between VH severity and FC using leave-one-out cross validation within the cerebrum, and voxel-wise multiple regression analyses in the cerebellum.
RESULTS
We found that VH severity positively correlated with left lSTG-frontoparietal network FC, while it negatively correlated with FC between left lSTG and both cerebral and cerebellar representations of the default mode network. VH severity was not predicted by FC of left HG or right AC subregions.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings point to altered interactions between auditory perceptual processing and higher-level processes related to self-reference and executive functioning. This is the first study to show alterations in auditory cortical connectivity in trauma-related VH. While VH in trauma-D appears to be mediated by brain networks that are also implicated in schizophrenia VH, the results suggest a unique mechanism that could distinguish VH in trauma-D.
PubMed: 38944384
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.06.009 -
Veterinary Journal (London, England :... Jun 2024Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a widespread intracellular fungus that can infect both humans and animals, making it a significant zoonotic threat. In the current study, a...
Investigating Enterocytozoon bieneusi in pigs farmed in Zhejiang Province, China: occurrence, genotype identification, evolutionary analysis, and zoonotic risk assessment.
Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a widespread intracellular fungus that can infect both humans and animals, making it a significant zoonotic threat. In the current study, a total of 208 fecal samples were assayed to investigate the prevalence of E. bieneusi in pigs reared in Zhejiang Province, China. Employing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification techniques specifically designed to target the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene, the results revealed that 78 samples (37.5%) tested positive for the presence of E. bieneusi. A total of 19 different genotypes of E. bieneusi were detected. Nine of these genotypes were already known: EbpC (n = 36), KIN-1 (n = 10), PigEbITS7 (n = 8), EbpA (n = 6), Henan III (n = 3), PigEbITS5 (n = 2), Henan-IV (n = 1), EbpD (n = 1), and TypeIV (n = 1), and 10 were novel: ZJP-I to ZJP-X (one each). The present investigation revealed that all the nine known genotypes identified in pigs here, have also been previously discovered in humans. Additionally, the novel genotypes of E. bieneusi discovered here were all classified as belonging to Group 1. These findings suggest the potential for cross-species transmission between humans and pigs.
PubMed: 38944378
DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2024.106191 -
Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Jun 2024The degree of atrophy and fatty infiltration of rotator cuff muscle belly is a key predictor for cuff repairability. Traditionally, Goutallier grading of fatty...
Medial Scapular Body (MSB) Goutallier Classification - MRI based reliability and validity of evaluation of the Goutallier classification for grading fatty infiltration of the rotator cuff.
INTRODUCTION
The degree of atrophy and fatty infiltration of rotator cuff muscle belly is a key predictor for cuff repairability. Traditionally, Goutallier grading of fatty infiltration is assessed at sagittal scapular Y-view. Massive rotator cuff tears are associated with tendon retraction and medial retraction of cuff musculature, resulting in medialization of the muscle bulk. Thus, standard Y-view can misrepresent the region of interest and may misguide clinicians when assessing repairability. It is hypothesized that by assessing the muscle belly with multiple medial sagittal MRI sections at medial scapular body, the Medial Scapular Body - Goutallier Classification (MSB-GC) will improve reliability and repeatability giving a more representative approximation to the degree of fatty infiltration, as compared with original Y-view.
METHODS
Fatty infiltration of the rotator cuff muscles were classified based on the Goutallier grade (0 to 4) at three defined sections section 1: original Y-view; section 2: level of suprascapular notch; section 3: three cm medial to suprascapular notch on MRI scans. Six sub-specialist fellowship trained shoulder surgeons, and three musculoskeletal radiologists independently evaluated deidentified MRI scans of included patients.
RESULTS
Out of 80 scans, 78% (n=62) were massive cuff tears involving supraspinatus, infraspinatus and subscapularis tendon. Inter-observer reliability (consistency between observers) for Goutallier grade was excellent for all three predefined sections (range:0.87-0.95). Intra-observer reliability (repeatability) for Goutallier grade was excellent for all three sections and four rotator cuff muscles (range:0.83-0.97). There was a moderate to strong positive correlation of Goutallier grades between sections 1 and 3 and between sections 2 and 3 and these were statistically significant (p<0.001). There was a reduction in the severity of fatty infiltration on the Goutallier classification from sections 1 to 3 across all muscles. 42.5% of both supraspinatus and infraspinatus were downgraded by one, 20% of supraspinatus and 3.8% of infraspinatus were downgraded by 2 and 2.5% of supraspinatus were downgraded by 3.
CONCLUSION
This study found that applying the Goutallier classification to more medial MRI sections (MSB-GC) resulted in assignment of lower grades for all rotator cuff muscles. Additionally, this method demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability and repeatability. Inclusion of a more medial view or whole scapula on MRI, especially in advanced levels of tear retraction, could be more reliable and representative for assessment of the degree of fatty infiltration within the muscle bulk that could help predict tear repairability and therefore improve clinical decision-making which should be studied further in clinical studies.
PubMed: 38944373
DOI: 10.1016/j.jse.2024.05.013 -
Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology &... Jun 2024The discovery that metabolic alterations often coexist with neurodegenerative conditions has sparked interest in the examination of metabolic regulatory factors as...
The discovery that metabolic alterations often coexist with neurodegenerative conditions has sparked interest in the examination of metabolic regulatory factors as potential modulators of brain health. Here, we examined the role of adipokines (leptin, adiponectin, resistin, and IL6) and insulin on different markers of brain atrophy in participants on the spectrum of Alzheimer's Disease. We included 566 participants from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset with 1063 follow-up time points (average follow-up: one year); and examined the association between metabolic regulatory factors and volumetric MRI values, white matter hyperintensities, and measures of cognitive impairment. Higher leptin, resistin, IL6, and insulin were associated with markers of cerebral atrophy, such as lower total brain volume, or higher ventricular volume. Higher leptin and resistin were also associated with greater impairment in daily life activities. Higher adiponectin was associated with lower ventricle volume. There was no association between adipokines or insulin with white matter hyperintensities. Our findings indicate a co-occurrence between alterations in metabolic regulatory factors and in brain volume along the preclinical to clinical spectrum of Alzheimer's Disease. These results suggest that strategies aimed at promoting metabolic health may positively impact brain health.
PubMed: 38944333
DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111077