Characteristics and predictors of recidivist drink-drivers

Objective: The current study compared characteristics of nonrecidivist versus recidivist drink-drivers and of recidivists in their first versus second appearance at Back on Track (BOT), the remedial measures program for impaired drivers in Ontario, Canada.

Methods: Information from 59,134 convicted drivers who participated in BOT between 2000 and 2010 was examined to identify drivers who completed the program a second time following reconviction.

Results: A total of 586 recidivists were identified. Compared to nonrecidivist drivers, recidivists at first attendance were more likely to be male and had higher scores on measures of alcohol dependence and adverse legal consequences of substance use. Compared to nonrecidivist drivers, recidivists at second attendance were significantly older, had a higher income, were more likely to be retired, and were less likely to be employed part-time. They had fewer legal problems. Recidivists reported fewer drinking days and fewer drinks per occasion but greater use of benzodiazepines than nonrecidivists and had higher scores on a measure of future risk of alcohol- and drug-related problems. Comparison of recidivists' characteristics at first versus second attendance confirmed many of these findings, with second-time recidivists reporting fewer drinks per drinking day and greater use of benzodiazepines and having higher scores on a measure of future substance use problems than first-time recidivists.

Conclusions: Results suggest that identification of drivers at increased risk of recidivism may be possible at first program attendance by examining indicators of increased alcohol-related problems. In addition, recidivists appear to show a greater readiness to change at second attendance. Implications for remedial program development and recommendations for future research are discussed.     

Physicochemical regeneration of high silica zeolite Y used to clean-up water polluted with sulfonamide antibiotics

High silica zeolite Y has been positively evaluated to clean-up water polluted with sulfonamides, an antibiotic family which is known to be involved in the antibiotic resistance evolution. To define possible strategies for the exhausted zeolite regeneration,the efficacy of some chemico-physical treatments on the zeolite loaded with four different sulfonamides was evaluated. The evolution of photolysis, Fenton-like reaction, thermal treatments, and solvent extractions and the occurrence in the zeolite pores of organic residues eventually entrapped was elucidated by a combined thermogravimetric(TGA–DTA), diffractometric(XRPD), and spectroscopic(FT-IR) approach. The chemical processes were not able to remove the organic guest from zeolite pores and a limited transformation on embedded molecules was observed. On the contrary, both thermal treatment and solvent extraction succeeded in the regeneration of the zeolite loaded from deionized and natural fresh water. The recyclability of regenerated zeolite was evaluated over several adsorption/regeneration cycles, due to the treatment efficacy and its stability as well as the ability to regain the structural features of the unloaded material.     

A review on molecular topology: applying graph theory to drug discovery and design

Molecular topology is an application of graph theory and statistics in fields like chemistry, biology, and pharmacology, in which the molecular structure matters. Its scope is the topological characterization of molecules by means of numerical invariants, called topological indices, which are the main ingredients of the molecular topological models. These are statistical models that are instrumental in the discovery of new applications of naturally occurring molecules, as well as in the design of synthetic molecules with specific chemical, biological, or pharmacological properties. In this review, we focus on pharmacology, which is a novel field of application of molecular topology. Besides summarizing some recent developments, we also seek to bring closer this interesting biomedical application of mathematics to an interdisciplinary readership.

硫酸粘菌素对土壤反硝化细菌nirS、nosZ基因多样性的影响

建立室内的土壤硫酸粘菌素暴露胁迫模型,采用末端限制性片段长度多态性分析(terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism,T-RFLP)技术分析不同浓度硫酸粘菌素残留对土壤反硝化细菌的影响。结果表明,每个处理组nirS、nosZ基因的分类操作单元(Operational Taxonomic Units,OTU)总数均比对照组低,且nirS基因呈现剂量依赖效应;各组优势细菌nirS基因主要集中在10个片段中,nosZ基因主要集中在18个片段中,nirS基因较nosZ基因丰度变化大;多样性指数分析表明,nirS基因Shannon指数在7 d时,高浓度组较对照组差异显著(P0.05); Simpson指数在各浓度处理组较对照组差异均显著(P0.05); Pielou指数在7 d、49 d时,高浓度处理组与对照组差异显著(P0.05); nosZ基因Shannon指数在35 d时,中浓度组与对照组差异显著(P0.05); 49 d时,低浓度组与对照组差异显著(P0.05); Simpson指数在21 d、35 d时,低浓度组与对照组差异显著(P0.05); Pielou指数在各处理组之间差异均不显著(P0.05)。当药物含量≥5 mg·kg~(-1)时,反硝化细菌的均匀度、群落多样性降低,优势度升高,群落结构特征均发生改变,其中对nirS基因影响显著。nirS基因更适合作为硫酸粘菌素污染的指示基因。     

In-vitro toxicity of cyclophosphamide and etoposide intermediates/metabolites produced by three white rot fungi

Aim of the present study is to determine the in-vitro cell cytotoxic effect of native and transformed cancer drugs (cyclophosphamide and etoposide) using three different white rot fungi (Ganoderma lucidum, Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes versicolor). At 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 days, experiments were done on a mouse monocyte macrophage cell line (Raw 264.7). After biodegradation, the altered compounds were found to be harmful to the Raw 264.7 cells. The maximal cytotoxicity of cyclophosphamide transformed products (TPs) were determined to be 2.4%, 7.3% and 7% respectively, against G. lucidum, P. chrysosporium and T. versicolor, respectively. With G. lucidum, P. chrysosporium and T. versicolor, the etoposide toxicity was 1.5%, 8% and 2.7% respectively. P. chrysosporium-mediated biodegradation resulted in the maximum toxicity, at 8%, on the 12th day for etoposide and 7.3% on the 3rd day for cyclophosphamide. After biodegradation by fungi, the toxicity of these two anticancer agents was reduced in the form of metabolites, but each fungus showed unique capacity for toxicity removal.     

兽药类环境内分泌干扰效应及评价研究进展

兽药在保障动物健康、提高畜禽产品质量尤其在畜牧业集约化发展等方面起着至关重要的作用，然而兽药和饲料添加剂的大量使用成为生态环境污染和人体健康损害的一个重要因素。研究表明许多抗生素类和激素类兽药是典型的环境内分泌干扰物，通过多种方式干扰生物体雄激素、雌激素、甲状腺激素等内分泌过程，产生内分泌干扰效应。本文介绍了典型兽药的污染现状及其内分泌干扰效应研究最新进展；以环境内分泌干扰物的最新研究方法为基础，较全面地评述了可用于兽药类内分泌干扰物的快速筛选、检测及评价方法，并对该领域未来研究提出了展望和建议，以期为环境和农业等管理部门制定兽药的使用、排放、管理政策提供科学依据。     

Substance use among populations displaced by conflict: a literature review

This paper reviews the literature on substance use among populations displaced by conflict. Of the 17 publications presenting primary data retained for review, all consider populations in or recovering from protracted conflict, the majority (10) in non-camp settings. Most studies (10) offer prevalence estimates, suggesting that substance use (such as of alcohol, opiates, or minor tranquilizers) is common in some displaced settings. Five describe harmful consequences of substance use among displaced populations (such as HIV transmission, tuberculosis treatment failure, gender-based violence, and economic problems). Three studies suggest risk factors for substance use problems (such as gender, trauma-related conditions, pre-displacement substance use, and socio-economic factors); two examine qualitatively the gendered nature of alcohol-related harm and its links with gender-based violence. One study examines an intervention. The evidence base is weak. Findings are used to develop a conceptual framework emphasizing the risk environment to inform further research, to encourage debate among researchers and practitioners, and to enable the development of interventions.     

Patterns of substance use among Hurricane Katrina evacuees in Houston,Texas

This paper focuses on changing patterns of substance use among low income, African American drug users evacuated from New Orleans, Louisiana, during Hurricane Katrina of August 2005. It examines the relationship between increases and decreases in alcohol and tobacco (AT) use and illicit drug (ID) use after Katrina and pre‐disaster and within‐disaster factors. Data from structured interviews with 200 Katrina evacuees currently living in Houston were collected 8–14 months after the disaster. Multivariate analysis revealed that rises in AT use were positively associated with education. Females and younger evacuees were more likely to have increased AT use. ID use increase was positively associated with resource loss and leaving the city before Katrina. Decreases in AT and ID use were found to be associated with disaster‐related exposure. The paper discusses the specific consequences of disasters on disadvantaged minority substance users and the importance of developing public health disaster policies that target this population.     

Delays in DUI blood testing: Impact on cannabis DUI assessments

Objective: This study examined the time from law enforcement dispatch to the first blood draw in cases of driving under the influence (DUI) vehicular homicide and a subset of DUI vehicular assault cases in Colorado in 2012. Laboratory toxicology results were also examined to understand the implications of delays in blood draws in cases of driving while under the influence of marijuana's delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Methods: Colorado court records were reviewed and information regarding charges, presence of alcohol and/or drugs, time of law enforcement contact and blood draw, crash location, and other contextual factors were identified. The distributions of first blood draw times were studied by charge and by responding law enforcement agency. Toxicology data from a different cohort of DUI traffic arrests in Colorado and Washington were examined to determine the proportion of blood tests for THC that were above specified legal limits in those states.

Results: The average time from law enforcement dispatch to blood draw in cases of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault was 2.32 h (SD ± 1.31 h), with a range of 0.83 to 8.0 h and a median of 2.0 h. Data from DUI traffic arrests found that between 42 and 70% of all cannabinoid-positive traffic arrests tested below 5 ng/ml THC in blood, which is the legal limit in Colorado and Washington.

Conclusion: Given the current delays to blood testing in cases of arrests for vehicular homicide and vehicular assault in Colorado, many blood tests are unlikely to confirm that drivers who are impaired from smoking marijuana have THC levels above established legal limits.