Notes

cAMP-Inhibits Cytoplasmic Phospholipase A₂ and Safeguards Nerves in opposition to Amyloid-β-Induced Synapse Destruction.
However, in the offspring of MMA, a strong correlation was observed between avoidance memory and depressive-like behavior. Conclusion The results revealed that in comparison with the offspring with CTL, the correlation among the behavioral futures in the offspring with MMA or PMA parents is significantly different. © 2019 Kerman University of Medical Sciences.Background Heavy vehicle drivers spend a great deal of time away from their families. This issue and other difficulties around their job may increase risky behaviors among them. The current study aims to investigate the prevalence of opium drugs, stimulants, cannabis, and alcohol use 12 hours before driving among heavy vehicle drivers. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we selected two sites that were in charge of medical examination of drivers and recruited 363 drivers of heavy vehicles (trucks, trailers, and buses). We asked drivers about total number of drivers they knew and number of drivers who experienced use of different types of drugs. The data were analyzed using Network Scale Up Method (NSUM). Findings Mean of age and job experience was 43.28 ± 10.04 years and 16.07 ± 9.67 years, respectively. The highest and lowest prevalence of drug use related to opium-based drugs at 12.8% to 14.0% and simulants at 1.97% to 2.84%, respectively. The prevalence of alcohol use 12 hours before driving was 4%. Conclusion 12-hour before driving prevalence of opium-based drugs among drivers was high. This might put them in higher risk of road accidents. There is a need to design appropriate educational programs for them. © 2019 Kerman University of Medical Sciences.Background This study aimed to explore the barriers and enablers to quitting khat from the perspective of users and the barriers and enablers to supporting users to quit from the perspective of healthcare professionals (HCPs). Methods The present qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to collect and analyse data. Findings Overall, 10 khat users and 3 professionals were interviewed. Beliefs about the consequences of continued use facilitated user's decisions to quit. Social influences were both a barrier and an enabler. For professionals, the social influence of other colleagues and working together was key in enabling them to support clients. Social/professional role and identity was also an important enabler, as professionals saw supporting users to quit as an integral part of their role. A range of behaviour change techniques was identified as potential ways in which quitting attempts could be more successful, from the perspective of users and professionals. Conclusion The study reveals the complexity of khat chewing and quitting from the perspective of khat users, such as the varied influence of family and friends. It also identifies the many barriers and enablers that professionals experience when supporting individuals to quit, such as working with other professionals. There is little evidence for the effectiveness of current services provided for quitting khat or little information outlining how they were developed. Current services would benefit from evaluating the effectiveness of the interventions using established methodology. Recommendations have been provided for practice in the field of substance misuse. © 2019 Kerman University of Medical Sciences.Background The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of disordered internet use among adolescent university students and its association with various health complaints and behaviours, and most importantly to examine the psychometric properties of 9-item Internet Disorder Scale-Short Form (IDS9-SF) using factor analyses and Rasch analysis. Methods A total of 1988 university students aged 18 to 25 years were selected via a multi-stage stratified random sampling technique among university students in Istanbul, Turkey (September 2017 to February 2018). Data collected included socio-demographics, lifestyle and dietary habits, and the 9-item IDS9-SF. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, multivariate analyses, factor analyses, path analysis, and Rasch analysis. Findings Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the study investigated the latent structure of the IDS9-SF instrument and results supported its reliability and validity. The prevalence of disordered internet use was 18.3an University of Medical Sciences.Background Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are instrumental in controlling opioid misuse, but opioid users have increasingly shifted to cocaine, creating a different set of medical problems. While opioid use results in multiple medical comorbidities, findings of the existing studies reported single comorbidities rather than a set, and furthermore, those findings are often conflicting because of the lack of controlling for other substances in the analysis when combined use of substance creates synergistic effects. On the other hand, the findings from cocaine use are mainly related to kidney and heart problems, which lack specificity. Because medical comorbidities from opioid and cocaine use are very different, it is imperative to investigate medical comorbidities from opioids and cocaine in order to minimize negative effects from PDMPs. Therefore, this study attempts to discover sets of medical comorbidities from opioid and cocaine use by controlling for other substances in the analysis. Methods A data mining technique, association rule mining algorithm, was employed to discover sets of medical comorbidities using electronic medical records. This method is ideal to discover co-occurring medical comorbidities. Findings Opioid use was associated with a set of [high diastolic blood pressure (DBP), abnormal specific gravity], [high body mass index (BMI), low blood gas] among others. Cocaine use correlated with [high creatine kinase (CK), high blood urea nitrogen (BUN)], [high CK, cardiopulmonary] among others. Conclusion The findings of this study addresses some of the conflicting findings by eliminating multidrug and reports sets of medical comorbidities from opioid and cocaine use. © 2019 Kerman University of Medical Sciences.Background Empathy is defined as the ability to simulate the mental states of others. Recent studies have demonstrated empathy-like behaviors in other animals including rats and mice. A-674563 in vivo The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effect of acute administration of morphine and naloxone on cognition and nociception changes following observing conspecifics undergoing nociceptive stimulus. Methods Adult male Wistar rats were used (n = 8 for each group). One cagemate received formalin injection into the hindpaw five times within a nine-day period and the other cagemate observed the pain while being pretreated with saline, morphine, or naloxone [10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (i.p.)]. Pain behaviors, anxiety-like behaviour, locomotion, balance and muscle strength were evaluated in the observer animals. Findings Observing a cagemate in pain increased anxiety-like behavior and reduced thermal pain threshold in the observer animals. Administration of morphine reversed these effects and naloxone did not affect the responses. Conclusion Results of the current study reveal an important role for opioid receptors (ORs) in empathy for pain, so that activation of this system dampens the empathy-like responses. © 2019 Kerman University of Medical Sciences.Background Alcohol use and drug injection are prevalent among homeless youths. The aim of this study was to identify the associated factors of alcohol consumption and drug injection among homeless youths aged 18-29 years. Methods Data on 202 homeless youths (111 males and 91 females) were collected using a standardized questionnaire and face-to-face interview. Lasso logistic regression was applied to determine the impact of associated factors on alcohol consumption and drug injection. Findings The mean age of the participants was 26.30 ± 3.19 years. Also, the prevalence of alcohol consumption and drug injection was 33.0% [95% confidence interval (CI) 30-36] and 4.0% (95% CI 0-8), respectively; 6 people (3.0%) consumed alcohol and injected drugs at the same time. Correlates of alcohol consumption and drug injection were male sex [odds ratio (OR)Alc = 5.7], age (ORAlc = 0.96 and ORDI = 0.98), bachelor or higher education level (ORAlc = 1.34), non-Iranian nationality (ORAlc = 0.05 and ORDI = 0.18), food score (ORDI = 0.92), smoking (ORAlc = 2.05), substance use (ORAlc = 1.12), opposite sex relationship (ORAlc = 1.6), homosexual relationship (ORAlc = 3.56 and ORDI = 2.69), and mental disorder (ORAlc = 0.99). Conclusion Based on our findings, it seems that the homeless youth are more desired to use alcohol and drug injection, whereas the prevalence of alcohol consumption and drug injection in homeless youth was higher than general youth population in Iran. Therefore, some suitable solutions are needed to prevent the homelessness. Also, the effective variables that were identified in this study for alcohol use and drug injection can help design and implement beneficial interventions. © 2019 Kerman University of Medical Sciences.N-terminal acetyltransferases (NATs) belong to the superfamily of acetyltransferases. They are enzymes catalysing the transfer of an acetyl group from acetyl coenzyme A to the N-terminus of polypeptide chains. N-terminal acetylation is one of the most common protein modifications. To date, not much is known on the molecular basis for the exclusive substrate specificity of NATs. All NATs share a common fold called GNAT. A characteristic of NATs is the β6β7 hairpin loop covering the active site and forming with the α1α2 loop a narrow tunnel surrounding the catalytic site in which cofactor and polypeptide meet and exchange an acetyl group. We investigated the dynamics-function relationships of all available structures of NATs covering the three domains of Life. Using an elastic network model and normal mode analysis, we found a common dynamics pattern conserved through the GNAT fold; a rigid V-shaped groove formed by the β4 and β5 strands and splitting the fold in two dynamical subdomains. Loops α1α2, β3β4 and β6β7 all show clear displacements in the low frequency normal modes. We characterized the mobility of the loops and show that even limited conformational changes of the loops along the low-frequency modes are able to significantly change the size and shape of the ligand binding sites. Based on the fact that these movements are present in most low-frequency modes, and common to all NATs, we suggest that the α1α2 and β6β7 loops may regulate ligand uptake and the release of the acetylated polypeptide. © 2020 The Authors.Towards clinical translation of cancer nanomedicine, it is important to systematically investigate the various parameters related to nanoparticle (NP) physicochemical properties, tumor characteristics, and inter-individual variability that affect the tumor delivery efficiency of therapeutic nanomaterials. Comprehensive investigation of these parameters using traditional experimental approaches is impractical due to the vast parameter space; mathematical models provide a more tractable approach to navigate through such a multidimensional space. To this end, we have developed a predictive mathematical model of whole-body NP pharmacokinetics and their tumor delivery in vivo, and have conducted local and global sensitivity analyses to identify the factors that result in low tumor delivery efficiency and high off-target accumulation of NPs. Our analyses reveal that NP degradation rate, tumor blood viscosity, NP size, tumor vascular fraction, and tumor vascular porosity are the key parameters in governing NP kinetics in the tumor interstitium.
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