A brief cognitive behavioural intervention for regular amphetamine users. A treatment guide.

A brief intervention using motivational and cognitive behavioural approaches to help change drug use. Also offer alternative brief interventions for clients not suited to the current approach. This manual is divided into five sections: Section 1. Context • Key points from the National Drug Strategy Monograph No 51. Models of Intervention and Care for Psychostimulant Users are included to present the evidence supporting this type of intervention for regular amphetamine users. • A flow-chart to place the intervention in a treatment context. Section 2. Brief background to the study and summary of results of evaluation • A brief description of how the study was developed, undertaken and evaluated. • A brief description of the evaluation outcome data (detailed results will be published separately). Section 3. The intervention • The CBT intervention is presented in a clear and easy to use format for practitioners. Section 4. Suggested alternative brief interventions for those not suitable for the current intervention • This section provides an overview of recommendations for alternative interventions for psychostimulant users who are unsuitable for the CBT intervention (e.g. those who are not considering change, experimental users etc). Section 5. Other available resources • This section lists a range of other resources that are currently available for practitioners working with psychostimulant users. This treatment guide has not been designed to stand alone. Rather, practitioners are encouraged to: 1. Acquaint themselves with the current research and clinical literature. The recently completed monograph Models of Intervention and Care for Psychostimulant Users is an excellent resource for current evidence supporting practice in this area. 2. Undertake training in CBT and motivational enhancement techniques if unfamiliar with these approaches. 3. Obtain ongoing clinical supervision

Alcohol and other drug withdrawal: practice guidelines.

Clinical guidelines seek to direct clinical practice by outlining recognised, evidence-based treatment interventions. They draw on current literature and clinical practice expertise. These Guidelines provide guidance for clinical decision-making in the context of individual client requirements, withdrawal setting, treatment availability and individual service protocols. These Guidelines are consistent with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) United Nations Principles of Drug Dependence Treatment (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and World Health Organization, 2008). They outline current best practice for the management of AOD-dependent clients accessing withdrawal care. 1 Introduction - page 1 2 Definitions of dependence and withdrawal - page 5 3 Principles of AOD withdrawal care - page 9 4 Continuity of Care - page 11 5 Features of AOD withdrawal - page 13 6 Special needs groups - page 19 7 Presentation to AOD withdrawal - page 29 8 AOD withdrawal settings - page 31 9 Assessment - page 37 10 Alcohol withdrawal - page 45 11 Opioid withdrawal - page 65 12 Benzodiazepines - page 87 13 Amphetamine-type substances (ATS) - page 99 14 Cannabis - page 111 15 Nicotine - page 121 16 AOD withdrawal for clients with a dual diagnosis - page 133 17 References - page 16

Crystallisation and preliminary X-ray analysis of the receptor-binding domain of human and bovine α2-macroglobulin

AbstractThe receptor-binding domains (RBDs) of human and bovine α2-macroglobulin (α2M) have been isolated after limited proteolysis of methylamine-treated α2M with papain. Single crystals of the RBDs have been grown by vapour diffusion. Crystals of human RBD are very thin plates unsuited for data collection. However, crystals of RBD from bovine α2M give diffraction patterns suitable for X-ray analysis, and a complete dataset with a maximum resolution of 2.3 Å has been collected with synchrotron radiation at cryogenic temperature. The crystals belong to spacegroup P3121 or P3221 with cell parameters a = b = 106.8 Å, c = 72.2 Å

High-resolution temporal profiling of transcripts during Arabidopsis leaf senescence reveals a distinct chronology of processes and regulation

Leaf senescence is an essential developmental process that impacts dramatically on crop yields and involves altered regulation of thousands of genes and many metabolic and signaling pathways, resulting in major changes in the leaf. The regulation of senescence is complex, and although senescence regulatory genes have been characterized, there is little information on how these function in the global control of the process. We used microarray analysis to obtain a highresolution time-course profile of gene expression during development of a single leaf over a 3-week period to senescence. A complex experimental design approach and a combination of methods were used to extract high-quality replicated data and to identify differentially expressed genes. The multiple time points enable the use of highly informative clustering to reveal distinct time points at which signaling and metabolic pathways change. Analysis of motif enrichment, as well as comparison of transcription factor (TF) families showing altered expression over the time course, identify clear groups of TFs active at different stages of leaf development and senescence. These data enable connection of metabolic processes, signaling pathways, and specific TF activity, which will underpin the development of network models to elucidate the process of senescence

El Triple Bottom Line en las acciones de responsabilidad social Universitaria: Caso Universidad Técnica de Machala

The objective of this article is to analyze the participation of the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) in the actions of University Social Responsibility (RSU) of the Technical University of Machala. Its contribution is managed through three dimensions, which are economic, social, and environmental, so it seeks to expand not only economic benefits but also at an environmental level that allows the sustainability of the activities carried out by the higher education institution. A methodology was approached from a quantitative approach, using the deductive method that allows synthesizing the general facts; the technique used was the application of a digital survey carried out on the student community of the different careers of the Technical University of Machala. The results are obtained by applying statistical tests such as the Chi-square 〖(X〗^2) using the Stata 16 program to measure the association of the two concepts involved in the study, which are presented in tables of contingency for their respective analysis. It is highlighted that the results indicate that there are certain USR actions given by the university which are not fully understood or assimilated by their interest groups; in this sense, the HEI should implement certain strategies that allow overcoming this barrier. Keywords: Triple Bottom Line; University Social Responsibility; Sustainability; Corporate Social Responsibility; Society; University.El presente artículo tiene como objetivo analizar la participación del Triple Bottom Line (TBL) en las acciones de Responsabilidad Social Universitaria (RSU) de la Universidad Técnica de Machala. Su contribución es gestionada mediante tres dimensiones, las cuales son económica, social y ambiental, por lo que se busca ampliar beneficios no solamente económicos, sino a nivel ambiental que permita la sostenibilidad de las actividades ejercidas por la institución de educación superior. Se abordó una metodología desde un enfoque cuantitativo, utilizando el método deductivo que permite sintetizar los hechos generales, la técnica utilizada fue la aplicación de encuesta digital efectuada a la comunidad estudiantil de las distintas carreras de la universidad técnica de Machala. Los resultados se obtienen a través de la aplicación de pruebas estadísticas como el Chi- cuadrado 〖(X〗^2) utilizando el programa Stata 16, para medir la asociación de los dos conceptos implicados en el estudio, los mismo que se presentan en tablas de contingencia para su respectivo análisis. Se destaca que los resultados indican que existen ciertas acciones de RSU dadas por parte de la universidad, los cuales no son comprendidos plenamente o asimilados por parte de sus grupos de interés, en tal sentido la IES debería implementar ciertas estrategias que permitan superar esta barrera. Palabras clave: Triple Bottom Line; Responsabilidad Social Universitaria; Sostenibilidad; Responsabilidad Social Empresarial; Sociedad; Universidad

Exhausted CD4+ T Cells during Malaria Exhibit Reduced mTORc1 Activity Correlated with Loss of T-bet Expression

CD4<sup>+</sup> T cell functional inhibition (exhaustion) is a hallmark of malaria and correlates with impaired parasite control and infection chronicity. However, the mechanisms of CD4<sup>+</sup> T cell exhaustion are still poorly understood. In this study, we show that Ag-experienced (<i>Ag-exp</i>) CD4<sup>+</sup> T cell exhaustion during <i>Plasmodium yoelii</i> nonlethal infection occurs alongside the reduction in mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activity and restriction in CD4<sup>+</sup> T cell glycolytic capacity. We demonstrate that the loss of glycolytic metabolism and mTOR activity within the exhausted <i>Ag-exp</i>CD4<sup>+</sup> T cell population during infection coincides with reduction in T-bet expression. T-bet was found to directly bind to and control the transcription of various mTOR and metabolism-related genes within effector CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells. Consistent with this, <i>Ag-exp</i>Th1 cells exhibited significantly higher and sustained mTOR activity than effector T-bet- (non-Th1) <i>Ag-exp</i>T cells throughout the course of malaria. We identified mTOR to be redundant for sustaining T-bet expression in activated Th1 cells, whereas mTOR was necessary but not sufficient for maintaining IFN-γ production by Th1 cells. Immunotherapy targeting PD-1, CTLA-4, and IL-27 blocked CD4<sup>+</sup> T cell exhaustion during malaria infection and was associated with elevated T-bet expression and a concomitant increased CD4<sup>+</sup> T cell glycolytic metabolism. Collectively, our data suggest that mTOR activity is linked to T-bet in <i>Ag-exp</i>CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells but that reduction in mTOR activity may not directly underpin <i>Ag-exp</i>Th1 cell loss and exhaustion during malaria infection. These data have implications for therapeutic reactivation of exhausted CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells during malaria infection and other chronic conditions

Workplace alcohol harm reduction intervention in Australia: cluster non-randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: The workplace holds substantial potential as an alcohol harm reduction and prevention setting. Few studies have rigorously examined strategies to reduce workplace alcohol-related harm. Hence, an in-situ 3 year trial of a comprehensive alcohol harm reduction intervention in Australian manufacturing workplaces was undertaken. DESIGN AND METHODS: Informed by a gap analysis, a multi-site trial was undertaken. Three manufacturing industry companies, located at four separate worksites, with a minimum of 100 employees were recruited through a local industry network. Based on worksite location, two worksites were allocated to the intervention group and two to the comparison group. The pre-specified primary outcome measure, risky drinking (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, AUDIT-C) and other self-report measures were collected pre-intervention (T1), 12 months (T2) and 24 months post-intervention (T3). RESULTS: No significant intervention effect was observed for the primary outcome measure, risky drinking. Significant intervention effects were observed for increased awareness of alcohol policy and employee assistance. At T3, the odds of intervention group participants being aware of the workplace policy and aware of employee assistance were 48.9% (95% confidence interval 29.3-88.9%) and 79.7% (11.5%, 91.8%), respectively, greater than comparison group participants. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Comprehensive tailored workplace interventions can be effective in improving workplace alcohol policy awareness. This is one of few workplace alcohol trials undertaken to-date and the findings make an important contribution to the limited evidence base for workplace alcohol harm prevention initiatives