Drugs and Drug Policy

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A.R. Kleiman ◽  
Jonathan P. Caulkins ◽  
Angela Hawken
Keyword(s):  
Drug Policy ◽  
Illicit Trade ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Control Drug ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Drugs And Crime ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Drug Free ◽  
The Brain

While there have always been norms and customs around the use of drugs, explicit public policies--regulations, taxes, and prohibitions--designed to control drug abuse are a more recent phenomenon. Those policies sometimes have terrible side-effects: most prominently the development of criminal enterprises dealing in forbidden (or untaxed) drugs and the use of the profits of drug-dealing to finance insurgency and terrorism. Neither a drug-free world nor a world of free drugs seems to be on offer, leaving citizens and officials to face the age-old problem: What are we going to do about drugs? In Drugs and Drug Policy, three noted authorities survey the subject with exceptional clarity, in this addition to the acclaimed series, What Everyone Needs to Know. They begin by, defining "drugs, " examining how they work in the brain, discussing the nature of addiction, and exploring the damage they do to users. The book moves on to policy, answering questions about legalization, the role of criminal prohibitions, and the relative legal tolerance for alcohol and tobacco. The authors then dissect the illicit trade, from street dealers to the flow of money to the effect of catching kingpins, and show the precise nature of the relationship between drugs and crime. They examine treatment, both its effectiveness and the role of public policy, and discuss the beneficial effects of some abusable substances. Finally they move outward to look at the role of drugs in our foreign policy, their relationship to terrorism, and the ugly politics that surround the issue. Crisp, clear, and comprehensive, this is a handy and up-to-date overview of one of the most pressing topics in today's world.

scholarly journals OCT STUDIES IN SCHIZOPHRENIA: CURRENT EVIDENCE AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 769-777
Author(s):  
Ushna Usman ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Changes ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Structural Alterations ◽  
Comprehensive Search ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Neuroimaging Techniques

Background: Schizophrenia is a detrimental neurodevelopmental disorder that affects nearly 1 % of the population worldwide. Although schizophrenia ranks among the leading causes of global disease-related disability, definitive investigations do not exist for its diagnosis at present. Since the retina is derived from the same neural layer that the brain develops from, OCT imaging of retina can provide valuable information regarding underlying pathology of schizophrenia. Objectives: This review aims at describing the potential relevance of OCT studies 1) in understanding current insights into retinal structural changes in schizophrenia 2) in understanding the relationship between retinal structural alterations and disease progression and chronicity 3) and to determine the potential role of retinal changes as biomarkers of schizophrenia. Methodology: A comprehensive search of databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar and Medline was conducted using the keywords: schizophrenia, retina, OCT and RNFL changes. Relevant articles were identified and their key findings summarized in this review. Conclusion: OCT studies in schizophrenia patients conducted in recent years continue to provide evidence of retinal structural alterations associated with schizophrenia. However, the findings of these studies vary and there is a need to conduct further studies for clarification regarding the subject. The application of OCT and other neuroimaging techniques to correlate retinal structural alterations with schizophrenia may potentially help establish the role of retinal variables as biomarkers for the disease, and may open a gateway for better diagnostic investigations in schizophrenia.

Living with Barren Truths: A Tale of Triumphalism and Tribulations of a Technology

2021 ◽  
pp. 097168582110159
Author(s):  
Sital Mohanty ◽  
Subhasis Sahoo ◽  
Pranay Kumar Swain
Keyword(s):  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
The Body ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Social Fact ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
The Subject ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Relationship

Science, technology and human values have been the subject of enquiry in the last few years for social scientists and eventually the relationship between science and gender is the subject of an ongoing debate. This is due to the event of globalization which led to the exponential growth of new technologies like assisted reproductive technology (ART). ART, one of the most iconic technological innovations of the twentieth century, has become increasingly a normal social fact of life. Since ART invades multiple human discourses—thereby transforming culture, society and politics—it is important what is sociological about ART as well as what is biological. This article argues in commendation of sociology of technology, which is alert to its democratic potential but does not concurrently conceal the historical and continuing role of technology in legitimizing gender discrimination. The article draws the empirical insights from local articulations (i.e., Odisha state in eastern India) for the understandings of motherhood, freedom and choice, reproductive right and rights over the body to which ART has contributed. Sociologically, the article has been supplemented within the broader perspectives of determinism, compatibilism alongside feminism.

scholarly journals From Exercise to Cognitive Performance: Role of Irisin

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 7120
Author(s):  
Mirko Pesce ◽  
Irene La Fratta ◽  
Teresa Paolucci ◽  
Alfredo Grilli ◽  
Antonia Patruno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Elderly ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
General Exercise ◽  
Fibronectin Type Iii ◽  
Exercise Induced ◽  
Fibronectin Type Iii Domain ◽  
The Brain

The beneficial effects of exercise on the brain are well known. In general, exercise offers an effective way to improve cognitive function in all ages, particularly in the elderly, who are considered the most vulnerable to neurodegenerative disorders. In this regard, myokines, hormones secreted by muscle in response to exercise, have recently gained attention as beneficial mediators. Irisin is a novel exercise-induced myokine, that modulates several bodily processes, such as glucose homeostasis, and reduces systemic inflammation. Irisin is cleaved from fibronectin type III domain containing 5 (FNDC5), a transmembrane precursor protein expressed in muscle under the control of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α). The FNDC5/irisin system is also expressed in the hippocampus, where it stimulates the expression of the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor in this area that is associated with learning and memory. In this review, we aimed to discuss the role of irisin as a key mediator of the beneficial effects of exercise on synaptic plasticity and memory in the elderly, suggesting its roles within the main promoters of the beneficial effects of exercise on the brain.

scholarly journals Calculators as Facilitators of Understanding Computational and Mathematical Contexts

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-183
Author(s):  
Jan Guncaga ◽  
Lilla Korenova ◽  
Jozef Hvorecky
Keyword(s):  
Soft Skills ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Complex Phenomenon ◽  
Learning To Learn ◽  
Life Problems ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractLearning is a complex phenomenon. Contemporary theories of education underline active participation of learners in their learning processes. One of the key arguments supporting this approach is the learner’s simultaneous and unconscious development of their ability of “learning to learn”. This ability belongs to the soft skills highly valued by employers today.For Mathematics Education, it means that teachers have to go beyond making calculations and memorizing formulas. We have to teach the subject in its social context. When the students start understanding the relationship between real-life problems and the role of numbers and formulas for their solutions, their learning becomes a part of their tacit knowledge. Below we explain the theoretical background of our approach and provide examples of such activities.

scholarly journals Tocopherols and Tocotrienols—Bioactive Dietary Compounds; What Is Certain, What Is Doubt?

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 6222
Author(s):  
Kacper Szewczyk ◽  
Aleksandra Chojnacka ◽  
Magdalena Górnicka
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin E ◽  
Metabolic Disorders ◽  
Tissue Concentration ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Biological Role ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Relationship

Tocopherols and tocotrienols are natural compounds of plant origin, available in the nature. They are supplied in various amounts in a diet, mainly from vegetable oils, some oilseeds, and nuts. The main forms in the diet are α- and γ-tocopherol, due to the highest content in food products. Nevertheless, α-tocopherol is the main form of vitamin E with the highest tissue concentration. The α- forms of both tocopherols and tocotrienols are considered as the most metabolically active. Currently, research results indicate also a greater antioxidant potential of tocotrienols than tocopherols. Moreover, the biological role of vitamin E metabolites have received increasing interest. The aim of this review is to update the knowledge of tocopherol and tocotrienol bioactivity, with a particular focus on their bioavailability, distribution, and metabolism determinants in humans. Almost one hundred years after the start of research on α-tocopherol, its biological properties are still under investigation. For several decades, researchers’ interest in the biological importance of other forms of vitamin E has also been growing. Some of the functions, for instance the antioxidant functions of α- and γ-tocopherols, have been confirmed in humans, while others, such as the relationship with metabolic disorders, are still under investigation. Some studies, which analyzed the biological role and mechanisms of tocopherols and tocotrienols over the past few years described new and even unexpected cellular and molecular properties that will be the subject of future research.

scholarly journals Antioxidant Properties of Ergosterol and Its Role in Yeast Resistance to Oxidation

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1024
Author(s):  
Sebastien Dupont ◽  
Paul Fleurat-Lessard ◽  
Richtier Gonçalves Cruz ◽  
Céline Lafarge ◽  
Cédric Grangeteau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Computational Study ◽  
Antioxidant Properties ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Tert Butyl Hydroperoxide ◽  
Resistance To Oxidation ◽  
Specific Accumulation ◽  
The Subject

Although the functions and structural roles of sterols have been the subject of numerous studies, the reasons for the diversity of sterols in the different eukaryotic kingdoms remain unclear. It is thought that the specificity of sterols is linked to unidentified supplementary functions that could enable organisms to be better adapted to their environment. Ergosterol is accumulated by late branching fungi that encounter oxidative perturbations in their interfacial habitats. Here, we investigated the antioxidant properties of ergosterol using in vivo, in vitro, and in silico approaches. The results showed that ergosterol is involved in yeast resistance to tert-butyl hydroperoxide and protects lipids against oxidation in liposomes. A computational study based on quantum chemistry revealed that this protection could be related to its antioxidant properties operating through an electron transfer followed by a proton transfer mechanism. This study demonstrates the antioxidant role of ergosterol and proposes knowledge elements to explain the specific accumulation of this sterol in late branching fungi. Ergosterol, as a natural antioxidant molecule, could also play a role in the incompletely understood beneficial effects of some mushrooms on health.

New Agendas for Special Education Policy: What the National Reports Haven't Said

1987 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 295-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marleen Pugach ◽  
Mara Sapon-Shevin
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Education Policy ◽  
Educational Reform ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Special Education Policy ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

The calls for educational reform that have dominated the professional and lay literature for the past few years have been decidedly silent in discussing the role of special education either as a contributor or a solution to the problems being raised. As an introduction to this “Special Focus” on the relationship between general educational reform and special education, this article summarizes some of the more prominent reports with regard to their treatment (and nontreatment) of special education. The impact of proposed reforms for the conceptualization and operation of special education is the subject of the five articles that follow.

scholarly journals Novel Parameterized Distance Measures on Hesitant Fuzzy Sets with Credibility Degree and Their Application in Decision-Making

Symmetry ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaru Li ◽  
Fangwei Zhang ◽  
Qiang Li ◽  
Jing Sun ◽  
Janney Yee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Fuzzy Sets ◽  
Cardinal Number ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Distance Measures ◽  
Hesitant Fuzzy Set ◽  
Hesitant Fuzzy Sets ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Relationship

The subject of this study is to explore the role of cardinality of hesitant fuzzy element (HFE) in distance measures on hesitant fuzzy sets (HFSs). Firstly, three parameters, i.e., credibility factor, conservative factor, and a risk factor are introduced, thereafter, a series of novel distance measures on HFSs are proposed using these three parameters. These newly proposed distance measures handle the relationship between the cardinal number and the element values of hesitant fuzzy set well, and are suitable to combine subjective and objective decision-making information. When using these functions, decision makers with different risk preferences are allowed to give different values for these three parameters. In particular, this study transfers the hesitance degree index to a credibility of the values in HFEs, which is consistent with people’s intuition. Finally, the practicability of the newly proposed distance measures is verified by two examples.

scholarly journals Is There a Link between Oropharyngeal Microbiome and Schizophrenia? A Narrative Review

2022 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 846
Author(s):  
Stanislas Martin ◽  
Audrey Foulon ◽  
Wissam El Hage ◽  
Diane Dufour-Rainfray ◽  
Frédéric Denis
Keyword(s):  
Periodontal Disease ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Oral Microbiome ◽  
Oral Microbiota ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Brain

The study aimed to examine the impact of the oropharyngeal microbiome in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and to clarify whether there might be a bidirectional link between the oral microbiota and the brain in a context of dysbiosis-related neuroinflammation. We selected nine articles including three systemic reviews with several articles from the same research team. Different themes emerged, which we grouped into 5 distinct parts concerning the oropharyngeal phageome, the oropharyngeal microbiome, the salivary microbiome and periodontal disease potentially associated with schizophrenia, and the impact of drugs on the microbiome and schizophrenia. We pointed out the presence of phageoma in patients suffering from schizophrenia and that periodontal disease reinforces the role of inflammation in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Moreover, saliva could be an interesting substrate to characterize the different stages of schizophrenia. However, the few studies we have on the subject are limited in scope, and some of them are the work of a single team. At this stage of knowledge, it is difficult to conclude on the existence of a bidirectional link between the brain and the oral microbiome. Future studies on the subject will clarify these questions that for the moment remain unresolved.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between Age and Happiness Varies by Income

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimiter Toshkov
Keyword(s):  
Income Distribution ◽  
Old Age ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThe link between age and happiness has been the subject of numerous studies. It is still a matter of controversy whether the relationship is U-shaped, with happiness declining after youth before bouncing back in old age, or not. While the effect of age has been examined conditional on income and other socio-demographic variables, so far, the interactions between age and income have remained insufficiently explored. Using data from the European Social Survey, this article shows that the nature of the relationship between age and happiness varies strongly with different levels of relative income. People in the lowest decile of the income distribution experience a ‘hockey stick’: a deep decline in self-reported happiness until around age 50–55 and a small bounce back in old age. The classic U-curve is found mostly in the middle-income ranks. For people at the top of the income distribution, average happiness does not vary much with age. These results demonstrate the important role of income in moderating the relationship between age and happiness.

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