"Down the Okanagan" A Group of Skipping Songs from Regina

A Regina, le Docteur Crosbey a recueilli auprès de jeunes enfants, un groupe intéressant de six chants apparentés les uns aux autres et construits sur des rythm es“s a utillé s le chant principal, d ’origine américaine, s’est enrichi de plusieurs variations

4,4’-dimethylaminorex (‘4,4’-DMAR’; ‘Serotoni’) misuse; a web-based study

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Loi B, Zloh M, De Luca MA, Pintori N, Corkery J, Schifano F. 4,4′-Dimethylaminorex (“4,4′-DMAR”; “Serotoni”) misuse: A Web-based study. Hum Psychopharmacol Clin Exp. 2017;32:e2575, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/hup.2575. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Background: 4,4′-DMAR (4,4’-dimethylaminorex; ‘Serotoni’) is a potent stimulant drug which has recently been associated with a number of fatalities in Europe. Over the last few years, online communities have emerged as important resources for disseminating levels of technical knowledge on novel psychoactive substances/NPS. Objective: Analysing the information provided by the fora communities on 4,4’-DMAR use, additionally critical reviewing the available evidence-based literature on this topic. Methods: Different website drug fora were identified. A critical review of the existing evidence-based literature was undertaken. Individuation and analysis of qualitative data from the identified website fora were performed. Results: The combined search results identified six website fora from which a range of qualitative data on recurring themes was collected. These themes included: routes of administration and doses; desired effects; adverse effects; comparison with other drugs; association with other drugs; medications self administered to reverse 4,4’-DMAR action; overall impression; provision of harm reduction advice. Conclusions: Although being characterized by a number of methodological limitations, the social networks’ web monitoring approach (netnography) may be helpful to better understand some of the clinical and psychopharmacological issues pertaining to a range of NPS, including 4,4’-DMAR, for which only extremely little, if any, scientific knowledge is availablePeer reviewe

A Turquoise Mess: Green Subsidies, Blue Industrial Policy and Renewable Energy: The Case for Redrafting the Subsidies Agreement of the WTO

Canada-Renewable Energy presented the WTO Panel and Appellate Body (AB) with a novel issue: at the heart of the dispute was a measure adopted by the province of Ontario whereby producers of renewable energy would be paid a premium relative to conventional power producers. Some WTO Members complained that the measure was a prohibited subsidy because payments were conditional upon using Canadian equipment for the production of renewable energy. The AB gave them right only in part: it found that a local content requirement had indeed been imposed, but also found that it lacked evidence to determine whether a subsidy had been bestowed. The report is, for the reasons explained below, incoherent and could hardly serve as precedent for resolution of similar conflicts in the future. The facts of the case though, do raise legitimate questions both with respect to the specifics of the case, as well as of more general nature regarding the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM Agreement), and the role of the judge when facing legislative failure. In this paper, we provide some responses to these questions in light of the theory and evidence regarding industrial policy in the name of environmental protection

What explains the uneven take-up of ISO 14001 at the global level?: a panel-data analysis

Since its release in the mid-1990s, close to 37 000 facilities have been certified to ISO 14001, the international voluntary standard for environmental management systems. Yet, despite claims that the standard can be readily adapted to very different corporate and geographic settings, its take-up has been highly geographically variable. This paper contributes to a growing body of work concerned with explaining the uneven diffusion of ISO 14001 at the global level. Drawing from the existing theoretical and empirical literature we develop a series of hypotheses about how various economic, market, and regulatory factors influence the national count of ISO 14001 certifications. These hypotheses are then tested using econometric estimation techniques with data for a panel of 142 developed and developing countries. We find that per capita ISO 14001 counts are positively correlated with income per capita, stock of foreign direct investment, exports of goods and services to Europe and Japan, and pressure from civil society. Conversely, productivity and levels of state intervention are negatively correlated. The paper finishes by offering a number of recommendations to policymakers concerned with accelerating the diffusion of voluntary environmental standards

Influence of Adaptive Water Sports Programs on Quality of Life Perceptions for People with Disabilities: A Feasibility Study

This research sought to examine the relationship between participation in adapted water sports events and QoL. Additionally it sought to analyze the feasibility of the data collection methods from participants involved in adaptive water sport activities. In general, QoL remained the same after AWSP participation and participant surveys did not produce statistically significant information. The analysis of feasibility data collected indicated a need for better recruitment strategies, survey design, and timing of survey distribution

The relationship between sensory sensitivity and autistic traits in the general population.

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) tend to have sensory processing difficulties (Baranek et al. in J Child Psychol Psychiatry 47:591–601, 2006). These difficulties include over- and under-responsiveness to sensory stimuli, and problems modulating sensory input (Ben-Sasson et al. in J Autism Dev Disorders 39:1–11, 2009). As those with ASD exist at the extreme end of a continuum of autistic traits that is also evident in the general population, we investigated the link between ASD and sensory sensitivity in the general population by administering two questionnaires online to 212 adult participants. Results showed a highly significant positive correlation (r = .775, p < .001) between number of autistic traits and the frequency of sensory processing problems. These data suggest a strong link between sensory processing and autistic traits in the general population, which in turn potentially implicates sensory processing problems in social interaction difficulties

Deaths of individuals aged 16-24 years in the UK after using mephedrone

Objective: Mephedrone is a stimulant drug chemically related to amphetamine, with effects similar to those of amphetamine and cocaine. This study aims to analyse fatalities following ingestion of mephedrone in the UK amongst 16-24 year olds in 2009-13, providing an update on data presented at the 2nd International Conference on Novel Psychoactive Substances. Methods: A literature search was undertaken to identify published information on pharmacology, toxicity, and fatalities associated with mephedrone. Fatalities involving mephedrone were extracted from the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths database, which receives information on drug-related deaths from Coroners in the UK and Islands and other data suppliers. Selection criteria: deceased aged 16-24 at time of death; mephedrone directly implicated in the cause of death and/or mentioned in the Coroner’s verdict. Results: Thirty cases met the study criteria and, when known, all were of White ethnicity, most (85%) had a history of drug use and 73% were male. Two-thirds (63%) were accidental poisonings. Mephedrone was used with other substances in most cases (87%); other substances were implicated in 60% of deaths. Conclusions: Mephedrone use can have potentially fatal consequences, especially in combination with other substances. Deaths in the 16-24 years age-group continue to occur from its use in the UK, despite it being a controlled drug. Health professionals and potential consumers should be alert to this risk.Peer reviewe