21 research outputs found

    An Exploratory Study Of College Students’ Attitudes About Ecstasy

    Get PDF
    In a recent survey of 18-35 year olds, 15% reported using ecstasy (Businelle et al., 2009) and many emerging adults viewed it as “safer” than other illicit drugs, with limited negative consequences (Bahora et al., 2009). Although numerous quantitative studies have explored the topic of ecstasy use in college students, there is limited qualitative research, most of which is limited to users. Thus, in the current study, we used a focus group methodology to better understand users’ and nonusers’ knowledge, expectations, and perceived risks of ecstasy use, for the purpose of informing prevention efforts on college campuses. Twenty-four college students participated in three focus groups. Results of a thematic analysis suggested that both users and nonusers of ecstasy hold specific, positive expectations related to the effects of ecstasy; this supported the first hypothesis that college students’ attitudes about ecstasy would be characterized by more positive rather than negative effects. Compared to nonusers, users identified more positive and negative effects, as well as risks associated with ecstasy use. This supported the second hypothesis that users would view ecstasy more positively than non users; however, users also reported more negative effects and risks than non users. Results of the quantitative portion of the study showed that students regarded ecstasy to be just as risky as cocaine, but more risky than both alcohol and marijuana; interestingly, there was no significant difference in perceived risk of ecstasy between users and non users. Implications of these findings for prevention efforts with college students are discussed

    The Role of Cholinergic Signaling in Cardiac Function

    Get PDF
    Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in Canada. Treatment currently focuses on preventing the increase of sympathetic signaling seen in heart failure. However, it has recently been noted that cardiac function is dependent on parasympathetic tone. Previous studies have demonstrated the development of heart failure when cholinergic targets are knocked out in cardiomyocytes. Transgenic mouse models that have increased cholinergic transmission show protection against cardiovascular insults. We have shown that transgenic mice overexpressing vesicular acetylcholine transporter in cholinergic cells show cardiovascular protection in response to ex vivo insults. As well, this protection is seen when cholinergic signaling was increased using acetylcholinesterase inhibition. Moreover, although no differences on cardiovascular parameters were seen in response to in vivo acetylcholinesterase inhibition alone, it was found to re-establish hemodynamic parameters and prevent cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in response to a hyper-sympathetic mouse model. In conclusion, increasing cholinergic transmission provides protection against cardiovascular insults

    Generative Models of Huge Objects

    Get PDF
    This work initiates the systematic study of explicit distributions that are indistinguishable from a single exponential-size combinatorial object. In this we extend the work of Goldreich, Goldwasser and Nussboim (SICOMP 2010) that focused on the implementation of huge objects that are indistinguishable from the uniform distribution, satisfying some global properties (which they coined truthfulness). Indistinguishability from a single object is motivated by the study of generative models in learning theory and regularity lemmas in graph theory. Problems that are well understood in the setting of pseudorandomness present significant challenges and at times are impossible when considering generative models of huge objects. We demonstrate the versatility of this study by providing a learning algorithm for huge indistinguishable objects in several natural settings including: dense functions and graphs with a truthfulness requirement on the number of ones in the function or edges in the graphs, and a version of the weak regularity lemma for sparse graphs that satisfy some global properties. These and other results generalize basic pseudorandom objects as well as notions introduced in algorithmic fairness. The results rely on notions and techniques from a variety of areas including learning theory, complexity theory, cryptography, and game theory

    The problem of constitutional legitimation: what the debate on electoral quotas tells us about the legitimacy of decision-making rules in constitutional choice

    Get PDF
    Proponents of electoral quotas have a ‘dependent interpretation’ of democracy, i.e. they have formed an opinion on which decision-making rules are fair on the basis of their prior approval of the outcomes these rules are likely to generate. The article argues that this position causes an irresolvable problem for constitutional processes that seek to legitimately enact institutional change. While constitutional revision governed by formal equality allows the introduction of electoral quotas, this avenue is normatively untenable for proponents of affirmative action if they are consistent with their claim that formal equality reproduces biases and power asymmetries at all levels of decision-making. Their critique raises a fundamental challenge to the constitutional revision rule itself as equally unfair. Without consensus on the decision-making process by which new post-constitutional rules can be legitimately enacted, procedural fairness becomes an issue impossible to resolve at the stage of constitutional choice. This problem of legitimation affects all instances of constitutional choice in which there are opposing views not only about the desired outcome of the process but also about the decision-making rules that govern constitutional choice

    Replication Data for: Legislating at the Intersections

    No full text
    Leveraging original datasets of Democratic lawmakers and the bills they sponsor in 15 U.S. state houses in 1997 and 2005, we examine multiple forms of race-gender policy leadership and how it is tied to legislators’ race-gender identity
    corecore