Findings from the DUMA program: internet access, and frequency and nature of use among police detainees

Examining access to and the extent of engagement with the Internet in illicit drug-using populations may provide an indication of the extent to which the online illicit drug market is usurping the physical illicit drug market, according to this report. Summary The advent of the Internet has created opportunities for the global exchange of information and purchase of goods and services. However, it has also facilitated the creation of online illicit drug markets and forums in which drug-related information can be exchanged between users. Bruno, Poesiat & Matthews (2013) reported that illicit drug-specific search terms (such as cocaine, ecstasy, hallucinogens and high) were used, on average, 39,700 times per month in the Google search engine in Australia. Examining access to and the extent of engagement with the Internet in illicit drug-using populations may provide an indication of the extent to which the online illicit drug market is usurping the physical illicit drug market. In 2006, Cunningham, Selby, Kypri & Humphreys examined Internet access in a sample of smokers, drinkers and illicit drug users (n=2,584) derived from the general population in Canada, through a random digit dialling technique. Restricting the findings to illicit drug users, 77 percent of cannabis users and 75 percent of cocaine users reported having Internet access. It would be anticipated that current Internet access rates would be considerably higher in all subgroups of the population, including illicit drug users, than those recorded in 2006

Findings from the DUMA program: drink and drug driving among police detainees

This paper finds that detainees do perceive a risk related to drink and drug driving, in terms of impairment in driving ability and potential detection by police. These conditions are likely to result in deterrence from drink and drug driving for some detainees. Introduction In Australia, random breath testing (RBT) was introduced in the mid-1970s to detect drivers under the influence of alcohol. This resulted in a reduction in fatal crashes and alcohol-related traffic accidents across Australia. The success of RBT can be explained through the classic deterrence doctrine, which suggests that decision-making is influenced by the perception of whether the benefits of the crime outweigh the risks of being caught. The introduction of RBT arguably increased the perceived and real risk of being caught, which positively influenced individuals’ decisions to refrain from driving while intoxicated. Following the successful implementation of RBT, between 2004 (in Victoria) and 2011 (in the Australian Capital Territory), random roadside drug testing (RRDT) was introduced across Australia. The aim of RRDT was to deter drug driving, decreasing both the prevalence of drug driving and the associated harms. In 2013, data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) indicated that drug driving and drink driving had been engaged in by more than one in 10 Australians (16% and 12% respectively) surveyed during the previous 12 months. Rates of drug driving are even higher in populations where illicit drug use is common, such as among police detainees, where 65 percent of detainees surveyed reported driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs in the previous 12 months. Examining perceptions of risk of drug driving, in terms of both being caught and legitimacy (perceptions of impairment to driving ability), will identify whether the preconditions exist to support drug driving deterrence through RRDT

A Training Program to Develop Specific Manual Dexterity Skills of Down’s Syndrome Children

This study was designed to determine if the fine motor skills of three young Down’s Syndrome children functioning below average in manual dexterity skills could be improved through a systematic training program. The selected subjects were met individually for thirty minutes a day, four days per week (Monday through Thursday), for a period of seven weeks. Each child was trained by repeated practice on ten specific tasks involving arm, hand, and finger manipulation. Subjective data recorded during each session by the investigator indicated that, generally, all three subjects appeared to improve on the manual dexterity tasks. These results were supported by gains generally found in the Purdue Pegboard, the Crawford Small Parts Dexterity Test, and the Stromberg Dexterity Test which were administered prior to and at the completion of training. However, limitations of the study prohibit the conclusion that improvement was due to the systematic training program employed in the study

Blazing the Real: Writing by Indiana Children

I got my first camera when I was in third grade—a Brownie Hawkeye flash model with a snazzy little camera case. The instruction manual provided six simple steps for taking successful pictures. Hold the camera steady, supporting it underneath. Then, with the sun behind your back or over your shoulder, locate the subject in the finder. At the instant of exposure, hold your breath and press the shutter release with a gentle squeezing action (Brownie Hawkeye Instruction Manual). The camera came with two rolls of film, each with16 frames. I eagerly used them up and sent the exposed film off for developing and printing. Maybe because I didn’t hold my breath or squeeze the shutter release quite gently enough—I don’t know—but when the prints came back, I had (according to the manual) “fumbles”: double-exposures, complete blurs, specks on the images, a few close-ups of my finger or the camera strap, and plenty of shots where the subject was cut-off. I did have pictures, but not one that was good. Cameras now are nothing like my Brownie Hawkeye, but if you still point and shoot like I do, you have surely noticed that the beautiful sunset you see with your own eyes is nothing like the digital image you end up with. That’s because creating breathtaking photography is up to the photographers who are, in the words of Ansel Adams, blazing the poetry of the real (1930) – using shadow and light, focus, compositional elements, perspective, texture, and tone to illuminate what we see (and sometimes don’t see). For the longest time, we have used a point and shoot mentality in writing, too. You remember... follow the directions for writing a paper, hold your breath when you turn it in, then get it back in a few days with your “fumbles” clearly marked in red pen. Think about it. How much better would your writing have been if you had known how to create the illusion of motion or sound, manipulate the volume or inflection in a reader’s voice, make the reader your accomplice, or persuade her to think like you? That is the work of writing after all—to hold its own in the absence of the author, blazing the real of time and space. Knowing how to write well is not just the province of published authors anymore. It can’t be—too much is at stake. Workshop teachers take seriously this call to action, teaching the qualities of good writing every single day. In Blazing the Real, their students demonstrate that good writing comes from a deeper understanding of craft, of what writers know and do. These young writers understand that very specific, tangible details help them effectively express big, sometimes abstract concepts. They understand the power of creating intimacy with a reader by using second-person address. They understand that reflecting on topics immediately relevant to their own lives, stirs emotions that resonate broadly. And, they even understand how to manipulate the conventions of writing to provoke their audiences to respond in particular, intended ways. Breathe in the beauty of Blazing the Real—the splendor of meticulously crafted photographs inspired by the writing in each of four chapters, the artistry of language both written and drawn that is influenced by the work of real writers. And know, we are a very long way from point and shoot. -Susan C. Adamsonhttps://digitalcommons.butler.edu/iypw_books/1000/thumbnail.jp

Tiny dancers: the integrin–growth factor nexus in angiogenic signaling

A vital step in growth factor–driven angiogenesis is the coordinated engagement of endothelial integrins with the extracellular matrix. The molecular mechanisms that partner growth factors and integrins are being elucidated, revealing an intricate interaction of surface receptors and their signaling pathways

The Relationship Between Fermented Foods and Depression: A Systematic Review

Depression is a global health issue that is socially and economically expensive. The gut microbiome influences depression, and fermented foods contain bacteria that contribute to the ecology of the gut microbiome. We performed a systematic review of clinical research that examines the relationship between fermented food and depression by conducting an electronic search of four academic databases using the search terms fermented, fermented foods, fermentation, and depression. The inclusion criteria are: inpatient, outpatient, and community settings; human participants age 5-110 years old; any diagnosis of depression; daily ingestion of fermented foods regardless of ingredients; written in English; published full text articles accessible through St. Catherine University; random controlled trials, case reports, cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, and clinical trials; and any measured change in depression after daily ingestion of fermented food. We identified 64 articles, and only two met the inclusion criteria. Both studies indicate a positive trend between fermented food supplementation and improvement in depression. Results are presented in a narrative synthesis, however, there were too few studies to draw major or significant conclusions. Researching multifaceted issues including the gut microbiome and depression in a reductive manner is paradoxical and inadequate. We suggest a more holistic approach with epistemological and ontological assumptions that account for the complexities and synergies in the human body

Multidisciplinary group performance—measuring integration intensity in the context of the North West London Integrated Care Pilot

Introduction: Multidisciplinary Group meetings (MDGs) are seen as key facilitators of integration, moving from individual to multidisciplinary decision-making, and from a focus on individual patients to a focus on patient groups. We have developed a method for coding MDG transcripts to identify whether they are or are not vehicles for delivering the anticipated efficiency improvements across various providers and apply it to a test case in the North West London Integrated Care Pilot. Methods: We defined ‘integrating’ as the process within the MDG meeting that enables or promotes an improved collaboration, improved understanding, and improved awareness of self and others within the local healthcare economy such that efficiency improvements could be identified and action taken. Utterances within the MDGs are coded according to three distinct domains grounded in concepts from communication, group decision-making, and integrated care literatures—the Valence, the Focus, and the Level. Standardized weighted integrative intensity scores are calculated across ten time deciles in the Case Discussion providing a graphical representation of its integrative intensity. Results: Intra- and Inter-rater reliability of the coding scheme was very good as measured by the Prevalence and Bias-adjusted Kappa Score. Standardized Weighted Integrative Intensity graph mirrored closely the verbatim transcript and is a convenient representation of complex communication dynamics. Trend in integrative intensity can be calculated and the characteristics of the MDG can be pragmatically described. Conclusion: This is a novel and potentially useful method for researchers, managers and practitioners to better understand MDG dynamics and to identify whether participants are integrating. The degree to which participants use MDG meetings to develop an integrated way of working is likely to require management, leadership and shared values