Cultural Competence to Cultural Obsolescence: Drug Use, Stigma and Consumerism

This chapter considers the stigmatisation of drug users within the context of consumercapitalism, arguing that the contemporary remit and nature of stigma is increasingly shapedby the demands of consumerism and its polarisation of proficient and flawed consumptionpractices.</p

Enlightened hedonism? Independent drug checking among a group of ecstasy users

BackgroundResearch indicates that a body of ecstasy users across the globe employ ‘home’ drug testing technologies to learn more about the content of their drugs – a process referred to throughout this article as independent drug checking (IDC). Whilst a small number of studies offer accounts of this process, they do so through a narrow lens of harm reduction, potentially overlooking wider socio-cultural factors which may affect this. In response, this article draws on Slavoj Žižek's political theory of the cultural injunction to enjoy, situating IDC in the wider political economy of neoliberal consumer capitalism to contextualise and interpret its use as integral to pleasure and leisure.MethodsThis empirical study documents the thoughts and experiences of a group of UK ecstasy users who independently use a privately owned drug-testing kit. Drawing on qualitative data generated through 20 semi-structured interviews, the article considers two research questions; what role did drug checking play in the group's drug journeys and leisure activities?; and is drug checking thought to be purposeful?FindingsFor this group of ecstasy users, issues of safety and self-responsibility interweaved with the pursuit of pleasure as they sought to enjoy their drug consumption, but in a way that navigated potential harms. IDC therefore served to maximise pleasure via its ‘guarantee’ of a prolonged, enjoyable, authentic consumer experience whilst simultaneously safeguarding wellbeing via its premise of more responsible and controlled consumption practices.ConclusionIDC allowed this group of drug consumers to partake in ‘enlightened hedonism’ – demonstrating their conformity to the imperatives of capitalism and its social norms. Despite recognising the limitations of IDC and disclosing potentially harmful outcomes, the group's engagement with capitalist markets provided a belief that investment in your consumer experience can both improve it and make it safer – premises that belie the empirical reality.</div

Prohibition, Privilege and the Drug Apartheid: The Failure of Drug Policy Reform to Address the Underlying Fallacies of Drug Prohibition

It appears to be a time of turbulence within the global drug policy landscape. The historically dominant model of drug prohibition endures, yet a number of alternative models of legalization, decriminalization and regulation are emerging across the world. While critics have asserted that prohibition and the ensuing ‘war on drugs’ lack both an evidence base and legitimacy, reformers are embracing these alternatives as indicators of progressive change. This article, however, argues that such reforms adhere to the same arbitrary notions, moral dogma and fallacious evidence base as their predecessor. As such they represent the ‘metamorphosis of prohibition’, whereby the structure of drug policy changes, yet the underpinning principles remain unchanged. Consequentially, these reforms should not be considered ‘progressive’ as they risk further consolidating the underlying inconsistencies and contradictions that have formed the basis of drug prohibition

Perovskite supported catalysts for the selective oxidation of glycerol to tartronic acid

Exceptional selectivity of LaMnO3 perovskite supported Au catalysts for the oxidation of glycerol to the dicarboxylate tartronic acid is reported. Through using monometallic Au, Pt or bimetallic Au:Pt nanoparticles the tartronic acid yield could be altered significantly, with a maximum yield of 44% in 6 h with Au/LaMnO3 and 80% within 24 h. These LaMnO3 supported catalysts were compared with conventionally TiO2 supported catalysts, which at comparable reaction conditions produced lactic acid, via a dehydration pathway, in high yield and a maximum tartronic acid yield of only 9% was observed. The LaMnO3 catalysts produced minimal lactic acid regardless of the supported metal, showing that the support structure influences the prevalence of dehydration and oxidation pathways. The choice of metal nanoparticle influenced product selectivity along the oxidation pathway for both LaMnO3 and TiO2 supported catalysts. Au catalysts exhibited a higher selectivity to tartronic acid, whereas AuPt catalysts produced glyceric acid and Pt catalysts produced predominantly C-C scission products.</p

Additional file 1: Table S1. of Swallowing interventions for the treatment of dysphagia after head and neck cancer: a systematic review of behavioural strategies used to promote patient adherence to swallowing exercises

BCTs, descriptions and examples from studies included in the review. NB: A complete list of BCTs in the taxonomy (BCTTv1) and a full description can be found in Michie, Atkins & West [60]. (DOCX 125 kb

Solicitud de provisión de cargos eclesiásticos en Irlanda entre los religiosos de la orden de Santo Domingo

Fecha del documento: 1626-12-16. 3 páginasConsulta del Consejo de Estado a Felipe IV sobre el memorial remitido por fray Ricardo de la Peña, Procurador General de la Provincia de Irlanda, de la orden de Santo Domingo, en que suplica se mande escribir una carta a Su Santidad pidiéndole que en las vacantes que ahora hay en Irlanda del arzobispado de Ardmacha y otros obispados, se honre a dicha orden por sus buenos servicios en aumento de la religión católica, proveyendo alguna dignidad a religiosos de la orden. El Consejo recuerda que el rey ya mandó escribir al embajador en Roma encargando hiciese oficios con el Papa para que proveyese en algún religioso de esta orden el arzobispado de Armacana, y esto no tuvo efecto porque la orden no llegó a tiempo. Ahora que ha muerto el dicho arzobispo parece al Consejo será bien reforzar dicha orden. Respuesta del rey: "Así".Proyecto Proyección Política y Social de la Comunidad Irlandesa en la Monarquía hispánica y en la América Colonial de la Edad Moderna(siglos XVI-XVIII) (HAR2009-11339 - subprograma HIST) del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad en colaboración con el Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Embajada de Irlanda en Madrid, National University of Ireland (NUI) Maynooth, University College Dublin y Trinity College DublinConsejo de EstadoFelipe IVOrden de Santo DomingoNoNoN

Synthesis of Filibuvir. Part II. Second-Generation Synthesis of a 6,6-Disubstituted 2<i>H</i>‑Pyranone via Dieckmann Cyclization of a β‑Acetoxy Ester

This paper describes an improved sequence for the conversion of an oxazolidinone (<b>3</b>) to a β-keto lactone (<b>5</b>). The primary drivers behind this change were the modest and variable yields observed in the intramolecular cyclization to generate the β-keto lactone. Changing the cyclization substrate from oxazolidinone to alkyl ester offered a significantly improved cyclization, as well as improvements in the alkyne hydrogenation. Selection of the optimal substrates for methanolysis and intermediate salt formation are also described