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El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo establecer la relación entre los modos de afrontamiento al estrés y el bienestar psicológico. Se evaluó a 934 estudiantes universitarios de Lima y Huancayo, con edades entre 16 y 25 años, a quienes se les aplicó la Escala de Modos de Afrontamiento al Estrés (COPE) diseñado por Carver, Scheir y Weintraub (1989) adaptado al contexto peruano y la Escala de Bienestar Psicológico (SPWB), propuesta por Carol Ryff (1989), adaptada al contexto peruano. Los resultados mostraron que existe una relación directa y significativa entre el modo de afrontamiento al estrés centrado en el problema y la emoción con el bienestar psicológico, mientras que otros estilos de afrontamiento guardan una relación significativa, pero indirecta.

La investigación tuvo como propósito analizar la validez y confiabilidad del cuestionario MOS de Apoyo Social de Sherbourne y Stewart (1991) a pacientes con cáncer de Trujillo. Estudio de tipo instrumental. La muestra estuvo conformada por 100 pacientes con diagnóstico de cáncer, mayores de 18 años y de ambos sexos. El instrumento utilizado fue el Cuestionario MOS de Apoyo Social Percibido (MOS), desarrollado por Sherbourne y Stewart (1991), y una ficha de datos diseñada para fines del estudio. Las técnicas de análisis fueron el alfa de Cronbach para la confiabilidad y el analisis factorial exploratorio (AFE) de ejes principales para la validez con rotación Promáx. Se logró un nivel elevado de confiabilidad ( =.94) y un modelo de tres factores (54.240% de la varianza total): informacional, afectivo e instrumental. El estudio concluyó en un adecuado nivel de confiabilidad y validez del instrumento, y se recomienda ampliar la población de estudio tanto con muestras clínicas (con cáncer) como no clínicas (sin cáncer).

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo identificar diferencias según género y tipo de colegio en la comunicación interpersonal. La muestra estuvo constituida por 181 estudiantes universitarios de 1° año, 55 varones y 126 mujeres, el diseño del estudio fue descriptivo comparativo y se utilizó el cuestionario de comunicación interpersonal de Reyes (1996), del cual se extrajo la validez y confiabilidad para el estudio. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran que no existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas según género y colegio de procedencia en la comunicación interpersonal, se resalta la necesidad de realizar estudios en Latinoamerica sobre comunicación interpersonal, asociada a factores sociales y avances tecnológicos.

Introduction: Cannabis and nicotine/tobacco products (NTP) are commonly co-used in adolescence and young adulthood; however, limited research has been done on predictive health behaviors to co-use. The current study is a preliminary investigation into the relationships of modifiable health behaviors on cannabis and NTP co-use in adolescents and young adults., Method: 221 participants (ages 16-22) were characterized into cannabis use only (N = 55), NTP use only (N = 20), cannabis and NTP co-use (used cannabis and NTP; N = 96) and control (no use; N = 50) groups based on past 30-day use. Self-report measures for physical activity, sleep quality, mental health, and reward responsivity were utilized. Participants were given a comprehensive neurocognitive battery. Logistic regressions of self-report measures and fluid intelligence composite scores on substance use group status were run stratified by sex., Results: Higher approach reward sensitivity traits were associated with increased likelihood of cannabis use only (Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.15, p = .036) in female participants. Increased aerobic activity was associated with decreased likelihood of cannabis use only (OR = 0.91, p = .047) and cannabis and NTP co-use (OR = 0.88, p = .007) in female participants. Higher anxiety was associated with increased likelihood of cannabis NTP co-use (OR = 1.51, p = 0.025) in male participants., Discussion: Several health behaviors were linked with cannabis use and cannabis and NTP co-use in both females and male adolescents and young adults. Health markers differed by sex suggesting differing mechanisms of substance co-use. This study informs targetable health behaviors for prevention and intervention efforts., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In silico modeling offers an opportunity to supplement and accelerate cardiac safety testing. With in silico modeling, computational simulation methods are used to predict electrophysiological interactions and pharmacological effects of novel drugs on critical physiological processes. The O'Hara-Rudy's model was developed to predict the response to different ion channel inhibition levels on cardiac action potential duration (APD) which is known to directly correlate with the QT interval. APD data at 30% 60% and 90% inhibition were derived from the model to delineate possible ventricular arrhythmia scenarios and the marginal contribution of each ion channel to the model. Action potential values were calculated for epicardial, myocardial, and endocardial cells, with action potential curve modeling. This study assessed cardiac ion channel inhibition data combinations to consider when undertaking in silico modeling of proarrhythmic effects as stipulated in the Comprehensive in Vitro Proarrhythmia Assay (CiPA). As expected, our data highlight the importance of the delayed rectifier potassium channel (I Kr ) as the most impactful channel for APD prolongation. The impact of the transient outward potassium channel (I to ) inhibition on APD was minimal while the inward rectifier (I K1 ) and slow component of the delayed rectifier potassium channel (I Ks ) also had limited APD effects. In contrast, the contribution of fast sodium channel (I Na ) and/or L-type calcium channel (I Ca ) inhibition resulted in substantial APD alterations supporting the pharmacological relevance of in silico modeling using input from a limited number of cardiac ion channels including I Kr , I Na , and I Ca , at least at an early stage of drug development., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Introduction: Despite evidence suggesting deleterious effects of cannabis and nicotine tobacco product (NTP) use on white matter integrity, there have been limited studies examining white matter integrity among users of both cannabis and nicotine. Further, updated white matter methodology provides opportunities to investigate use patterns on neurite orientation dispersion and density (NODDI) indices and subtle tissue changes related to the intra- and extra-neurite compartment. We aimed to investigate how cannabis and NTP use among adolescents and young adults interacts to impact the white matter integrity microstructure., Materials and Methods: A total of 221 participants between the ages of 16 and 22 completed the Customary Drinking and Drug Use Record (CDDR) to measure substance use, and underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) session. Participants were divided into NTP-control and NTP groupings and cannabis-control and cannabis groupings (≥26 NTP/cannabis uses in past 6 months). Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) and two-way between-subjects ANOVA investigated the effects of NTP use group, cannabis use group, and their interaction on fractional anisotropy (FA) and NODDI indices while controlling for age and biological sex., Results: NTP use was associated with decreased FA values and increased orientation dispersion in the left anterior capsule. There were no significant effects of cannabis use or the interaction of NTP and cannabis use on white matter outcomes., Discussion: NTP use was associated with altered white matter integrity in an adolescent and young adult sample. Findings suggest that NTP-associated alterations may be linked to altered fiber tract geometry and dispersed neurite structures versus myelination, as well as differential effects of NTP and cannabis use on white matter structure. Future work is needed to investigate how altered white matter is related to downstream behavioral effects from NTP use.

Nicotine and tobacco product (NTP) use remains prevalent in adolescence/young adulthood. The effects of NTPs on markers of brain health during this vulnerable neurodevelopmental period remain largely unknown. This report investigates associations between NTP use and gray matter cerebral blood flow (CBF) in adolescents/young adults. Adolescent/young adult (16-22 years-old) nicotine users (NTP; N = 99; 40 women) and non-users (non-NTP; N = 95; 56 women) underwent neuroimaging sessions including anatomical and optimized pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling scans. Groups were compared on whole-brain gray matter CBF estimates and their relation to age and sex at birth. Follow-up analyses assessed correlations between identified CBF clusters and NTP recency and dependence measures. Controlling for age and sex, the NTP vs. non-NTP contrast revealed a single cluster that survived thresholding which included portions of bilateral precuneus (voxel-wise alpha < 0.001, cluster-wise alpha < 0.05; ≥7 contiguous voxels). An interaction between NTP group contrast and age was observed in two clusters including regions of the left posterior cingulate (PCC)/lingual gyrus and right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC): non-NTP exhibited positive correlations between CBF and age in these clusters, whereas NTP exhibited negative correlations between CBF and age. Lower CBF from these three clusters correlated with urine cotinine (rs=-0.21 - - 0.16; ps < 0.04) and nicotine dependence severity (rs=-0.16 - - 0.13; ps < 0.07). This is the first investigation of gray matter CBF in adolescent/young adult users of NTPs. The results are consistent with literature on adults showing age- and nicotine-related declines in CBF and identify the precuneus/PCC and ACC as potential key regions subserving the development of nicotine dependence., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Nicotine and tobacco product (NTP) and cannabis use are common in adolescence/young adulthood and increase risk for negative psychosocial outcomes. This study investigated associations among adolescent/young adults' initial experiences with NTPs, lifetime frequency of substance use, substance-related problems, and mental health symptoms., Method: Adolescents and young adults enrolled in a study on NTP and cannabis use were asked at what age they initiated the use of NTPs and were assigned to groups based on which product or substance(s) they reported using at the earliest age. Participants who reported use of NTPs (in isolation, without cannabis) first ( N  = 78, "NTP-only"), simultaneous use of NTPs and cannabis first (e.g., blunt or bowl; N  = 25, "Simult-only"), use of both NTPs in isolation and simultaneous use at the same age ( N  = 48, "NTP + Simult"), and no NTP use ( N  = 53, "NTP-naïve") were compared on substance use, substance-related problems, and mental health symptoms., Results: Groups differed on lifetime frequency of NTP, simultaneous, and cannabis use, with NTP users reporting more substance use episodes and substance-related problems than the NTP-naïve group. The lifetime frequency of cannabis use did not differ across NTP use groups. NTP use was associated with increased anxiety and depression, with no significant differences between groups., Conclusions: Adolescents and young adults who use nicotine may be at increased risk for greater nicotine use and mental health consequences, but initiating NTP use simultaneously with cannabis may not increase the risk of negative outcomes above and beyond nicotine initiation. Prospective longitudinal research is needed to establish temporal associations between first-used NTP/cannabis products and relevant outcomes.

Introduction and Objectives: The histopathological identification of Helicobacter pylori using the routine method (haematoxylin-eosin) is not only very difficult but also has low sensitivity. Giemsa staining is often used in addition, but different protocols do not produce homogeneous results. Furthermore, the Gold Standard recommended by the European Helicobacter Pylori Study Group has been applied in very few studies, thus resulting in uncertain outcomes. Therefore, a new staining method is required to overcome these limitations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic capacity and inter-observer agreement of "Gissell's stain"., Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study evaluated 99 gastric paraffin blocks from a private laboratory. Three sections were prepared from each block, and haematoxylin-eosin (HE), Giemsa and "Gissell's stain" methods were applied. The kappa statistics, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were calculated., Results: "Gissell's stain" obtained the highest inter-observer agreement (kappa=0.87) compared to the other two methods (HE, kappa=0.51; Giemsa, kappa=0.83). It also obtained the best sensitivity and negative predictive value (97.1% and 98.3%, respectively) compared with the other two methods (HE: 68.6% and 85.1%, respectively; Giemsa: 88.6% and 93.9%, respectively)., Conclusions: Given its unique characteristics (fast, cheap, accessible, and easy to use), in addition to its statistical reliability, "Gissell's stain" has great potential for routine use in the identification of H. pylori., (Copyright © 2023 Sociedad Española de Anatomía Patológica. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: A high prevalence of prison inmates have a positive tuberculin skin test (TST) and sometimes unnecessary treatment for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is prescribed. The prison tuberculosis prevention and control program has not generalized the use of QuantiFERON (QFT) in prisons. We set out to describe the implementation and usefulness of QFT in a population of inmates with positive TST, and to detect false positives and avoid unnecessary treatments. We also analysed the sociodemographic variables of the inmate population., Material and Methods: All the positive TST tests between December 2020 and December 2021 from an average population of 300 inmates in Burgos prison were analysed. The QFT value was measured in all the positive cases. Sociodemographic variables were analysed and finally the number of inmates with positive TST, but with a negative QFT result and therefore not requiring LTBI treatment, was evaluated., Results: A total of 41 inmates were included in the study, with a mean age of 44 years. The proportion between Spanish inmates and foreigners was similar. Of all the positive TST, 48.8% were QFT negative., Discussion: It was observed that QFT is a safe method for the diagnosis of LTBI in prisons and that its use would contribute to a more specific selection of inmates who actually need chemoprophylactic treatment for LTBI.

Nicotine and tobacco product (NTP) use has escalated, largely due to the advent of e-cigarettes. The NTP administration method (i.e., combustible cigarette, e-cigarette) may be an important differentiator. We assessed young adult substance use history, nicotine attitudes, mental health, and neurocognition by the NTP use method. Emerging adults (16-22 year olds) were divided into combustible NTP users (Combustible+ = 79, had used any combustible NTP in the last 6 months), non-combustible users (E-Cig = 43, had used non-combustible NTP, in the past 6 months), and NTP Naïve ( n = 79; had not used NTP in the past 6 months) based on past 6-month NTP use patterns. Participants completed self-report and objective neurocognition measures. Analysis of covariance assessed mental health and neurocognition by group, controlling for confounds and correcting for multiple comparisons. Nicotine groups reported more favorable attitudes toward combustible cigarette and e-cigarette use, with taste as the primary reason for e-cigarette use. Combustible+ reported more nicotine dependence and craving. Substance use differed by group, with Combustible+ using the most NTP, alcohol, and cannabis. Nicotine groups reported higher depression and stress symptoms; male Combustible+ reported higher depression symptoms than other same-gender groups. Groups did not differ on neurocognition, though cannabis use was associated with inaccurate emotional Stroop responses. Overall, research suggests that young adult combustible users are likely qualitatively different from non-combustible users. Understanding the unique characteristics related to NTP product use will help guide intervention and prevention development.

Objective: Co-use of cannabis and nicotine and tobacco products (NTPs) in adolescence/young adulthood is common and associated with worse outcomes than the use of either substance in isolation. Despite this, little is known about the unique contributions of co-use to neurostructural microstructure during this neurodevelopmentally important period. This study sought to investigate the interactive effects of nicotine and cannabis co-use on white matter fiber tract microstructure in emerging adulthood., Method: A total of 111 late adolescent (16-22 years old) nicotine (NTP; n = 55, all past-year cannabis users) and non-nicotine users (non-NTP; n = 56, 61% reporting cannabis use in the past year) completed demographic and clinical interviews and a neuroimaging session comprising anatomical and diffusion-weighted imaging scans. Group connectometry analysis identified white matter tracts significantly associated with the interaction between nicotine group and past-year cannabis use according to generalized fractional anisotropy (GFA)., Results: Nicotine Group × Cannabis Use interactions were observed in the right and left cingulum and left fornix tracts (false discovery rate = 0.053), where greater cannabis use was associated with increased GFA in the cingulum and left fornix, but only when co-used with nicotine., Conclusions: This report represents the first group connectometry analysis in late adolescent/young adult cannabis and/or NTP users. Results suggest that co-use of cannabis and NTPs results in a structurally distinct white matter phenotype as compared with cannabis use only, although to what extent this may change over time with more chronic nicotine and cannabis use remains to be examined in future work.

Cryptosporidium spp. are responsible for moderate to severe diarrhea, mainly in children and immunocompromised patients. Using ELISA, the recognition of synthetic peptides generated from the sequences of the Cryptosporidium parvum gp40 and gp15 proteins by serum IgM and IgG antibodies from patients infected (cases) with Cryptosporidium hominis , C. parvum , and Cryptosporidium canis , and uninfected individuals (controls) was evaluated. A statistically significant difference (p = 0.0025) was found in terms of the recognition of peptides A133 and A32 between cases and controls. Additional studies are necessary to understand the potential of these peptides as vaccine candidates., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Urrea-Quezada, Balmaceda-Baca, Garibay, Hernández and Valenzuela.)

Objective: Verbal memory deficits are linked to cannabis use. However, self-reported episodic use does not allow for assessment of variance from other factors (e.g., cannabis potency, route of consumption) that are important for assessing brain-behavior relationships. Further, co-occurring nicotine use may moderate the influence of cannabis on cognition. Here we utilized objective urinary measurements to assess the relationship between metabolites of cannabis, 11-nor-9-carboxy-∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH), and nicotine (cotinine) on verbal memory in young adults., Method: Adolescents and young adults (n = 103) aged 16-22 completed urinary drug testing and verbal memory assessment (RAVLT). Linear regressions examined the influence of THCCOOH and cotinine quantitative concentrations, and their interaction, on RAVLT scores, controlling for demographics and alcohol. Cannabis intake frequency was also investigated. Secondary analyses examined whether past month or recency of use related to performance, while controlling for THCCOOH and cotinine concentrations., Results: THCCOOH concentration related to both poorer total learning and long delay recall. Cotinine concentration related to poorer short delay recall. Higher frequency cannabis use status was associated with poorer initial learning and poorer short delay. When comparing to self-report, THCCOOH and cotinine concentrations were negatively related to learning and memory performance, while self-report was not., Conclusions: Results confirm the negative relationship between verbal memory and cannabis use, extending findings with objective urinary THCCOOH, and cotinine concentration measurements. No moderating relationship with nicotine was found, though cotinine concentration independently associated with negative short delay performance. Findings support the use of both urinary and self-report metrics as complementary methods in substance use research.

Accumulating evidence suggests that the use of cannabis and nicotine and tobacco-related products (NTPs) during the adolescent years has harmful effects on the developing brain. Yet, few studies have focused on the developing brain as it relates to the co-administration of cannabis and NTPs, despite the high prevalence rates of co-use in adolescence. This review aims to synthesize the existing literature on neurocognitive, structural neuroimaging, and functional neuroimaging outcomes associated with cannabis and NTP co-use. A systematic search of peer-reviewed articles resulted in a pool of 1107 articles. Inclusion criteria were 1) data-based study; 2) age range of 13 to 35 years or, for preclinical studies, nonadult subjects; 3) cannabis and NTP group jointly considered; and 4) neurocognitive, structural neuroimaging, or functional neuroimaging as an outcome measure. Twelve studies met inclusion criteria. Consistent with the literature, cannabis and nicotine were found to have independent effects on cognition. The available research on the co-use of cannabis and NTPs demonstrates a potential nicotine-related masking effect on cognitive deficits associated with cannabis use, yet there is little research on co-use and associations with neuroimaging indices. In neuroimaging studies, there is preliminary evidence for hippocampal volume differences in co-users and a lack of evidence for co-use differences related to nucleus accumbens activity during reward processing. Notably, no structural neuroimaging studies were found to examine the combined effects of nicotine and cannabis in adolescent-only populations. Further research, including longitudinal studies, is warranted to investigate the influence of cannabis and NTP co-use on maturation., (Copyright © 2020 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rationale: Co-use of cannabis and nicotine is common among adolescents/young adults and is associated with poorer psychological and physical outcomes, compared with single substance use. Little is known about the impact of co-use on the developing brain., Objectives: Preliminary investigation of the effects of nicotine on white matter (WM) cerebral blood flow (CBF) in adolescents/young adults and its potential moderation by cannabis use., Methods: Adolescent/young adult (16-22 years old) nicotine and tobacco product users (NTP; N = 37) and non-nicotine users (non-NTP; N = 26) underwent a neuroimaging session comprised of anatomical, optimized pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling, and diffusion tensor imaging scans. Groups were compared on whole-brain WM CBF estimates and their relation to past-year cannabis use. Follow-up analyses assessed correlations between identified CBF clusters and corresponding fractional anisotropy (FA) values., Results: Group by cannabis effects were observed in five clusters (voxel-wise alpha < 0.001, cluster-wise alpha < 0.05; ≥ 11 contiguous voxels): non-NTP exhibited positive correlations between CBF and cannabis use in all clusters, whereas no significant relationships were observed for NTP. Greater CBF extracted from one cluster (including portions of right superior longitudinal fasciculus) was associated with reduced FA for non-NTP group only., Conclusions: This is the first investigation of WM health as indexed by CBF, and its association with FA, in adolescents/young adults with nicotine and/or cannabis use. Results suggest that cannabis use by itself may be related to increased CBF in WM fiber tracts demonstrating poorer structural intergrity, yet the occurrence of even infrequent NTP use (greater than once per month) appears to diminish this relationship.

We present the principle and implementation of a new type of fast response evaporative calorimeter designed to work at cryogenic temperatures and above-ambient pressures. It is capable of measuring input energy from an electric pulse and the thermal output energy by measuring the evaporation of liquid nitrogen through a mass flow meter. This system may be used to measure either the steady heat output from the system submersed under the cryogen or the heat output that results from a fast square-wave profile electrical pulse of duration from 10 µs or longer. The energy output of metal capillary-wire composite systems has been measured calorimetrically. A four-wire measurement was used to monitor the input electric energy with an uncertainty less than 5% for a typical pulse. Mass flow meters and pressure regulation systems were used to monitor the rate of evaporation of liquid nitrogen with a typical precision of 2 std.-ml/min. For a typical pulse, the integrated mass flow of nitrogen could be determined with an uncertainty less than 3%. The pressure controllers and ballast compliance volumes allow the system to return to a steady state of mass flow in less than 2 min following an electric pulse. The system is capable of housing and measuring four separate wire-capillary systems in a single Dewar. On average, a calibration resulted in 3.9 std. ml evaporated per joule of input energy. This corresponds to a 97% efficiency for this calorimeter.