Combinations of substances contributing to death among overdose decedents in Maryland (2020-2021).

Background: In 2020, Maryland had the fourth-highest opioid overdose mortality rate in the USA. We describe substances identified in postmortem toxicology screening and designated as cause of death (COD) for overdose decedents in Maryland, including specific combinations of substances designated as COD.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of N=5442 adult overdose decedents (ie, manner of death unintentional or undetermined) in Maryland between January 2020 and December 2021.

Application of Causal Forest Model to Examine Treatment Effect Heterogeneity in Substance Use Disorder Psychosocial Treatments.

Objectives: Heterogeneity of treatment effect (HTE) is a concern in substance use disorder (SUD) treatments but has not been rigorously examined. This exploratory study applied a causal forest approach to examine HTE in psychosocial SUD treatments, considering multiple covariates simultaneously.

Methods: Data from 12 randomized controlled trials of nine psychosocial treatments were obtained from the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network.

Analyzing AZ-non-Maxwellian distributions in Earth's magnetosphere: MMS observations.

A study of velocity distribution function in Earth's magnetosphere is conducted using high-resolution measurements from the Magnetospheric Multiscale Spacecraft (MMS). The analysis focuses on the AZ-non-Maxwellian distribution that is a complex velocity-space structure, exhibiting a power-law distribution of moments. By imposing constraints on the spectral indices of the AZ-velocity distribution, the most suitable distribution for modeling Earth's magnetosphere is determined.

The mediating role of subjective social status in the association between objective socioeconomic status and mental health status: evidence from Iranian national data.

Introduction: Low socioeconomic status (SES) is identified as a pivotal risk factor for mental health. Objective socioeconomic status (OSS) is measured by tangible resources, whereas subjective social status (SSS) reflects an individual's perception of their OSS. A paucity of literature exists that elucidates the specific psychosocial mechanisms or pathways linking OSS with mental illness via SSS.

Ratio of emergency department visits to deaths for opioid overdose.

Background: Data on fatal and non-fatal overdose provide important information about the magnitude of the overdose crisis. We consider these metrics in tandem and estimated the ratio of opioid overdose-related emergency department (ED) visits to opioid overdose deaths. A lower ratio could indicate more fatal overdoses, fewer overdose reversals with naloxone or a combination of both.

Maryland opioid overdose deaths from 2018 to 2022: occupational patterns and their sociodemographic variations.

Introduction: We aimed to describe the occupational pattern of opioid overdose deaths in Maryland between 2018 and 2022 and determine the occupations at higher risk of opioid overdose death.

Methods: The sample included undetermined or unintentional opioid overdose deaths among those aged 16 years or older in Maryland, drawn from the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System. We calculated population-based incidence overdose rates by occupation, stratified by sex and race.

Trajectories of craving in the course of pharmacotherapy trials for methamphetamine use disorder.

Aims: The aim of this study was to measure trajectories of craving for methamphetamine during the course of pharmacotherapy trials for methamphetamine use disorder.

Design, Setting And Participants: Craving trajectories were identified using Group-Based Trajectory Modeling. The association of craving trajectories with drug use trajectories was examined using a dual trajectory model.

The effect of Cuminum cyminum on the return of bowel motility after abdominal surgery: a triple-blind randomized clinical trial.

Background And Objectives: Considering the significant prevalence of ileus after abdominal surgery and the beneficial effects of Cuminum cyminum in digestive problems, this study aimed to examine whether Cuminum cyminum has any effect on the return of bowel motility after abdominal surgery.

Materials And Methods: In this triple-blind clinical trial study, 74 patients undergoing abdominal surgery were assigned to the intervention and control groups using minimization methods. The patients in the intervention group consumed 250 mg capsules containing Cuminum cyminum extract 4 h after the surgery and another dose of the drug 1 h afterward.

The Effectiveness of Universal Educational Interventions for Prevention of Illicit Drug Use among University Students: A Systematic Review.

Background: The extent of illicit drug use among university students necessitates effective preventive programs. To identify and assess the effectiveness of university-based interventions in preventing or reducing illicit drug use.

Methods: The MEDLINE (PubMed), SCOPUS, ISI (Web of Science), and other sources were searched according to the Cochrane Collaboration method.

Managing the Dual Diagnosis Dilemma of Bipolar Disorder and Substance Abuse in Clinical Settings.

Objective: Drug addiction is a chronic mental disorder that significantly impacts all aspects of an individual's life, and substance use disorder in patients with bipolar disorder. The objective of this study is to assess the frequency of substance abuse among patients with bipolar spectrum disorder.

Method: This cross-sectional study evaluated the frequency of bipolar spectrum disorder in patients taking methadone through various screening measures, including Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), DSM IV criteria, Mood Disorders Questionnaire (MDQ), Goodwin and Ghaemi's criteria, and Akiskal classification for bipolar disorders.

2D NiP/N-doped graphene heterostructure as a Novel electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction: A computational study.

The main prerequisite for designing electrocatalysts with favorable performance is to examine the links between electronic structural features and catalytic activity. In this work, NiP as a model electrocatalyst and one of the most potent catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was utilized to develop various NiP and carbon-based (graphene and N-doped graphene) heterostructures. The characteristics of such structures (NiP, graphene, N-doped graphene, NiP/graphene, and NiP/N-doped graphene), including binding energies, the projected density of states (PDOS), band structure, charge density difference, charge transfer, Hirshfeld charge analysis, and minimum-energy path (MEP) towards HER were calculated and analyzed by density functional theory (DFT) approach.

Alcohol use, alcohol use disorder and heavy episodic drinking in the Eastern Mediterranean region: A systematic review.

Background And Ams: Despite the evident public health impact, the extent and patterns of alcohol use in the Eastern Mediterranean countries remain understudied. The latest estimation for the last 12-month use of alcohol in the region was 2.9% in 2016 by the World Health Organization.

Design of 2D/2D β-Ni(OH)/ZnO heterostructures via photocatalytic deposition of nickel for sonophotocatalytic degradation of tetracycline and modeling with three supervised machine learning algorithms.

Due to the expansive use of tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) to treat various infectious diseases in humans and animals, their presence in the environment has created many challenges for human societies. Therefore, providing green and cost-effective solutions for their effective removal has become an urgent need. Here, we will introduce 2D/2D p-n heterostructures that exhibit excellent sonophotocatalytic/photocatalytic properties for water-soluble pollutant removal.

Connectionist technique estimates of hydrogen storage capacity on metal hydrides using hybrid GAPSO-LSSVM approach.

The AB metal hydrides are one of the preferred choices for hydrogen storage. Meanwhile, the estimation of hydrogen storage capacity will accelerate their development procedure. Machine learning algorithms can predict the correlation between the metal hydride chemical composition and its hydrogen storage capacity.

Reduced drug use as an alternative valid outcome in individuals with stimulant use disorders: Findings from 13 multisite randomized clinical trials.

Background And Aims: Total abstinence has historically been the goal of treatment for substance use disorders; however, there is a growing recognition of the health benefits associated with reduced use as a harm reduction measure in stimulant use disorders treatment. We aimed to assess the validity of reduced stimulant use as an outcome measure in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of pharmacological interventions for stimulant use disorder.

Design: We conducted a secondary analysis of a pooled dataset of 13 RCTs.

Association of cigarette excise taxes and clean indoor air laws with change in smoking behavior in the United States: a Markov modeling analysis.

The rates of cigarette smoking in the United States have declined over the past few decades in parallel with increases in cigarette taxes and introduction of more stringent clean indoor air laws. Few longitudinal studies have examined association of taxes and clean indoor air policies with change in smoking nationally. This study examined the association of state and local cigarette taxes and clean indoor laws with change in smoking status of 18,499 adult participants of the longitudinal 2010-2011 Tobacco Use Supplement of the Current Population Survey over a period of 1 year.

Prevalence and determinants of opioid use disorder among long-term opiate users in Golestan Cohort Study.

Background: Number of opiate users worldwide has doubled over the past decade, but not all of them are diagnosed with opioid use disorder. We aimed to identify the prevalence and risk factors for OUD after ten years of follow-up.

Methods: Among 8,500 chronic opiate users at Golestan Cohort Study baseline (2004-2008), we recalled a random sample of 451 subjects in 2017.

Prevalence of Tuberculosis among People Who Use Drugs in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Drug use, especially injecting drug use, is associated with a higher risk of tuberculosis (TB). This study aimed to systematically review the prevalence of TB among people who use drugs (PWUD) in Iran.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted in international and national databases.

Polysaccharide nanocomposites in wastewater treatment: A review.

In modern times, wastewater treatment is vital due to increased water contamination arising from pollutants such as nutrients, pathogens, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical residues. Polysaccharides (PSAs) are natural, renewable, and non-toxic biopolymers used in wastewater treatment in the field of gas separation, liquid filtration, adsorption processes, pervaporation, and proton exchange membranes. Since addition of nanoparticles to PSAs improves their sustainability and strength, nanocomposite PSAs has gained significant attention for wastewater treatment in the past decade.

Screen-printed Sn-doped TiO nanoparticles for photocatalytic dye removal from wastewater: A technological perspective.

TiO is widely used as a photocatalyst with a wide band gap, which limited its application. Ion doping and formulating a high-quality screen-printing paste enhance its features. However, the printability of objects for advanced application seems essential nowadays.

A Six-Year Follow-up of People Who Use Cannabis in Iran - A Case Series.

Background: Frequent cannabis use is associated with adverse health-related outcomes. This study followed up individuals who used cannabis to assess their use and adverse event status.

Methods: The eligible individuals, recruited in the Iranian Mental Health Survey (IranMHS), were contacted via telephone calls six years after the index interview.