Developing methods to rapidly screen for novel synthetic 2-benzylbenzimidazole opioids, also known as nitazenes, has become increasingly important due to their high potency. These compounds have ...potency comparable or exceeding that of fentanyl by up to 10 times and have been implicated in approximately 5% of all drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2021. This paper details the authenticity determination of suspect tablets and the identification of three nitazene analogs (N-pyrrolidino etonitazene, isotonitazene, and etodesnitazene) in suspect tablets seized at a mail facility using Raman and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) with handheld devices, portable Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), and a direct analysis in real-time ambient ionization coupled to a thermal desorption unit and a mass spectrometer (DART-TD-MS). These methods are rapid and excellent for screening opioids in suspect tablets but could not fully determine the exact structure of some of the nitazene analogs present due to spectral similarities or similar fragmentation patterns. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) confirmed the presence of these nitazene compounds in addition to other opioids/drugs that were in trace quantities. The quantitative high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) detection experiments determined that the suspect tablets contained an average of 0.817 mg of N-pyrrolidino etonitazene per tablet. The results obtained reveal that the simultaneous deployment of these complementary and orthogonal portable analytical techniques as part of a workflow allows suspect tablets to be screened and nitazene-type drugs to be identified in suspect counterfeit tablets at remote sampling sites.
The purpose of this study was two-fold: to determine the relationship between ethnic identity and self-esteem as dimensions of one's self-concept; and to determine if differences exist among one's ...ethnicity, ethnic identity, and/or self-esteem when examining at-risk eating disordered behaviors. A total of 893 urban adolescent females completed three behavioral subscales: the Eating Disorder Inventory, Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, and Phinney's Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure. As hypothesized, ethnic identity was significantly associated with self-esteem to form one's self-concept. When compared to Mexican American and White females, only Black females who were in the higher ethnic identity and self-esteem categories had significantly lower at-risk eating disordered scores. Our findings suggest eating disorder status in Mexican American and White females may not be associated as much with ethnic identity as with other acculturation and self-concept factors. Further, this study demonstrated ethnicity, self-esteem, and ethnic identity play significant roles in eating disorder risks.
This study determined if differences existed between four race/gender groups in regard to attempted suicide among a randomly selected, cross‐sectional population of 4,565 public high school students ...in South Carolina. A modified Youth Risk Behavior Survey was designed to gather information on quality of life, life satisfaction, and six risk‐behavior categories. Data first were analyzed using logistic regression analysis and subsequently analyzed using path analysis. Results suggest several independent variables (feelings of intimidation, alcohol and cocaine use, self‐perceptions of mental health, self‐perceptions of body weight, dieting practices, bulimic episodes, and physical and sexual abuse) were associated significantly (p < .01) with adolescent attempted suicide either directly or indirectly through mediating variables. Significant associations among risk behaviors, mediating variables, and self‐reported attempted suicide varied across the four race/gender groups, indicating a need to further study differences noticed in each race/gender scheme. (J Sch Health. 2002;72(2):71–77)
This study examined differences in selected health risk behaviors among 5,517 students attending public high schools (PUBHS) and 1,089 students attending private high schools (PVTHS) in South ...Carolina. The 1995 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey was used to collect self‐report information on adolescent risk behaviors. Chisquare analyses were performed for comparing public and private students on selected risk behaviors. Both PUBHS and PVTHS students reported substantial involvement in most of the risk‐taking behaviors examined. PUBHS students, in general, were more likely to report higher prevalence rates than PVTHS students for most of the selected health risk behaviors. However, PVTHS students reported even higher prevalence rates than PUBHS students for alcohol use, driving after drinking, and binge drinking: smoking cigarettes (past 30 days); chewing tobacco (males only); marijuana use during the past 30 days (females only); and use of alcohol or other drugs before last act of sexual intercourse. Results suggest attendance at a private high school is not a panacea for protection against adolescent risk behaviors, and that all high school students could benefit from a coordinated school health program.
The clinical steroidal selective estrogen receptor (ER) degrader (SERD), fulvestrant, is effective in metastatic breast cancer, but limited by poor pharmacokinetics, prompting the development of ...orally bioavailable, nonsteroidal SERDs, currently in clinical trials. These trials address local breast cancer as well as peripheral metastases, but patients with brain metastases are generally excluded because of the lack of blood–brain barrier penetration. A novel family of benzothiophene SERDs with a basic amino side arm (B-SERDs) was synthesized. Proteasomal degradation of ERα was induced by B-SERDs that achieved the objectives of oral and brain bioavailability, while maintaining high affinity binding to ERα and both potency and efficacy comparable to fulvestrant in cell lines resistant to endocrine therapy or bearing ESR1 mutations. A novel 3-oxyazetidine side chain was designed, leading to 37d, a B-SERD that caused endocrine-resistant ER+ tumors to regress in a mouse orthotopic xenograft model.
Purpose: To compare the effectiveness of a one-time sexual assault prevention theatre performance against a similar content video performance and a non-intervention control group. Methods: Using the ...College Date Rape Attitudes and Behaviors Survey, four-hundred ninety-seven students provided matched pairs data for analysis. Results: At a three-month follow-up when compared to students in other groups, those participating in the theatre program had limited, but noticeable attitude changes and one significant behavior change. Specifically, participants in the theatre group changed their attitudes on women provoking rape, 'no ' meaning 'no ' and stopping activity when consent is not stated. Discussion: Educational content/dialogue must be very specific when addressing individual topics on attitudes people hold on the subject of sexual assault. Theatrical performances may be effective programming to reduce sexual assaults on college campuses. Key words: Sexual Assault Prevention, Theatre, Effectiveness Evaluation
Members of the FAD/NAD-linked reductase family are recognized as crucial targets in drug development for cancers, inflammatory disorders, and infectious diseases. However, individual FAD/NAD ...reductases are difficult to inhibit in a selective manner with off-target inhibition reducing usefulness of identified compounds. Thioredoxin glutathione reductase (TGR), a high molecular weight thioredoxin reductase-like enzyme, has emerged as a promising drug target for the treatment of schistosomiasis, a parasitosis afflicting more than 200 million people. Taking advantage of small molecules selected from a high-throughput screen and using X-ray crystallography, functional assays, and docking studies, we identify a critical secondary site of the enzyme. Compounds binding at this site interfere with well-known and conserved conformational changes associated with NADPH reduction, acting as a doorstop for cofactor entry. They selectively inhibit TGR from Schistosoma mansoni and are active against parasites in culture. Since many members of the FAD/NAD-linked reductase family have similar catalytic mechanisms, the unique mechanism of inhibition identified in this study for TGR broadly opens new routes to selectively inhibit homologous enzymes of central importance in numerous diseases.
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is now recognized as an important gaseous transmitter that is involved in a variety of biological processes. Here, we report the design and synthesis of a luminescent ...lanthanide biosensor for H2S, LP2-Cu(II)-Ln(III), a heterobinuclear metal complex that uses Cu(II) decomplexation to control millisecond-scale-lifetime-Tb(III)- or Eu(III)-emission intensity. LP2-Cu(II)-Ln(III) responded rapidly, selectively, and with high sensitivity to aqueous H2S. The probe’s potential for biological applications was verified by measuring the H2S generated by the slow-releasing chemical-sulfide-donor GYY4147, by cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE), and by Na2S-stimulated HeLa cells.
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