1,459 research outputs found
The Mutual Interpretation of Active and Passive Microwave Sensor Outputs
Mutual interpretation of active and passive microwave sensor output
Political Activity of Tax-Exempt Churches Particularly after \u3cem\u3eCitizens United v. Federal Election Commission\u3c/em\u3e and California\u27s Proposition 8 Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: Render unto Caesar What is Caesar\u27s
Detection of cannabinoids in hair after cosmetic application of hemp oil.
The detection of cannabis constituents and metabolites in hair is an established procedure to provide
evidence of exposure to cannabis. We present the frst known evidence to suggest that applying
hemp oil to hair, as cosmetic treatment, may result in the incorporation of Î9-tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC), cannabinol (CBN), cannabidiol (CBD) and in one instance, the metabolite 11-hydroxy-Î9-
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-OH). 10 volunteers treated their head hair daily with commercially
available hemp oil for a period of 6 weeks. Head hair samples were collected before and after the
application period. Hair samples were washed with methanol and subjected to clean up via liquid/
liquid and solid phase extraction procedures, and then GC-MS/MS for the analysis of THC, CBN, CBD,
THC-OH and THC-COOH. Application of hemp oil to hair resulted in the incorporation of one or more
cannabis constituents in 89% of volunteers, and 33% of the group tested positive for the three major
constituents, THC, CBN and CBD. One volunteer showed low levels of the metabolite THC-OH. We
suggest that cosmetic use of hemp oil should be recorded when sampling head hair for analysis, and
that the interpretative value of cannabinoid hair measurements from people reporting application of
hemp oil is treated with caution in both criminology and public health
Communications Biophysics
Contains a report on a research project.National Institutes of Health (Grant MH-04737-02)National Science Foundation (Grant G-16526
âThe show must go on!â Fieldwork, mental health and wellbeing in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Fieldwork is central to the identity, culture and history of academic Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (GEES). However, in this paper we recognise that, for many academic staff, fieldtrips can be a profoundly challenging âordeal,â illâconducive to wellness or effective pedagogic practice. Drawing on research with 39 UK universityâbased GEES academics who selfâidentify as having a mental health condition, we explore how mental health intersects with spaces and expectations of fieldwork in Higher Education. We particularly focus on their accounts of undertaking undergraduate residential fieldtrips and give voice to these largely undisclosed experiences. Their narratives run counter to normative, romanticised celebrations of fieldwork within GEES disciplines. We particularly highlight recurrent experiences of avoiding fieldwork, fieldworkâasâ ordeal, and âcopingâ with fieldwork, and suggest that commonplace anxieties within the neoliberal academy â about performance, productivity, fitnessâtoâwork, selfâpresentation, scrutiny and fearâofâfallingâbehind â are felt particularly intensely during fieldwork. In spite of considerable work to make fieldwork more accessible to students, we find that fieldâbased teaching is experienced as a focal site of distress, anxiety and ordeal for many GEES academics with common mental health conditions. We conclude with prompts for reflection about how fieldwork could be otherwise
Survival of patients with small cell lung cancer undergoing lung resection in England, 1998â2009
Introduction: Chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy is the recommended treatment for small cell lung cancer (SCLC), except in stage I disease where clinical guidelines state there may be a role for surgery based on favourable outcomes in case series. Evidence supporting adjuvant chemotherapy in resected SCLC is limited but this is widely offered. Methods: Data on 359 873 patients who were diagnosed with a first primary lung cancer in England between 1998 and 2009 were grouped according to histology (SCLC or non-SCLC (NSCLC)) and whether they underwent a surgical resection. We explored their survival using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression, adjusting for age, sex, comorbidity and socioeconomic status. Results: The survival of 465 patients with resected SCLC was lower than patients with resected NSCLC (5-year survival 31% and 45%, respectively), but much higher than patients of either group who were not resected (3%). The difference between resected SCLC and NSCLC diminished with time after surgery. Survival was superior for the subgroup of 198 'elective' SCLC cases where the diagnosis was most likely known before resection than for the subgroup of 267 'incidental' cases where the SCLC diagnosis was likely to have been made after resection. Conclusions: These data serve as a natural experiment testing the survival after surgical management of SCLC according to NSCLC principles. Patients with SCLC treated surgically for early stage disease may have survival outcomes that approach those of NSCLC, supporting the emerging clinical practice of offering surgical resection to selected patients with SCLC
Are GPs under-investigating older patients presenting with symptoms of ovarian cancer? Observational study using General Practice Research Database
Background: Recent studies suggest that older patients in the United Kingdom are not benefiting as much from improvements in cancer treatments as their younger counterparts. We investigate whether this might be partly due to differential referral rates using ovarian cancer as an example. Methods: From the General Practice Research Database (GPRD), we identified all women aged 40â80 years on 1 June 2002 with a Read code for ovarian cancer between 1 June 2002 and 31 May 2007. Using these records, we compared the GPRD incidence of ovarian cancer with rates compiled from the UK cancer registries and investigated the relationship between age and coded investigations for suspected ovarian cancer. Results: The GPRD rates peaked earlier, at 70â74, and were lower than registry rates for nearly all ages particularly for patients over 59. The proportion investigated or referred by the GP decreased significantly with age and delays between first coded symptom and investigation showed a U-shaped distribution by age. Conclusions: GPs appear to be less likely to recognise and to refer patients presenting with ovarian cancer as they get older. If our findings extend to other cancers, lack of or delays in referral to secondary care may partly explain poor UK cancer mortality rates of older people
Chemotherapy versus supportive care in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: improved survival without detriment to quality of life
BACKGROUND: In 1995 a meta-analysis of randomised trials investigating the value of adding chemotherapy to primary treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) suggested a small survival benefit for cisplatin-based chemotherapy in each of the primary treatment settings. However, the metaanalysis included many small trials and trials with differing eligibility criteria and chemotherapy regimens. METHODS: The aim of the Big Lung Trial was to confirm the survival benefits seen in the meta-analysis and to assess quality of life and cost in the supportive care setting. A total of 725 patients were randomised to receive supportive care alone (n = 361) or supportive care plus cisplatin-based chemotherapy (n = 364). RESULTS: 65% of patients allocated chemotherapy (C) received all three cycles of treatment and a further 27% received one or two cycles. 74% of patients allocated no chemotherapy (NoC) received thoracic radiotherapy compared with 47% of the C group. Patients allocated C had a significantly better survival than those allocated NoC: HR 0.77 (95% CI 0.66 to 0.89, p = 0.0006), median survival 8.0 months for the C group v 5.7 months for the NoC group, a difference of 9 weeks. There were 19 (5%) treatment related deaths in the C group. There was no evidence that any subgroup benefited more or less fromchemotherapy. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of the pre-defined primary and secondary quality of life end points, although large negative effects of chemotherapy were ruled out. The regimens used proved to be cost effective, the extra cost of chemotherapy being offset by longer survival. CONCLUSIONS: The survival benefit seen in this trial was entirely consistent with the NSCLC meta-analysis and subsequent similarly designed large trials. The information on quality of life and cost should enablepatients and their clinicians to make more informed treatment choices
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