Craving-induced effects of different drug cues on persons abstaining from heroin

Background: The key factors of inducing drug cravings in persons abstaining from drug use remain a focus of addictions research. Given the accumulating evidences, the scope of cues investigated in the cue-reactivity paradigm has increased considerably. Yet, few studies have examined the effects of the intensity and endurance of different types of cues on their ability to induce craving. This study investigated differences among drug-cue words, negative physiological-cue words, and negative social-cue words in the induction of drug cravings among persons abstaining from heroin.

Methods: The sample consisted of 149 male abstinent heroin abusers from four addiction rehabilitation centers in China. Based on their abstinence lengths, they were labeled as short-term, medium-term, and long-term abstainer participants respectively. All participants completed a stress-imagery task and rated craving by visual analog scale.

Results: There was a significant interaction of cue type and abstinence length. There was no difference on the craving induced by three types of cue words in the short-term group. In the medium-term group, craving induced by negative social-cue words was significantly stronger than that by negative physiological-cue words, but not that by drug-cue words. In the long-term group, the craving induced by negative social-cue words remained the strongest, significantly stronger than that by both drug-cue words and negative physiological-cue words.

Conclusion: Negative social-cue words presented in the current study retain the ability to induce craving in heroin abstainers; this finding suggests that negative social cues encountered under more general circumstances could be a risk factor for relapse.     

化浊解毒方对溃疡性结肠炎的治疗作用及机制

目的探讨化浊解毒方治疗溃疡性结肠炎(UC)的治疗作用及机制。方法120例UC患者按照随机数字表法分为观察组、对照组各60例。观察组予中药化浊解毒方口服,每日1剂,早晚2次温服;对照组予美沙拉嗪肠溶片口服,1.0 g/次,3次/d。2组疗程均4周。对比2组治疗前后Geboes指数、结肠镜下黏膜表现、生活质量评分、疾病活动指数及血清炎性因子IL-8、IL-35水平,凝血指标血清FIB水平,统计治疗后1年内复发情况。结果治疗后,观察组Geboes指数、疾病活动指数及血清炎性因子IL-8水平、凝血指标血清FIB水平均较本组治疗前降低,生活质量评分、血清炎性因子IL-35水平升高(P<0.05);且观察组治疗后疾病活动指数及血清炎性因子IL-8水平、凝血指标血清FIB水平均低于对照组,生活质量评分、血清炎性因子IL-35水平均高于对照组(P<0.05)。与对照组相比,治疗组糜烂、溃疡改善不明显(P>0.05),充血水肿、颗粒样变等肠镜表现改善情况均优于对照组(P<0.05)。治疗结束1年观察组复发率为10.64%,对照组为23.53%,2组差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论化浊解毒方能改善UC患者临床症状,修复肠黏膜病理损伤,降低复发率;其机制可能与调节血清炎性因子IL-8、IL-35和凝血因子FIB水平有关。     

History of Articulators: Henry L. "Harry" Page and the Transograph

The intention of this article is to introduce the reader to the Transograph from a historical perspective. The technical data presented are intended to help the reader understand the design of this unique instrument and how it was programmed, but will not provide the reader a thorough understanding of this philosophy. The article seeks neither to defend nor criticize the principles of Transographics.