Wiley最新文献

Background and aims: People who use methamphetamine have a standardised mortality ratio 6.8 times greater than the general population, with several countries reporting concerning increases in methamphetamine-related mortality over the past decade. Methamphetamine use in the United Kingdom (UK) has been reported as largely confined to communities of men who have sex with men (MSM) with no previous large-scale studies describing mortality associated with methamphetamine. We aimed to determine trends and case characteristics of methamphetamine-related deaths in the UK.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Coronial records submitted to the National Programme on Substance Use Mortality (NPSUM) in the UK, 1997-2024.

Cases: Decedents for whom methamphetamine was determined as implicated in death following coronial investigation.

Measurements: Information was available on decedent sociodemographics, characteristics of death and drugs implicated in death.

Findings: 136 decedents had methamphetamine implicated in death. The number of deaths per year were observed to be higher over time since the first death recorded in 2006 (2005-2010, 8 deaths; 2011-2015, 24 deaths; 2016-2020, 47 deaths; 2021-2024, 57 deaths). Decedents were predominantly male (n = 124, 91%) of White ethnicity (n = 68, 50%) with a mean age of 41.5 years (standard deviation 10.4; range 18-71); 77% had a history of substance dependence, 48% of which involved injecting drug use, and 88% had a history of a mental disorder. The median blood methamphetamine concentration detected at post-mortem was 0.83 mg/l (interquartile range 0.26, 2.5). Multiple drug toxicity was implicated in the majority of cases (n = 88, 65%), the most common implicated other drugs being cocaine (n = 27, 20%), gamma-hydroxybutyrate (n = 20, 15%), opioids (n = 20, 15%), benzodiazepines (n = 18, 13%), mephedrone (n = 13, 10%) and ketamine (n = 12, 8%). Accidental poisoning was the most common direct cause of death (n = 89, 65%), with other causes including intentional poisoning, cardiovascular disease, aspiration pneumonia and ischemic bowel disease.

Conclusions: Over the past two decades there appears to have been an increase in the number of methamphetamine-related deaths in the UK. These deaths largely involve polysubstance use within an overwhelmingly male population with a high prevalence of substance dependence and mental health disorders.

Background and aims: Understanding lifetime alcohol exposure is fundamental to appreciating the risks of alcohol dependence and the multiplicity of alcohol-related harms, such as cirrhosis. However, most research relies on self-reported alcohol use measures that rarely extend beyond recent consumption. This represents a critical limitation in assessing the relationship between alcohol exposure and biological or psychological outcomes. Concerns about recall bias may be overstated and risk obstructing translational research into long-term effects of alcohol, including treatment engagement. This scoping review examined the evidence for the reliability and validity of self-reported measures of lifetime alcohol consumption.

Methods: We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO databases in June 2024 for English-language articles published since 1970. We included studies that performed at least one of the following psychometric assessments on a lifetime alcohol exposure measure: test-retest reliability, internal consistency, concurrent validity or construct validity.

Results: The search identified 1607 unique records. After title and abstract screening, 24 studies underwent full-text review, with nine meeting the inclusion criteria. Most studies were conducted in North America (78%). The most frequently used instrument was the Lifetime Drinking History (LDH) (67%). Across all studies, there were 6010 participants (3478 male, 2532 female), with sample sizes ranging from 49 to 3255. In 78% of studies, alcohol exposure data were collected via face-to-face interview. Eight studies assessed test-retest reliability, with retest intervals ranging from 14 days to 13 years; none assessed internal consistency. Three studies (33%) formally assessed validity. Where assessed, test-retest reliability and concurrent and construct validity were moderate to strong. Test-retest reliability ranged from 0.67 to 0.92, and concurrent and construct validity with external reference measures ranged from 0.40 to 0.80, indicating generally acceptable performance.

Conclusions: Existing instruments for measuring lifetime alcohol exposure appear to be valid and reliable and can overcome concerns regarding biases; however, these instruments vary in structure, lack standardisation and may fail to capture binge or episodic drinking, highlighting important gaps for refinement.

Background and aims: Quality of life (QoL) often declines during the menopausal transition, and alcohol use may worsen menopause-related symptoms. This study examined the longitudinal association between alcohol consumption and menopause-specific quality of life (MENQOL) questionnaire scores.

Design: Cohort study.

Setting: Hospital-based health screening center, with repeated measures from 2014 to 2023 (mean follow-up 7.43 years, average of 4.74 visits).

Participants: 3622 women aged 42-52 years (mean baseline age 44.33, standard deviation = 2.48) in premenopausal or early menopausal transition stages who underwent annual or biennial health examinations between 2014 and 2018.

Measurements: MENQOL scores ranged from 1 to 8, with higher scores indicating poorer QoL. Alcohol use was categorized as non-drinker, former, light (0.1 to <10 g/day), moderate (10 to <20 g/day) or heavy (≥20 g/day), and problematic drinking was assessed by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Baseline ovarian reserve was measured using anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH).

Findings: Adjusted mean differences in MENQOL scores versus non-drinkers were 0.12 (P = 0.026) for light, 0.14 (P = 0.033) for moderate and 0.20 (P = 0.008) for heavy drinkers. Domain-specific analysis showed that alcohol consumption, particularly heavy drinking, was statistically significantly associated with poorer vasomotor, psychosocial and physical domains; however, the sexual domain was non-significantly associated. Among women with below-median AMH, each 1-point AUDIT increase was associated with higher MENQOL overall (0.05, P = 0.001) and in vasomotor (0.05, P = 0.008), psychosocial (0.05, P = 0.011) and physical (0.06, P = 0.001) domains; associations were weaker or non-significant above the median. No interactions were found between alcohol use and time or menopausal stage. In lagged analysis, AUDIT ≥ 20 was associated with higher MENQOL at the next visit (1.25, P = 0.004).

Conclusion: Light, moderate and heavy drinking appear to be associated with poorer scores on the menopause-specific quality of life questionnaire, with greater vulnerability in women with lower anti-Müllerian hormone levels.

Aims: To examine age-specific trends in patterns of nicotine use in England between 2014 and 2024, including types of products used, exclusive and dual use of smoking and vaping, smoking frequency and the smoking history of those who vape.

Design: Repeat monthly cross-sectional analysis of data from a nationally representative survey (the Smoking Toolkit Study).

Setting: England, 2014-2024.

Participants: 217 433 adults (≥18y).

Measurements: Prevalence of (non-medicinal) nicotine use overall and by product type (combustible tobacco, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches), exclusive and dual use of smoking and vaping, daily versus non-daily smoking and smoking history among those who vape. Estimates were stratified by age group (18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, ≥65y) and year. Prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to quantify relative changes in prevalence from 2014 to 2024.

Findings: Nicotine use patterns varied markedly by age. Among 18-24-year-olds, vaping prevalence increased fivefold, from 5.0% in 2014 to 25.0% in 2024 (PR = 5.00; 95% CI = 4.18-5.91), surpassing smoking by 2023. This contributed to an overall increase in nicotine use (26.1% to 36.5%; PR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.29-1.53), despite declining smoking rates (25.3% to 19.9%; PR = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.71-0.88). In this age group, exclusive vaping became the most common mode of nicotine use, while nicotine pouch use also increased. Daily smoking declined substantially among 18-24-year-olds who smoked, with a shift toward non-daily smoking. Similar trends were observed among adults aged 25-44, though changes were smaller with increasing age. In older age groups (≥45), daily smoking declined modestly while vaping rose gradually, but there was little overall change in the prevalence of nicotine use. Most adults who vaped had a history of smoking, but the proportion who had never regularly smoked increased, particularly among 18-24-year-olds (4.3% to 34.3%; PR = 7.98; 95% CI = 4.56-26.2).

Conclusions: Generational shifts in nicotine use are occurring in England. Nicotine use has risen among young adults over the past decade, but they are increasingly moving away from daily cigarette smoking towards vaping or non-daily smoking. While older adults have also shown movement away from daily smoking, traditional smoking patterns remain more prevalent in this group. These trends suggest vaping may gradually replace smoking as the dominant form of nicotine consumption.

Background: The beet webworm, Loxostege sticticalis, a globally notorious agricultural pest enters diapause as mature larvae to overwinter in the northern temperate zone. The moth develops normally at 16L: 8D and 22 ± 1 °C, and enters diapause at 22 ± 1 °C and 12L:12D. While juvenile hormone (JH) regulates larval diapause in this insect species, the role of photoperiod-20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) Axis remains enigmatic.

Results: Photoperiod-driven diapause progression is orchestrated through synchronized changes in 20E titers and expression of PTTH, EcR, and USP. Under short-day conditions, mature larvae exhibited 20E peaks followed by sustained lower levels (≈50 ng/mg) during diapause, PTTH expression was suppressed at diapause while EcR/USP co-downregulation in maintained diapause. Diapause terminating individuals showed pre-activation of PTTH/EcR/USP transcription before 20E resurgence. However, non-diapause larvae under long-day photoperiod, steadily rising 20E titer were mirrored by progressive PTTH/EcR/USP upregulation. Functional validation revealed that microinjection of 20E agonist--tebufenozide at early fifth-instar significantly prolonged larval development by 5.8 days but accelerated pupation by 11.9 days. Conversely, RNAi-mediated knockdown of PTTH, EcR, or USP dramatically shortened the fifth-instar duration but led to a significant 9.70 days extension of the mature larval phase.

Conclusion: Our results establish a causal chain wherein photoperiod disrupts 20E biosynthesis via PTTH suppression, leading to EcR/USP silencing that sustains diapause. Pharmacological and genetic interventions demonstrate that the PTTH-20E-EcR/USP axis governs developmental transitions during both diapause and non-diapause trajectories. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Cyphomandra betacea, a valuable understory crop in southwestern China, exhibits high sensitivity to water availability. Under global climate change with increasingly erratic precipitation, understanding how Cyphomandra betacea, seedlings respond to rainfall variations is crucial for sustaining this distinctive industry. Through controlled experiments, this work systematically investigates how different rainfall patterns affect seedling growth and physiology, providing a theoretical basis for science-based management under future climate scenarios. Seedlings were subjected to a four-month simulated rainfall experiment with two rainfall intervals (T: 3-day; T₊: 6-day) and three rainfall amounts (W: control; W₊: +40%; W_-: -40%). Biomass, non-structural carbohydrates (NSC), and carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus stoichiometric characteristics were analysed. Seedling growth is more sensitive to variations in rainfall amount, and appropriate increases in rainfall can promote seedling growth and development. Under changes in rainfall patterns, seedlings prioritize the storage of NSC in stems, followed by leaves, with the lowest allocation to roots. Nitrogen content within organs is pivotal for the composition of NSC and can regulate the sugar-starch conversion process. The July W₊T treatment resulted in optimal performance for the majority of growth indicators and demonstrated the highest nutrient accumulation efficiency. We identified a stem-preferential carbon allocation strategy and systemic N limitation, offering key insights for conservation and cultivation under changing climates.

Early oral language interventions boost children's language skills, yet we know strikingly little about whether these gains endure. The handful of long-term follow-up studies available suggest that even high-quality language interventions show substantial fade-out. This gap in our evidence base has real consequences for families and for policy, especially as demand for language support continues to rise. We suggest that long-term impact might depend on three levels: characteristics of the intervention (e.g. breadth, instructional approach, and fidelity), features of the learning environment (e.g. classroom ethos, continuity of support, and language resources available) and child-specific factors (e.g. children's cognitive profiles). We call on funders and researchers to prioritise the routine capture of long-term outcomes and to invest in identifying the mechanisms and tools that could drive sustained improvement (e.g. regular booster sessions). We feel this is a critical priority for future research, as it would help us design support that genuinely shifts developmental trajectories.

Secondary electrospray ionization (SESI) and extractive electrospray ionization (EESI), as derivative technologies of electrospray ionization (ESI), have empowered the real-time analysis of trace compounds residing in gases and aerosols. Over the past three decades, SESI and EESI have demonstrated remarkable potential in a wide spectrum of applications, spanning disease diagnosis, drug detection, food safety, and environmental surveillance. Concurrently, the strides made in deciphering the ionization mechanisms of SESI and EESI have spurred the creation of diverse ion source configurations that are characterized by enhanced sensitivity and diminished background noise. This comprehensive review encapsulates the ionization mechanisms inherent in SESI and EESI processes, with particular emphasis on the impact of analyte characteristics (such as proton affinity, dipole moment, polarizability, and solubility) and ion source operational parameters (encompassing temperature, humidity, voltage, flow rate and electrospray composition) on ionization efficiency. Additionally, it delves into the progression of SESI and EESI sources, highlights recent breakthroughs, and probes into future trajectories, furnishing novel perspectives for the development of both technologies and the associated instruments.