The effect of adding curcumin to sodium valproate in treatment of patients with bipolar disorder in the acute phase of mania: A randomized double-blind clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory processes play a role in the etiopathogenesis of bipolar disorder type 1. Full therapeutic responses are seldom seen and the ongoing inflammatory processes in the brain could lead to neuronal loss. Curcumin, a relatively safe herbal compound, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. The present randomized double-blind clinical trial study aimed to investigate the effect of adding curcumin to the treatment regimen of BID.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This randomized double-blind clinical trial was conducted on 78 patients diagnosed with BID according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5) criteria. The sample were divided into two groups. Patients in both groups received sodium valproate starting at a dose of 600 milligrams per day and administered up to 20 milligrams per kilogram per day or the highest dosage of the patient's tolerance. Patients in the intervention group also received curcumin as nanomicelle in soft gelatin capsules 40 milligrams per day. The control group received placebo tablets with the same characteristics as the curcumin tablets. They were assessed by a psychiatrist using the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clinical Global Impression (CGI), and a medication side effect questionnaire at the beginning of the study, as well as in the first, second, and fourth weeks of the study.

RESULTS

Among the 78 patients chosen to participate in the project, 54 people completed the trial. No specific side effect was observed in the two groups. Both groups showed an increase in their MMSE scores compared to the beginning of the study (value of p < 0.001). Although this increase was not statistically different between the two groups (value of p = 0.68). The YMRS score of both groups decreased significantly by the end of the study (value of p < 0.001); however, this decrease was not significantly different between the two groups (value of p = 0.64). In addition, the two groups experienced a significant increase in their CGI scores throughout the study (value of p < 0.001), this increase however was not statistically different between the two groups (value of p = 0.88).

CONCLUSION

The present study suggested that curcumin may not be a useful adjuvant agent in the management of patients with BID receiving sodium valproate as treatment.Clinical trial registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT), identifier IRCT2016102530504N1.

The effect of educational intervention based on theory of planned behavior and self-regulatory strategies on the social vitality of women employee

BACKGROUND

Social vitality is one of the most important social indicators to develop a sense of public satisfaction. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of educational intervention based on theory of planned behavior (TPB) and self-regulatory strategies on the social vitality of women employee.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this randomized controlled field trial study, 66 women employees of Birjand University of Medical Sciences (Iran) were selected including intervention (n = 31) and control (n = 35). Data were collected by standard Oxford Happiness Questionnaire and a researcher-made questionnaire based on TPB which its the validity and reliability were confirmed. The educational intervention consisted of 5 sessions based on the constructs of the TPB and self-regulatory strategies which were to the interventional group. Data analysis was performed using the Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, independent t-test, repeated measures ANOVA, and Bonferroni post hoc test at a significance level of <0.05.

RESULTS

The mean age of women in the intervention and control group was 37.1 ± 9.3 and 36.2 ± 7.6 years (P = 0.67). Model constructs and happiness scores were homogeneous (P > 0.05) before the intervention, in two group of study, but after attitude (P = 0.016), subjective norm (P = 0.029), perceived behavior control (P = 0.01), intention (P = 0.006), and happiness score (P < 0.001) had a significant increase in the intervention group. In the control group, only a significant difference occurred over time in the happiness rate (P = 0.031).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the present study showed the effectiveness of educational intervention on the social vitality of women employees. Therefore, TPB is recommended to use in interventions to promote social vitality.

Trial protocol: a clustered, randomised, longitudinal, type 2 translational trial of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm among adolescents in Australia

Background

This cluster randomised control trial is designed to evaluate whether the Communities That Care intervention (CTC) is effective in reducing the proportion of secondary school age adolescents who use alcohol before the Australian legal purchasing age of 18 years. Secondary outcomes are other substance use and antisocial behaviours. Long term economic benefits of reduced alcohol use by adolescents for the community will also be assessed.

Methods

Fourteen communities and 14 other non-contiguous communities will be matched on socioeconomic status (SES), location, and size. One of each pair will be randomly allocated to the intervention in three Australian states (Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia). A longitudinal survey will recruit grade 8 and 10 students (M = 15 years old, N = 3500) in 2017 and conduct follow-up surveys in 2019 and 2021 (M = 19 years old). Municipal youth populations will also be monitored for trends in alcohol-harms using hospital and police administrative data.

Discussion

Community-led interventions that systematically and strategically implement evidence-based programs have been shown to be effective in producing population-level behaviour change, including reduced alcohol and drug use. We expect that the study will be associated with significant effects on alcohol use amongst adolescents because interventions adopted within communities will be based on evidence-based practices and target specific problems identified from surveys conducted within each community.

Trial registration

The trial was retrospectively registered in September, 2017 (ACTRN12616001276448), as communities were selected prior to trial registration; however, participants were recruited after registration. Findings will be disseminated in peer-review journals and community fora.

Concrete embedded dye-synthesized photovoltaic solar cell

This work presents the concept of a monolithic concrete-integrated dye-synthesized photovoltaic solar cell for optical-to-electrical energy conversion and on-site power generation. The transport measurements carried out in the dark revealed the presence of V_OC of ~190 mV and I_SC of ~9 μA, induced by the electrochemical conversion of concrete-supplied ionic impurities at the electrodes. The current-voltage measurements performed under illumination at incident optical powers of ~46 mW confirmed the generation of electrical power of ~0.64 μW with almost half generated via battery effect. This work presents a first step towards realizing the additional pathways to low-cost electrical power production in urban environments based on a combined use of organic dyes, nanotitania and concrete technology.

Measurement of 210Po in Iranian smokers' and non-smokers' teeth

Thirty human tooth samples were collected from smoker and non-smoker groups with different ages and different sexes from north of Iran. The samples were analysed by a radiochemical procedure, and the prepared source by spontaneous electrolysis was measured by an alpha spectrometry to determine activity concentrations of (210)Po in teeth. The results indicated that the average (210)Po concentration in Iranian human teeth is 3.94 +/- 2.38 mBq g(-1.) The measured mean activity concentrations of (210)Po in smokers' and non-smokers' teeth were 5.89 +/- 3.59 and 2.55 +/- 1.00 mBq g(-1), respectively. The detailed analysis of 30 tooth samples of Iranian population revealed that smoking habits and age may have some influence on (210)Po content in teeth, although this is not the case of difference in sex.

Low level determination of (226)Ra in water using a micro-precipitate track method for large-scale environmental monitoring

In the present paper a method has been developed for the determination of (226)Ra in water by the detection, using a solid-state nuclear track detector (SSNTD), of alpha particles from (226)Ra in equilibrium with (222)Rn in micro-precipitates collected on a filter. The micro-precipitates were prepared from environmental water samples by collection of radium with lead as Pb/RaSO(4). Several factors affect the (226)Ra precipitation on the filter and its recovery, in particular the filter pore size. Therefore in this experiment Whatman #42 and Millipore filters with different pore sizes were used. Using a 0.45 microm Millipore filter, the recovery efficiency was increased up to 96%, and the alpha self-absorption and scattering decreased remarkably. For efficient detection of alphas from (226)Ra/(222)Rn in equilibrium, three types of SSNTD were used-polycarbonate (PC) electrochemically etched (ECE), CR-39 and LR-115 chemically etched (CE). By preparing a standard micro-precipitate on a filter with known (226)Ra/(222)Rn characteristics, the calibration response of each detector and its minimum detection limit (MDL) were determined.

Assessment of annual effective dose from 238U and 226Ra due to consumption of foodstuffs by inhabitants of Tehran city, Iran

The concentrations of (238)U and (226)Ra were determined in different foodstuffs purchased from markets in Tehran. Determinations of the radionuclides have been carried out using alpha spectrometry technique, on samples of egg, lentil, potato, rice, soya, spinach, tea and wheat. Average concentrations of natural radionuclides and foodstuff consumption rate were used to assess annual intake and based on intake values, the annual effective ingestion dose has been estimated for Tehran city residents. The measurement results show that soya has the maximum concentration of (238)U equal to 15.6 +/- 2.6 mBq kg(-1) and tea has the maximum concentration of (226)Ra equal to 1153.3 +/- 265.3 mBq kg(-1). Besides, the maximum annual effective dose from (238)U and (226)Ra were assessed to be 2.88 x 10(-2) +/- 7.20 x 10(-3) and 2.15 +/- 0.54 muSv, respectively, from wheat samples.

Health issues among Afghan women in California

Afghan refugee women are part of the largest refugee population in the world. In the United States, they deal with loss of family members, property, and status and cultural, familial, religious, role, and generational conflict in making the transition from a traditional patriarchal society to a more egalitarian postindustrial society. Findings from a San Francisco Bay Area Afghan community health assessment conducted from 1992 to 1993 are presented. The assessment included 38 telephone interviews, seven community meetings, and a survey of 196 Afghan families. Six years of ethnographic study with more than 200 Afghans and their health providers provide contextual data. We describe cultural characteristics that influence women's access to health care, women's approach toward preventive care, control of information regarding sexuality, and spouse abuse.