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Substance use among adolescents is on the rise globally. Adolescents rarely seek help for problematic substance use and healthcare professionals can easily fail to identify adolescents with risky substance use. this website There is therefore a significant global need for substance use screening by healthcare professionals followed by appropriate intervention. Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based practice that enables clinicians to determine adolescents’ risk for substance use and intervene accordingly. However, little effort has been placed on empowering primary care clinicians to use it in Lebanon. We explored the attitudes, perceptions, and practices of primary care nurses and physicians regarding adolescent SBIRT use.

The study used a cross-sectional multisite survey design targeting urban and rural areas in Lebanon. A national sample of 140 physicians and nurses was recruited using random sampling stratified by governorate. Participants completed mailed or online snd self-efficacy regarding SBIRT use.

Our study confirms the lack of a standardized approach toward adolescent substance use screening and intervention by primary healthcare providers in Lebanon but revealed the readiness and willingness to receive training and proper support to adopt an evidence-based approach such as SBIRT.

Our study confirms the lack of a standardized approach toward adolescent substance use screening and intervention by primary healthcare providers in Lebanon but revealed the readiness and willingness to receive training and proper support to adopt an evidence-based approach such as SBIRT.

Elevated heart rate is linked with poor prognosis and has been shown to accelerate the progress of atherosclerosis. However, the association between heart rate and new-onset PAD is unknown.

A total of 3463 participants without PAD at baseline from a community-based cohort in Beijing were included and followed up for 2.3 years. PAD was defined as ankle-brachial index (ABI) ≤0.9. We used multivariate logistic regression models to investigate the association of heart rate and the risk of new-onset PAD.

Participants were 56.67 ± 8.54 years old, and 36.12% were men. The baseline ABI was 1.11 ± 0.08, and the incidence of new-onset PAD was 2.97%. Multivariate regression models, adjusted for sex, age, risk factor of atherosclerosis, medications, and baseline ABI, showed that heart rate was significantly associated with incidence of PAD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.43,

= 0.020); every increase of 10 heart beats per minute (bpm) was associated with a 22% increase in the odds of developing new-onset PAD. Respondents in the higher-heart rate group (≥80 bpm) had an increased risk of new-onset PAD, compared with those in the lower-heart rate group (<80 bpm) (OR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.14-2.63,

= 0.010). Subgroup analyses revealed no significant heterogeneity among the analyzed subgroups.

Elevated heart rate was independently associated with the risk of new-onset PAD in a community-based population in Beijing. Heart rate management should be considered for the purpose of PAD prevention.

Elevated heart rate was independently associated with the risk of new-onset PAD in a community-based population in Beijing. Heart rate management should be considered for the purpose of PAD prevention.

Accumulating evidence suggests the presence of cognitive impairment in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), which affects their psychosocial function and quality of life (QoL). PERFORM-J (Prospective Epidemiological Research on Functioning Outcomes Related to MDD in Japan) is an observational, multicenter study to assess longitudinal changes in depressive symptoms, psychomotor speed, subjective cognitive function, and psychosocial function.

Five hundred and eighteen Japanese outpatients with MDD initiating new antidepressant monotherapy (first-line or switch from previous drug) as part of their routine medical care participated in this study. Assessments at baseline and over the 6-month observation period included physician-rated depression severity (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale), psychomotor speed (Digit Symbol Substitution Test; DSST), subjective cognition (Perceived Deficits Questionnaire-Depression), psychosocial function (Sheehan Disability Scale), and QoL (EuroQol-5 Dimension-5 Level).

Antidepressant treatment for 6 months improved depressive symptoms and subjective cognitive impairment (cognitive complaints), whereas psychomotor speed remained impaired (ie, DSST total score was >1 standard deviation below the norm) in 35.6% of patients at 6 months. Impairment of subjective cognition, but not psychomotor speed at month 2 was associated with poor psychosocial function and QoL at 6 months. There was a trend for higher relapse rates at 6 months in patients with greater subjective cognitive impairment at 2 months.

These findings highlight the importance of evaluating cognitive difficulties to predict long-term outcomes in patients with MDD. Early intervention for cognitive complaints may decrease the relapse rate, which warrants further study.

These findings highlight the importance of evaluating cognitive difficulties to predict long-term outcomes in patients with MDD. Early intervention for cognitive complaints may decrease the relapse rate, which warrants further study.

To explore the effects of Radix Sophorae Flavescentis carbonisata-based carbon dots (RSFC-CDs) on an ethanol-induced acute gastric ulcer rat model.

The structure, optical properties, functional groups and elemental composition of RSFC-CDs synthesized by one-step pyrolysis were characterized. The gastric protective effects of RSFC-CDs were evaluated and confirmed by applying a rat model of ethanol-induced acute gastric ulcers. The underlying mechanisms were investigated through the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signalling pathway and oxidative stress.

RSFC-CDs with a diameter ranging from 2-3 nm mainly showed gastric protective effects by reducing the levels of NF-κB, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) to inhibit ethanol-induced inflammation and oxidative stress.

RSFC-CDs have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects, making them promising for application in ethanol-induced gastric injury.