Investigating the sequential patterns of methamphetamine use initiation in Iran

BACKGROUND: Methamphetamine (MA) remains one of the most commonly used amphetamine-type stimulants, accounting for the second most widely-used substance after marijuana. Due to increased use of MA, a wide variety of research has focused on the patterns of MA use initiation among adolescents. Nevertheless, there are few data available for people who use MA. The present study set out to assess the sequential patterns of substance use initiation in patients with MA use disorders in Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study described substance initiation patterns for 302 patients who used MA admitted to hospitals and psychiatric centers of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The study was conducted between April 2015 and June 2016. After obtaining informed consents, participants were interviewed by trained interviewers using face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. The collecting data were analyzed using the chi square tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests to compare the relationship between qualitative and quantitative variables, respectively. RESULTS: Out of 302 participants enrolled in the study, 16 (5.3%) and 286 (94.7%) were female and male, respectively. The mean age of participants in the study was 37.29 years. The mean age of onset of MA use was found to be 15.9 years. 46.1% of the patients started MA use before 15 years. 77.2% of the patients who used MA had family members with a history of substance use. 93.71% of the patients who used MA started substance use with tobacco, alcohol, or opium, as the most frequent substances. Tobacco, as the first substance or starting substance, exhibited the most widely-used substance (69.53% of the cases). Tobacco-alcohol-cannabis-opium-heroin-MA sequencing was significantly related to the early onset of the substance use. Early-onset substance use was significantly higher in those with lower income, primary education, and family history of substance use. No significant relationship was found between employment status with the age of onset of substance use, and different substance use with marital status. CONCLUSION: Tobacco, alcohol and opium can be considered as the main sequencing substances for initiation to MA use. Standardized measures to decrease and control access to main starting and sequencing substances, including tobacco, alcohol, and opium, can greatly help decrease the early onset of the MA use, develop suitable prevention, and establish early intervention strategies

Changes in chemical composition and biological activity of essential oil from Thomson navel orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) peel under freezing, convective, vacuum, and microwave drying methods

Thomson navel orange peel is a by-product of citrus processing, which contains high levels of bioactive compounds advantageous to human health, nevertheless due to its high moisture content it is exceedingly perishable. Drying is among the most common preservation methods, which could prolong the plants shelf-life via reducing their moisture value. Taking this into account, depending on their type and conditions, drying techniques could degrade plant heat-sensitive metabolites and lead to quality decline. Therefore, the goal of this paper was to investigate the influence of seven drying methods named sun, shade, oven, vacuum oven, microwave, and freeze-drying with different drying conditions on the physical properties, for example, bulk density and color (L*, a*, b*, ΔE, and browning index (BI)) and essential oil characteristics such as extraction yield, chemical composition, antioxidant (total phenolic content (TPC), DPPH, and FRAP essays), and antimicrobial (MIC and MBC) activities of Thomson peel and determine the superior drying procedure. Results showed that freeze-dried sample had the highest retention of L* (48.54) and b* (49.00) values, lowest BI (216.11) as well as highest EO extraction yield (6.90%), TPC (60.10 GAE/100 g), FRAP (0.52% at 80 mg/ml), and lowest IC50 (5.00 mg/ml), MIC and MBC compared with other drying treatments. Therefore, it could be inferred that freeze-drying is the most efficient drying approach in respect of preserving both physical and EO attributes of Thomson peel

Midterm follow-up results of transcatheter interatrial septal defect closure

Objectives: We studied immediate and midterm results of transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects (ASDs) using the Amplatzer septal device closure. Methods: The study included one hundred and thirty-seven patients (31 men, 106 women; mean age 8 ± 7.3 years; range 1–65 years) who underwent transcatheter closure of secundum ASD between October 2014 and October 2016 in our center. All the patients were evaluated by transthoracic echocardiography before and during the procedure and in adult patients; transesophageal echocardiography was performed before the procedure. Closure of ASDs was performed under general anesthesia with transthoracic echocardiographic guidance. Follow-up controls were done on the day after procedure, 1 week, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, and annually thereafter. The median follow-up periods of ASD was 15 months. Results: The mean ASD and device size were 13.5 ± 2.3 and 14.3 ± 3.2 mm, respectively. The mean procedural and fluoroscopy times were 21.3 ± 4.7 and 5.1 ± 1.9 min. Immediate complications such as mortality, bleeding, fatal arrhythmia, and device embolization did not occur in any patient during and after the procedure. Cardiac arrhythmias were seen in 4 patients during the 1st month after the procedure. Late device embolization did not occur during the follow-up. No residual shunts were seen after the procedure. Transient ischemic attack was seen in one patient during the procedure and in one patient 2 days after the procedure without long-term complication. Conclusion: Transcatheter closure of ASDs using the Amplatzer devices is an efficacious and safe therapeutic option