scholarly journals Prenatal Cannabinoid Exposure: Emerging Evidence of Physiological and Neuropsychiatric Abnormalities

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mina G. Nashed ◽  
Daniel B. Hardy ◽  
Steven R. Laviolette

Clinical reports of cannabis use prevalence during pregnancy vary widely from 3% to upwards of 35% in North America; this disparity likely owing to underestimates from self-reporting in many cases. The rise in cannabis use is mirrored by increasing global legalization and the overall perceptions of safety, even during pregnancy. These trends are further compounded by a lack of evidence-based policy and guidelines for prenatal cannabis use, which has led to inconsistent messaging by healthcare providers and medically licensed cannabis dispensaries regarding prenatal cannabis use for treatment of symptoms, such as nausea. Additionally, the use of cannabis to self-medicate depression and anxiety during pregnancy is a growing medical concern. This review aims to summarize recent findings of clinical and preclinical data on neonatal outcomes, as well as long-term physiological and neurodevelopmental outcomes of prenatal cannabis exposure. Although many of the outcomes under investigation have produced mixed results, we consider these data in light of the unique challenges facing cannabis research. In particular, the limited longitudinal clinical studies available have not previously accounted for the exponential increase in (-)-Δ9– tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9–THC; the psychoactive compound in cannabis) concentrations found in cannabis over the past two decades. Polydrug use and the long-term effects of individual cannabis constituents [Δ9–THC vs. cannabidiol (CBD)] are also understudied, along with sex-dependent outcomes. Despite these limitations, prenatal cannabis exposure has been linked to low birth weight, and emerging evidence suggests that prenatal exposure to Δ9–THC, which crosses the placenta and impacts placental development, may have wide-ranging physiological and neurodevelopmental consequences. The long-term effects of these changes require more rigorous investigation, though early reports suggest Δ9–THC increases the risk of cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric disease, including psychosis, depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. In light of the current trends in the perception and use of cannabis during pregnancy, we emphasize the social and medical imperative for more rigorous investigation of the long-term effects of prenatal cannabis exposure.

Author(s):  
Nils Brunsson

This chapter argues that organizational reforms are driven by problems to be addressed, by solutions to be applied, and by forgetfulness. The greater the supply of any of these factors, the more likely it is that reforms will occur. Without problems, reforms are difficult to justify; without solutions they cannot be formulated; and without forgetfulness there is a risk that people will be discouraged by the fact that similar reforms have been tried and have failed in the past. In contemporary large organizations, problems tend to be easily found. Those interested in selling solutions often try to supply problems as well — problems that can be solved by their solutions. Forgetfulness can be promoted by the use of consultants with limited experience of the implementation and long-term effects of reforms. Reforms are also self-referential; they tend to cause new reforms. Thus, reforms can be considered as routines: they are likely to be repeated over and over again.


Author(s):  
Detlef Pollack ◽  
Gergely Rosta

The case of East Germany raises the question of why religion and church, which had fallen to an unprecedentedly low level after four decades of suppression, have not recovered since 1989. The repressive church politics of the SED were undoubtedly the decisive factor in the unique process of minoritizing churches in the GDR. However, other external factors such as increasing prosperity, socio-structural transformation, and the expansion of the leisure and entertainment sector played an important role, too. In addition, church activity itself probably also helped to weaken the social position of churches. The absence of a church renaissance after 1990 can be explained by several factors, such as the long-term effects of the break with tradition caused by the GDR system, the political and moral discrediting of the church by the state security service, and people’s dwindling confidence in the church, which was suddenly seen as a non-representative Western institution.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 70
Author(s):  
Rita Baptista ◽  
Ryane Englar ◽  
Berta São Braz ◽  
Rodolfo Oliveira Leal

In both human and veterinary healthcare, gastrointestinal protectants (GIPs) are considered a staple of clinical practice in that they are prescribed by general practitioners (GPs) and specialists alike. Concerning GIP use, overprescription of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) has become a growing concern among human healthcare providers. This trend has also been documented within veterinary practice, prompting the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) to publish a consensus statement in 2018 concerning evidence-based indications for GIP use. This observational cross-sectional study evaluated self-reported prescribing protocols among Portuguese GPs to determine whether there is adherence to the consensus guidelines. Respondents were Portuguese GPs recruited by social media posts in veterinarian online forums. Data were collected from 124 respondents concerning their GIPs of choice and their rationales for prescribing them. Data were mined for prescription patterns and protocols. Among GIPs, PPIs were prescribed more often. Rationales for use included gastrointestinal ulceration and erosion (GUE), prophylactic management of nonerosive gastritis, pancreatitis, reflux esophagitis, and steroid-induced ulceration. Once-daily administration of PPIs was the most frequent dosing regime among respondents. Ninety-six percent of PPI prescribers advocated that the drug be administered either shortly before or at mealtime. Forty-nine percent of respondents supported long-term use of PPIs. Fifty-nine percent of respondents acknowledged discontinuing PPIs abruptly. This study supports that Portuguese GPs commonly prescribe GIPs in accordance with ACVIM recommendations to medically manage GUE. However, misuse of GIPs does occur, and they have been prescribed where their therapeutic value is debatable. Educational strategies should target GPs in an effort to reduce GIP misuse.


Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 342
Author(s):  
Tine Vekemans

In early 2020, Jain diaspora communities and organizations that had been painstakingly built over the past decades were faced with the far-reaching consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and its concomitant restrictions. With the possibility of regular face-to-face contact and participation in recurring events—praying, eating, learning, and meditating together—severely limited in most places, organizations were compelled to make a choice. They either had to suspend their activities, leaving members to organize their religious activities on an individual or household basis, or pursue the continuation of some of their habitual activities in an online format, relying on their members’ motivation and technical skills. This study will explore how many Jain organizations in London took to digital media in its different forms to continue to engage with their members throughout 2020. Looking at a selection of websites and social media channels, it will examine online discourses that reveal the social and mental impact of the pandemic on Jains and the broader community, explore the relocation of activities to the digital realm, and assess participation in these activities. In doing so, this article will open a discussion on the long-term effects of this crisis-induced digital turn in Jain religious praxis, and in socio-cultural life in general.


2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-71
Author(s):  
Jennifer R. Cash

Research on godparenthood has traditionally emphasized its stabilizing effect on social structure. This article, however, focuses attention on how the practices and discourses associated with marital sponsorship in the Republic of Moldova ascribe value to the risks and uncertainties of social life. Moldova has experienced substantial economic, social, and political upheaval during the past two decades of postsocialism, following a longer period of Soviet-era modernization, secularization, and rural–urban migration. In this context, godparenthood has not contributed to the long-term stability of class structure or social relations, but people continue to seek honor and social respect by taking the social and economic risks involved in sponsoring new marriages.


1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zopito Marini

This paper focuses on a particular type of peer victimization commonly identified as school bullying. In the past. myths and inaccurate assumptions coupled with the lack of empirical data on the long term effects and stability of peer victimization have presented serious obstacles toward a greater understanding of bullying. Recent research, however, suggests that the number of students affected is much higher than previously believed, the range of behaviours involved more severe, and the consequences long-lasting; in many cases, the maladjustment for both victims and bullies can extend well into adulthood. Clearly, peer victimization is a complex and multidimensional aspect of school life that needs to be understood in greater depth and taken much more seriously because of the associated consequences. This paper will provide an overview of four central aspects of bullying, namely, the myths, characteristics, callses, and consequences.


Author(s):  
Stephen C Frederickson ◽  
Mark D Steinmiller ◽  
Tiffany Rae Blaylock ◽  
Mike E Wisnieski II ◽  
James D Malley ◽  
...  

Over the past 2 decades, zebrafish, Danio rerio, have become a mainstream laboratory animal model, yet zebrafish husbandrypractices remain far from standardized. Feeding protocols play a critical role in the health, wellbeing, and productivity ofzebrafish laboratories, yet they vary significantly between facilities. In this study, we compared our current feeding protocol for juvenile zebrafish (30 dpf to 75 dpf), a 3:1mixture of fish flake and freeze-dried krill fed twice per day with live artemia twice per day (FKA), to a diet of Gemma Micro 300 fed once per day with live artemia once per day (GMA). Our results showed that juvenile EK wild-type zebrafish fed GMA were longer and heavier than juveniles fed FKA. As compared with FKA-fed juveniles, fish fed GMA as juveniles showed better reproductive performance as measured by spawning success, fertilization rate, and clutch size. As adults, fish from both feeding protocols were acclimated to our standard adult feeding protocol, and the long-term effects of juvenile diet were assessed. At 2 y of age, the groups showed no difference in mortality or fecundity. Reproductive performance is a crucial aspect of zebrafish research, as much of the research focuses on the developing embryo. Here we show that switching juvenile zebrafish from a mixture of flake and krill to Gemma Micro 300 improves reproductive performance, even with fewer feedings of live artemia, thus simplifying husbandry practices.


2020 ◽  
pp. 201-210
Author(s):  
Steven M. Ortiz

The conclusion provides some final observations about the longitudinal research itself and its short- and long-term effects on the women involved. It briefly touches on the few areas of the sport marriage that have seen improvement in the past few decades, discusses the conscious decisions the women make to continue normalizing the career-dominated marriage, and reports on how the marriages fared over time. It also describes the women’s personal empowerment as a result of their participation in the research. Finally, it summarizes the advice and suggested keys to a successful sport marriage that the wives in both studies offered, based on their lived experience. This overview essentially describes how and why the wife of a male professional athlete must adapt to realities if she wants her marriage to survive her husband’s career and retirement.


2021 ◽  
pp. 65-80
Author(s):  
Sandro Galea

This chapter examines the foundational forces that shape health. Even without a pandemic, the United States is faced with public health threats that are shaped by foundational forces. From the political and economic roots of the obesity epidemic, to the social stigma that informs the opioid crisis, to the many structural drivers of climate change, the social, economic, political, and demographic foundations of health are central to the challenges that must be addressed, nationally and globally, in the years to come. Engaging with these forces helped inform the response to COVID-19; they can help in addressing these other challenges as well. And just as a virus can have long-term effects on the body, the pandemic reshaped the societal foundations, with lasting implications for the economy, culture, attitudes towards core issues like race, politics, and more. Whether the experience of the pandemic leads to significant long-term benefits will depend on whether Americans retain the hard lessons of that moment and apply them to foundational forces.


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