Actor-network analysis of community-based organisations in health pandemics: evidence from the COVID-19 response in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Freetown, Sierra Leone, is confronted with health risks that are compounded by rapid unplanned urbanisation and weak capacities of local government institutions. Addressing them implies a shared responsibility between government and non-state actors. In low-income areas, the role of community-based organisations (CBOs) in combating health disasters is well-recognised.

The Role of Resistance Training Dosing on Pain and Physical Function in Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review.

Context: Dosing parameters are needed to ensure the best practice guidelines for knee osteoarthritis.

Objective: To determine whether resistance training affects pain and physical function in individuals with knee osteoarthritis, and whether a dose-response relationship exists. Second, we will investigate whether the effects are influenced by Kellgren-Lawrence grade or location of osteoarthritis.

High-Frequency Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus Blocks Compulsive-Like Re-Escalation of Heroin Taking in Rats.

Opioid addiction, including addiction to heroin, has markedly increased in the past decade. The cost and pervasiveness of heroin addiction, including resistance to recovery from addiction, provide a compelling basis for developing novel therapeutic strategies. Deep brain stimulation may represent a viable alternative strategy for the treatment of intractable heroin addiction, particularly in individuals who are resistant to traditional therapies.

Social and Structural Challenges to Drug Cessation Among Couples in Northern Mexico: Implications for Drug Treatment in Underserved Communities.

Background: Available drug treatment modalities may inadequately address social and structural contexts surrounding recovery efforts.

Methods: This mixed methods analysis drew on (1) surveys with female sex workers and their intimate male partners and (2) semi-structured interviews with a subsample of 41 couples (n=82 individuals, 123 total interviews) in Northern Mexico. Descriptive and content analyses examined drug cessation and treatment experiences.

Compulsive-like responding for opioid analgesics in rats with extended access.

The abuse of prescription opioids that are used for the treatment of chronic pain is a major public health concern, costing ∼$53.4 billion annually in lost wages, health-care costs, and criminal costs. Although opioids remain a first-line therapy for the treatment of severe chronic pain, practitioners remain cautious because of the potential for abuse and addiction.

Client perspectives on design and implementation of a couples-based intervention to reduce sexual and drug risk behaviors among female sex workers and their noncommercial partners in Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez, México.

This mixed-methods study examined the acceptability of a hypothetical couples-based HIV prevention program for female sex workers and their intimate (non-commercial) male partners in Mexico. Among 320 participants, 67 % preferred couples-based over individual programs, particularly among men. Reasons cited for preferring couples-based programs included convenience and health benefits for both partners.