Developing a Suicide Crisis Response Team in America: An Islamic Perspective.

Suicide is a critical public health issue in the United States, recognized as the tenth leading cause of death across all age groups (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Despite the Islamic prohibition on suicide, suicidal ideation and suicide mortality persist among Muslim populations. Recent data suggest that U.S. Muslim adults are particularly vulnerable, with a higher attempt history compared to respondents from other faith traditions. While the underlying reasons for this vulnerability are unclear, it is evident that culturally and religiously congruent mental health services can be utilized to steer suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention in Muslim communities across the United States. However, the development of Suicide Response toolkits specific to Muslim populations is currently limited. As a result, Muslim communities lack a detailed framework to appropriately respond in the event of a suicide tragedy. This paper aims to fill this gap in the literature by providing structured guidelines for the formation of a Crisis Response Team (CRT) through an Islamic lens. The CRT comprises of a group of individuals who are strategically positioned to respond to a suicide tragedy. Ideally, the team will include religious leaders, mental health professionals, healthcare providers, social workers, and community leaders. The proposed guidelines are designed to be culturally and religiously congruent and take into account the unique cultural and religious factors that influence Muslim communities' responses to suicide. By equipping key personnel in Muslim communities with the resources to intervene in an emergent situation, provide support to those affected, and mobilize community members to assist in prevention efforts, this model can help save lives and prevent future suicide tragedies in Muslim communities across the United States.

The Development of a Novel Suicide Postvention Healing Model for Muslim Communities in the United States of America.

Suicide among American Muslims is understudied, despite recent research  highlighting increased suicide attempts among this population. While suicide is forbidden in Islam, formal guidelines for addressing and responding to suicide within Muslim communities did not exist until recently. The Stanford Muslim Mental Health and Islamic Psychology Lab has responded to a number of suicides in Muslim communities across North America and implemented an original model for suicide response and community healing. This approach incorporates Islamic principles and values to create a culturally and religiously congruent response to suicide that can support loss survivors and steer impacted communities toward healing. The Muslim Postvention Community Healing session described in this paper aims to provide a safe space for individuals impacted by suicide to come together and process their emotions, while also using Islamic teachings to guide the healing process. This unique model has the potential to serve as a valuable resource for Muslim communities across North America, and beyond, in addressing and responding to suicide.

Inhibition of glucose- and fructose-mediated protein glycation by infusions and ethanolic extracts of ten culinary herbs and spices

Objective: To investigate the inhibitory activity of ten culinary herbs and spices namely on glucose-mediated glycation (GMG) and fructose-mediated glycation (FMG) of bovine serum albumin. Methods: Fluorescence was used as an index of albumin glycation using glucose and fructose as substrates in the presence of infusions and ethanolic extracts of ten culinary herbs and spices. Antioxidant activity of the extracts was evaluated using reducing power, metal ion chelating and superoxide radical scavenging assays. Phytochemicals profile was analysed using 13 standard methods. Results: FMG was found to be significantly higher than GMG (95 and 84 AU, respectively; P 0.05) was found in the percentage glycation inhibitory activity of infusions compared to ethanolic extracts. The mean percentage inhibitory activity of the extracts for GMG (45.9%) and for FMG (45.1%) was not significantly different (P > 0.05). Qualitative phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloids, fla-vonoids, tannins, terpenoids, anthraquinones, steroids, reducing sugars, proteins, phenols, saponins, phlobatannins, and cardiac glycosides. Conclusions: The higher rate of fluorescence generation by fructation suggests that glycation by fructose deserves much attention as a glycating agent. Data herein showed that the extracts inhibited GMG and FMG. Thus, these edible plants could be a natural source of antioxidants and anti-glycation agent for preventing advanced glycation end-products-mediated complications.

Unión de Desloratadina y Atenolol con Albúmina Sérica Bovina y sus interacciones in vitro / Binding of desloratadine and atenolol with bovine serum albumin and their in-vitro interactions

Objetivo: Unir atenolol, antagonista selectivo de los receptores beta1, y desloratadina, antagonista de los receptores H1, a albúmina sérica bovina. Método: El análisis de la unión se analizó mediante diálisis de equilibrio utilizando ranitidina y diazepam como sondas específicas para el sitio I y sitio II respectivamente. Resultados: Los resultados sugirieron dos conjuntos de constantes de asociación. Para el atenolol: constante de asociación con afinidad elevada (k1 = 5 x 10-5 M-1) con baja capacidad (n1 = 2) y constante de asociación con afinidad baja (k2 = 5 x 10-5 M-1) con alta capacidad (n2 = 5), mientras que para la desloratadina: constante de afinidad de asociación elevada (k1 = 45 x 10-5 M-1) con baja capacidad (n1 = 1,3) y constante de afinidad de asociación baja (k2= 5 x 10-5 M-1) con alta capacidad (n2 = 2,5), a un pH 7,4 y 27 °C. Tras la administración conjunta de atenolol y desloratadina en presencia o ausencia de ranitidina o diazepam, la desloratadina provocó la liberación del atenolol de su sitio de unión a la albúmina sérica bovina, provocando una disminución de la unión del atenolol a la albúmina sérica bovina. La fracción libre de atenolol incrementó del 84,1% al 99% y la concentración de la desloratadina de 0 x 10-5 M a 14 x 10-5 M. En presencia de diazepam como sonda específica para el sitio II, la desloratadina incrementó la fracción libre de atenolol del 0,45% to 14,3%. Conclusión: Los datos obtenidos indican la interacción de concentraciones elevadas de desloratadina a los sitios de unión de la albúmina sérica bovina modificando las propiedades farmacocinéticas del atenolol(AU)

Aims: The binding of atenolol a selective beta1 receptor antagonist and desloratadine, an H1 receptor antagonist, to bovine serum albumin. Methods: The analysis of binding was studied by equilibrium dialysis method (ED) using ranitidine and diazepam as site-1 and site-2 specific probe, respectively. Results: The study suggested two sets of association constants, for atenolol: high affinity association constant (k1 = 5 x 10-5 M-1) with low capacity (n1 = 2) and low affinity association constant (k2 = 2.5 x 10-5 M-1) with high capacity (n2 = 5), while for desloratadine: high affinity association constant (k1 = 45 x 10-5 M-1) with low capacity (n1 = 1.3) and low affinity association constant (k2 = 5 x 10-5 M-1) with high capacity (n2 = 2.5) at pH 7.4 and 27 ºC. During concurrent administration of atenolol and desloratadine in presence or absence of ranitidine or diazepam, desloratadine causes the release of atenolol from its binding site on BSA resulting reduced binding of atenolol to BSA. The increment in free fraction of atenolol was from 84.01% to 99 % upon the addition of increased concentration of only desloratadine at a concentration of 0 x 10-5 M to 14 x 10-5 M. In presence of diazepam as site-II specific probes, desloratadine further increases the free fraction of atenolol was from 0.45% to 14.3%. Conclusion: These data were indicative for the interaction of higher concentration of desloratadine at the binding sites on BSA changing the pharmacokinetics properties of atenolol (AU)