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Browsing University of Hertfordshire by Author "Guirguis, Amira"
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Abuse of Prescription Drugs in the Context of Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS): A Systematic Review
Schifano, Fabrizio; Chiappini, Stefania; Corkery, John; Guirguis, Amira (2018-04-22)Recently, a range of prescription and over-the-counter drugs have been reportedly used as Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS), due to their potential for abuse resulting from their high dosage/idiosyncratic methods of ... -
Alprazolam-related deaths in Scotland, 2004-2020
Corkery, John Martin; Guirguis, Amira; Chiappini, Stefania; Martinotti, Giovanni; Schifano, Fabrizio (2022-09-27)Background: The benzodiazepine drug alprazolam, a fast-acting tranquiliser, cannot be prescribed on the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. Illicit alprazolam supply and consumption have increased. Concern about ... -
Analysis of 'legal high' substances and common adulterants using handheld spectroscopic techniques
Assi, Sulaf; Guirguis, Amira; Halsey, S.; Fergus, S.; Stair, J. L. (2015-01)The identification of 'legal highs' is challenging as they often do not match their label claim and contain a wide range of impurities and/or adulterants. In addition, there is a need for techniques to be on-site, rapid ... -
Assessing prevalence, knowledge and use of cognitive enhancers among university students in the United Arab Emirates: A quantitative study
Sharif, Safia; Fergus, Suzanne; Guirguis, Amira; Smeeton, Nigel; Schifano, Fabrizio (2022-01-26)BACKGROUND: Cognitive enhancers (CE) are often used to improve memory, alertness and cognitive capacity. These products are commercially and pharmaceutically available. Due to high academic pressure, university students ... -
Assessing the 2004-2018 fentanyl misusing issues reported to an international range of adverse reporting systems
Schifano, Fabrizio; Chiappini, Stephania; Corkery, John; Guirguis, Amira (2019-02-01)Objective: A recent, global, increase in the use of opioids including the prescribing, highly potent, fentanyl has been recorded. Due its current popularity and the potential lethal consequences of its intake, we aimed ... -
Benefits and Harms of 'Smart Drugs' (Nootropics) in Healthy Individuals
Schifano, Fabrizio; Catalani, Valeria; Sharif, Safia (Sophia); Napoletano, Flavia; Corkery, John; Arillotta, Davide; Fergus, Suzanne; Vento, Alessandro; Guirguis, Amira (2022-04-02)‘Smart drugs’ (also known as ‘nootropics’ and ‘cognitive enhancers’ [CEs]) are being used by healthy subjects (i.e. students and workers) typically to improve memory, attention, learning, executive functions and vigilance, ... -
Benzodiazepine Boom: Tracking Etizolam, Pyrazolam, and Flubromazepam from Pre-UK Psychoactive Act 2016 to Present Using Analytical and Social Listening Techniques
Mullin, Anthony; Scott, Mark; Vaccaro, Giorgia; Floresta, Giuseppe; Arillotta, Davide; Catalani, Valeria; Corkery, John M; Stair, Jacqueline L; Schifano, Fabrizio; Guirguis, Amira (2024-01-12)Introduction: The designer benzodiazepine (DBZD) market continues to expand whilst evading regulatory controls. The widespread adoption of social media by pro-drug use communities encourages positive discussions around ... -
The benzydamine experience: A systematic review of Benzydamine abuse
Chiappini, Stephania; Miuli, Andrea; Mosca, Alessio; Pettorruso, Mauro; Guirguis, Amira; Corkery, John Martin; Martinotti, Giovanni; di Giannantonio, Massimo; Schifano, Fabrizio (2021-01-13)Background: Both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs recently emerged among novel psychoactive substances (NPS) being reported as ingested for recreational purposes. Among them, benzydamine (BZY), normally ... -
Beyond the Purple Drank. Study of promethazine abuse according to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) reports.
Chiappini, Stefania; Schifano, Fabrizio; Corkery, John Martin; Guirguis, Amira (2021-01-10)Background: Promethazine is a medicinal product, available on its own or in combination with other ingredients including dextromethorphan, paracetamol, and/or expectorants. Anecdotal reports have however indicated that ... -
The clinical challenges of synthetic cathinones
Schifano, Fabrizio; Napoletano, Flavia; Arillotta, Davide; Zangani, Caroline; Gilgar, Liam; Guirguis, Amira; Corkery, John; Vento, Alessandro (2019-11-01)Within the new psychoactive substances (NPS) scenario, several hundreds of different molecules, mostly including synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones, have so far been identified. The aims of the paper were to: (a) identify ... -
Commentary on: Attafi IM, Albeishy MY, Oraiby ME, Khardali IA, Shaikhain GA, Fageeh MM. Postmortem Distribution of Cathinone and Cathine in Human Biological Specimens in a Case of Death Associated with Khat Chewing. Arab J Forensic Sci Forensic Med. 2018 Jun 7;1(7).
Corkery, John; Schifano, Fabrizio; Guirguis, Amira (2019-12-31)The interpretation of post-mortem human tissue toxicology levels may be affected by the sampling site chosen. It is important to bear this in mind when looking at the psychoactive constituents of khat (Catha edulis Forsk.) ... -
Community Pharmacist interventions and improved COPD management
Attar-Zadeh, Darush; Guirguis, Amira; Heading, Christine; Shah, Shreya; Shah, Usha; Bancroft, Stephanie (2016-10-12)Outline: Community pharmacists are well placed to help the management of patients with long-term conditions such as COPD. Outline of problem: Many factors can prevent optimal care for COPD patients; some can be addressed ... -
Covid-19 pandemic impact on substance misuse: a social media listening, mixed method analysis.
Arillotta, Davide; Guirguis, Amira; Corkery, John Martin; Scherbaum, Norbert; Schifano, Fabrizio (2021-07-09)The restrictive measures adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic modified some previously consolidated drug use patterns. A focus on social networks allowed drug users to discuss, share opinions and provide advice during a ... -
COVID-19: The hidden impact on mental health and drug addiction
Chiappini, Stefania; Guirguis, Amira; John, Ann; Corkery, John; Schifano, Fabrizio (2020-07-29)There is concern the Coronavirus Disease (COVID)-19 pandemic is having a negative impact on the mental health of the general population through a range of suggested mechanisms: fear, uncertainty, and anxiety; social ... -
Designer Benzodiazepines’ Activity on Opioid Receptors: A Docking Study
Catalani, Valeria; Botha, Michelle; Corkery, John Martin; Guirguis, Amira; Vento, Alessandro; Schifano, Fabrizio (2022-09-22)BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported that benzodiazepines (BZDs) seem to enhance euphoric and reinforcing properties of opioids in opioid users so that a direct effect on opioid receptors has been postulated, together ... -
Detection of Newly Emerging Psychoactive Substances Using Raman Spectroscopy and Chemometrics
Calvo-Castro, Jesus; Guirguis, Amira; Samaras, Eleftherios; Zloh, Mire; Kirton, Stewart; Stair, Jacqueline (2018-09-12)A novel approach for the identification of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) by means of Raman spectroscopy coupled with Principal Components Analysis (PCA) employing the largest dataset of NPS reference materials to date ... -
Drowning in Diversity? A systematic way of clustering a representative set of new psychoactive substances
Zloh, Mire; Samaras, Eleftherios; Calvo-Castro, Jesus; Guirguis, Amira; Stair, Jacqueline; Kirton, Stewart (2017-11-17)New psychoactive substances (NPS) can be generally described as a set of compounds that have been designed to mimic the effects of illegal recreational drugs, but are not subject to restriction or control with respect to ... -
The e-psychonaut drugs’ psychopharmacology
Schifano, Fabrizio; Chiappini, Stephania; Corkery, John Martin; Scherbaum, Norbert; Guirguis, Amira (2021-04-01)The focus here was on the pharmacological and clinical pharmacological issues pertaining to the vast range of drugs (e.g. synthetic cannabimimetics, synthetic opioids, novel stimulants, novel psychedelics, PCP/ketamine-like ... -
The e-psychonauts’ ‘Spiced’ World; assessment of the synthetic cannabinoids’ information available online
Zangani, Caroline; Schifano, Fabrizio; Napoletano, Flavia; Arillotta, Davide; Gilgar, Liam; Guirguis, Amira; Corkery, John Martin; Gambini, Orsola; Vento, Alessandro (2020-03-02)Background: A wide range of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) is regularly searched and discussed online by web-based drug enthusiasts (i.e. the e-psychonauts). Among NPS, the range of synthetic cannabinoids (SC; ‘Spice’) ... -
The "Endless Trip" among the NPS Users: Psychopathology and Psychopharmacology in the Hallucinogen-Persisting Perception Disorder. A Systematic Review
Orsolini, Laura; Papanti, Duccio; De Berardis, Domenico; Guirguis, Amira; Corkery, John; Schifano, Fabrizio (2017-11-20)Hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder (HPPD) is a syndrome characterized by prolonged or reoccurring perceptual symptoms, reminiscent of acute hallucinogen effects. HPPD was associated with a broader range of LSD ...