The "war on drugs" has failed: is decriminalization of drug use a solution to the problem in South Africa?

This research report will engage in the debate surrounding decriminalization of drug use and whether it is a possible solution to the problem of drug use in South Africa. This is a question becoming more prevalent in global discussions regarding drug policy and its efficacy. It is held in the report that when evaluating policy two aspects must be addressed; namely the philosophical justification for the policy and the efficacy of the policy. Regarding criminalization it is found that policy may be justified by the public harm principle but that it does not effectively achieve the purpose of preventing and decreasing drug use and associated burdens. Thus, it is argued that prohibition is a constitutional limitation, but does not necessarily achieve its purpose in the least repressive or most effective way. Finally it is suggested that the solution to the drug problem will be one which addresses the background, particularly socio-economic, to drug use. Decriminalization has the theoretical potential to address this context but further empirical research is required in order to establish evidential grounds for continued discussion

The Acute Effects of Whole-Body Corrective Exercise on Postural Alignment

International Journal of Exercise Science 8(3): 213-223, 2015. This study examined the acute effects of whole-body corrective exercise on postural alignment in a sample of 50 male participants (18-30 y) displaying asymmetrical postural deviations. All participants were randomly assigned to either a nonexercise control (n = 25) or corrective exercise treatment (n = 25) group. A three-dimensional motion analysis Vicon system was employed to quantify standing postural alignment at the beginning and end of a 6 d study. Postural misalignments were determined in degrees of symmetry (tilt) and rotation using horizontal and vertical virtual plumb lines for the following locations: hip (ASIS), leg (greater trochanter), shoulder (acromion process), and head (ear). The treatment group completed five corrective exercise sessions on separate days which included 11 exercises (requiring about 60 min per session to complete). The control group performed no intervention and maintained a normal lifestyle. At the commencement of the study there were no significant differences in the degree of postural misalignment between the control and treatment groups at any of the postural measurements. At the conclusion of the treatment period (following the five sessions of corrective exercise), there were no significant differences in any of the postural alignments of any of the postural measurements between the treatment and control groups. For example, all of the following postural measurements were not significantly different (critical F ≥ 4.24;df = 1,25) between groups: hip (ASIS) tilt (F = 0.05), hip (ASIS) rotation (F = 0.15), greater trochanter tilt (F = 1.58), greater trochanter rotation (F = 0.33), shoulder tilt (F = 2.63), shoulder rotation (F = 0.07), head tilt (F = 2.39), and head rotation (F = 2.79). The results of this study suggest that in this group of subjects, five sessions of corrective exercise were insufficient to significantly improve standing postural alignment. Although the results are non-significant, five sessions of corrective exercise were insufficient to measurably improve standing postural alignment. Although the results are non-significant, this study appears to be the first to use 3D video capture analysis to evaluate how corrective exercise might enhance standing whole-body postural alignment. Now, similar research methods can be employed to study a longer treatment period with the objective of identifying the minimal dose of corrective exercise necessary to improve postural alignment

Multiple ion channel block by the cation channel inhibitor SKF-96365 in myocytes from the rabbit atrioventricular node

The atrioventricular node (AVN) of the cardiac conduction system coordinates atrial–ventricular excitation and can act as a subsidiary pacemaker. Recent evidence suggests that an inward background sodium current, I (B,Na), carried by nonselective cation channels (NSCCs), contributes to AVN cell pacemaking. The study of the physiological contribution of I (B,Na) has been hampered, however, by a lack of selective pharmacological antagonists. This study investigated effects of the NSCC inhibitor SKF‐96365 on spontaneous activity, I (B,Na), and other ionic currents in AVN cells isolated from the rabbit. Whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings of action potentials (APs) and ionic currents were made at 35–37°C. A concentration of 10 μmol/L SKF‐96365 slowed spontaneous action potential rate by 13.9 ± 5.3% (n = 8) and slope of the diastolic depolarization from 158.1 ± 30.5 to 86.8 ± 30.5 mV sec(−1) (P < 0.01; n = 8). Action potential upstroke velocity and maximum diastolic potential were also reduced. Under I (B,Na)‐selective conditions, 10 μmol/L SKF‐96365 inhibited I (B,Na) at −50 mV by 36.1 ± 6.8% (n = 8); however, effects on additional channel currents were also observed. Thus, the peak l‐type calcium current (I (Ca,L)) at +10 mV was inhibited by 38.6 ± 8.1% (n = 8), while the rapid delayed rectifier current, I (Kr), tails at −40 mV following depolarization to +20 mV were inhibited by 55.6 ± 4.6% (n = 8). The hyperpolarization‐activated current, I (f), was unaffected by SKF‐96365. Collectively, these results indicate that SKF‐96365 exerts a moderate inhibitory effect on I (B,Na) and slows AVN cell pacemaking. However, additional effects of the compound on I (Ca,L) and I (Kr) confound the use of SKF‐96365 to dissect out selectively the physiological role of I (B,Na) in the AVN

Evaluating Acute Changes in Joint Range-of-motion using Self-myofascial Release, Postural Alignment Exercises, and Static Stretches

International Journal of Exercise Science 6(4) : 310-319, 2013. This study was designed to compare the acute effect of self-myofascial release (SMR), postural alignment exercises, and static stretching on joint range-of-motion. Our sample included 27 participants (n = 14 males and n = 13 females) who had below average joint range-of-motion (specifically a sit-and-reach score of 13.5 inches [34.3 cm] or less). All were university students 18–27 years randomly assigned to complete two 30–40-minute data collection sessions with each testing session consisting of three sit-and-reach measurements (which involved lumbar spinal flexion, hip flexion, knee extension, and ankle dorsiflexion) interspersed with two treatments. Each treatment included foam-rolling, postural alignment exercises, or static stretching. Participants were assigned to complete session 1 and session 2 on two separate days, 24 hours to 48 hours apart. The data were analyzed so carryover effects could be estimated and showed that no single acute treatment significantly increased posterior mean sit-and-reach scores. However, significant gains (95% posterior probability limits) were realized with both postural alignment exercises and static stretching when used in combination with foam-rolling. For example, the posterior means equaled 1.71 inches (4.34 cm) when postural alignment exercises were followed by foam-rolling; 1.76 inches (4.47 cm) when foam-rolling was followed by static stretching; 1.49 inches (3.78 cm) when static stretching was followed by foam-rolling; and 1.18 inches (2.99 cm) when foam-rolling was followed by postural alignment exercises. Our results demonstrate that an acute treatment of foam-rolling significantly increased joint range-of-motion in participants with below average joint range-of-motion when combined with either postural alignment exercises or static stretching

The Way of All Flesh: Reflections on the entropy at work on the buildings of Roelof Uytenbogaardt

Instead of causing us to remember the past like the old monuments, the new monuments seem to cause us to forget the future. Instead of being made of natural materials, such as marble, granite: plastic, chrome, and electric light. They are not built for the ages, but rather against the ages. They are involved in a systematic reduction of time down to fractions of seconds, rather than in representing the long spaces of centuries. Both past and future are placed into an objective present. This kind of time has little or no space; it is stationary and without movement, it is going nowhere, it is anti-Newtonian, as well as being instant, and is against the wheels of the time-clock. - Robert Smithson, Entropy and the New Monuments (1966

Social science spinouts a neglected pathway to impact?

The abstract nature of knowledge derived from the social sciences has often led to it being written off as common sense, or as being ill-suited to practical application. In this post, Chris Fellingham, argues that creating businesses and social ventures based on social science insights presents bold, new opportunities for social science research to deliver impact

A statistical approach to the diagnosis of liver disease on the basis of serum bilirubin and enzyme levels

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