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To date, studies examining HCV treatment outcomes among PWID using DAA therapy have been conducted predominantly in higher income settings. Individuals who had a detectable HCV viral load at post-treatment week 12 or those who were missing an HCV viral load at post-treatment week 12 were classified as a treatment failure. Keywords: Africa; DAA; HCV; LMIC; PWID EN Africa DAA HCV LMIC PWID 691 694 4 07/13/22 20220801 NES 220801 Abbreviations APRI Aspartate Aminotransferase to Platelet Ratio Index CTP Child-Turcotte-Pugh DAA Direct-acting antivirals DOT Directly observed therapy FIB-4 Fibrosis-4 HBV Hepatitis B virus HCV Hepatitis C virus KSH Kenyan shilling LDV Ledipasvir LMICs Low- and middle-income countries MAT Medication-assisted treatment NSP Needle and syringe programmes PCM Peer case manager PWID People who inject drugs SOF Sofosbuvir SSA Sub-Saharan Africa SVR Sustained virologic response INTRODUCTION Although between 10 and 15 million of the estimated 71 million people worldwide living with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) live in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA),1 recent data suggest only 1% of these individuals have accessed HCV treatment.1 Diminished access has been attributed to the financial and geographical barriers to general medical care, and limited regional availability of direct-acting antivirals (DAA). [Extracted from the article] more...

BACKGROUND: Insect G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been identified as a new generation of attractive targets for RNA interference (RNAi)‐based pest control. A functional study of the leucine‐rich repeat‐containing (LGR2) gene in Hyphantria cunea (HLGR2) was performed to examine whether it can be used in the molecular control of this notorious pest. RESULTS: The complementary DNA (cDNA) sequence and deduced amino acids of HLGR2 were obtained and analyzed in the present study. HLGR2 is a typical GPCR and shows high structural and sequence similarity with other insect LGR2 proteins. The spatiotemporal expression profiles of HLGR2 showed that HLGR2 was highly expressed at the egg stage and tissues of head and silk gland. After RNAi of HLGR2, distinct phenotypes were observed when HLGR2 expression was suppressed, indicating that HLGR2 is essential in pupation and eclosion. HLGR2 RNAi led to a low pupation rate (45.00%), body malformation, abnormal wing expansion, failed cuticle melanization (63.33%), and high mortality rate (48.33%). Furthermore, we identified eight genes that are regulated by HLGR2. The expression of these eight genes was induced by the HLGR2 signaling pathway and correlated well with cuticle sclerotization. Unlike LGR2 in other insect species, HLGR2 was found to play a crucial role in the control of H. cunea during ecdysis and postecdysial stages. CONCLUSION: HLGR2 is essential for the growth and development and wing expansion and maturation in H. cunea, suggesting HLGR2 is a promising candidate for application in RNAi‐based control of this notorious agriculture‐forest pest. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background and Aims: Level of adherence to tobacco cessation medication regimens is believed to be causally related to medication effectiveness. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of varenicline directly observed therapy (DOT) on varenicline adherence and smoking cessation rates among smokers with opioid use disorder (OUD) receiving methadone treatment. Design Multicenter, parallel‐group two‐arm randomized controlled trial. Setting: Urban opioid treatment program (OTP) in the Bronx, New York, USA. Participants: Daily smokers of ≥ 5 cigarettes/day, interested in quitting (ladder of change score 6–8), in methadone treatment for ≥ 3 months, attending OTP ≥ 3 days/week. Participants' mean age was 49 years, 56% were male, 44% Latino, 30% Black, and they smoked a median of 10 cigarettes/day. Interventions: Individual, block, random assignment to 12 weeks of varenicline, either directly observed with methadone (DOT, n = 50) or via unsupervised self‐administered treatment (SAT, n = 50). Measurements The primary outcome was adherence measured by pill count. The secondary outcome was 7‐day point prevalence tobacco abstinence verified by expired carbon monoxide (CO) < 8 parts per million. Findings Retention at 24 weeks was 92%. Mean adherence was 78.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 71.8–85.2%] in the DOT group versus 61.8% in the SAT group (95% CI = 55.0–68.6%); differences were driven by DOT effects in the first 6 weeks. CO‐verified abstinence did not differ between groups during the intervention (P = 0.26), but was higher in the DOT than the SAT group at intervention end (DOT = 18% versus SAT = 10%, difference = 8%, 95% CI = –13, 28); this difference was not significant (P = 0.39) and was not sustained at 24‐week follow‐up. Conclusions: Among daily smokers attending opioid treatment programs, opioid treatment program‐based varenicline directly observed therapy was associated with early increases in varenicline adherence compared with self‐administered treatment, but findings were inconclusive as to whether directly observed therapy was associated with a difference in tobacco abstinence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Objectives: To study the degree to which individuals in different trajectories of marijuana use are similar or different in terms of unemployment status at mean age 43.Methods: bold>We gathered longitudinal data on a prospective cohort taken from a community sample (N = 548). Forty-nine percent of the original participants were females. Over 90% of the participants were white. The participants were followed from adolescence to early midlife. The mean ages of participants at the follow-up interviews were 14.1, 16.3, 22.3, 27.0, 31.9, 36.6, and 43.0, respectively. We used the growth mixture modeling (GMM) approach to identify the trajectories of marijuana use over a 29-year period.Results: Five trajectories of marijuana use were identified: chronic users/decreasers (8.3%), quitters (18.6%), increasing users (7.3%), chronic occasional users (25.6%), and nonusers/experimenters (40.2%). Compared with nonusers/experimenters, chronic users/decreasers had a significantly higher likelihood of unemployment at mean age 43 (adjusted odds ratio = 3.51, 95% confidence interval = 1.13-10.91), even after controlling for the covariates.Conclusions and Scientific Significance: The results of the associations between the distinct trajectories of marijuana use and unemployment in early midlife indicate that it is important to develop intervention programs targeting chronic marijuana use as well as unemployment in individuals at this stage of development. Results from this study should encourage clinicians, teachers, and parents to assess and treat chronic marijuana use in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background There is limited research on the correlates of cigarette smoking in women in late midlife. Objectives The present study examined the associations between risk factors in several psychosocial domains and current cigarette smoking among women in their mid-60s. These domains included risks in personal attributes, family relationships, negative life events, financial stressors, contextual factors, and problematic alcohol use. Methods Data were from a cohort of women originally living in two upstate New York counties ( N = 511) in late midlife (mean age = 65). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results The results supported our hypotheses. The cumulative psychosocial risk index was significantly associated with a greater likelihood of cigarette smoking [A.O.R. = 1.53; 95% C.I. (1.3-.181); p < .001] after controlling for age and educational level. Conclusions and Scientific Significance It is important to reduce the number of psychosocial risk factors faced by women in their 60s in order to reduce the likelihood of continued cigarette smoking. (Am J Addict 2014;23:423-428) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Although there is considerable research demonstrating the prospective association between earlier maladaptive personal attributes and later nicotine dependence, there is less work on the psychosocial mediators of this relationship. Maladaptive personal attributes appear in the form of depression, anxiety, and interpersonal sensitivity. This study was designed to assess the prospective relationship between earlier maladaptive personal attributes (mean age = 40) and later nicotine dependence ( age = 65.2) within an understudied female community sample. The participants were given self-administered questionnaires. The results supported a model by which earlier maladaptive personal attributes predicted later nicotine dependence through several indirect pathways. In addition to cigarette smoking, several domains mediated the relation of earlier maladaptive personal attributes and later nicotine dependence. These domains included internal factors (ie, later maladaptive personal attributes), interpersonal factors (ie, marital/partner conflict), later contextual factors (ie, family financial difficulty). Our multidimensional longitudinal findings have important implications for the prevention and treatment of nicotine dependence. The results identify earlier and later significant psychosocial risk factors to be targeted, and suggest the timing of interventions to reduce or eliminate nicotine dependence. (Am J Addict 2012;00:1-11) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This investigation studied the association between developmental trajectories of marijuana use extending from adolescence to age 32 and later antisocial behavior at age 37. Semi-parametric group-based modeling and logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the data. Five distinct trajectories of marijuana use were identified: never-users, quitters/decreasers, occasional users, chronic users, and increasing users. Being either a chronic user or an increasing marijuana user was associated with an increase in the risk of exhibiting antisocial behavior in adulthood. Both chronic and increasing use of marijuana may serve as predictors of adult antisocial behavior. Treatment programs to prevent antisocial behavior across the life course should include a component to address earlier and concurrent marijuana use. (Am J Addict 2011;20:509-515) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This study examines the precursors of violent behavior among urban, racial/ethnic minority adults. Data are from an on-going study of male and female African Americans and Puerto Ricans, interviewed at four time waves, Time 1-Time 4 (T1-T4), from adolescence to adulthood. Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze the developmental pathways, beginning in mid-adolescence (T1; age = 14.0 years), to violent behavior in adulthood (T4; age = 29.2 years). The variables assessed were: components of externalizing behaviors (i.e., rebelliousness, delinquency; T1, T3); illicit drug use (T2); peer delinquency (T2); perceived neighborhood crime (T4); and violent behavior (T3, T4). Results showed that the participants' externalizing behaviors (rebelliousness and delinquency) were relatively stable from mid-adolescence (T1; age = 14.0 years) to early adulthood (T3; age = 24.4 years). The participants' externalizing behaviors in mid-adolescence also had a direct pathway to peer delinquency in late adolescence (T2; age = 19.1 years). Peer delinquency, in turn, had a direct pathway to the participants' illicit drug use in late adolescence (T2), and to externalizing behaviors in early adulthood (T3). The participants' illicit drug use (T2; age = 19.1 years) had both direct and indirect paths to violent behavior in adulthood (T4). The participants' externalizing behaviors in early adulthood (T3) were linked with violent behavior at T3, and perceived neighborhood crime (T4), both of which had direct pathways to violent behavior in adulthood (T4). The findings suggest developmental periods during which externalizing behaviors, exposure to delinquent peers, illegal drug use, and neighborhood crime could be targeted by prevention and intervention programs in order to reduce violent behavior. Aggr. Behav. 37:349-361, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

African-Americans and Puerto Ricans were interviewed during adolescence, in their early twenties, and then again in their mid-twenties. Results indicated that earlier adolescent smoking, family conflict, and weak ethnic identity were significantly related to antisocial behavior, which in turn was related to associating with friends who smoked and/or used illegal drugs, and ultimately, to their own smoking. Results further indicate that early interventions in the development of tobacco use should focus on decreasing parental and adolescent smoking and parent–child conflict. If intervention occurs at a later time point, the emphasis should be on increasing ethnic identity and decreasing antisocial behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This 24-year community longitudinal study provides important information regarding parent-child conflict in adolescence (mean ages 14-16), vulnerable personality attributes and peer deviance in the twenties (mean age 22), and marital conflict and partner's illicit drug use in the late twenties and early thirties (mean ages 27-32) as related to a later diagnosis of substance use disorders (SUDs) in the thirties (mean ages 32-37). A community-based sample was interviewed between 1975 and 2007. Results based in structural equation modeling indicated that a weak parent-child bond was related to the development of drug-conducive personality traits, which was associated with the selection of drug-using peers and partners, which in turn, predicted SUDs. Both peer deviance and partner's illicit drug use had the greatest effects on SUDs. The findings should aid in formulating prevention and treatment programs targeting specific risk factors in adolescents, young adults, and adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

We examined the longitudinal pathways from marijuana use in the familial environment (parents and siblings) and non-familial environment (peers and significant other), throughout adolescence and young adulthood, to the participants' own marijuana use in their fourth decade of life (n = 586). Longitudinal pathways to marijuana use were assessed using structural equation modeling. Familial factors were mediated by non-familial factors; sibling marijuana use also had a direct effect on the participants' marijuana use. In the non-familial environment, significant other marijuana use had only a direct effect, while peer marijuana use had direct as well as indirect effects on the participants' marijuana use. Results illustrate the importance of both modeling and selection effects in contributing to marijuana use. Regarding prevention and treatment, this study suggests the need to consider aspects of familial and non-familial social environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

In this prospective longitudinal study, the authors investigated the association between marijuana use over a period of 13 years and subsequent health problems at age 27. A community sample of 749 participants from upstate New York was interviewed at mean ages of 14, 16, 22, and 27 years. Marijuana use over time was significantly associated with increased health problems by the late twenties, including respiratory problems, general malaise, neurocognitive problems, and lower academic achievement and functioning. Effective prevention and intervention programs should consider the wide range of adverse physiological and psychosocial outcomes associated with marijuana use over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This longitudinal study examined the interrelationships between early and/or middle adolescent attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), middle adolescent conduct disorder (CD), and later adult smoking behavior. This is a prospective longitudinal study. Data were collected via structured interviews of representative families in the northeastern United States (N = 641). The mean ages of the offspring were as follows: 14 years (T2, 1983), 17 years (T3, 1985-1986), and 32 years (T6, 2002). The dependent variable was the participants' daily cigarette smoking in their early thirties. Logistic regression analyses indicated that the relationship between ADHD and daily smoking behavior was mediated by CD with control on gender, age, SES, and adolescent smoking. CD had a direct effect on daily smoking in adulthood. Our findings suggest that ADHD is related to CD, which in turn is associated with daily smoking. Therefore, interventions with ADHD adolescents who have ADHD at an early age might lead to some reduction in later smoking provided that the intervention has a positive effect on CD. For those adolescents who never had ADHD, our findings suggest that prevention or treatment aimed at reducing CD may be most successful in reducing daily smoking later in adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This study's objective was to examine the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood aggressive behavior in African-American and Puerto Rican children, as well as the relationship between maternal unconventional behavior, low maternal affection, and offspring aggression. Participants consisted of African-American and Puerto Rican children (N = 203; mean age = 8.6, SD = 0.87) and their mothers living in an inner city community. An interview consisting of a structured questionnaire was administered to the mothers and their children. Scales with adequate psychometric properties were adapted from previous validated measures. They included maternal smoking during pregnancy, maternal education, unconventionality, and warmth. Controlling for demographic factors, maternal unconventional behavior, and low maternal warmth, maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with having offspring who were aggressive. Maternal unconventionality and warmth were independently related to childhood aggression. Although causal limitations are noted, it may be that a decrease in smoking during pregnancy is associated with a reduction in aggression in the offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...