Are ecstasy users biased toward endorsing somatic mental health symptoms? Results from a general community sample

Abstract Rationale Whether the reported poorer mental health of ecstasy users is due to a bias in endorsement of somatic symptoms has been postulated, but rarely examined. Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate whether levels of ecstasy use were associated with differential probabilities of endorsing somatic mental health symptoms. Methods Current ecstasy users aged 24-30 years (n=316) were identified from a population-based Australian study. Measures included frequency of ecstasy, meth/amphetamine, and cannabis use and the Goldberg anxiety/ depression symptom scales

Synthesis of multifunctional chlorhexidine-doped thin films for titanium-based implant materials

Our goal was to create bio-functional chlorhexidine (CHX)-doped thin films on commercially pure titanium (cpTi) discs using the glow discharge plasma approach. Different plasma deposition times (50, 35 and 20 min) were used to create bio-functional surfaces based on silicon films with CHX that were compared to the control groups [no CHX and bulk cpTi surface (machined)]. Physico-chemical and biological characterizations included: 1. Morphology, roughness, elemental chemical composition, film thickness, contact angle and surface free energy; 2. CHX-release rate; 3. Antibacterial effect on Streptococcus sanguinis biofilms at 24, 48 and 72 h; 4. Cytotoxicity and metabolic activity using fibroblasts cell culture (NIH-F3T3 cells) at 1, 2, 3 and 4 days; 5. Protein expression by NIH-F3T3 cells at 1, 2, 3 and 4 days; and 6. Co-culture assay of fibroblasts cells and S. sanguinis to assess live and dead cells on the confocal laser scanning microscopy, mitochondrial activity (XTT), membrane leakage (LDH release), and metabolic activity (WST-1 assay) at 1, 2 and 3 days of co-incubation. Data analysis showed that silicon films, with or without CHX coated cpTi discs, increased surface wettability and free energy (p 0.05), whereas cell metabolism (MTT assay) was affected by CHX, with the 35 min of plasma deposition time group displaying the lowest values as compared to bulk cpTi (p 0.05). Altogether, the findings of the current study support the conclusion that silicon films added with CHX can be successfully created on titanium discs and have the potential to affect bacterial growth and inflammatory markers without affecting cell viability/proliferation rates

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Global urban environmental change drives adaptation in white clover

Urbanization transforms environments in ways that alter biological evolution. We examined whether urban environmental change drives parallel evolution by sampling 110,019 white clover plants from 6169 populations in 160 cities globally. Plants were assayed for a Mendelian antiherbivore defense that also affects tolerance to abiotic stressors. Urban-rural gradients were associated with the evolution of clines in defense in 47% of cities throughout the world. Variation in the strength of clines was explained by environmental changes in drought stress and vegetation cover that varied among cities. Sequencing 2074 genomes from 26 cities revealed that the evolution of urban-rural clines was best explained by adaptive evolution, but the degree of parallel adaptation varied among cities. Our results demonstrate that urbanization leads to adaptation at a global scale

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Are ecstacy users biased toward endorsing somatic mental health symptoms? Results from a general community sample

Rationale: Whether the reported poorer mental health of ecstasy users is due to a bias in endorsement of somatic symptoms has been postulated, but rarely examined. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether levels of ecstasy use wer

Hemus magalae Windsor & Felder, 2011, n. sp.

<i>Hemus magalae</i> n. sp. <p>(Figures 1, 2 D)</p> <p> <b>Material examined.</b> Male holotype carapace length 6.47 mm, carapace width 5 mm at widest point (USNM 1149374). Islas de las Perlas, Pacific Ocean coast of Panamá (08°10’8.00”N; 78°52’6.00”W). R/V <i>Urraca</i>, station 2, dredge over rocks at 27 m depth, 23 February 2007.</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis.</b> Carapace without lateral teeth; cardiac prominence not elevated above gastric regions; orbits incomplete, unprotected above. Rostrum broad, tips widely separated, minutely developed to either side of broad terminal sinus. Antenna first movable article quadrate, slightly longer than broad. Meri of ambulatory pereopods broad, anterior and posterior margins cristate, concave above, margins strongly denticulate.</p> <p> <b>Description.</b> Carapace widest at mesobranchial region, little constricted across hepatic region; gastric and cardiac regions with patches of small granules, both equally elevated, mesobranchial region relatively less elevated; hepatic region depressed, mesogastric region bearing cluster of small, hooked hairs; margin of carapace with ridge of granules and fine setae, eight tufts of long setae arranged symmetrically near posterior carapace margin; orbits incomplete, unarmed. Rostrum broad, trapezoidal with ridge of minute granules along lateral border, anterior tips widely separated, minutely developed to either side of broad, shallow terminal sinus. Antenna with fused basal article bearing large granule visible in dorsal view; first movable article longer than broad, quadrate form derived from strong angular anteromesial, and posterolateral flanges, anterior margin arched, margins denticulate.</p> <p>Chelipeds slender, chelae distally bent towards carapace front, lacking gape when fingers closed. Both first ambulatory pereopods missing in holotype, remaining pereopods posteriorly decreasing in size; merus broad, dentate anterior and posterior margins strongly cristate, continuous at rounded juncture proximally, marginal denticles rounded, anterior larger, tending to flattened lobes, dorsal surface broadly concave overall, weak longitudinal elevation within concavity along article midline, joining setose tubercle distally; scattered tufts of long setae along and below margins; carpus bearing short posterior marginal flange; anterior and posterior margins of carpus and propodus with regularly spaced line of rounded denticles; propodus and dactylus with well-developed locking articulation between articles; dactylus curved strongly near acute, corneous tip.</p> <p>Male abdomen with six free segments and telson, first two segments with sparse, long setae along finely denticulate lateral margins; two to four sets of granules on ventral surface that sometimes overlap proceeding segment, third segment through telson finely granulate, setose; terminal segment broadly subtriangular to rhomboidal, subtruncate terminally. Entire lateral margin of abdomen fringed with short setae. First gonopod stout with minute spinules at tip, sparse setae along length.</p> <p> <b>Etymology</b>. The epithet <i>magalae</i> is an arbitrary euphonic derivation of the Latin word for pearl (<i>margarita</i>) to indicate that the holotype was collected from Islas de las Perlas (“Pearl Islands”), Panamá. It is used as a noun in apposition.</p> <p> <b>Remarks.</b> This species may be the same as the <i>Hemus</i> sp. of Hendrickx (1993, 1999), which apparently remains undescribed. Compared to the illustrations by Hendrickx (1999, pg. 165, fig. 94) and Garth (1958, pg. 550 pl. X), the first movable article of the antenna of <i>H</i>. <i>magalae</i> is broader and more quadrate than that of <i>H</i>. <i>finneganae</i>, while the carapace is comparatively flatter and less sculptured than in either <i>H. finneganae</i> or <i>H. analogous</i>. The first gonopod is heavier than in any of the other three species (Fig. 2 A-D). As in <i>H. analogus</i>, the gonopod of <i>H</i>. <i>magalae</i> lacks the characteristic double lateral flange of <i>H</i>. <i>finneganae</i> described and illustrated by Garth (1958, pg. 423, pl. Y, fig. 7).</p>Published as part of <i>Windsor, Amanda M. & Felder, Darryl L., 2011, A new species of Hemus (Majoidea: Majidae: Mithracinae) from the Pacific coast of Panamá, with a key to the genus, pp. 63-68 in Zootaxa 2799</i> on pages 64-66, DOI: <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/277039">10.5281/zenodo.277039</a&gt

Hemus

Key to the species of <i>Hemus</i> <p> 1. Carapace bearing no lateral teeth............................................................. <i>Hemus magalae</i></p> <p>- Carapace bearing 2-3 lateral teeth......................................................................... 2</p> <p>2. Carapace bearing 2 lateral teeth.......................................................................... 3</p> <p> - Carapace bearing 3 lateral teeth........................................................... <i>Hemus finneganae</i></p> <p> 3. Rostrum with tips closely approximated, sinus between tips narrower than either rostral tip.............. <i>Hemus analogus</i></p> <p> - Rostrum with tips widely separated, sinus between broader than either rostral tip..................... <i>Hemus cristulipes</i></p>Published as part of <i>Windsor, Amanda M. & Felder, Darryl L., 2011, A new species of Hemus (Majoidea: Majidae: Mithracinae) from the Pacific coast of Panamá, with a key to the genus, pp. 63-68 in Zootaxa 2799</i> on page 67, DOI: <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/277039">10.5281/zenodo.277039</a&gt