For a select group of drugs prone to misuse and diversion, legislation and a prescription monitoring program reduced the prevalence of prescriptions suggestive of misuse. This suggests that regulatory interventions can promote appropriate prescribing which could potentially be applied to other jurisdictions and drugs of concern.

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Statins have immunomodulating properties that may increase the risk of varicella-zoster virus reactivation. We found that older patients treated with statins were at an increased risk of developing herpes zoster relative to individuals who were not prescribed to these drugs.

Cavitation erosion and corrosion of structural materials are serious concerns for marine and offshore industries. Durability and performance of marine components are severely impaired due to degradation from erosion and corrosion. Utilization of advanced structural materials can play a vital role in limiting such degradation. High entropy alloys (HEAs) are a relatively new class of advanced structural materials with exceptional properties. In the present work, we report on the cavitation erosion behavior of AlCoCrFeNi HEA in two different media: distilled water with and without 3.5wt% NaCl. For comparison, conventionally used stainless steel SS316L was also evaluated in identical test conditions. Despite lower hardness and yield strength, the HEA showed significantly longer incubation period and lower erosion-corrosion rate (nearly 1/4th) compared to SS316L steel. Enhanced erosion resistance of HEA was attributed to its high work-hardening behavior and stable passivation film on the surface. The AlCoCrFeNi HEA showed lower corrosion current density, high pitting resistance and protection potential compared to SS316L steel. Further, HEA showed no evidence of intergranular corrosion likely due to the absence of secondary precipitates. Although, the degradation mechanisms (formation of pits and fatigue cracks) were similar for both the materials, the damage severity was found to be much higher for SS316L steel compared to HEA.

BackgroundChronic low-back pain is a widespread condition whose significance is overlooked. Previous studies have analyzed and evaluated the medical costs and physical symptoms of chronic low-back pain; however, few have looked beyond these factors. The purpose of this study was to analyze and evaluate the personal and psychosocial costs of chronic low-back pain.MethodsTo measure the various costs of chronic low-back pain, a questionnaire was generated using a visual analog scale, the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, the Short Form 36 Health Survey, and the 1998–1999 Australian Bureau of Statistics Household Expenditure Survey (for demographic questions). The comprehensive survey assessing physical, mental, emotional, social, and financial health was administered to 30 subjects aged 18 years or older who had visited a tertiary spine service with complaints of chronic low-back pain.ResultsIt was found that subjects scored significantly higher on scales for depression, anxiety, and stress after the onset of chronic low-back pain than before the onset of back pain. Subjects also reported a reduction in work hours and income, as well as a breakdown in interpersonal relationships, including marital and conjugal relations.ConclusionChronic low-back pain affects the ability of a patient to work, creating both financial and emotional problems within a home. Relief is delayed for patients because of the sparse allocation of resources for chronic spinal care and inadequate prevention education. Despite this, many patients are exhorted to return to work before they are physically, mentally, or emotionally free of pain, resulting in poor outcomes for recovery. Ultimately, this aggregates into an adverse macrosocial effect, reducing not only the quality of life for individuals with chronic low-back pain but also workforce productivity.