Predictors of onset of cannabis and other drug use in male young adults: results from a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: The use of cannabis and other illegal drugs is particularly prevalent in male young adults and is associated with severe health problems. This longitudinal study explored variables associated with the onset of cannabis use and the onset of illegal drug use other than cannabis separately in male young adults, including demographics, religion and religiosity, health, social context, substance use, and personality. Furthermore, we explored how far the gateway hypothesis and the common liability to addiction model are in line with the resulting prediction models. METHODS: The data were gathered within the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors (C-SURF). Young men aged around 20 years provided demographic, social, health, substance use, and personality-related data at baseline. Onset of cannabis and other drug use were assessed at 15-months follow-up. Samples of 2,774 and 4,254 individuals who indicated at baseline that they have not used cannabis and other drugs, respectively, in their life and who provided follow-up data were used for the prediction models. Hierarchical logistic stepwise regressions were conducted, in order to identify predictors of the late onset of cannabis and other drug use separately. RESULTS: Not providing for oneself, having siblings, depressiveness, parental divorce, lower parental knowledge of peers and the whereabouts, peer pressure, very low nicotine dependence, and sensation seeking were positively associated with the onset of cannabis use. Practising religion was negatively associated with the onset of cannabis use. Onset of drug use other than cannabis showed a positive association with depressiveness, antisocial personality disorder, lower parental knowledge of peers and the whereabouts, psychiatric problems of peers, problematic cannabis use, and sensation seeking. CONCLUSIONS: Consideration of the predictor variables identified within this study may help to identify young male adults for whom preventive measures for cannabis or other drug use are most appropriate. The results provide evidence for both the gateway hypothesis and the common liability to addiction model and point to further variables like depressiveness or practising of religion that might influence the onset of drug use.

Life-course socioeconomic environment and health risk behaviours: a multilevel small-area analysis of young-old persons in an urban neighbourhood in Lausanne, Switzerland

With a life expectancy at the age of 65 of around 20 years, damaging health risk behaviours of young-old adults have become a target for preventive actions. Such risk factors necessitate an accurate understanding of the present and past socioeconomic conditions associated with health risk behaviours. The aim of our study is to assess the impact of certain life events as well as economic and environmental factors on health risk behaviours. We included 1309 participants of the Lausanne Cohort Lc65+ aged 65-70 years and employed logistic regression analyses, with individuals nested within areas. The results illustrate the influences of socioeconomic factors from childhood to young-old age. Life experiences in adulthood and economic resources in young-old age are both associated with unfavourable health behaviours. Neighbourhood is a modest determinant as well, particularly regarding alcohol consumption. Therefore, prevention against health risk behaviours should focus on population subgroups defined on the basis of their socioeconomic and living contexts.

Associations of physical activity and sport and exercise with at-risk substance use in young men: a longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to measure the associations of physical activity and one of its components, sport and exercise, with at-risk substance use in a population of young men. METHOD: Baseline (2010-2012) and follow-up (2012-2013) data of 4748 young Swiss men from the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors (C-SURF) were used. Cross-sectional and prospective associations between at-risk substance use and both sport and exercise and physical activities were measured using Chi-squared tests and logistic regression models adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: At baseline, logistic regression indicated that sport and exercise is negatively associated with at-risk use of cigarettes and cannabis. A positive association was obtained between physical activity and at-risk alcohol use. At baseline, sport and exercise was negatively associated with at-risk use of cigarettes and cannabis at follow-up. Adjusted for sport and exercise, physical activity was positively associated with at-risk use of cigarettes and cannabis. CONCLUSION: Sport and exercise is cross-sectionally and longitudinally associated with a low prevalence of at-risk use of cigarettes and cannabis. This protective effect was not observed for physical activity broadly defined. Taking a substance use prevention perspective, the promotion of sport and exercise among young adults should be encouraged.

Randomized controlled trial of interventions for young people at ultra-high risk of psychosis: study design and baseline characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: Intervention during the pre-psychotic period of illness holds the potential of delaying or even preventing the onset of a full-threshold disorder, or at least of reducing the impact of such a disorder if it does develop. The first step in realizing this aim was achieved more than 10 years ago with the development and validation of criteria for the identification of young people at ultra-high risk (UHR) of psychosis. Results of three clinical trials have been published that provide mixed support for the effectiveness of psychological and pharmacological interventions in preventing the onset of psychotic disorder. METHOD: The present paper describes a fourth study that has now been undertaken in which young people who met UHR criteria were randomized to one of three treatment groups: cognitive therapy plus risperidone (CogTher + Risp: n = 43); cognitive therapy plus placebo (CogTher + Placebo: n = 44); and supportive counselling + placebo (Supp + Placebo; n = 28). A fourth group of young people who did not agree to randomization were also followed up (monitoring: n = 78). Baseline characteristics of participants are provided. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The present study improves on the previous studies because treatment was provided for 12 months and the independent contributions of psychological and pharmacological treatments in preventing transition to psychosis in the UHR cohort and on levels of psychopathology and functioning can be directly compared. Issues associated with recruitment and randomization are discussed.

Neurofibrome palpébral chez une femme jeune [Eyelid neurofibroma affecting a young woman].

A 43-year-old female patient had an amelanotic single tumor thickening the upper right eyelid and observed since early childhood. Clinically, it appeared as a firm mass, without sharp margins, giving a thickened appearance to the superior eyelid. The ophthalmic clinical examination was normal but some subcutaneous nodules attested to the diffusion of the disease recognized as a limited form of neurofibromatosis 1. Although well tolerated, it gave rise to a cosmetic disturbance and the patient was willing to undergo an excision. A complete surgical excision was performed on the lesions and the pathological study disclosed a typical neurofibroma. Regular observation of the different cutaneous nodules was recommended.

Pulmonary and systemic vascular dysfunction in young offspring of mothers with preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND: Adverse events in utero may predispose to cardiovascular disease in adulthood. The underlying mechanisms are unknown. During preeclampsia, vasculotoxic factors are released into the maternal circulation by the diseased placenta. We speculated that these factors pass the placental barrier and leave a defect in the circulation of the offspring that predisposes to a pathological response later in life. The hypoxia associated with high-altitude exposure is expected to facilitate the detection of this problem. METHODS AND RESULTS: We assessed pulmonary artery pressure (by Doppler echocardiography) and flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery in 48 offspring of women with preeclampsia and 90 offspring of women with normal pregnancies born and permanently living at the same high-altitude location (3600 m). Pulmonary artery pressure was roughly 30% higher (mean+/-SD, 32.1+/-5.6 versus 25.3+/-4.7 mm Hg; P<0.001) and flow-mediated dilation was 30% smaller (6.3+/-1.2% versus 8.3+/-1.4%; P<0.0001) in offspring of mothers with preeclampsia than in control subjects. A strong inverse relationship existed between flow-mediated dilation and pulmonary artery pressure (r=-0.61, P<0.001). The vascular dysfunction was related to preeclampsia itself because siblings of offspring of mothers with preeclampsia who were born after a normal pregnancy had normal vascular function. Augmented oxidative stress may represent an underlying mechanism because thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances plasma concentration was increased in offspring of mothers with preeclampsia. CONCLUSIONS: Preeclampsia leaves a persistent defect in the systemic and the pulmonary circulation of the offspring. This defect predisposes to exaggerated hypoxic pulmonary hypertension already during childhood and may contribute to premature cardiovascular disease in the systemic circulation later in life.

Cryptic recombination in the ever-young sex chromosomes of Hylid frogs.

Sex chromosomes are expected to evolve suppressed recombination, which leads to degeneration of the Y and heteromorphism between the X and Y. Some sex chromosomes remain homomorphic, however, and the factors that prevent degeneration of the Y in these cases are not well understood. The homomorphic sex chromosomes of the European tree frogs (Hyla spp.) present an interesting paradox. Recombination in males has never been observed in crossing experiments, but molecular data are suggestive of occasional recombination between the X and Y. The hypothesis that these sex chromosomes recombine has not been tested statistically, however, nor has the X-Y recombination rate been estimated. Here, we use approximate Bayesian computation coupled with coalescent simulations of sex chromosomes to quantify X-Y recombination rate from existent data. We find that microsatellite data from H. arborea, H. intermedia and H. molleri support a recombination rate between X and Y that is significantly different from zero. We estimate that rate to be approximately 10(5) times smaller than that between X chromosomes. Our findings support the notion that very low recombination rate may be sufficient to maintain homomorphism in sex chromosomes.

Home Safety Checklist for Families with Young Children, 2011

This safety checklist is designed to help you protect your children and everyone else in the family, from unintentional injuries. It is designed to be an easy, room-by-room survey that will quickly point out possible dangers. When you find a hazardous situation, change it – NOW!! Of course, no checklist will identify all the possible dangers, so use this process to look for other hazards. After you have read through the listed items for a room take a few minutes to look at the room from the view-point of a child.

Differential Behavior of Young Eucalyptus Clones in Response to Nitrogen Supply

Eucalyptus requires large amounts of nitrogen (N); however, it responds in diverse manners to the application of this nutrient. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differential performance in growth, mineral nutrition, and gas exchanges of N-fertilized Eucalyptus clones. The treatments consisted of two Eucalyptus clones (VM-01 and I-144) and six N application rates (0, 0.74, 2.93, 4.39, 5.85, and 8 mmol L-1 NH4NO3) arranged in a randomized complete block design with five replications. VM-01 had greater plant height and greater height/collar diameter ratio, as well as higher leaf concentrations of all macronutrients and of Cu, Fe, Mo, and Zn. In terms of total and root dry matter production, root/shoot ratio, and collar diameter, as well as stomatal conductance and transpiration, I-144 performed better. The performance of the clones was clearly differentiated, and the growth of I-144, despite lower leaf N concentration, was in general better than VM-01.

LEAF TOTAL NITROGEN CONCENTRATION AS AN INDICATOR OF NITROGEN STATUS FOR PLANTLETS AND YOUNG PLANTS OF EUCALYPTUS CLONES

The use of leaf total nitrogen concentration as an indicator for nutritional diagnosis has some limitations. The objective of this study was to determine the reliability of total N concentration as an indicator of N status for eucalyptus clones, and to compare it with alternative indicators. A greenhouse experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design in a 2 × 6 factorial arrangement with plantlets of two eucalyptus clones (140 days old) and six levels of N in the nutrient solution. In addition, a field experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design in a 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 factorial arrangement, consisting of two seasons, two regions, two young clones (approximately two years old), and three positions of crown leaf sampling. The field areas (regions) had contrasting soil physical and chemical properties, and their soil contents for total N, NH+4-N, and NO−3-N were determined in five soil layers, up to a depth of 1.0 m. We evaluated the following indicators of plant N status in roots and leaves: contents of total N, NH+4-N, NO−3-N, and chlorophyll; N/P ratio; and chlorophyll meter readings on the leaves. Ammonium (root) and NO−3-N (root and leaf) efficiently predicted N requirements for eucalyptus plantlets in the greenhouse. Similarly, leaf N/P, chlorophyll values, and chlorophyll meter readings provided good results in the greenhouse. However, leaf N/P did not reflect the soil N status, and the use of the chlorophyll meter could not be generalized for different genotypes. Leaf total N concentration is not an ideal indicator, but it and the chlorophyll levels best represent the soil N status for young eucalyptus clones under field conditions.

Impact of different adiposity measures on the relation between serum uric acid and blood pressure in young adults.

Serum uric acid (SUA) concentration is independently associated with blood pressure (BP) in adults. We examined this association in young adults at an age where anti-hypertension treatment, other potential confounding factors and co-morbidity are unlikely to occur. We assessed BP, anthropometric variables including weight, height, waist circumference (WC), body fat percent (using bioimpedance), lifestyle behaviors, SUA and blood lipids in 549 participants aged 19-20 years from a population-based cohort study (Seychelles Child Development Study). Mean (s.d.) SUA was higher in males than females, 0.33 (0.08) and 0.24 (0.07) mmol l(-1), respectively. Body mass index (BMI) was higher in females than males but BP was markedly higher in males than in females. SUA was associated with both systolic and diastolic BP. However, the magnitude of the linear regression coefficients relating BP and SUA decreased by up to 50% upon adjustment for BMI, WC or body fat percent. The association between SUA and BP was not altered upon further adjustment for alcohol intake, smoking, triglycerides or renal function. In fully adjusted models, SUA remained associated with BP (P<0.05) in females. In conclusion, adiposity substantially decreased the association between SUA and BP in young adults, and BP was independently associated with SUA in females. These findings suggest a role of adiposity in the link between hyperuricemia and hypertension.

Acute hepatitis A in a young returning traveler from Kenya despite immunization before departure.

Aluminum-adsorbed hepatitis A vaccines are known to be highly efficient. We present here the case of a patient who was immunized against hepatitis A before leaving for Kenya and who contracted an acute symptomatic hepatitis A during travel.