Risk factors for methamphetamine use in youth: a systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Methamphetamine (MA) is a potent stimulant that is readily available. Its effects are similar to cocaine, but the drug has a profile associated with increased acute and chronic toxicities. The objective of this systematic review was to identify and synthesize literature on risk factors that are associated with MA use among youth.</p> <p>More than 40 electronic databases, websites, and key journals/meeting abstracts were searched. We included studies that compared children and adolescents (≤ 18 years) who used MA to those who did not. One reviewer extracted the data and a second checked for completeness and accuracy. For discrete risk factors, odds ratios (OR) were calculated and when appropriate, a pooled OR with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) was calculated. For continuous risk factors, mean difference and 95% CI were calculated and when appropriate, a weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% CI was calculated. Results were presented separately by comparison group: low-risk (no previous drug abuse) and high-risk children (reported previous drug abuse or were recruited from a juvenile detention center).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Twelve studies were included. Among low-risk youth, factors associated with MA use were: history of heroin/opiate use (OR = 29.3; 95% CI: 9.8–87.8), family history of drug use (OR = 4.7; 95% CI: 2.8–7.9), risky sexual behavior (OR = 2.79; 95% CI: 2.25, 3.46) and some psychiatric disorders. History of alcohol use and smoking were also significantly associated with MA use. Among high-risk youth, factors associated with MA use were: family history of crime (OR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.2–3.3), family history of drug use (OR = 4.7; 95% CI: 2.8–7.9), family history of alcohol abuse (OR = 3.2; 95% CI: 1.8–5.6), and psychiatric treatment (OR = 6.8; 95% CI: 3.6–12.9). Female sex was also significantly associated with MA use.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Among low-risk youth, a history of engaging in a variety of risky behaviors was significantly associated with MA use. A history of a psychiatric disorder was a risk factor for MA for both low- and high-risk youth. Family environment was also associated with MA use. Many of the included studies were cross-sectional making it difficult to assess causation. Future research should utilize prospective study designs so that temporal relationships between risk factors and MA use can be established.</p

Measurement of the branching fraction for the decay B→K∗(892)ℓ+ℓ−B \to K^{\ast}(892)\ell^+\ell^- at Belle II

We report a measurement of the branching fraction of $B \to K^{\ast}(892)\ell^+\ell^-$ decays, where $\ell^+\ell^- = \mu^+\mu^-$ or $e^+e^-$, using electron-positron collisions recorded at an energy at or near the $\Upsilon(4S)$ mass and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $189$ fb$^{-1}$. The data was collected during 2019--2021 by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB $e^{+}e^{-}$ asymmetric-energy collider. We reconstruct $K^{\ast}(892)$ candidates in the $K^+\pi^-$, $K_{S}^{0}\pi^+$, and $K^+\pi^0$ final states. The signal yields with statistical uncertainties are $22\pm 6$, $18 \pm 6$, and $38 \pm 9$ for the decays $B \to K^{\ast}(892)\mu^+\mu^-$, $B \to K^{\ast}(892)e^+e^-$, and $B \to K^{\ast}(892)\ell^+\ell^-$, respectively. We measure the branching fractions of these decays for the entire range of the dilepton mass, excluding the very low mass region to suppress the $B \to K^{\ast}(892)\gamma(\to e^+e^-)$ background and regions compatible with decays of charmonium resonances, to be \begin{equation} {\cal B}(B \to K^{\ast}(892)\mu^+\mu^-) = (1.19 \pm 0.31 ^{+0.08}_{-0.07}) \times 10^{-6}, {\cal B}(B \to K^{\ast}(892)e^+e^-) = (1.42 \pm 0.48 \pm 0.09)\times 10^{-6}, {\cal B}(B \to K^{\ast}(892)\ell^+\ell^-) = (1.25 \pm 0.30 ^{+0.08}_{-0.07}) \times 10^{-6}, \end{equation} where the first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. These results, limited by sample size, are the first measurements of $B \to K^{\ast}(892)\ell^+\ell^-$ branching fractions from the Belle II experiment

The disability insurance legal assessment in Switzerland against the background of the latest legislative amendments and new jurisprudence

In der Schweiz gibt es 11 verschiedene, historisch gewachsene Sozialversicherungen, deren grundsätzliche Ausgestaltung im Allgemeinen Teil des Sozialversicherungsgesetzes (ATSG) dargelegt ist. Die soziale Sicherung für behinderte Menschen und solche mit chronischen Erkrankungen wird u. a. von der Invalidenversicherung gewährleistet, die durch das Bundesgesetz über die Invalidenversicherung – aktuell in der 6. Revision – geregelt wird. Da sich die Rechtsprechung bezüglich der Invalidenversicherung in den letzten 10 Jahren erheblich gewandelt hat – was sich insbesondere auf die Leistungszusprache bei psychischen Störungen auswirkt – soll der vorliegende Beitrag einen Überblick über die für den medizinischen Experten relevanten juristischen Aspekte geben. Es ist hervorzuheben, dass die Rechtsprechung Prinzipien zur Einordung von Folgen spezifischer Krankheitsentitäten normativ festgelegt und diese im letzten Jahrzehnt weiterausgebaut hat. Die vom Rechtsanwender vorgenommene Prüfung der „willentlichen Überwindbarkeit“ stellt dabei auf einen Kriterienkatalog ab, der aus medizinischer Sicht nicht ausreichend belegt ist. In der juristischen Literatur der Schweiz wird diese gegenwärtige (Rechts-)Praxis kontrovers diskutiert, und Anpassungen werden erwogen. = There are 11 different historically established social security insurances in Switzerland. Social security for disabled and chronically ill people is mostly covered by the disability insurance. The disability insurance is governed by a federal law which has been revised six times, the last amendments having been introduced in 2012. The disability insurance legislation has changed much in the past 10 years and this has had a particularly great impact on the benefits awarded for psychiatric disorders. This article outlines several important facets of the disability insurance legislation relevant to psychiatric work capacity evaluations. Of particular interest are the special legal rules applied to specific illness groups, which have been expanded during the last decade. The concept of “voluntary surmountability” has arguably had the most impact and is based on a catalogue of criteria with an insufficient scientific foundation. The impact and possible changes of the current jurisdiction is currently being discussed in the Swiss juristic literature and amendments are under consideration