A new delivery model to increase adherence to methadone maintenance treatment

The Self-Evaluation Maintenance (SEM) model offers a psychological framework to understand how individuals’ self-esteem is influenced by the achievements of others, particularly those with whom they share close personal bonds. The SEM model operates when personal rather than social identity guides individuals. Central to this model is the notion that individuals have an inherent desire to preserve a favorable self-image, which is continuously shaped by interpersonal comparisons and...

An increasing function exhibits a rise in output values as input values increase. This behavior is depicted graphically as a curve or line that slopes upward from left to right. Such a function satisfies the condition that if x1 < x2, then f(x1) < f(x2), indicating that the function values grow with increasing inputs. This concept is fundamental in understanding growth trends across various domains, such as population dynamics, financial investments, or resource consumption.The...

The cells of the blastocyst inner cell mass only remain pluripotent for a short time. This state of pluripotency and self-renewal can be maintained in embryonic stem (ES) cell culture by adding specific chemicals or growth factors to ensure the cells can continue dividing and later differentiate into different cell types. In some cases, the cells are grown on a feeder layer of differentiated cells, which provides the growth factors and extracellular matrix components necessary for stem cell...

A body temperature above  38°C  (100.4 °F) is known as fever or pyrexia, and a person with fever is termed 'febrile.' Typically, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that acts as the body's thermostat, regulates body temperature through a thermoregulatory setpoint. It receives signals from cold and warm thermal receptors throughout the body and adjusts the body's temperature accordingly. Fever occurs when this hypothalamic setpoint is altered, usually in...

Tachycardia is a condition marked by an abnormally fast or irregular heart rate, surpassing the typical resting rate. In adults, tachycardia is characterized by a pulse rate ranging from 100 to 180 beats per minute. The increased heart rate can result in inadequate blood flow to various body parts, ultimately diminishing the oxygen supply to organs and tissues.
Many factors can elevate the risk of developing tachycardia. These include advanced age, a family history of arrhythmias, and an...

Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...