28 CFR 35.131 - Illegal use of drugs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Illegal use of drugs. 35.131 Section 35... STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES General Requirements § 35.131 Illegal use of drugs. (a) General. (1... an individual based on that individual's current illegal use of drugs. (2) A public entity shall not...

50 CFR 12.32 - Effect of prior illegality.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Effect of prior illegality. 12.32 Section... PLANTS SEIZURE AND FORFEITURE PROCEDURES Disposal of Forfeited or Abandoned Property § 12.32 Effect of prior illegality. The effect of any prior illegality on a subsequent holder of any wildlife or plant...

Proposed industrial recovered materials utilization targets for the metals and metal products industry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1979-05-01

Set targets for increased utilization of energy-saving recovered materials in the metals and metal products industries (ferrous, aluminium, copper, zinc, and lead) are discussed. Data preparation and methodology development and analysis of the technological and economic factors in order to prepare draft targets for the use of recovered materials are covered. Chapter 2 provides an introductory discussion of the factors that affect the recovery and reuse of secondary materials and the competition between the primary and secondary metals industries. Chapter 3 presents general profiles for the major industrial segments comprising SIC 33, including industry structure, process technology, materials and recyclingmore » flow, and future trends for the 5 industries: ferrous, aluminium, copper, zinc, and lead. Chapter 4 presents the evaluation of recycling targets for those industries. (MCW)« less

Nonmedical prescription opioid use and illegal drug use: initiation trajectory and related risks among people who use illegal drugs in Vancouver, Canada.

PubMed

Cheng, Tessa; Small, Will; Nosova, Ekaterina; Hogg, Bob; Hayashi, Kanna; Kerr, Thomas; DeBeck, Kora

2018-01-16

We investigated the prevalence of and risk factors associated with initiating nonmedical prescription opioid use (NMPOU) before and after illegal drugs using data from two linked cohort studies of street youth and adults who use illegal drugs in Vancouver, Canada. All participants who attended a study visit between 2013 and 2016 were eligible for the primary analyses. Among 512 youth and 833 adult participants, the prevalence of NMPOU was extremely high (88% among street youth; 90% among adults), and over one-third of those who reported engaging in NMPOU had initiated NMPOU before illegal drug use (vs. transitioning from illegal drugs to NMPOU). Participants who reported either transitioning to or from NMPOU had higher risk profiles, particularly related to substance use, when compared with those who reported never engaging in NMPOU. Sub-analyses restricted to only those who engaged in NMPOU found few statistically significant differences between those who initiated NMPOU prior to illegal drugs versus those who initiated illegal drugs prior to NMPOU. Findings suggest that among people who use illegal drugs, early NMPOU trajectories do not appear to critically shape future patterns and practices.

An exploratory study of illegal gamblers in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Tessler, Andrew; El Beyrouty, Kareen; Crapnell, Natasha

2017-01-01

This study investigates the nature and behaviour of illegal gamblers in Hong Kong. A face-to-face street survey of 512 gamblers was conducted in Hong Kong between September and December 2015 with supplementary convenience sampling allowing for analysis of a total sample of 103 illegal gamblers. 56% of illegal gamblers recorded results consistent with this study's definition of 'excessive gambling' [i.e. moderate risk and problem gamblers under the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI)]. 81% of surveyed illegal gamblers were male, 77% were aged between 30 and 49 and 67% were in blue collar occupations. Illegal gamblers bet more frequently on both legal and illegal games than their legal counterparts and spent more when they did bet. While this research did not indicate the direction of causality between illegal and excessive gambling, international work (de Bruin et al. in verslingerd aan meer dan een spel: Een onderzoek naar de aard en omvang van kansspelproblematiek in Nederland, WODC/CVO, Utrecht, http://www.lexandgaming.eu/nl/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Verslingerd-aan-meer-dan-een-spel.pdf, 2005; Binde in What are the most harmful forms of gambling? Analysing problem gambling prevalence surveys, http://www.utbildning.gu.se/digitalAssets/1327/1327132_cefos-wp12.pdf, 2011) suggests that excessive gamblers are drawn to illegal gambling. Reform could allow excessive gambling by illegal gamblers to be better addressed and initial work suggests some financial benefits to Hong Kong.

Characteristics of illegal and legal cigarette packs sold in Guatemala.

PubMed

Arevalo, Rodrigo; Corral, Juan E; Monzon, Diego; Yoon, Mira; Barnoya, Joaquin

2016-11-25

Guatemala, as a party to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), is required to regulate cigarette packaging and labeling and eliminate illicit tobacco trade. Current packaging and labeling characteristics (of legal and illegal cigarettes) and their compliance with the FCTC is unknown. We sought to analyze package and label characteristics of illegal and legal cigarettes sold in Guatemala. We visited the 22 largest traditional markets in the country to purchase illegal cigarettes. All brands registered on tobacco industry websites were purchased as legal cigarettes. Analysis compared labeling characteristics of illegal and legal packs. Most (95%) markets and street vendors sold illegal cigarettes; 104 packs were purchased (79 illegal and 25 legal). Ten percent of illegal and none of the legal packs had misleading terms. Half of the illegal packs had a warning label covering 26 to 50% of the pack surface. All legal packs had a label covering 25% of the surface. Illegal packs were more likely to have information on constituents and emissions (85% vs. 45%, p < 0.001) and were less expensive than legal ones (USD 0.70 ± 0.7 and 1.9 ± 1.8, p < 0.001). In Guatemala, neither illegal nor legal cigarette packs comply with FCTC labeling mandates. Urgent implementation and enforcement of the FCTC is necessary to halt the tobacco epidemic.

Judgments about illegal performance-enhancing substances: reasoned, reactive, or both?

PubMed

Dodge, Tonya; Stock, Michelle; Litt, Dana

2013-07-01

This study applied aspects of the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Prototype/Willingness model to understand cognitions associated with the use of illegal performance-enhancing substances. There were two study objectives. One was to investigate whether the illegal-is-effective heuristic (i.e. belief that illegal performance-enhancing substances are more effective than legal performance-enhancing substances) affects willingness to use illegal performance-enhancing substances. The second was to examine whether attitudes, norms, and prototypes influence the willingness and intentions to use illegal performance-enhancing substances. The illegal-is-effective heuristic was a significant predictor of willingness but was not a significant predictor of intentions. Implications for future research and prevention efforts are discussed.

Process for the fabrication of aluminum metallized pyrolytic graphite sputtering targets

DOEpatents

Makowiecki, Daniel M.; Ramsey, Philip B.; Juntz, Robert S.

1995-01-01

An improved method for fabricating pyrolytic graphite sputtering targets with superior heat transfer ability, longer life, and maximum energy transmission. Anisotropic pyrolytic graphite is contoured and/or segmented to match the erosion profile of the sputter target and then oriented such that the graphite's high thermal conductivity planes are in maximum contact with a thermally conductive metal backing. The graphite contact surface is metallized, using high rate physical vapor deposition (HRPVD), with an aluminum coating and the thermally conductive metal backing is joined to the metallized graphite target by one of four low-temperature bonding methods; liquid-metal casting, powder metallurgy compaction, eutectic brazing, and laser welding.

Medicinal and illegal drugs among Danish car drivers.

PubMed

Behrensdorff, Inge; Steentoft, Anni

2003-11-01

The objective of this study was to get an insight into the prevalence of medicinal and illegal drugs among car drivers in a Danish rural area. The police randomly stopped about 1000 car drivers and asked them to deliver a saliva sample and gave them a questionnaire to fill in at home. Laboratory analyses by specific methods of samples, which a screening found positive, confirmed that 2% were positive for benzodiazepines or illegal drugs (amphetamine, cannabis, cocaine or opiates): 1.3% were positive for illegal drugs and 0.7% for benzodiazepines. Questionnaire statements from some of the drivers confirm that occasionally some of these drive despite a suspicion to be under the influence of an illegal drug (2.8%), an illegal drug including alcohol (4%), a hazardous medicinal drug including alcohol (8.5%), or alcohol alone above the legal limit (24.5%). These results are considered reliable for the survey area and may not reflect national conditions. The overall results indicate that in this study driving under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol seems to be associated to especially men, aged 22-44 years. Driving under the influence of hazardous medicinal drugs seems to be associated to middle-aged/elderly drivers, both men and women.

Illegal drug use among female university students in Slovakia.

PubMed

Matejovičová, Barbora; Trandžík, Jozef; Schlarmannová, Janka; Boledovičová, Mária; Velemínský, Miloš

2015-01-20

This study is focused on the issue of illegal drug use among female university students preparing to become teachers. The main aim was to determine the frequency of drug abuse in a group of young women (n=215, mean age 20.44 years). Using survey methods, we determined that 33.48% of female university students in Slovakia use illegal drugs and 66.51% of students have never used illegal drugs. Differences between these groups were determined using statistical analysis, mostly in 4 areas of survey questions. We determined that education of parents has a statistically significant influence on use of illegal drugs by their children (χ2=10.14; P<0.05). Communication between parents and children and parental attention to children have a significant role in determining risky behavior (illegal drug use, χ2=8.698, P<0.05). Parents of students not using illegal drugs were interested in how their children spend their free time (68.53%). We confirmed the relationship between consumption of alcohol and illegal drug use (χ2=16.645; P<0.001) and smoking (χ2=6.226; P<0.05). The first contact with drugs occurs most frequently at high school age. The most consumed "soft" drug in our group of female university students is marijuana. Our findings are relevant for comparison and generalization regarding causes of the steady increase in number of young people using illegal drugs.

Tobacco industry allegations of "illegal lobbying" and state tobacco control.

PubMed

Bialous, S A; Fox, B J; Glantz, S A

2001-01-01

This study assessed the perceived effect of tobacco industry allegations of "illegal lobbying" by public health professionals on policy interventions for tobacco control. Structured interviews were conducted with state health department project managers in all 17 National Cancer Institute-funded American Stop Smoking Intervention Study (ASSIST) states. Documentation and media records related to ASSIST from the National Cancer Institute, health advocates, and the tobacco industry were analyzed. The tobacco industry filed formal complaints of illegal lobbying activities against 4 ASSIST states. These complaints had a temporary chilling effect on tobacco control policy interventions in those states. ASSIST states not targeted by the tobacco industry developed an increased awareness of the industry's tactics and worked to prepare for such allegations to minimize disruption of their activities. Some self-reported self-censorship in policy activity occurred in 11 of the 17 states (65%). Public health professionals need to educate themselves and the public about the laws that regulate lobbying activities and develop their strategies, including their policy activities, accordingly.

Characterization of suspected illegal skin whitening cosmetics.

PubMed

Desmedt, B; Van Hoeck, E; Rogiers, V; Courselle, P; De Beer, J O; De Paepe, K; Deconinck, E

2014-03-01

An important group of suspected illegal cosmetics consists of skin bleaching products, which are usually applied to the skin of the face, hands and décolleté for local depigmentation of hyper pigmented regions or more importantly, for a generalized reduction of the skin tone. These cosmetic products are suspected to contain illegal active substances that may provoke as well local as systemic toxic effects, being the reason for their banning from the EU market. In that respect, illegal and restricted substances in cosmetics, known to have bleaching properties, are in particular hydroquinone, tretinoin and corticosteroids. From a legislative point of view, all cosmetic products containing a prohibited whitening agent are illegal and must be taken off the EU market. A newly developed screening method using ultra high performance liquid chromatography-time off flight-mass spectrometry allows routine analysis of suspected products. 163 suspected skin whitening cosmetics, collected by Belgian inspectors at high risk sites such as airports and so-called ethnic cosmetic shops, were analyzed and 59% were classified as illegal. The whitening agents mostly detected were clobetasol propionate and hydroquinone, which represent a serious health risk when repeatedly and abundantly applied to the skin. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Process for the fabrication of aluminum metallized pyrolytic graphite sputtering targets

DOEpatents

Makowiecki, D.M.; Ramsey, P.B.; Juntz, R.S.

1995-07-04

An improved method is disclosed for fabricating pyrolytic graphite sputtering targets with superior heat transfer ability, longer life, and maximum energy transmission. Anisotropic pyrolytic graphite is contoured and/or segmented to match the erosion profile of the sputter target and then oriented such that the graphite`s high thermal conductivity planes are in maximum contact with a thermally conductive metal backing. The graphite contact surface is metallized, using high rate physical vapor deposition (HRPVD), with an aluminum coating and the thermally conductive metal backing is joined to the metallized graphite target by one of four low-temperature bonding methods; liquid-metal casting, powder metallurgy compaction, eutectic brazing, and laser welding. 11 figs.

Illegal fishing and territorial user rights in Chile.

PubMed

Oyanedel, Rodrigo; Keim, Andres; Castilla, Juan Carlos; Gelcich, Stefan

2017-11-07

Illegal fishing poses a major threat to conservation of marine resources worldwide. However, there is still limited empirical research that quantifies illegal catch levels. We used the randomized response technique to estimate the proportion of divers and the quantities of loco (Concholepas concholepas) they extracted illegally. Loco have been managed for the past 17 years through a territorial user rights for fisheries system (TURFs) in Chile. Illegal fishing of loco was widespread within the TURFs system. Official reported landings (i.e., legal landings) accounted for 14-30% of the total loco extraction. Our estimates suggest that ignoring the magnitude of illegal fishing and considering only official landing statistics may lead to false conclusions about the status and trends of a TURFs managed fishery. We found evidence of fisher associations authorizing their members to poach inside TURFs, highlighting the need to design TURFs systems so that government agencies and fishers' incentives and objectives align through continuous adaptation. Government support for enforcement is a key element for the TURFs system to secure the rights that are in place. © 2017 Society for Conservation Biology.

Reducing the Illegal Sales of Cigarettes to Minors: Analysis of Alternative Enforcement Schedules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jason, Leonard; And Others

1996-01-01

Stores (n=120) in Chicago (Illinois) were targeted for enforcement of prohibitions on selling cigarettes to minors. Enforcement schedules of 2, 4, and 6 months were effective in reducing illegal sales, from 86% to 19%, 87% to 34%, and 87% to 42%, respectively, indicating the effectiveness of regular enforcement of civil penalties for tobacco sales…

Analysis of illegal peptide drugs via HILIC-DAD-MS.

PubMed

Janvier, Steven; De Sutter, Evelien; Wynendaele, Evelien; De Spiegeleer, Bart; Vanhee, Celine; Deconinck, Eric

2017-11-01

Biopharmaceuticals have established themselves as highly efficient medicines, and are still one of the fastest growing parts of the health-product industry. Unfortunately, the introduction of these promising new drugs went hand in hand with the creation of a black market for illegal and counterfeit biotechnology drugs. Particularly popular are the lyophilised peptides with a molecular weight of less than 5kDa. Most of them are meant for subcutaneous injection and are easily accessible via the internet. In recent years, different methods based on reversed phase liquid chromatography have been developed to detect and quantify these peptides. The emerging of more polar peptides however requires the introduction of other separation techniques. Therefore, we set out to develop and validate an analytical method based on hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) to identify and quantify the most frequently encountered illegal peptides on the European market. For this objective, five different HILIC columns were selected and screened for their chromatographic performance. Among those columns, the ZIC HILIC column showed the best performance under the tested screening conditions in terms of resolution and symmetry factor for the targeted peptide set. Hence, the operational conditions were further optimised for the identification of illegal preparations via mass spectrometry (MS) and quantification via UV. Validation was performed via accuracy profiles based on the ISO 17025 guideline. The obtained validated HILIC-method allows for the detection and quantification of the most frequently encountered illegal peptides on the internet in a total run time of 35min including post gradient equilibration and online cleaning step. Combined with a previously developed RPLC-method, the ZIC HILIC system allows for the detection and quantification of a wide spectrum of illicit peptide drugs available on the internet. Furthermore, the developed method could also be envisaged

[Current and future legislation of illegal drugs in Tokyo].

PubMed

Abe, Tetsuya

2013-01-01

Abuse of illegal drugs is widespread among young people, especially in the so-called "dance club scene" or "rave scene". Severe and even fatal poisonings have been attributed to the consumption of such drugs of abuse. The actions against these drugs by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and subsequently by the Government of Japan have gone some way to reducing the potential harm caused by these substances. However, alternative products have been advertised on a number of websites. During our careful surveillance of illegal drugs in 2011, we found seven unregulated drugs advertised. This means that we have an obligation to continue strict surveillance of illegal drugs and to structure a system of temporary bans on illegal drugs.

Illegal killing for ivory drives global decline in African elephants.

PubMed

Wittemyer, George; Northrup, Joseph M; Blanc, Julian; Douglas-Hamilton, Iain; Omondi, Patrick; Burnham, Kenneth P

2014-09-09

Illegal wildlife trade has reached alarming levels globally, extirpating populations of commercially valuable species. As a driver of biodiversity loss, quantifying illegal harvest is essential for conservation and sociopolitical affairs but notoriously difficult. Here we combine field-based carcass monitoring with fine-scale demographic data from an intensively studied wild African elephant population in Samburu, Kenya, to partition mortality into natural and illegal causes. We then expand our analytical framework to model illegal killing rates and population trends of elephants at regional and continental scales using carcass data collected by a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species program. At the intensively monitored site, illegal killing increased markedly after 2008 and was correlated strongly with the local black market ivory price and increased seizures of ivory destined for China. More broadly, results from application to continental data indicated illegal killing levels were unsustainable for the species between 2010 and 2012, peaking to ∼ 8% in 2011 which extrapolates to ∼ 40,000 elephants illegally killed and a probable species reduction of ∼ 3% that year. Preliminary data from 2013 indicate overharvesting continued. In contrast to the rest of Africa, our analysis corroborates that Central African forest elephants experienced decline throughout the last decade. These results provide the most comprehensive assessment of illegal ivory harvest to date and confirm that current ivory consumption is not sustainable. Further, our approach provides a powerful basis to determine cryptic mortality and gain understanding of the demography of at-risk species.

28 CFR 35.131 - Illegal use of drugs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... participation to individuals who engage in illegal use of drugs while they are in the program. (c) Drug testing... procedures, including but not limited to drug testing, designed to ensure that an individual who formerly... of testing for the illegal use of drugs. ...

The Politics of Illegal Immigration, Bilingual Education, and the Commodity of the Post-Technological Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanchez, Heliodoro T., Jr.; Sanchez, Mary Ann

2008-01-01

With the increasing number of undocumented workers entering the United States and the costs associated with educating their children, bilingual education may soon become the target of opponents of illegal immigration. Furthermore, recent leftist shifts in Latin American governments have provided an impetus for an educated biliterate population…

Tobacco industry allegations of "illegal lobbying" and state tobacco control.

PubMed Central

Bialous, S A; Fox, B J; Glantz, S A

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the perceived effect of tobacco industry allegations of "illegal lobbying" by public health professionals on policy interventions for tobacco control. METHODS: Structured interviews were conducted with state health department project managers in all 17 National Cancer Institute-funded American Stop Smoking Intervention Study (ASSIST) states. Documentation and media records related to ASSIST from the National Cancer Institute, health advocates, and the tobacco industry were analyzed. RESULTS: The tobacco industry filed formal complaints of illegal lobbying activities against 4 ASSIST states. These complaints had a temporary chilling effect on tobacco control policy interventions in those states. ASSIST states not targeted by the tobacco industry developed an increased awareness of the industry's tactics and worked to prepare for such allegations to minimize disruption of their activities. Some self-reported self-censorship in policy activity occurred in 11 of the 17 states (65%). CONCLUSIONS: Public health professionals need to educate themselves and the public about the laws that regulate lobbying activities and develop their strategies, including their policy activities, accordingly. PMID:11189827

Economic incentives exist to support measures to reduce illegal logging

Treesearch

J.A. Turner; J. Buongiorno; A. Katz; S. Zhu; R. Li

2008-01-01

Three studies of the global economic implications of eliminating illegal logging are summarized. Processors of illegally sourced wood would lose from the elimination of illegal logging through high prices for logs and decreased production of wood products. Associated with these changes could be losses in employment and income. Beyond these losses to the processing...

Non-sanctioning of illegal tackles in South African youth community rugby.

PubMed

Brown, J C; Boucher, S J; Lambert, M; Viljoen, W; Readhead, C; Hendricks, S; Kraak, W J

2018-06-01

The tackle event in rugby union ('rugby') contributes to the majority of players' injuries. Referees can reduce this risk by sanctioning dangerous tackles. A study in elite adult rugby suggests that referees only sanction a minority of illegal tackles. The aim of this study was to assess if this finding was similar in youth community rugby. Observational study. Using EncodePro, 99 South African Rugby Union U18 Youth Week tournament matches were coded between 2011 and 2015. All tackles were coded by a researcher and an international referee to ensure that laws were interpreted correctly. The inter- and intra-rater reliabilities were 0.97-1.00. A regression analysis compared the non-sanctioned rates over time. In total, 12 216 tackles were coded, of which less than 1% (n=113) were 'illegal'. The majority of the 113 illegal tackles were front-on (75%), high tackles (72%) and occurred in the 2nd/4th quarters (29% each). Of the illegal tackles, only 59% were sanctioned. The proportions of illegal tackles and sanctioning of these illegal tackles to all tackles improved by 0.2% per year from 2011-2015 (p<0.05). In these youth community rugby players, 59% of illegal tackles were not sanctioned appropriately. This was better than a previous study in elite adult rugby, where only 7% of illegal tackles were penalised. Moreover, the rates of illegal tackles and non-sanctioned illegal tackles both improved over time. However, it is critical that referees consistently enforce all laws to enhance injury prevention efforts. Further studies should investigate the reasons for non-sanctioning. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Illegal killing for ivory drives global decline in African elephants

PubMed Central

Wittemyer, George; Northrup, Joseph M.; Blanc, Julian; Douglas-Hamilton, Iain; Omondi, Patrick; Burnham, Kenneth P.

2014-01-01

Illegal wildlife trade has reached alarming levels globally, extirpating populations of commercially valuable species. As a driver of biodiversity loss, quantifying illegal harvest is essential for conservation and sociopolitical affairs but notoriously difficult. Here we combine field-based carcass monitoring with fine-scale demographic data from an intensively studied wild African elephant population in Samburu, Kenya, to partition mortality into natural and illegal causes. We then expand our analytical framework to model illegal killing rates and population trends of elephants at regional and continental scales using carcass data collected by a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species program. At the intensively monitored site, illegal killing increased markedly after 2008 and was correlated strongly with the local black market ivory price and increased seizures of ivory destined for China. More broadly, results from application to continental data indicated illegal killing levels were unsustainable for the species between 2010 and 2012, peaking to ∼8% in 2011 which extrapolates to ∼40,000 elephants illegally killed and a probable species reduction of ∼3% that year. Preliminary data from 2013 indicate overharvesting continued. In contrast to the rest of Africa, our analysis corroborates that Central African forest elephants experienced decline throughout the last decade. These results provide the most comprehensive assessment of illegal ivory harvest to date and confirm that current ivory consumption is not sustainable. Further, our approach provides a powerful basis to determine cryptic mortality and gain understanding of the demography of at-risk species. PMID:25136107

Calculating the social cost of illegal drugs: a theoretical approach.

PubMed

Diomidous, Marianna; Zimeras, Stelios; Mechili, Aggelos

2013-01-01

The use of illegal drugs generates a wide range of social harms depending on various ways, according to the policy definition of the problem. The challenge is the way to model the impact of illegal drugs use during a long time period considering the factors that affects the process. Based on these models, estimation could be measured and prediction could be achieved. The illegal drugs use might affect the economic and social structure of the public system leading to direct and effective decisions to overcome the problematic. For that reason, calculation of social cost related to the use of illegal could be introduced over time (t) as a proposed social measure to define the variability of social indicator on society. In this work, a theoretical approach for the calculation of social cost of illegal drugs is proposed and models over time are defined.

College Students' Moral Evaluations of Illegal Music Downloading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jambon, Marc M.; Smetana, Judith G.

2012-01-01

Although unauthorized music downloading is illegal, a majority of college students have downloaded music for free online. Evaluations of illegal music downloading and their association with downloading behavior were examined using social domain theory in a sample of 188 ethnically diverse college students (M[subscript age] = 19.80 years, SD =…

50 CFR 22.12 - What activities are illegal?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false What activities are illegal? 22.12 Section 22.12 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR... WILDLIFE AND PLANTS (CONTINUED) EAGLE PERMITS General Requirements § 22.12 What activities are illegal? (a...

Perception of illegal practice of medicine by Brazilian medical students.

PubMed

Lins, Liliane; Herbas, Suzana; Lisboa, Larissa; Damasceno, Hannah; Menezes, Marta

2014-06-01

Illegal practice of medicine by medical students is a worldwide problem. In Brazil, information about this issue is scarce. To describe the perception of illegal practice of medicine by medical students. A cross-sectional study in a stratified random sample of 130 medical students in the 6th to 12th semesters from a private faculty of medicine in Salvador, State of Bahia, Brazil, from September to October 2011. Students responded to a standardised questionnaire about the illegal practice of medicine by medical students. Knowing medical students who practised medical activities without supervision was reported by 86% of the respondents, and 93.8% had heard about someone who performed such practices. Medical specialties most often associated with illegal practice were general medicine (78.8%) and occupational health (55.9%). Illegal practice of medicine was more common in peripheral cities/towns (83.9%) than in the State capital, Salvador City (52.4%). Only 10.5% of illegal activities were reported to the authorities. Unsupervised medical practice was more often reported in the 8th-9th semester (56.8%) and 10th-11th semester (54.4%) of medical school. Illegal practice of medicine was commonly reported by the medical students questioned. The high frequency of reported illegal practice for financial reasons highlights the need for greater availability of paid internships for medical students. Educational institutions represent the social control responsible for supervising the activities of academics. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Addictive illegal drugs: structural neuroimaging.

PubMed

Geibprasert, S; Gallucci, M; Krings, T

2010-05-01

Illegal addictive drugs can lead to functional or structural impairment of the central nervous system. This review provides an overview of the structural imaging findings on CT, MR imaging, and conventional angiography related to chronic and acute abuse of the most commonly abused illegal drugs, including cannabis, organic solvents, and amphetamines and opioids and their respective derivatives. Pathomechanisms include excitotoxicity, which may lead to an acute or subacute leukoencephalopathy, and vascular complications, including vasoconstriction, vasculitis, or hypertension, which may lead to intracranial hemorrhage or ischemia. Because clinical findings alone are often nonspecific, and afflicted patients are unlikely to admit to the substance abuse, the neuroradiologist may play an important role in establishing the diagnosis and, thereby, initiating treatment.

49 CFR 28.131 - Illegal use of drugs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Illegal use of drugs. 28.131 Section 28.131... drugs. (a) General. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, this part does not prohibit discrimination against an individual based on that individual's current illegal use of drugs. (2) The agency...

49 CFR 28.131 - Illegal use of drugs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Illegal use of drugs. 28.131 Section 28.131... drugs. (a) General. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, this part does not prohibit discrimination against an individual based on that individual's current illegal use of drugs. (2) The agency...

49 CFR 28.131 - Illegal use of drugs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Illegal use of drugs. 28.131 Section 28.131... drugs. (a) General. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, this part does not prohibit discrimination against an individual based on that individual's current illegal use of drugs. (2) The agency...

49 CFR 28.131 - Illegal use of drugs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... individual is otherwise entitled to such services. (c) Drug testing. (1) This part does not prohibit the... drug testing, designed to ensure that an individual who formerly engaged in the illegal use of drugs is... construed to encourage, prohibit, restrict, or authorize the conduct of testing for the illegal use of drugs. ...

49 CFR 28.131 - Illegal use of drugs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... individual is otherwise entitled to such services. (c) Drug testing. (1) This part does not prohibit the... drug testing, designed to ensure that an individual who formerly engaged in the illegal use of drugs is... construed to encourage, prohibit, restrict, or authorize the conduct of testing for the illegal use of drugs. ...

Proposed industrial recovered materials utilization targets for the metals and metal-products industry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1979-05-01

The introductory chapter provides a discussion of the factors that affect the recovery and reuse of secondary materials and the competition between the primary and secondary metals industries. It discusses these industries in terms of resource characteristics, industry technology, pollution control requirements, market structure, the economics of recycling, and the issues involved in econometrically estimating scrap supply response behavior. It further presents the methodology established by DOE for the metals, textiles, rubber, and pulp and paper industries. The areas in which government policies might have a significant impact on the utilization of primary and secondary metals and on any recyclingmore » targets between now and 1987 are noted. Chapter 3 presents general profiles for the major industrial segments comprising SIC 33. The profiles include such topics as industry structure, process technology, materials and recycling flow, and future trends. Chapter 4 specifically covers the evaluation of recycling targets for the ferrous, aluminum, copper, zinc, and lead industries. (MCW)« less

Do immigrants working illegally reduce the natives' legal employment? Evidence from Italy.

PubMed

Venturini, A

1999-01-01

This paper examines how immigrants working illegally in the shadow economy affect the legal employment of native and foreign workers in the official economy of Italy. The data set used was provided by the Central Statistical Office and includes information regarding the units of labor employed both in official production and in underground production; employment in the latter is subdivided into native workers and foreign workers. Estimates were then made as to how "legal employment" has reacted to changes in "illegal employment", with special reference to the effect of the foreign component of "illegal labor". The results of the cross sector-time series analysis of the demand for legal labor in the Italian economy from 1980 to 1995 showed that the increase of illegal units of labor produces a reduction in the use of legal labor, albeit a very limited one. An analysis by sectors shows that the competitive effects of illegal foreign workers is not homogeneous and is strongest in the agricultural sector while complementarity between the two categories of labor is evident in the nontradable services sector. When comparing the number of effects of illegal foreign and illegal native workers, illegal native workers are lower than the illegal foreign workers. Despite regularization in Italy and the lack of flexibility in the labor market, neither regular nor nonregular foreign workers have begun to openly displace native workers.

Injury Patterns Among Illegal Migrants from Africa in Israel.

PubMed

Perlman, Amotz; Radomislensky, Irina; Peleg, Kobi

2015-08-01

In recent years Israel has become a destination for many migrants from Africa that illegally cross the Egyptian-Israeli border. The objective of this paper is to describe the epidemiological characteristics of injuries among illegal migrants in Israel. The study was carried out retrospectively using data from 19 trauma centers that participated in the Israel National Trauma Registry between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2011. Illegal migrants from Africa were compared to the local population. Migrants were injured more often than the local population from intentional injuries (57.11 %). Migrants were also less likely than the local population (58.38 %) to sustain a minor injury (i.e., injury severity ≤8). The study also shows the hospitalization cost as a result of injuries among migrants from Africa. Preventive measures among illegal migrants from Africa should prioritize intentional injuries and industrial site injuries.

Burns from illegal drug manufacture: case series and management.

PubMed

Porter, C J W; Armstrong, J R

2004-01-01

This case series presents our experience with burns sustained while manufacturing illegal drugs. All adult burn admissions in an 18-month period were retrospectively reviewed. All patients suspected of sustaining burns from illegal drug manufacture were contacted. Information regarding the burn mechanism was sought. Nine of the 64 adult burn admissions were caused by explosions during the manufacture of cannabis oil. Young males with hand and face burns were heavily represented. First-aid treatment was often ignored in favor of hiding incriminating evidence. Only two patients gave honest admission histories. Illegal drug manufacture is becoming more common as synthetic drugs become more consumer desirable. Burns sustained may be thermal and/or chemical. Dishonest patient histories negatively influence burn management. A high level of suspicion is required for diagnosing and treating burns from illegal drug manufacture. Public education is unlikely to be effective as the financial rewards outweigh the perceived risks.

Not an 'iron pipeline', but many capillaries: regulating passive transactions in Los Angeles' secondary, illegal gun market.

PubMed

Chesnut, Kelsie Y; Barragan, Melissa; Gravel, Jason; Pifer, Natalie A; Reiter, Keramet; Sherman, Nicole; Tita, George E

2017-08-01

California has strict firearm-related laws and is exceptional in its regulation of firearms retailers. Though evidence suggests that these laws can reduce illegal access to guns, high levels of gun violence persist in Los Angeles (LA), California. This research seeks to describe the sources of guns accessed by active offenders in LA, California and reports offenders' motivations for obtaining guns. Los Angeles County Jail (LACJ) system (four facilities). Random sampling from a screened pool of eligible participants was used to conduct qualitative semistructured interviews with 140 incarcerated gun offenders in one of four (LACJ) facilities. Researchers collected data on firearm acquisition, experiences related to gun violence, and other topics, using a validated survey instrument. Grounded theory guided the collection and analysis of data. Respondents reported possession of 77 specific guns (79.2% handguns) collectively. Social networks facilitate access to illegal guns; the majority of interviewees acquired their illegal guns through a social connection (85.7%) versus an outside broker/unregulated retailer (8.5%). Most guns were obtained through illegal purchase (n=51) or gift (n=15). A quarter of gun purchasers report engaging in a passive transaction, or one initiated by another party. Passive gun buyers were motivated by concerns for personal safety and/or economic opportunity. In LA's illegal gun market, where existing social relationships facilitate access to guns across a diffuse network, individuals, influenced by both fear and economic opportunity, have frequent opportunities to illegally possess firearms through passive transactions. Gun policies should better target and minimise these transactions. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Ramifications of Illegal U.S. Arms Exports

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-01

the military goods may not have known and/or cared where their wares would ultimately be delivered. 5. U.S. v. Ken Park , aka Kwan Park, January 1989 The...revealed that Ken Park , acting as the Export Manager of Universal Technology, was involved in illegal export of aircraft parts to South Korea in August...transshipment to Teheran, Iran. On January 13, 1939, Ken Park admitted illegally exporting aircraft parts purchased from HTL. This case not only shows Iran’s

EFFECTIVE REMOVAL METHOD OF ILLEGAL PARKING BICYCLES BASED ON THE QUANTITATIVE CHANGE AFTER REMOVAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toi, Satoshi; Kajita, Yoshitaka; Nishikawa, Shuichirou

This study aims to find an effective removal method of illegal parking bicycles based on the analysis on the numerical change of illegal bicycles. And then, we built the time and space quantitative distribution model of illegal parking bicycles after removal, considering the logistic increase of illegal parking bicycles, several behaviors concerning of direct return or indirect return to the original parking place and avoidance of the original parking place, based on the investigation of real condition of illegal bicycle parking at TENJIN area in FUKUOKA city. Moreover, we built the simulation model including above-mentioned model, and calculated the number of illegal parking bicycles when we change the removal frequency and the number of removal at one time. The next interesting four results were obtained. (1) Recovery speed from removal the illegal parking bicycles differs by each zone. (2) Thorough removal is effective to keep the number of illegal parking bicycles lower level. (3) Removal at one zone causes the increase of bicycles at other zones where the level of illegal parking is lower. (4) The relationship between effects and costs of removing the illegal parking bicycles was clarified.

Interpreting the empirical evidence on illegal gun market dynamics.

PubMed

Braga, Anthony A; Wintemute, Garen J; Pierce, Glenn L; Cook, Philip J; Ridgeway, Greg

2012-10-01

Thousands of Americans are killed by gunfire each year, and hundreds of thousands more are injured or threatened with guns in robberies and assaults. The burden of gun violence in urban areas is particularly high. Critics suggest that the results of firearm trace data and gun trafficking investigation studies cannot be used to understand the illegal supply of guns to criminals and, therefore, that regulatory and enforcement efforts designed to disrupt illegal firearms markets are futile in addressing criminal access to firearms. In this paper, we present new data to address three key arguments used by skeptics to undermine research on illegal gun market dynamics. We find that criminals rely upon a diverse set of illegal diversion pathways to acquire guns, gun traffickers usually divert small numbers of guns, newer guns are diverted through close-to-retail diversions from legal firearms commerce, and that a diverse set of gun trafficking indicators are needed to identify and shut down gun trafficking pathways.

Factors Associated with Illegal Drug Use in Rural Georgia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Napier, Ted L.; And Others

1983-01-01

Assessed the extent of illegal drug use among 2,060 junior and senior high school students in rural Georgia, and found extensive illegal drug use, especially among older White male students. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists, Orlando, Florida, February 1982. (JAC)

Twitter-Based Detection of Illegal Online Sale of Prescription Opioid.

PubMed

Mackey, Tim K; Kalyanam, Janani; Katsuki, Takeo; Lanckriet, Gert

2017-12-01

To deploy a methodology accurately identifying tweets marketing the illegal online sale of controlled substances. We first collected tweets from the Twitter public application program interface stream filtered for prescription opioid keywords. We then used unsupervised machine learning (specifically, topic modeling) to identify topics associated with illegal online marketing and sales. Finally, we conducted Web forensic analyses to characterize different types of online vendors. We analyzed 619 937 tweets containing the keywords codeine, Percocet, fentanyl, Vicodin, Oxycontin, oxycodone, and hydrocodone over a 5-month period from June to November 2015. A total of 1778 tweets (< 1%) were identified as marketing the sale of controlled substances online; 90% had imbedded hyperlinks, but only 46 were "live" at the time of the evaluation. Seven distinct URLs linked to Web sites marketing or illegally selling controlled substances online. Our methodology can identify illegal online sale of prescription opioids from large volumes of tweets. Our results indicate that controlled substances are trafficked online via different strategies and vendors. Public Health Implications. Our methodology can be used to identify illegal online sellers in criminal violation of the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act.

Illegal File Sharing 101

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wada, Kent

2008-01-01

Much of higher education's unease arises from the cost of dealing with illegal file sharing. Illinois State University, for example, calculated a cost of $76 to process a first claim of copyright infringement and $146 for a second. Responses range from simply passing along claims to elaborate programs architected with specific goals in mind.…

Toward a new understanding of the links between poverty and illegal wildlife hunting.

PubMed

Duffy, Rosaleen; St John, Freya A V; Büscher, Bram; Brockington, Dan

2016-02-01

Conservation organizations have increasingly raised concerns about escalating rates of illegal hunting and trade in wildlife. Previous studies have concluded that people hunt illegally because they are financially poor or lack alternative livelihood strategies. However, there has been little attempt to develop a richer understanding of the motivations behind contemporary illegal wildlife hunting. As a first step, we reviewed the academic and policy literatures on poaching and illegal wildlife use and considered the meanings of poverty and the relative importance of structure and individual agency. We placed motivations for illegal wildlife hunting within the context of the complex history of how wildlife laws were initially designed and enforced to indicate how hunting practices by specific communities were criminalized. We also considered the nature of poverty and the reasons for economic deprivation in particular communities to indicate how particular understandings of poverty as material deprivation ultimately shape approaches to illegal wildlife hunting. We found there is a need for a much better understanding of what poverty is and what motivates people to hunt illegally. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

Toward a new understanding of the links between poverty and illegal wildlife hunting

PubMed Central

Duffy, Rosaleen; St John, Freya A. V.; Büscher, Bram; Brockington, Dan

2015-01-01

Abstract Conservation organizations have increasingly raised concerns about escalating rates of illegal hunting and trade in wildlife. Previous studies have concluded that people hunt illegally because they are financially poor or lack alternative livelihood strategies. However, there has been little attempt to develop a richer understanding of the motivations behind contemporary illegal wildlife hunting. As a first step, we reviewed the academic and policy literatures on poaching and illegal wildlife use and considered the meanings of poverty and the relative importance of structure and individual agency. We placed motivations for illegal wildlife hunting within the context of the complex history of how wildlife laws were initially designed and enforced to indicate how hunting practices by specific communities were criminalized. We also considered the nature of poverty and the reasons for economic deprivation in particular communities to indicate how particular understandings of poverty as material deprivation ultimately shape approaches to illegal wildlife hunting. We found there is a need for a much better understanding of what poverty is and what motivates people to hunt illegally. PMID:26332105

34 CFR 668.40 - Conviction for possession or sale of illegal drugs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Conviction for possession or sale of illegal drugs. 668... Eligibility § 668.40 Conviction for possession or sale of illegal drugs. (a)(1) A student is ineligible to... of illegal drugs for conduct that occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was...

34 CFR 668.40 - Conviction for possession or sale of illegal drugs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Conviction for possession or sale of illegal drugs. 668... Eligibility § 668.40 Conviction for possession or sale of illegal drugs. (a)(1) A student is ineligible to... of illegal drugs for conduct that occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was...

34 CFR 668.40 - Conviction for possession or sale of illegal drugs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Conviction for possession or sale of illegal drugs. 668... Eligibility § 668.40 Conviction for possession or sale of illegal drugs. (a)(1) A student is ineligible to... of illegal drugs for conduct that occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was...

34 CFR 668.40 - Conviction for possession or sale of illegal drugs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Conviction for possession or sale of illegal drugs. 668... Eligibility § 668.40 Conviction for possession or sale of illegal drugs. (a)(1) A student is ineligible to... of illegal drugs for conduct that occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was...

A Mixed-Method Approach for Quantifying Illegal Fishing and Its Impact on an Endangered Fish Species.

PubMed

Free, Christopher M; Jensen, Olaf P; Mendsaikhan, Bud

2015-01-01

Illegal harvest is recognized as a widespread problem in natural resource management. The use of multiple methods for quantifying illegal harvest has been widely recommended yet infrequently applied. We used a mixed-method approach to evaluate the extent, character, and motivations of illegal gillnet fishing in Lake Hovsgol National Park, Mongolia and its impact on the lake's fish populations, especially that of the endangered endemic Hovsgol grayling (Thymallus nigrescens). Surveys for derelict fishing gear indicate that gillnet fishing is widespread and increasing and that fishers generally use 3-4 cm mesh gillnet. Interviews with resident herders and park rangers suggest that many residents fish for subsistence during the spring grayling spawning migration and that some residents fish commercially year-round. Interviewed herders and rangers generally agree that fish population sizes are decreasing but are divided on the causes and solutions. Biological monitoring indicates that the gillnet mesh sizes used by fishers efficiently target Hovsgol grayling. Of the five species sampled in the monitoring program, only burbot (Lota lota) showed a significant decrease in population abundance from 2009-2013. However, grayling, burbot, and roach (Rutilus rutilus) all showed significant declines in average body size, suggesting a negative fishing impact. Data-poor stock assessment methods suggest that the fishing effort equivalent to each resident family fishing 50-m of gillnet 11-15 nights per year would be sufficient to overexploit the grayling population. Results from the derelict fishing gear survey and interviews suggest that this level of effort is not implausible. Overall, we demonstrate the ability for a mixed-method approach to effectively describe an illegal fishery and suggest that these methods be used to assess illegal fishing and its impacts in other protected areas.

A Mixed-Method Approach for Quantifying Illegal Fishing and Its Impact on an Endangered Fish Species

PubMed Central

Free, Christopher M.; Jensen, Olaf P.; Mendsaikhan, Bud

2015-01-01

Illegal harvest is recognized as a widespread problem in natural resource management. The use of multiple methods for quantifying illegal harvest has been widely recommended yet infrequently applied. We used a mixed-method approach to evaluate the extent, character, and motivations of illegal gillnet fishing in Lake Hovsgol National Park, Mongolia and its impact on the lake’s fish populations, especially that of the endangered endemic Hovsgol grayling (Thymallus nigrescens). Surveys for derelict fishing gear indicate that gillnet fishing is widespread and increasing and that fishers generally use 3–4 cm mesh gillnet. Interviews with resident herders and park rangers suggest that many residents fish for subsistence during the spring grayling spawning migration and that some residents fish commercially year-round. Interviewed herders and rangers generally agree that fish population sizes are decreasing but are divided on the causes and solutions. Biological monitoring indicates that the gillnet mesh sizes used by fishers efficiently target Hovsgol grayling. Of the five species sampled in the monitoring program, only burbot (Lota lota) showed a significant decrease in population abundance from 2009–2013. However, grayling, burbot, and roach (Rutilus rutilus) all showed significant declines in average body size, suggesting a negative fishing impact. Data-poor stock assessment methods suggest that the fishing effort equivalent to each resident family fishing 50-m of gillnet 11–15 nights per year would be sufficient to overexploit the grayling population. Results from the derelict fishing gear survey and interviews suggest that this level of effort is not implausible. Overall, we demonstrate the ability for a mixed-method approach to effectively describe an illegal fishery and suggest that these methods be used to assess illegal fishing and its impacts in other protected areas. PMID:26625154

Mitochondrial metals as a potential therapeutic target in neurodegeneration

PubMed Central

Grubman, A; White, A R; Liddell, J R

2014-01-01

Transition metals are critical for enzyme function and protein folding, but in excess can mediate neurotoxic oxidative processes. As mitochondria are particularly vulnerable to oxidative damage due to radicals generated during ATP production, mitochondrial biometal homeostasis must therefore be tightly controlled to safely harness the redox potential of metal enzyme cofactors. Dysregulation of metal functions is evident in numerous neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease, stroke, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Friedrich's ataxia. This review describes the mitochondrial metal defects in these disorders and highlights novel metal-based therapeutic approaches that target mitochondrial metal homeostasis in neurological disorders. Linked Articles This article is part of a themed issue on Mitochondrial Pharmacology: Energy, Injury & Beyond. To view the other articles in this issue visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue-8 PMID:24206195

Illegality of international population movements in Poland.

PubMed

Okolski, M

2000-01-01

Until the beginning of the 1990s Poland did not receive foreign migrants. Thereafter, the situation changed dramatically. A large part of the inflow proved to be illegal migrants, many of whom were in transit to Western Europe. Although these movements gradually declined in the second half of the decade, some became increasingly identified with relatively sophisticated smuggling of people. Foreigners smuggled from the South to the West, together with the international criminal networks assisting them, became typical of the migratory movements of people in Central and Eastern Europe during the 1990s. This article seeks to describe illegal migration from the perspective of Poland, a country often perceived as a major transit area in the smuggling of persons to Western Europe. The conclusions draw on the findings of several surveys recently carried out in Poland. Basic concepts related to illegal migration are defined and juxtaposed, and various myths and stereotypes concerning it that most often stem from the paucity of empirical evidence are examined. Finally, the trends observed in Poland are interpreted within the larger context of contemporary European migration.

Illegal use of natural resources in federal protected areas of the Brazilian Amazon

PubMed Central

Silva, Jose M.C.; Michalski, Fernanda

2017-01-01

Background The Brazilian Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest regions and plays a key role in biodiversity conservation as well as climate adaptation and mitigation. The government has created a network of protected areas (PAs) to ensure long-term conservation of the region. However, despite the importance of and positive advances in the establishment of PAs, natural resource depletion in the Brazilian Amazon is pervasive. Methods We evaluated a total of 4,243 official law enforcement records generated between 2010 and 2015 to understand the geographical distribution of the illegal use of resources in federal PAs in the Brazilian Amazon. We classified illegal activities into ten categories and used generalized additive models (GAMs) to evaluate the relationship between illegal use of natural resources inside PAs with management type, age of PAs, population density, and accessibility. Results We found 27 types of illegal use of natural resources that were grouped into 10 categories of illegal activities. Most infractions were related to suppression and degradation of vegetation (37.40%), followed by illegal fishing (27.30%) and hunting activities (18.20%). The explanatory power of the GAMs was low for all categories of illegal activity, with a maximum explained variation of 41.2% for illegal activities as a whole, and a minimum of 14.6% for hunting activities. Discussion These findings demonstrate that even though PAs are fundamental for nature conservation in the Brazilian Amazon, the pressures and threats posed by human activities include a broad range of illegal uses of natural resources. Population density up to 50 km from a PA is a key variable, influencing illegal activities. These threats endanger long-term conservation and many efforts are still needed to maintain PAs that are large enough and sufficiently intact to maintain ecosystem functions and protect biodiversity. PMID:29038758

Illegal use of natural resources in federal protected areas of the Brazilian Amazon.

PubMed

Kauano, Érico E; Silva, Jose M C; Michalski, Fernanda

2017-01-01

The Brazilian Amazon is the world's largest rainforest regions and plays a key role in biodiversity conservation as well as climate adaptation and mitigation. The government has created a network of protected areas (PAs) to ensure long-term conservation of the region. However, despite the importance of and positive advances in the establishment of PAs, natural resource depletion in the Brazilian Amazon is pervasive. We evaluated a total of 4,243 official law enforcement records generated between 2010 and 2015 to understand the geographical distribution of the illegal use of resources in federal PAs in the Brazilian Amazon. We classified illegal activities into ten categories and used generalized additive models (GAMs) to evaluate the relationship between illegal use of natural resources inside PAs with management type, age of PAs, population density, and accessibility. We found 27 types of illegal use of natural resources that were grouped into 10 categories of illegal activities. Most infractions were related to suppression and degradation of vegetation (37.40%), followed by illegal fishing (27.30%) and hunting activities (18.20%). The explanatory power of the GAMs was low for all categories of illegal activity, with a maximum explained variation of 41.2% for illegal activities as a whole, and a minimum of 14.6% for hunting activities. These findings demonstrate that even though PAs are fundamental for nature conservation in the Brazilian Amazon, the pressures and threats posed by human activities include a broad range of illegal uses of natural resources. Population density up to 50 km from a PA is a key variable, influencing illegal activities. These threats endanger long-term conservation and many efforts are still needed to maintain PAs that are large enough and sufficiently intact to maintain ecosystem functions and protect biodiversity.

Chromatography in the detection and characterization of illegal pharmaceutical preparations.

PubMed

Deconinck, Eric; Sacré, Pierre-Yves; Courselle, Patricia; De Beer, Jacques O

2013-09-01

Counterfeit and illegal pharmaceutical products are an increasing worldwide problem and constitute a major challenge for analytical laboratories to detect and characterize them. Spectroscopic techniques such as infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy have always been the first methods of choice to detect counterfeits and illegal preparations, but due to the evolution in the seized products and the necessity of risk assessment, chromatographic methods are becoming more important in this domain. This review intends to give a general overview of the techniques described in literature to characterize counterfeit and illegal pharmaceutical preparations, focusing on the role of chromatographic techniques with different detection tools.

Reducing the illegal sale of cigarettes to minors.

PubMed

Altman, D G; Foster, V; Rasenick-Douss, L; Tye, J B

1989-01-06

This study reports on an effort to stop the illegal sale of cigarettes to minors. In Santa Clara County, Calif, 412 stores and 30 vending machines were visited by 18 minors aged 14 through 16 years with the intent to purchase cigarettes; they were successful at 74% of the stores and 100% of the vending machines. After an aggressive six-month campaign using communitywide media, direct merchant education, contact with the chief executive officers of chain stores and franchise operations owned by major companies, and grassroots work with community organizations, the percentage of stores with illegal over-the-counter sale of cigarettes to minors was reduced to 39%. Sales from vending machines were not reduced. While much remains to be accomplished in stopping the illegal sale of tobacco to minors, data from this study illustrate that a well-designed community and merchant education campaign can significantly reduce such sales.

[Smuggling of illegal drugs by body suffers].

PubMed

Aksnes, Tonje Amb; Jacobsen, Dag

2004-07-01

Body packers are persons who smuggle illegal drugs by swallowing condoms or plastic cylinders containing such substances. Body stuffers are drug dealers or drug abusers who swallow illegal drugs in an effort to conceal evidence during an arrest or in fear of being arrested. We report four cases and discuss management. Asymptomatic body packers may be managed conservatively with laxatives and water-soluble contrast medium. This method allows an accurate follow-up with abdominal radiography. If patients develop abdominal pain or signs and symptoms of intoxication, surgical intervention should be considered. Both types of patients should be monitored carefully.

Prehospital Emergencies in Illegal Gold Mining Sites in French Guiana.

PubMed

Egmann, Gérald; Tattevin, Pierre; Palancade, Renaud; Nacher, Matthieu

2018-03-01

Illegal gold mining is flourishing in French Guiana, existing outside the law due to both the high cost of gold mining permits and the challenges of law enforcement within the Amazon forest. We report the characteristics of, and the medical responses to, medical emergencies in illegal gold mining sites. We performed a retrospective study of all medical emergencies reported from illegal gold mining sites to the centralized call office of SAMU 973 from 1998 through 2000 and from 2008 through 2010. According to the national health care system, any medical emergency within the territory is handled by the prehospital emergency medical service (SAMU 973), irrespective of the patients' legal status. Data were extracted from the SAMU 973 notebook registry (1998-2000) or the SAMU 973 computerized database (2008-2010) and werre collected using a standardized questionnaire. Of 71,932 calls for medical emergencies in French Guiana during the study periods, 340 (0.5%) originated from illegal gold mining sites. Of these, 196 (58%) led to medical evacuation by helicopter, whereas the overall rate of evacuation by helicopter after placing a call to SAMU 973 was only 4% (3020/71,932; P<0.0001 for comparison with illegal gold mining sites). Medical emergencies were classified as illness (48%, mostly infectious), trauma (44%, mostly weapon wounds), and miscellaneous (8%). Medical emergencies at illegal gold mining sites in the Amazon forest mostly include infectious diseases, followed by trauma, and often require medical evacuation by helicopter. Our study suggests that implementation of preventive medicine within gold mining sites, irrespective of their legal status, could be cost-effective and reduce morbidity. Copyright © 2017 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The social cost of illegal drug consumption in Spain.

PubMed

García-Altés, Anna; Ollé, Josep Ma; Antoñanzas, Fernando; Colom, Joan

2002-09-01

The objective of this study was to estimate the social cost of the consumption of illegal drugs in Spain. We performed a cost-of-illness study, using a prevalence approximation and a societal perspective. The estimation of costs and consequences referred to 1997. As direct costs we included health-care costs, prevention, continuing education, research, administrative costs, non-governmental organizations and crime-related costs. As indirect costs we included lost productivity associated with mortality and the hospitalization of patients. Estimation of intangible costs was not included. The minimum cost of illegal drug consumption in Spain is 88,800 million pesetas (PTA) (467 million dollars). Seventy-seven per cent of the costs correspond to direct costs. Of those, crime-related costs represent 18%, while the largest part corresponds to the health-care costs (50% of direct costs). From the perspective of the health-care system, the minimum cost of illegal drug consumption is 44,000 million PTA (231 million dollars). The cost of illegal drug consumption represents 0.07% of the Spanish GDP. This gross figure compares with 2250 million PTA (12.5 million dollars) invested in prevention programmes during the same year, and with 12,300 million PTA (68.3 million dollars) spent on specific programmes and resources for the drug addict population. Although there are limitations intrinsic in this type of study and the estimations obtained in the present analysis are likely to be an underestimate of the real cost of this condition, we estimate that illegal drug consumption costs the Spanish economy at least 0.2% of GDP.

Parables and Politics: Clergy Attitudes toward Illegal Immigration in Alabama

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wickersham, Mary Eleanor

2013-01-01

The passage of a stringent immigration law in Alabama in 2011 makes relevant the juxtaposition of clergy and congregant attitudes and behaviors toward illegal immigrants as related to Biblical teachings that require charity to aliens. In order to examine the relationship between religious attitudes and illegal immigration, approximately 426…

Infanticide and illegal infant abandonment in Malaysia.

PubMed

Razali, Salmi; Kirkman, Maggie; Ahmad, S Hassan; Fisher, Jane

2014-10-01

Infant abandonment and infanticide are poorly understood in Malaysia. The information available in the public arena comes predominantly from anecdotal sources. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and characteristics of infanticide and illegal infant abandonment in Malaysia and to estimate annual rates for the most recent decade. Summaries of data about infanticide and illegal infant abandonment were gathered from police records; the annual number of live births was ascertained from the national registry. The estimated inferred infanticide rates for Malaysia were compared with the infanticide rates among countries of very high, high, medium, and low rankings on the Human Development, Gender Inequality, and Gini indices. From 1999 to 2011, 1,069 cases of illegal infant abandonment were recorded and 1,147 people were arrested as suspected perpetrators. The estimated inferred infanticide rate fluctuated between 4.82 and 9.11 per 100,000 live births, a moderate rate relative to the infanticide rates of other countries. There are substantial missing data, with details undocumented for about 78-87% of cases and suspected perpetrators. Of the documented cases, it appeared that more boys than girls were victims and that suspected perpetrators were predominantly Malays who were women, usually mothers of the victim; the possibility of arrest bias must be acknowledged. Economic and social inequality, particularly gender inequality, might contribute to the phenomena of infanticide and abandonment. Strategies to reduce rates of infanticide and illegal infant abandonment in Malaysia will require strengthening of the surveillance system and attention to the gender-based inequalities that underpin human development. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

24 CFR 982.304 - Illegal discrimination: PHA assistance to family.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... assistance to family. 982.304 Section 982.304 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing... Leasing a Unit § 982.304 Illegal discrimination: PHA assistance to family. A family may claim that illegal... prevents the family from finding or leasing a suitable unit with assistance under the program. The PHA must...

36 CFR 1280.20 - What is your policy on illegal drugs and alcohol?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... illegal drugs and alcohol? 1280.20 Section 1280.20 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL ARCHIVES... Conduct on NARA Property? Prohibited Activities § 1280.20 What is your policy on illegal drugs and alcohol? You may not use or be in possession of illegal drugs on NARA property. You also may not enter NARA...

36 CFR 1280.20 - What is your policy on illegal drugs and alcohol?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... illegal drugs and alcohol? 1280.20 Section 1280.20 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL ARCHIVES... Conduct on NARA Property? Prohibited Activities § 1280.20 What is your policy on illegal drugs and alcohol? You may not use or be in possession of illegal drugs on NARA property. You also may not enter NARA...

36 CFR 1280.20 - What is your policy on illegal drugs and alcohol?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... illegal drugs and alcohol? 1280.20 Section 1280.20 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL ARCHIVES... Conduct on NARA Property? Prohibited Activities § 1280.20 What is your policy on illegal drugs and alcohol? You may not use or be in possession of illegal drugs on NARA property. You also may not enter NARA...

36 CFR 1280.20 - What is your policy on illegal drugs and alcohol?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... illegal drugs and alcohol? 1280.20 Section 1280.20 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL ARCHIVES... Conduct on NARA Property? Prohibited Activities § 1280.20 What is your policy on illegal drugs and alcohol? You may not use or be in possession of illegal drugs on NARA property. You also may not enter NARA...

Overlap in attitudes to policy measures on alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.

PubMed

Lund, Ingunn O; Halkjelsvik, Torleif; Storvoll, Elisabet E

2016-02-01

Effective alcohol, tobacco and illegal drug policies reduce the harm to users and third parties. Knowledge about determinants and interrelations between attitudes held by the general public to different types of policy measures can benefit policy-makers who aim to increase acceptance for effective policy. The present study describes the level of support for various policy measures held by the general public, and investigates the association between attitudes to policy measures on alcohol, tobacco and illegal drug. A sample of the Norwegian general population aged 16-64 (N=1803) was interviewed by telephone. Respondents reported demographic information, personal substance use and attitudes to various policy measures. Associations between attitudes were assessed with correlation and regression analysis. Associations between attitudes were strongest for similar policy measures across substance groups (e.g. tax increases on alcohol and tobacco). There was a weaker association between attitudes to different policy measures aimed at the same substance (e.g. tax increase on alcohol and campaigns on alcohol). The degree to which people approve or disapprove of the use of particular types of policy measures is irrespective of the targeted substance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

10 CFR 707.10 - Drug testing for reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Drug testing for reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use... Procedures § 707.10 Drug testing for reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use. (a)(1) It may be necessary to... relating to the testing for the use of illegal drugs are not intended to prohibit the contractor from...

10 CFR 707.10 - Drug testing for reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Drug testing for reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use... Procedures § 707.10 Drug testing for reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use. (a)(1) It may be necessary to... relating to the testing for the use of illegal drugs are not intended to prohibit the contractor from...

10 CFR 707.10 - Drug testing for reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Drug testing for reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use... Procedures § 707.10 Drug testing for reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use. (a)(1) It may be necessary to... relating to the testing for the use of illegal drugs are not intended to prohibit the contractor from...

10 CFR 707.10 - Drug testing for reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Drug testing for reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use... Procedures § 707.10 Drug testing for reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use. (a)(1) It may be necessary to... relating to the testing for the use of illegal drugs are not intended to prohibit the contractor from...

10 CFR 707.10 - Drug testing for reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Drug testing for reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use... Procedures § 707.10 Drug testing for reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use. (a)(1) It may be necessary to... relating to the testing for the use of illegal drugs are not intended to prohibit the contractor from...

Summarizing the evidence on the international trade in illegal wildlife.

PubMed

Rosen, Gail Emilia; Smith, Katherine F

2010-08-01

The global trade in illegal wildlife is a multi-billion dollar industry that threatens biodiversity and acts as a potential avenue for invasive species and disease spread. Despite the broad-sweeping implications of illegal wildlife sales, scientists have yet to describe the scope and scale of the trade. Here, we provide the most thorough and current description of the illegal wildlife trade using 12 years of seizure records compiled by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network. These records comprise 967 seizures including massive quantities of ivory, tiger skins, live reptiles, and other endangered wildlife and wildlife products. Most seizures originate in Southeast Asia, a recently identified hotspot for future emerging infectious diseases. To date, regulation and enforcement have been insufficient to effectively control the global trade in illegal wildlife at national and international scales. Effective control will require a multi-pronged approach including community-scale education and empowering local people to value wildlife, coordinated international regulation, and a greater allocation of national resources to on-the-ground enforcement.

Illegal drugs in Grenada: arrests and drug treatment from 2001-2009.

PubMed

Fagorala, A

2013-09-01

Illegal drug use and abuse has increased in the Caribbean since the 1990s. In Grenada, statistical indicators such as admission rates to treatment facilities and drug arrests have provided evidence for the increased rates of illegal drug use and abuse. This study reviewed these statistical indicators and explored drug treatment options in Grenada from 2001 to 2009. A search of statistical records from the Drug Control Secretariat and the Grenada Drug Information Network/National Observatory on Drugs (GRENDIN/NOD) was performed. Literature review of relevant articles from search engines was used to support findings. Additionally, semi-structured interviews of key stakeholders from government and health agencies involved in drug prevention in Grenada were conducted to obtain information on recent developments surrounding drug arrests and treatments in Grenada. From 2001 to 2009, there were a 118% and a 23% increase in the arrest rate for males and females,respectively. There was also an increase in demand for drug treatment at the sole drug treatment facility. Preventive measures in schools and several forms of media programmes have raised awareness. However,drug use/abuse/activities still persist at a significant rate. Programmes that target improvement of treatment facilities and increased inter-agency collaboration may be successful in enhancing drug arrests and treatments.

TOXIC EXPOSURES IN CHILDREN INVOLVING LEGALLY AND ILLEGALLY COMMERCIALIZED HOUSEHOLD SANITIZERS

PubMed Central

Campos, Alessandra Marcuz de Souza; Bucaretchi, Fábio; Fernandes, Luciane Cristina Rodrigues; Fernandes, Carla Borrasca; de Capitani, Eduardo Mello; Beck, Ana Raquel Medeiros

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objectives: To analyze and to compare clinical repercussions of accidents involving legally and illegally commercialized household sanitizers in children under 7 years of age. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used to collect data from electronic database of a regional Poison Control Center during one year. Data were analyzed by means of descriptive non-parametric statistics and association tests. Results: The sample had 737 reported cases. Most of the accidents occurred with children under 3 years of age (median: 1 year of age; interquartile interval: 1-3 years of age), at home (92.9%), by ingestion (97.2%). Products involved were cleaning products with low toxicity and no caustic effects (38.9%); caustics (24.1%); hydrocarbons (19.3%); pesticides/rodenticides (16.6%), and other products (1.1%). Seventy accidents were due to exposures to illegal products, mainly caustics (n=47) and rodenticides (n=15). Among the 337 children presenting post-exposure clinical manifestations, the most frequent were vomiting (n=125), oral burns (n=74), cough (n=35), drooling (n=26), and abdominal pain (n=25). Clinical manifestations were significantly more frequent after illegal products exposure (55/70 versus 282/667, p<0.01). Nineteen children had to be hospitalized (caustics, n=17; illegal products, n=12; median time of hospitalization: 2 days), 22 were submitted to esophagogastroduodenoscopy (sodium hydroxide, n=14; illegal products, n=14); and 12 cases had endoscopic alterations (severe in 2). No deaths occurred. Conclusion: Toxic exposures owing to illegal household sanitizer products are associated with greater morbidity when compared with legal ones. PMID:28977311

The Mexican "Illegal Alien" Commute.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Decker, Phil

1986-01-01

A photo report of the following three treks by illegal aliens across the border from Mexico to work in Arizona reveals the dangers and disappointments the migrants are exposed to: (1) a "carpool" from Southern Mexico; (2) a train ride from Sinaloa; and (3) a 40-mile hike through the Arizona desert. (PS)

[Legal and illegal abortion in Switzerland].

PubMed

Stamm, H

1970-01-01

Aspects of legal and illegal abortion in Switzerland are discussed. About 110,000 births, 25,000 therapeutic abortions (75% for psychiatric indications) and an estimated 50,000 illegal abortions occur annually in Switzerland. Although the mortality and morbidity of therapeutic aborti on are similar to those of normal births (1.4 per 1000 and 11%, respectively) the mortality and morbidity of criminal abortions are far greater (3 per 1000 and 73%, respectively). In the author's view, too strict an interpretatiok of Swiss abortion law (which permits abortion to avoid serious harm to the mother's health) does not take into account the severe and lasting emotional and psychological damage which may be caused by unwanted pregnancy, birth, and childraising. In the present social situation, the social and psychological support required by these women is not available; until it is, abortion is to be preferred.

[Ischemic strokes in young adults and illegal drugs].

PubMed

Barbieux, M; Véran, O; Detante, O

2012-01-01

One out of four ischemic strokes in France occurs in adults under 65 years old. About a third of them remain unexplained even after an extensive etiological assessment. A large part of these unexplained strokes could be linked to illegal drug abuse, and 10 % are estimated to be directly linked to illegal drugs in some international studies. The most frequently incriminated recreational drug remains cocaine, via several mechanisms. However, several other illegal drugs, some very commonly used such as cannabis, are suspected to have an important role in neurovascular diseases. In this article, we reviewed the epidemiological, pathophysiological and clinical studies, published in the international literature over the past 30 years. The drug-caused stroke epidemiology needs to be more precisely studied, as well as the underlying mechanisms depending on each drug. This is a public health issue that affects an economically active population, as stroke is the first cause of acquired handicap in adults. Copyright © 2011 Société nationale française de médecine interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Users' and GPs' causal attributions of illegal substance use: an exploratory interview study.

PubMed

Wynn, Rolf; Karlsen, Kjetil; Lorntzsen, Bianca; Bjerke, Trond Nergaard; Bergvik, Svein

2009-08-01

There is a need to explore the beliefs regarding the causes of illegal substance use of the people who themselves use the substances (SU) and their GPs. Increased knowledge about such beliefs--often referred to as causal attributions--may improve mutual understanding and communication between SU and GPs. Eight SU and five GPs were interviewed about the causes of illegal substance use. They also talked about how substance use was discussed in consultations. Data were analysed qualitatively. Both the SU and the GPs believed that several factors usually were important in each case of illegal substance use. The SU more often than the GPs emphasised the positive aspects of illegal substance use. We discerned five main causes: biological, social, lack of self-control, positive experiences, and chance. Several of the SU and GPs emphasised that it was difficult to communicate about substance use. The GPs and the SU believed illegal substance use is caused by many factors, including biological, social, and lack of self-control. Communicating about illegal substance use is challenging. GPs should be aware of the clinical importance of causal attributions and should explore beliefs held by SU about the causes of their substance use.

Legal and Illegal Patterns of Drug Distribution in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caliguri, Joseph P.

1976-01-01

Along with large supply sources of legal and illegal drug substances, diversion and distribution systems have developed to feed and maintain the demand. This presentation provides information on the diverting of drugs from legal and illegal sources as well as the characteristics of the distribution patterns. (Author)

Factors Associated with Illegal Drug Use among Older Methadone Clients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosen, Daniel

2004-01-01

Purpose. The overall aims of this study are to describe the life stressors of, exposure to illegal drug use of, and illegal drug use by older methadone clients. Design and Methods. The current study focuses on a sub-sample of the larger administrative data of a methadone clinic that is limited to African American and White clients over the age of…

[The risk for illegal behaviour and corruption in the healthcare sector: what preventive measures can be taken?].

PubMed

Rivoiro, Chiara

2016-05-01

In the healthcare sector risk factors for illegal behavior and corruption are peculiar and greater than in other social areas, as it plays a crucial role in the community's economical, political and cultural life. The healthcare services is a complex network that require interaction between may people, constant contacts with the industry, safety and adequate facilities that require regular maintenance, upgrade and replacement of medical technology, connection with local and regional policy makers. This provides the opportunity of being exposed to improper influence. However, illegal behaviors can be prevented: first of all supporting all professionals that everyday work to protect our health with ethics and expertise; then with all instruments that anti-corruption action plans, such as the one introduced in Italy in 2012, aim to identify and target those areas most at risk of corruption phenomena.

An Efficient and Examinable Illegal Fallow Fields Detecting Method with Spatio-Temporal Information Integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Chia-Hao; Chu, Tzu-How

2017-04-01

To control the rice production and farm usage in Taiwan, Agriculture and Food Agency (AFA) has published a series of policies to subsidize farmers to plant different crops or to practice fallow science 1983. Because of no efficient and examinable mechanism to verify the fallow fields surveyed by township office, illegal fallow fields were still repeated each year. In this research, we used remote sensing images, GIS data of Fields, and application records of fallow fields to establish an illegal fallow fields detecting method in Yulin County in central Taiwan. This method included: 1. collected multi-temporal images from FS-2 or SPOT series with 4 time periods; 2. combined the application records and GIS data of fields to verify the location of fallow fields; 3. conducted ground truth survey and classified images with ISODATA and Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC); 4. defined the land cover type of fallow fields by zonal statistic; 5. verified accuracy with ground truth; 6. developed potential illegal fallow fields survey method and benefit estimation. We use 190 fallow fields with 127 legal and 63 illegal as ground truth and accuracies of illegal fallow field interpretation in producer and user are 71.43% and 38.46%. If township office surveyed 117 classified illegal fallow fields, 45 of 63 illegal fallow fields will be detected. By using our method, township office can save 38.42% of the manpower to detect illegal fallow fields and receive an examinable 71.43% producer accuracy.

The feasibility study based on e-commerce instructions-focuses on detection and deletion of illegal content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Tianze; Bi, Siyu; Liu, Jiaming

2018-04-01

This essay legally restrains the illegal content based on the e-commerce directive and introduces that the European countries detect and notify illegal content through the instructions of competent authorities, notification of credible flaggers, user reports and technical tools. The illegal content should be deleted through the service terms and transparency report basing on prevent excessive deletions system. At the same time, use filters to detect and filter to against the recurrence of illegal content. By analyzing the advantages of China under the environment of cracking down on illegal content, this essay concludes that the success of China in cracking down on illegal content lies in all-round collaborative management model of countries, governments, enterprises and individuals. At the end of the essay, one is to build a training corpus that can automatically update the ability to identify the illegal content. And it proposes an optimization scheme that establish a complete set of address resolution procedures and classify IP address data according to big data analysis and DNS protection module to prevent hackers from spreading illegal content by tampering with DNS segments.

Identification and analysis the illegal dumping spot of solid waste at Ciliwung segment 5 riverbanks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Indrawati, D.; Purwaningrum, P.

2018-01-01

Ciliwung River is the main river in the area of Jakarta that is divided into six segments across West Java and Jakarta. The study focuses on the fifth segment which is 30 km long, covering from Kelapa Dua Depok to Manggarai, South Jakarta. The survey of the river consists of 3 sub-segments: Lenteng Agung, Pejaten Timur and Manggarai. Objectives of the study are to describe the characteristics and typology of the residential surrounding the Ciliwung Segment 5 Riverbank, to identification the illegal dumping spot of solid waste, to measure the volume and composition of solid waste in the riverbank, to decide solid waste management for residential area surrounding river banks to control the river pollution. The study shows that there are 11 illegal dumping spot of solid waste consisting of 4.37 m3 solid waste volume. The average composition of solid waste consists of 44% organic, 14% woods, 12% papers, 11% plastics, 3% rubbers, 1% metals and 2% others. To control the river pollution efforts are restoring the function of riverbanks to become green open space area, installing the trash rack into the river, to manage domestic solid waste based on 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) concept.

36 CFR § 1280.20 - What is your policy on illegal drugs and alcohol?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Conduct on NARA Property? Prohibited Activities § 1280.20 What is your policy on illegal drugs and alcohol? You may not use or be in possession of illegal drugs on NARA property. You also may not enter NARA property while under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol. Using alcoholic beverages on NARA property...

Teens, Drugs, & Vegas: Toxicological surveillance of illicit prescription and illegal drug abuse in adolescents (12-17 years) using post-mortem data in Clark County, Nevada from 2005 to 2015.

PubMed

Paul, Anthea B Mahesan; Simms, Lary; Mahesan, Andrew A; Belanger, Eric Charles

2018-04-14

Illegal drug abuse, particularly prescription drug abuse is a growing problem in the United States. Research on adolescent drug abuse is based on national self-reported data. Using local coroner data, quantitative prevalence of illegal substance toxicology and trends can be assessed to aid directed outreach and community-based prevention initiatives. Retrospective analysis was conducted on all cases aged 12-17 years referred to the Office of the Medical Examiner, Clark County from 2005 to 2015 (n = 526). The prevalence of illegal opioid use in this population was 13.3%. The most commonly used drug was tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in 29.7%. Illegal-prescription opioids and benzodiazepines were used approximately 1.7 times as much as all other illegal-drugs, excluding THC combined. The largest proportion of illicit prescription drug users were accidental death victims (p = 0.02, OR = 2.02). Drug trends by youth are ever evolving and current specific data is necessary to target prevention initiatives in local communities. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Official control of plant protection products in Poland: detection of illegal products.

PubMed

Miszczyk, Marek; Płonka, Marlena; Stobiecki, Tomasz; Kronenbach-Dylong, Dorota; Waleczek, Kazimierz; Weber, Roland

2018-04-03

Market presence of illegal and counterfeit pesticides is now a global problem. According to data published in 2012 by the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA), illegal products represent over 10% of the global market of plant protection products. Financial benefits are the main reason for the prevalence of this practice. Counterfeit and illegal pesticides may contain substances that may pose a threat to the environment, crops, animals, and humans, inconsistent with the label and registration dossier. In Poland, action against illegal and counterfeit plant protection products is undertaken by the Main Inspectorate of Plant Health and Seed Inspection (PIORiN), the police, the prosecution, and the pesticide producers. Results of chemical analyses carried out by the Institute of Plant Protection - National Research Institute Sośnicowice Branch, Pesticide Quality Testing Laboratory (PQTL IPP-NRI Sosnicowice Branch) indicate that a majority of illegal pesticides in Poland are detected in the group of herbicides. Products from parallel trade tend to have the most irregularities. This article describes the official quality control system of plant protection products in Poland and presents the analytical methods for testing pesticides suspected of adulteration and recent test results.

Outdoor Illegal Construction Identification Algorithm Based on 3D Point Cloud Segmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, Lu; Guo, Baolong

2018-03-01

Recently, various illegal constructions occur significantly in our surroundings, which seriously restrict the orderly development of urban modernization. The 3D point cloud data technology is used to identify the illegal buildings, which could address the problem above effectively. This paper proposes an outdoor illegal construction identification algorithm based on 3D point cloud segmentation. Initially, in order to save memory space and reduce processing time, a lossless point cloud compression method based on minimum spanning tree is proposed. Then, a ground point removing method based on the multi-scale filtering is introduced to increase accuracy. Finally, building clusters on the ground can be obtained using a region growing method, as a result, the illegal construction can be marked. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is verified using a publicly data set collected from the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS).

Development and evaluation of an immunochromatographic strip for rapid screening of sildenafil-type compounds as illegal additives in functional foods.

PubMed

Guo, Jiebiao; Liu, Wangpei; Lan, Xianquan; Chen, Hualong; Xiao, Zijun

2016-07-01

Sildenafil is a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor (PDE-5) for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Undeclared sildenafil and related analogues adulterated in functional foods are a threat to public health. To screen these illegal drugs rapidly in herbal samples, an immunochromatographic (IC) assay was developed based on polyclonal antibodies specific to both sildenafil and its analogues. A group that is pharmacological necessary for sildenafil and its analogues was employed as a representative hapten for the generation antibodies against the target compounds. The desired antisera showed satisfactory specificities to sildenafil and major analogues with IC50 values ranging from 19.3 to 34.6 ng ml(-1) in a referring enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The optimised IC assay showed detection thresholds in the range 5.0-20 μg g(-1) for sildenafil and major analogues in herbal samples. Sixty herbal food supplements were screened and six were found to be positive using the IC strip. It was confirmed by ELISA and UPLC-PDA-MS/MS that positive samples contain target illegal additives in levels of 10-40 mg g(-1) (1-4%). In this range, sensitivity of the IC strip is adequate to screen sildenafil-type compounds in herbal commodities under a dilution ratio of 1:10(3). Thus, the current IC assay is a suitable tool for screening sildenafil and its analogues as illegal additives in herbal food supplements.

Quantifying the Effect of Macroeconomic and Social Factors on Illegal E-Waste Trade.

PubMed

Efthymiou, Loukia; Mavragani, Amaryllis; Tsagarakis, Konstantinos P

2016-08-05

As illegal e-waste trade has been significantly growing over the course of the last few years, the consequences on human health and the environment demand immediate action on the part of the global community. Though it is argued that e-waste flows from developed to developing countries, this subject seems to be more complex than that, with a variety of studies suggesting that income per capita is not the only factor affecting the choice of regions that e-waste is illegally shipped to. How is a country's economic and social development associated with illegal e-waste trade? Is legislation an important factor? This paper aims at quantifying macroeconomic (per capita income and openness of economy) and social (human development and social progress) aspects, based on qualitative data on illegal e-waste trade routes, by examining the percentage differences in scorings in selected indicators for all known and suspected routes. The results show that illegal e-waste trade occurs from economically and socially developed regions to countries with significantly lower levels of overall development, with few exceptions, which could be attributed to the fact that several countries have loose regulations on e-waste trade, thus deeming them attractive for potential illegal activities.

Quantifying the Effect of Macroeconomic and Social Factors on Illegal E-Waste Trade

PubMed Central

Efthymiou, Loukia; Mavragani, Amaryllis; Tsagarakis, Konstantinos P.

2016-01-01

As illegal e-waste trade has been significantly growing over the course of the last few years, the consequences on human health and the environment demand immediate action on the part of the global community. Though it is argued that e-waste flows from developed to developing countries, this subject seems to be more complex than that, with a variety of studies suggesting that income per capita is not the only factor affecting the choice of regions that e-waste is illegally shipped to. How is a country’s economic and social development associated with illegal e-waste trade? Is legislation an important factor? This paper aims at quantifying macroeconomic (per capita income and openness of economy) and social (human development and social progress) aspects, based on qualitative data on illegal e-waste trade routes, by examining the percentage differences in scorings in selected indicators for all known and suspected routes. The results show that illegal e-waste trade occurs from economically and socially developed regions to countries with significantly lower levels of overall development, with few exceptions, which could be attributed to the fact that several countries have loose regulations on e-waste trade, thus deeming them attractive for potential illegal activities. PMID:27527200

The quality of sildenafil active substance of illegal source.

PubMed

Keizers, Peter H J; Wiegard, Andrea; Venhuis, Bastiaan J

2016-11-30

There must be a large market for active pharmaceutical ingredients of illegal source to support the huge and lucrative business of trade in illegal medicines. The active substances found in illegal pharmaceuticals may differ from their legal counterparts concerning purity and associated risks for the health of the user. In this study we show two examples in which the active substance sildenafil, used in erectile dysfunction products, was not of European Pharmacopeia quality. In one case milligram-scale amounts of a 2-mercaptobenzothiazole contamination were found, in another case the mesylate salt rather than the monograph based citrate was used. For the user of products containing these active substances, the risks of side effects increase through the inherent properties of the impurity and the chance of overdosing. The fact that the users are most likely not aware of the poor quality of the products adds up to the health risk of using prescription medication without consulting medical professionals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nicotine dependence, use of illegal drugs and psychiatric morbidity.

PubMed

Martínez-Ortega, José María; Jurado, Dolores; Martínez-González, Miguel Angel; Gurpegui, Manuel

2006-09-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of smoking and nicotine dependence with psychiatric morbidity, controlling for the potential confounding effect of smoking on the relationship between the use of other substances and psychiatric morbidity. A sample of 290 adults were interviewed at a primary health centre (patients, 58%; patients' relatives, 34%; staff, 8%) to inquire about their tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, and illegal drug consumption. Psychiatric morbidity, defined by a score >6 on the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), showed a strong direct association with nicotine dependence. The use of illegal drugs, but not of alcohol, was also strongly associated with psychiatric morbidity, after controlling for smoking. Both smoking and high nicotine dependence were also associated with use of caffeine, alcohol, cannabis and cocaine. High nicotine dependence may be considered as an expression of individual psychopathologic vulnerability. Tobacco may have a central facilitating role in the use of caffeine, alcohol, and illegal drug.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopic detection of trace level heavy metal in solutions on a laser-pretreated metallic target.

PubMed

Niu, Sheng; Zheng, Lijuan; Khan, Abdul Qayyum; Feng, Guang; Zeng, Heping

2018-03-01

A fast and sensitive analysis for trace level heavy metals in aqueous solution was realized by using an improved laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) methodology. Solutions containing heavy metal elements, Ni, Cr, and Cd, were concentrated in a laser-pretreated area (25 × 20mm 2 ) of a polished aluminum target surface, wherein pretreated grooves enabled homogeneous distribution of the metallic solutions in the well-defined area, and laser ablation of the aluminum target produced unique plasma excitation of various metallic ions. For 1-mL solutions deposited, we obtained an analytical precision of about 7% relative standard deviation (RSD), and limits of detection (LODs) of 22, 19, and 184μg/L for Ni, Cr, and Cd, respectively. Moreover, the laser-pretreated metallic microstructure allowed more solution deposited with the help of a hot plate, which supported improvement of LODs to sub-μg/L level for Cr and Ni and μg/L level for Cd with about 20-mL solution engaged in the enrichment processes. The applicability of the proposed methodology was validated on certified reference materials and real river water. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dissecting the Illegal Ivory Trade: An Analysis of Ivory Seizures Data

PubMed Central

Underwood, Fiona M.; Burn, Robert W.; Milliken, Tom

2013-01-01

Reliable evidence of trends in the illegal ivory trade is important for informing decision making for elephants but it is difficult to obtain due to the covert nature of the trade. The Elephant Trade Information System, a global database of reported seizures of illegal ivory, holds the only extensive information on illicit trade available. However inherent biases in seizure data make it difficult to infer trends; countries differ in their ability to make and report seizures and these differences cannot be directly measured. We developed a new modelling framework to provide quantitative evidence on trends in the illegal ivory trade from seizures data. The framework used Bayesian hierarchical latent variable models to reduce bias in seizures data by identifying proxy variables that describe the variability in seizure and reporting rates between countries and over time. Models produced bias-adjusted smoothed estimates of relative trends in illegal ivory activity for raw and worked ivory in three weight classes. Activity is represented by two indicators describing the number of illegal ivory transactions – Transactions Index – and the total weight of illegal ivory transactions – Weights Index – at global, regional or national levels. Globally, activity was found to be rapidly increasing and at its highest level for 16 years, more than doubling from 2007 to 2011 and tripling from 1998 to 2011. Over 70% of the Transactions Index is from shipments of worked ivory weighing less than 10 kg and the rapid increase since 2007 is mainly due to increased consumption in China. Over 70% of the Weights Index is from shipments of raw ivory weighing at least 100 kg mainly moving from Central and East Africa to Southeast and East Asia. The results tie together recent findings on trends in poaching rates, declining populations and consumption and provide detailed evidence to inform international decision making on elephants. PMID:24250744

Dissecting the illegal ivory trade: an analysis of ivory seizures data.

PubMed

Underwood, Fiona M; Burn, Robert W; Milliken, Tom

2013-01-01

Reliable evidence of trends in the illegal ivory trade is important for informing decision making for elephants but it is difficult to obtain due to the covert nature of the trade. The Elephant Trade Information System, a global database of reported seizures of illegal ivory, holds the only extensive information on illicit trade available. However inherent biases in seizure data make it difficult to infer trends; countries differ in their ability to make and report seizures and these differences cannot be directly measured. We developed a new modelling framework to provide quantitative evidence on trends in the illegal ivory trade from seizures data. The framework used Bayesian hierarchical latent variable models to reduce bias in seizures data by identifying proxy variables that describe the variability in seizure and reporting rates between countries and over time. Models produced bias-adjusted smoothed estimates of relative trends in illegal ivory activity for raw and worked ivory in three weight classes. Activity is represented by two indicators describing the number of illegal ivory transactions--Transactions Index--and the total weight of illegal ivory transactions--Weights Index--at global, regional or national levels. Globally, activity was found to be rapidly increasing and at its highest level for 16 years, more than doubling from 2007 to 2011 and tripling from 1998 to 2011. Over 70% of the Transactions Index is from shipments of worked ivory weighing less than 10 kg and the rapid increase since 2007 is mainly due to increased consumption in China. Over 70% of the Weights Index is from shipments of raw ivory weighing at least 100 kg mainly moving from Central and East Africa to Southeast and East Asia. The results tie together recent findings on trends in poaching rates, declining populations and consumption and provide detailed evidence to inform international decision making on elephants.

Global governance approaches to addressing illegal logging: uptake and lessons learnt

Treesearch

B. Cashore; K. McGinley; S. Leipold; P.O. Cerutti; G. Bueno; S. et al. Carodenuto

2016-01-01

This report presents the results of the fifth global scientific assessment undertaken by the GFEP initiative. The report set out to gain deeper understanding of the meaning of illegal logging and related timber trade, its scale, drivers and consequences. It provides a structured synthesis of available scientific and expert knowledge on illegal logging and associated...

9 CFR 104.8 - Illegal shipments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Illegal shipments. 104.8 Section 104.8 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE VIRUSES... thereof, destroyed by Department personnel. (b) Biological products for Distribution and Sale presented...

The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996: an overview.

PubMed

Fragomen, A T

1997-01-01

"On September 30, 1996, President Clinton signed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (1996 Act), Pub. L. No. 104-208, 110 Stat. 3009. After an intense lobbying effort by the business community, most provisions relating to legal immigration were omitted from the final bill. Instead, the 1996 Act focuses on illegal immigration reform and includes some of the toughest measures ever taken against illegal immigration." Aspects considered include border enforcement, penalities against alien smuggling and document fraud, deportation and exclusion proceedings, employer sanctions, welfare provisions, and changes to existing refugee and asylum procedures. excerpt

Digital surveillance: a novel approach to monitoring the illegal wildlife trade.

PubMed

Sonricker Hansen, Amy L; Li, Annie; Joly, Damien; Mekaru, Sumiko; Brownstein, John S

2012-01-01

A dearth of information obscures the true scale of the global illegal trade in wildlife. Herein, we introduce an automated web crawling surveillance system developed to monitor reports on illegally traded wildlife. A resource for enforcement officials as well as the general public, the freely available website, http://www.healthmap.org/wildlifetrade, provides a customizable visualization of worldwide reports on interceptions of illegally traded wildlife and wildlife products. From August 1, 2010 to July 31, 2011, publicly available English language illegal wildlife trade reports from official and unofficial sources were collected and categorized by location and species involved. During this interval, 858 illegal wildlife trade reports were collected from 89 countries. Countries with the highest number of reports included India (n = 146, 15.6%), the United States (n = 143, 15.3%), South Africa (n = 75, 8.0%), China (n = 41, 4.4%), and Vietnam (n = 37, 4.0%). Species reported as traded or poached included elephants (n = 107, 12.5%), rhinoceros (n = 103, 12.0%), tigers (n = 68, 7.9%), leopards (n = 54, 6.3%), and pangolins (n = 45, 5.2%). The use of unofficial data sources, such as online news sites and social networks, to collect information on international wildlife trade augments traditional approaches drawing on official reporting and presents a novel source of intelligence with which to monitor and collect news in support of enforcement against this threat to wildlife conservation worldwide.

Digital Surveillance: A Novel Approach to Monitoring the Illegal Wildlife Trade

PubMed Central

Joly, Damien; Mekaru, Sumiko; Brownstein, John S.

2012-01-01

A dearth of information obscures the true scale of the global illegal trade in wildlife. Herein, we introduce an automated web crawling surveillance system developed to monitor reports on illegally traded wildlife. A resource for enforcement officials as well as the general public, the freely available website, http://www.healthmap.org/wildlifetrade, provides a customizable visualization of worldwide reports on interceptions of illegally traded wildlife and wildlife products. From August 1, 2010 to July 31, 2011, publicly available English language illegal wildlife trade reports from official and unofficial sources were collected and categorized by location and species involved. During this interval, 858 illegal wildlife trade reports were collected from 89 countries. Countries with the highest number of reports included India (n = 146, 15.6%), the United States (n = 143, 15.3%), South Africa (n = 75, 8.0%), China (n = 41, 4.4%), and Vietnam (n = 37, 4.0%). Species reported as traded or poached included elephants (n = 107, 12.5%), rhinoceros (n = 103, 12.0%), tigers (n = 68, 7.9%), leopards (n = 54, 6.3%), and pangolins (n = 45, 5.2%). The use of unofficial data sources, such as online news sites and social networks, to collect information on international wildlife trade augments traditional approaches drawing on official reporting and presents a novel source of intelligence with which to monitor and collect news in support of enforcement against this threat to wildlife conservation worldwide. PMID:23236444

Mapping Of Construction Waste Illegal Dumping Using Geographical Information System (GIS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zainun, Noor Yasmin; Rahman, Ismail Abdul; Azwana Rothman, Rosfazreen

2016-11-01

Illegal dumping of solid waste not only affecting the environment but also social life of communities, hence authorities should have an effective system to cater this problem. Malaysia is experiencing extensive physical developments and this has led to an increase of construction waste illegal dumping. However, due to the lack of proper data collection, the actual figure for construction waste illegal dumping in Malaysia are not available. This paper presents a mapping of construction waste illegal dumping in Kluang district, Johor using Geographic Information System (GIS) software. Information of the dumped waste such as coordinate, photos, types of material and quantity of waste were gathered manually through site observation for three months period. For quantifying the dumped waste, two methods were used which are the first method is based on shape of the waste (pyramids or squares) while the second method is based weighing approach. All information regarding the waste was assigned to the GIS for the mapping process. Results indicated a total of 12 types of construction waste which are concrete, tiles, wood, gypsum board, mixed construction waste, brick and concrete, bricks, sand, iron, glass, pavement and tiles, and concrete at 64 points locations of illegal dumping on construction waste in Kluang. These wastes were accounted to an estimated volume of 427.2636 m3. Hopefully, this established map will assist Kluang authority to improve their solid waste management system in Kluang.

PHOTONICS AND NANOTECHNOLOGY Choice of a target with metal coating for laser-induced transfer of ultradispersed materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kononenko, Taras V.; Kamalov, M. A.; Popovich, M. Yu; Konov, Vitalii I.; Sentis, M. L.

2010-12-01

The ejection of ultradispersed diamond from a metallised target surface irradiated by nano- and subnanosecond laser pulses is experimentally investigated. Several targets with different transparent bases (quartz, polymethylmethacrylate) and absorbing metal coatings (titanium, aluminium) are investigated. The effect of the metal layer thickness and pulse width on the range of energy densities in which the ejection of diamond nanopowder is due to the transverse strain of metal layer is analysed. The heating of the target rear surface from which transfer occurs, in dependence of the target and laser pulse parameters, is estimated.

Webinar Presentation: The MATCH Study (Metals Assessment Targeting Community Health)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This presentation, The MATCH Study (Metals Assessment Targeting Community Health), was given at the NIEHS/EPA Children's Centers 2015 Webinar Series: Historical Perspectives and Research Updates from Previously Funded Children's Centers held on 11/18/15.

Which psychoactive prescription drugs are illegally obtained and through which ways of acquisition? About OPPIDUM survey.

PubMed

Frauger, Elisabeth; Nordmann, Sandra; Orleans, Veronica; Pradel, Vincent; Pauly, Vanessa; Thirion, Xavier; Micallef, Joëlle

2012-08-01

The objective of the study was to determine which psychoactive prescription drugs are illegally obtained and through which ways of acquisition. OPPIDUM is an annual national study. It is based on specialized care centers that included subjects presenting a drug dependency or under opiate maintenance treatment. All their psychoactive substances consumed are reported. This work focuses on the different ways of acquisition specially the illegal ways of acquisition (bought on the street, forged prescription, stolen, given, internet). For each medication illegally obtained, a ratio has been calculated (number of illegal acquisitions divided by the number of described acquisitions). In 2008, 5542 subjects have been included and have described the consumption of 11 027 substances including 63.8% of prescription drugs. Among them, 11% were illegally obtained. The different illegal acquisition ways were 'street market' (77.6%), 'gift' (16.6%), 'theft' (2.3%), 'forged prescription' (2.3%), and 'internet' (0.7%). The third first drugs illegally obtained were high dosage buprenorphine, methadone, and clonazepam. Some prescription drugs, less consumed, have an important ratio of illegal acquisition like ketamine, flunitrazepam, morphine, trihexyphenidyl, or methylphenidate. This study confirms that theft, forged prescription and internet are few used and permits to highlight diversion of prescription drugs. It is important to inform healthcare professionals on the different prescription drugs that are illegally obtained. © 2011 The Authors Fundamental and Clinical Pharmacology © 2011 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique.

Determination of eight illegal drugs in human urine by combination of magnetic solid-phase extraction with capillary zone electrophoresis.

PubMed

Chen, Ming-Luan; Suo, Li-Li; Gao, Qiang; Feng, Yu-Qi

2011-08-01

Using magnetite/silica/poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2)/poly(MAA-co-EDMA)) magnetic microspheres, a rapid and high-throughput magnetic solid-phase extraction coupled with capillary zone electrophoresis (MSPE-CZE) method was developed for the determination of illegal drugs (ketamine, amphetamines, opiates, and metabolites). The MSPE of target analytes could be completed within 2 min, and the eight target analytes could be baseline separated within 15 min by CZE with 30 mM phosphate buffer solution (PBS, pH 2.0) containing 15% v/v ACN as background electrolyte. Furthermore, hydrodynamic injection with field-amplified sample stacking (FASS) was employed to enhance the sensitivity of this MSPE-CZE method. Under such optimal conditions, the limits of detection for the eight target analytes ranged from 0.015 to 0.105 μg/mL. The application feasibility of MSPE-CZE in illegal drugs monitoring was demonstrated by analyzing urine samples, and the recoveries of target drugs for the spiked sample ranging from 85.4 to 110.1%. The method reproducibility was tested by evaluating the intra- and interday precisions, and relative standard deviations of <10.3 and 12.4%, respectively, were obtained. To increase throughput of the analysis, a home-made MSPE array that has potential application to the treatment of 96 samples simultaneously was used. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The big crossing: illegal boat migrants in the Mediterranean.

PubMed

Kassar, Hassène; Dourgnon, Paul

2014-08-01

This article explores illegal migration routes and groups across North Africa to Europe. We describe sub-Saharan and cross-Mediterranean routes, and how they changed during the years. We propose an analytical framework for the main factors for these migrations, from local to international and regulatory context. We then describe sea-migrants' nationalities and socio-economic and demographic characteristics, from studies undertook in Tunisia and Morocco. While boat migration represents only a fraction of illegal migration to Europe, it raises humanitarian as well as ethical issues for European and North African (NA) countries, as a non-negligible amount of them end up in death tolls of shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, existing statistics show that illegal trans-Mediterranean migration is growing exponentially. Ongoing crises in Africa and the Middle East are likely to prompt even larger outflows of refugees in the near future. This should induce NA countries to share closer public policy concerns with European countries. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Demographic evidence of illegal harvesting of an endangered asian turtle.

PubMed

Sung, Yik-Hei; Karraker, Nancy E; Hau, Billy C H

2013-12-01

Harvesting pressure on Asian freshwater turtles is severe, and dramatic population declines of these turtles are being driven by unsustainable collection for food markets, pet trade, and traditional Chinese medicine. Populations of big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum) have declined substantially across its distribution, particularly in China, because of overcollection. To understand the effects of chronic harvesting pressure on big-headed turtle populations, we examined the effects of illegal harvesting on the demography of populations in Hong Kong, where some populations still exist. We used mark-recapture methods to compare demographic characteristics between sites with harvesting histories and one site in a fully protected area. Sites with a history of illegal turtle harvesting were characterized by the absence of large adults and skewed ratios of juveniles to adults, which may have negative implications for the long-term viability of populations. These sites also had lower densities of adults and smaller adult body sizes than the protected site. Given that populations throughout most of the species' range are heavily harvested and individuals are increasingly difficult to find in mainland China, the illegal collection of turtles from populations in Hong Kong may increase over time. Long-term monitoring of populations is essential to track effects of illegal collection, and increased patrolling is needed to help control illegal harvesting of populations, particularly in national parks. Because few, if any, other completely protected populations remain in the region, our data on an unharvested population of big-headed turtles serve as an important reference for assessing the negative consequences of harvesting on populations of stream turtles. Evidencia Demográfica de la Captura Ilegal de una Tortuga Asiática en Peligro. © 2013 Society for Conservation Biology.

Work related injuries: estimating the incidence among illegally employed immigrants.

PubMed

Mastrangelo, Giuseppe; Rylander, Ragnar; Buja, Alessandra; Marangi, Gianluca; Fadda, Emanuela; Fedeli, Ugo; Cegolon, Luca

2010-12-08

Statistics on occupational accidents are based on data from registered employees. With the increasing number of immigrants employed illegally and/or without regular working visas in many developed countries, it is of interest to estimate the injury rate among such unregistered workers. The current study was conducted in an area of North-Eastern Italy. The sources of information employed in the present study were the Accidents and Emergencies records of a hospital; the population data on foreign-born residents in the hospital catchment area (Health Care District 4, Primary Care Trust 20, Province of Verona, Veneto Region, North-Eastern Italy); and the estimated proportion of illegally employed workers in representative samples from the Province of Verona and the Veneto Region. Of the 419 A&E records collected between January and December 2004 among non European Union (non-EU) immigrants, 146 aroused suspicion by reporting the home, rather than the workplace, as the site of the accident. These cases were the numerator of the rate. The number of illegally employed non-EU workers, denominator of the rate, was estimated according to different assumptions and ranged from between 537 to 1,338 individuals. The corresponding rates varied from 109.1 to 271.8 per 1,000 non-EU illegal employees, against 65 per 1,000 reported in Italy in 2004. The results of this study suggest that there is an unrecorded burden of illegally employed immigrants suffering from work related injuries. Additional efforts for prevention of injuries in the workplace are required to decrease this number. It can be concluded that the Italian National Institute for the Insurance of Work Related Injuries (INAIL) probably underestimates the incidence of these accidents in Italy.

Plasmonic-enhanced targeted nanohealing of metallic nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Hangbo; Lu, Jinsheng; Ghosh, Pintu; Chen, Ziyao; Wang, Wei; Ye, Hui; Yu, Qian; Qiu, Min; Li, Qiang

2018-02-01

Healing defects of metallic structures is an essential procedure for manufacturing and maintaining integrated devices. Current nanocomposite-assisted microhealing methodologies are inadequate for nanoscopic applications because of their concomitant contamination and limited operation accuracy. In this paper, we propose an optically controllable targeted nanohealing technique by utilizing the plasmonic-enhanced photothermal effect. The healing of nanogaps between two silver nanowires (NWs) is achieved by increasing the incident laser power in steps. Partial connection of NWs can be readily obtained using this technique, while near-perfect connection of NWs with the same crystal orientations is obtained only when the lattices on the two opposing facets are matched after recrystallization. This non-contaminating nanohealing technique not only provides deeper insight into the heat/mass transfer assisted by plasmonic photothermal conversion in the nanoscale but also suggests avenues for recovering mechanical, electronic, and photonic properties of defected metallic nanodevices.

22 CFR 127.6 - Seizure and forfeiture in attempts at illegal exports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Seizure and forfeiture in attempts at illegal... REGULATIONS VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES § 127.6 Seizure and forfeiture in attempts at illegal exports. (a) An... vessel, vehicle or aircraft involved in such attempt is subject to seizure, forfeiture and disposition as...

Venezuela: illegal immigration from Colombia.

PubMed

Pellegrino, A

1984-01-01

The influx of illegal Colombian immigrants into Venezuela is studied using data from a variety of sources, including the 1971 census and several studies conducted in 1979-1980. The author examines the origins and destinations of migrants; age, sex, educational status, and occupational data; reasons for migration; and geographic distribution of the migrating population. Tables from Venezuela's General Foreign-Born Register of December 1980 are presented in an appendix.

0.08 BAC Illegal Per Se Level

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-09-01

The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) encourages States to have laws that make it illegal for a person to operate a motor vehicle if he or she has blood or breath alcohol concentration (BAC) of...

Forensic timber identification: It's time to integrate disciplines to combat illegal logging

Treesearch

Eleanor E. Dormontt; Markus Boner; Birgit Braun; Gerhard Breulmann; Bernd Degen; Edgard Espinoza; Shelley Gardner; Phil Guillery; John C. Hermanson; Gerald Koch; Soon Leong Lee; Milton Kanashiro; Anto Rimbawanto; Darren Thomas; Alex C. Wiedenhoeft; Yafang Yin; Johannes Zahnen; Andrew J. Lowe

2015-01-01

The prosecution of illegal logging crimes is hampered by a lack of available forensic timber identification tools, both for screening of suspectmaterial and definitive identification of illegally sourcedwood. Reputable timber traders are also struggling to police their own supply chains and comply with the growing requirement for due diligence with respect to timber...

Long-term effects of eliminating illegal logging on the world forest industries, trade, and inventory

Treesearch

Ruhong Li; J. Buongiorno; J.A. Turner; S. Zhu; J. Prestemon

2008-01-01

We assessed the impact on the world forest sector of a progressive elimination of illegal logging. The analysis compared predictions from 2007 to 2020, with and without a gradual reduction of illegally logged industrial roundwood from 2007 to 2011. A large part of the curtailment of timber supply due to the stoppage of illegal logging would be compensated by increased...

Logging concessions enable illegal logging crisis in the Peruvian Amazon.

PubMed

Finer, Matt; Jenkins, Clinton N; Sky, Melissa A Blue; Pine, Justin

2014-04-17

The Peruvian Amazon is an important arena in global efforts to promote sustainable logging in the tropics. Despite recent efforts to achieve sustainability, such as provisions in the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, illegal logging continues to plague the region. We present evidence that Peru's legal logging concession system is enabling the widespread illegal logging via the regulatory documents designed to ensure sustainable logging. Analyzing official government data, we found that 68.3% of all concessions supervised by authorities were suspected of major violations. Of the 609 total concessions, nearly 30% have been cancelled for violations and we expect this percentage to increase as investigations continue. Moreover, the nature of the violations indicate that the permits associated with legal concessions are used to harvest trees in unauthorized areas, thus threatening all forested areas. Many of the violations pertain to the illegal extraction of CITES-listed timber species outside authorized areas. These findings highlight the need for additional reforms.

Logging Concessions Enable Illegal Logging Crisis in the Peruvian Amazon

PubMed Central

Finer, Matt; Jenkins, Clinton N.; Sky, Melissa A. Blue; Pine, Justin

2014-01-01

The Peruvian Amazon is an important arena in global efforts to promote sustainable logging in the tropics. Despite recent efforts to achieve sustainability, such as provisions in the US–Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, illegal logging continues to plague the region. We present evidence that Peru's legal logging concession system is enabling the widespread illegal logging via the regulatory documents designed to ensure sustainable logging. Analyzing official government data, we found that 68.3% of all concessions supervised by authorities were suspected of major violations. Of the 609 total concessions, nearly 30% have been cancelled for violations and we expect this percentage to increase as investigations continue. Moreover, the nature of the violations indicate that the permits associated with legal concessions are used to harvest trees in unauthorized areas, thus threatening all forested areas. Many of the violations pertain to the illegal extraction of CITES-listed timber species outside authorized areas. These findings highlight the need for additional reforms. PMID:24743552

Logging Concessions Enable Illegal Logging Crisis in the Peruvian Amazon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finer, Matt; Jenkins, Clinton N.; Sky, Melissa A. Blue; Pine, Justin

2014-04-01

The Peruvian Amazon is an important arena in global efforts to promote sustainable logging in the tropics. Despite recent efforts to achieve sustainability, such as provisions in the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, illegal logging continues to plague the region. We present evidence that Peru's legal logging concession system is enabling the widespread illegal logging via the regulatory documents designed to ensure sustainable logging. Analyzing official government data, we found that 68.3% of all concessions supervised by authorities were suspected of major violations. Of the 609 total concessions, nearly 30% have been cancelled for violations and we expect this percentage to increase as investigations continue. Moreover, the nature of the violations indicate that the permits associated with legal concessions are used to harvest trees in unauthorized areas, thus threatening all forested areas. Many of the violations pertain to the illegal extraction of CITES-listed timber species outside authorized areas. These findings highlight the need for additional reforms.

Influence of lateral target size on hot electron production and electromagnetic pulse emission from laser-irradiated metallic targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zi-Yu; Li, Jian-Feng; Yu, Yong; Wang, Jia-Xiang; Li, Xiao-Ya; Peng, Qi-Xian; Zhu, Wen-Jun

2012-11-01

The influences of lateral target size on hot electron production and electromagnetic pulse emission from laser interaction with metallic targets have been investigated. Particle-in-cell simulations at high laser intensities show that the yield of hot electrons tends to increase with lateral target size, because the larger surface area reduces the electrostatic field on the target, owing to its expansion along the target surface. At lower laser intensities and longer time scales, experimental data characterizing electromagnetic pulse emission as a function of lateral target size also show target-size effects. Charge separation and a larger target tending to have a lower target potential have both been observed. The increase in radiation strength and downshift in radiation frequency with increasing lateral target size can be interpreted using a simple model of the electrical capacity of the target.

Reality Television Programs Are Associated With Illegal Drug Use and Prescription Drug Misuse Among College Students.

PubMed

Fogel, Joshua; Shlivko, Alexander

2016-01-02

Reality television watching and social media use are popular activities. Reality television can include mention of illegal drug use and prescription drug misuse. To determine if reality television and social media use of Twitter are associated with either illegal drug use or prescription drug misuse. Survey of 576 college students in 2011. Independent variables included watching reality television (social cognitive theory), parasocial interaction (parasocial interaction theory), television hours watched (cultivation theory), following a reality television character on Twitter, and demographics. Outcome variables were illegal drug use and prescription drug misuse. Watching reality television and also identifying with reality TV program characters were each associated with greater odds for illegal drug use. Also, following a reality TV character on Twitter had greater odds for illegal drug use and also in one analytical model for prescription drug misuse. No support was seen for cultivation theory. Those born in the United States had greater odds for illegal drug use and prescription drug misuse. Women and Asians had lower odds for illegal drug use. African Americans and Asians had lower odds for prescription drug misuse. Physicians, psychologists, and other healthcare practitioners may find it useful to include questions in their clinical interview about reality television watching and Twitter use. Physician and psychology groups, public health practitioners, and government health agencies should consider discussing with television broadcasting companies the potential negative impact of including content with illegal drugs and prescription drug misuse on reality television programs.

Economic interventions to discourage the illegal sale of cigarettes to minors in New York State.

PubMed

Cummings, K M; Pechacek, T; Sciandra, E

1992-12-01

In New York State it is illegal to sell tobacco products to persons under the age of 18 years. In most communities, compliance with this law is poor. This study provides estimates of teenage cigarette smoking and the illegal sale of cigarettes to minors in 1990 in each of New York's 57 counties and in New York City. Results show that in New York State, approximately 135,700 teens between the ages of 12 and 17 years are regular cigarette smokers. Data available on the cigarette consumption and purchasing habits of teenage smokers reveal that nearly 21.9 million packs of cigarettes were sold illegally to minors in 1991 in New York State. This finding underscores the fact that cigarette sales to underage youth in New York is big business, representing $39.5 million in sales annually. Government officials should consider levying an illegal drug profit tax on the cigarette industry to recover the millions in profits derived annually from the illegal sale of cigarettes to children.

The Effects of Polyvictimization and Quality of Caregiver Attachment on Disclosure of Illegal Sexual Behavior.

PubMed

Harrelson, Megan E; Alexander, Apryl A; Morais, Hugo B; Burkhart, Barry R

2017-07-01

The current study examined the relationship among self-disclosure of illegal sexual behaviors and two conceptually relevant constructs in psychotherapy: childhood polyvictimization (i.e., cumulative types of victimization experienced during childhood) and caregiver attachment. Participants consisted of 63 adolescent males participating in mandated treatment for illegal sexual behavior. Childhood polyvictimization and caregiver attachment were expected to predict self-disclosure of illegal sexual behaviors. Quality of caregiver attachment was also expected to mediate the relationship between polyvictimization and disclosure. Consistent with our main hypothesis, results indicate that quality of caregiver attachment mediated the relationship between childhood polyvictimization and self-disclosure of illegal sexual behaviors in psychotherapy. The current findings highlight the impact of polyvictimization on important therapeutic processes as well as the importance of assessing for multiple types of victimization in adolescents who engage in illegal sexual behavior. Further clinical implications regarding the use of trauma-informed approaches during sex offender treatment are discussed.

Analysis of illegal peptide biopharmaceuticals frequently encountered by controlling agencies.

PubMed

Vanhee, Celine; Janvier, Steven; Desmedt, Bart; Moens, Goedele; Deconinck, Eric; De Beer, Jacques O; Courselle, Patricia

2015-09-01

Recent advances in genomics, recombinant expression technologies and peptide synthesis have led to an increased development of protein and peptide therapeutics. Unfortunately this goes hand in hand with a growing market of counterfeit and illegal biopharmaceuticals, including substances that are still under pre-clinical and clinical development. These counterfeit and illegal protein and peptide substances could imply severe health threats as has been demonstrated by numerous case reports. The Belgian Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP) and customs are striving, together with their global counterparts, to curtail the trafficking and distributions of these substances. At their request, suspected protein and peptide preparations are analysed in our Official Medicines Control Laboratory (OMCL). It stands to reason that a general screening method would be beneficiary in the battle against counterfeit and illegal peptide drugs. In this paper we present such general screening method employing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the identification of counterfeit and illegal injectable peptide preparations, extended with a subsequent quantification method using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (UHPLC-DAD). The screening method, taking only 30 min, is able to selectively detect 25 different peptides and incorporates the proposed minimum of five identification points (IP) as has been recommended for sports drug testing applications. The group of peptides represent substances which have already been detected in illegal and counterfeit products seized by different European countries as well as some biopharmaceutical peptides which have not been confiscated yet by the controlling agencies, but are already being used according to the many internet users forums. Additionally, we also show that when applying the same LC gradient, it is also possible to quantify these peptides without the need for

Compatibility of materials with liquid metal targets for SNS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DiStefano, J.R.; Pawel, S.J.; DeVan, J.H.

1996-06-01

Several heavy liquid metals are candidates as the target in a spallation neutron source: Hg, Pb, Bi, and Pb-Bi eutectic. Systems with these liquid metals have been used in the past and a data-base on compatibility already exists. Two major compatibility issues have been identified when selecting a container material for these liquid metals: temperature gradient mass transfer and liquid metal embrittlement or LME. Temperature gradient mass transfer refers to dissolution of material from the high temperature portions of a system and its deposition in the lower temperature areas. Solution and deposition rate constants along with temperature, {Delta}T, and velocitymore » are usually the most important parameters. For most candidate materials mass transfer corrosion has been found to be proportionately worse in Bi compared with Hg and Pb. For temperatures to {approx}550{degrees}C, ferritic/martensitic steels have been satisfactory in Pb or Hg systems and the maximum temperature can be extended to {approx}650{degrees}C with additions of inhibitors to the liquid metal, e.g. Mg, Ti, Zr. Above {approx}600{degrees}C, austenitic stainless steels have been reported to be unsatisfactory, largely because of the mass transfer of nickel. Blockage of flow from deposition of material is usually the life-limiting effect of this type of corrosion. However, mass transfer corrosion at lower temperatures has not been studied. At low temperatures (usually < 150{degrees}C), LME has been reported for some liquid metal/container alloy combinations. Liquid metal embrittlement, like hydrogen embrittlement, results in brittle fracture of a normally ductile material.« less

Results of thermal test of metallic molybdenum disk target and fast-acting valve testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Virgo, M.; Chemerisov, S.; Gromov, R.

2016-12-01

This report describes the irradiation conditions for thermal testing of helium-cooled metallic disk targets that was conducted on March 9, 2016, at the Argonne National Laboratory electron linac. The four disks in this irradiation were pressed and sintered by Oak Ridge National Laboratory from molybdenum metal powder. Two of those disks were instrumented with thermocouples. Also reported are results of testing a fast-acting-valve system, which was designed to protect the accelerator in case of a target-window failure.

Characteristics of drug use among pregnant women in the United States: Opioid and non-opioid illegal drug use.

PubMed

Metz, Verena E; Brown, Qiana L; Martins, Silvia S; Palamar, Joseph J

2018-02-01

The opioid epidemic in the US is affecting pregnant women and their offspring, with rising numbers of maternal and neonatal treatment episodes. The aim of this study was to characterize pregnant drug users in order to inform intervention strategies based on sociodemographic, mental health, and substance use characteristics. Data on pregnant women aged 18-44 reporting past-year, nonmedical opioid use or use of non-opioid illegal drugs (other than marijuana) were analyzed from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2005-2014). Women (N = 818) were categorized into 3 groups: 1) use of opioids only (n = 281), 2) opioid-polydrug users (n = 241), and 3) other (non-opioid) illegal drug users (n = 296). Characteristics between the 3 groups of women were compared using bivariable analyses. Most women were non-Hispanic White (67.6%), had a high school diploma or less education (61.0%), a household income <$20,000/year (72.2%), and health insurance coverage (84.3%). No significant differences between the three groups were found regarding sociodemographic characteristics. Past-30-day marijuana use was less prevalent among opioid-only users (10.9%) compared to opioid-polydrug users (43.6%) and other pregnant illegal drug users (27.6%) (P < 0.001) and past-year drug/alcohol treatment was less prevalent among opioid-only users (6.3%) compared to opioid-polydrug users (20.3%) and other illegal drug users (8.3%) (P = 0.002). Opioid-only users also reported lower prevalence of past-year depression (P < 0.001) and anxiety (P = 0.039). Pregnant drug-using women were often of low socioeconomic status, with mental health and substance use patterns suggesting the need for targeted mental health/substance use screening and interventions before and during pregnancy, particularly for opioid-polydrug users. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Party Identification, Contact, Contexts, and Public Attitudes toward Illegal Immigration

PubMed Central

Gravelle, Timothy B.

2016-01-01

Illegal immigration is a contentious issue on the American policy agenda. To understand the sources of public attitudes toward immigration, social scientists have focused attention on political factors such as party identification; they have also drawn on theories of intergroup contact to argue that contact with immigrants shapes immigration attitudes. Absent direct measures, contextual measures such as respondents’ ethnic milieu or proximity to salient geographic features (such as borders) have been used as proxies of contact. Such a research strategy still leaves the question unanswered – is it contact or context that really matters? Further, which context, and for whom? This article evaluates the effects of party identification, personal contact with undocumented immigrants, and contextual measures (county Hispanic population and proximity to the US–Mexico border) on American attitudes toward illegal immigration. It finds that contextual factors moderate the effects of political party identification on attitudes toward illegal immigration; personal contact has no effect. These findings challenge the assumption that contextual measures act as proxies for interpersonal contact. PMID:27257305

Worries about others' substance use-Differences between alcohol, cigarettes and illegal drugs?

PubMed

Moan, Inger Synnøve; Storvoll, Elisabet E; Lund, Ingunn Olea

2017-10-01

While it is well documented that many experience harm from others' substance use, little is known about the psychological strain associated with others' use. The aims were: (1) to describe the prevalence of worries about others' alcohol, cigarette and illegal drug use, (2) whose substance use people worry about, (3) the overlap in worries, and (4) to examine how worries about others' use of each substance vary according to demographics, own substance use and experience of harm from others' use. A population survey was conducted among 16-64year old Norwegians (N=1667). Respondents' reported on worries about others' alcohol, cigarette and illegal drug use, measures of experiences of harm from others' use of the three substances, and own substance use. Worries about others' drinking were most prevalent. Among those who worried, others' cigarette and illegal drug use caused more frequent worry. While worry about cigarette use was mostly associated with family members' use, worry about others' alcohol and illegal drug use more often concerned friends'/acquaintances' use. About half worried about others' use of at least one substance. Across all three substances, experience of harm from others' substance use was most strongly related to worries. Worries about others' substance use are common and reflect the prevalence of use of the substances in the population. In sum, the findings suggest that worry about others' alcohol and illegal drug use is primarily related to acute harm while worry about others' cigarette smoking is more related to chronic harm. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

10 CFR 707.14 - Action pursuant to a determination of illegal drug use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Action pursuant to a determination of illegal drug use. 707.14 Section 707.14 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WORKPLACE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS AT DOE SITES Procedures § 707.14 Action pursuant to a determination of illegal drug use. (a) When an applicant for...

10 CFR 707.14 - Action pursuant to a determination of illegal drug use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Action pursuant to a determination of illegal drug use. 707.14 Section 707.14 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WORKPLACE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS AT DOE SITES Procedures § 707.14 Action pursuant to a determination of illegal drug use. (a) When an applicant for...

10 CFR 707.14 - Action pursuant to a determination of illegal drug use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Action pursuant to a determination of illegal drug use. 707.14 Section 707.14 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WORKPLACE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS AT DOE SITES Procedures § 707.14 Action pursuant to a determination of illegal drug use. (a) When an applicant for...

10 CFR 707.14 - Action pursuant to a determination of illegal drug use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Action pursuant to a determination of illegal drug use. 707.14 Section 707.14 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WORKPLACE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS AT DOE SITES Procedures § 707.14 Action pursuant to a determination of illegal drug use. (a) When an applicant for...

10 CFR 707.14 - Action pursuant to a determination of illegal drug use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Action pursuant to a determination of illegal drug use. 707.14 Section 707.14 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WORKPLACE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS AT DOE SITES Procedures § 707.14 Action pursuant to a determination of illegal drug use. (a) When an applicant for...

Identifying Demand Responses to Illegal Drug Supply Interdictions.

PubMed

Cunningham, Scott; Finlay, Keith

2016-10-01

Successful supply-side interdictions into illegal drug markets are predicated on the responsiveness of drug prices to enforcement and the price elasticity of demand for addictive drugs. We present causal estimates that targeted interventions aimed at methamphetamine input markets ('precursor control') can temporarily increase retail street prices, but methamphetamine consumption is weakly responsive to higher drug prices. After the supply interventions, purity-adjusted prices increased then quickly returned to pre-treatment levels within 6-12 months, demonstrating the short-term effects of precursor control. The price elasticity of methamphetamine demand is -0.13 to -0.21 for self-admitted drug treatment admissions and between -0.24 and -0.28 for hospital inpatient admissions. We find some evidence of a positive cross-price effect for cocaine, but we do not find robust evidence that increases in methamphetamine prices increased heroin, alcohol, or marijuana drug use. This study can inform policy discussions regarding other synthesized drugs, including illicit use of pharmaceuticals. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Pulse laser ablation of Au, Ag, and Cu metal targets in liquid for nanoparticle production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herbani, Y.; Irmaniar; Nasution, R. S.; Mujtahid, F.; Masse, S.

2018-03-01

We have fabricated metal and oxide nanoparticles using pulse laser ablation of Au, Ag, and Cu metal targets immersed in water. While laser ablation of Au and Ag targets in water produced metal nanoparticles which were stable for a month even without any dispersant, we found CuO nanoparticles for Cu target due to rapid oxidation of Cu in water resulted in its poor stability. Au, Ag, and CuO nanoparticles production were barely identified by naked eyes for their distinctive colour of red, yellow, and dark green colloidal suspensions, respectively. It was also verified using UV-Vis spectrometer that Au, Ag, and CuO colloidal nanoparticles have their respective surface plasmon resonance at 520, 400, and 620 nm. TEM observation showed that particle sizes for all the fabricated nanoparticles were in the range of 20 – 40 nm with crystalline structures.

Geo-spatial aspects of acceptance of illegal hunting of large carnivores in Scandinavia.

PubMed

Gangaas, Kristin E; Kaltenborn, Bjørn P; Andreassen, Harry P

2013-01-01

Human-carnivore conflicts are complex and are influenced by: the spatial distribution of the conflict species; the organisation and intensity of management measures such as zoning; historical experience with wildlife; land use patterns; and local cultural traditions. We have used a geographically stratified sampling of social values and attitudes to provide a novel perspective to the human - wildlife conflict. We have focused on acceptance by and disagreements between residents (measured as Potential Conflict Index; PCI) towards illegal hunting of four species of large carnivores (bear, lynx, wolf, wolverine). The study is based on surveys of residents in every municipality in Sweden and Norway who were asked their opinion on illegal hunting. Our results show how certain social values are associated with acceptance of poaching, and how these values differ geographically independent of carnivore abundance. Our approach differs from traditional survey designs, which are often biased towards urban areas. Although these traditional designs intend to be representative of a region (i.e. a random sample from a country), they tend to receive relatively few respondents from rural areas that experience the majority of conflict with carnivores. Acceptance of poaching differed significantly between Norway (12.7-15.7% of respondents) and Sweden (3.3-4.1% of respondents). We found the highest acceptance of illegal hunting in rural areas with free-ranging sheep and strong hunting traditions. Disagreements between residents (as measured by PCI) were highest in areas with intermediate population density. There was no correlation between carnivore density and either acceptance of illegal hunting or PCI. A strong positive correlation between acceptance of illegal hunting and PCI showed that areas with high acceptance of illegal hunting are areas with high potential conflict between people. Our results show that spatially-stratified surveys are required to reveal the large scale

Feathered Detectives: Real-Time GPS Tracking of Scavenging Gulls Pinpoints Illegal Waste Dumping.

PubMed

Navarro, Joan; Grémillet, David; Afán, Isabel; Ramírez, Francisco; Bouten, Willem; Forero, Manuela G

2016-01-01

Urban waste impacts human and environmental health, and waste management has become one of the major challenges of humanity. Concurrently with new directives due to manage this human by-product, illegal dumping has become one of the most lucrative activities of organized crime. Beyond economic fraud, illegal waste disposal strongly enhances uncontrolled dissemination of human pathogens, pollutants and invasive species. Here, we demonstrate the potential of novel real-time GPS tracking of scavenging species to detect environmental crime. Specifically, we were able to detect illegal activities at an officially closed dump, which was visited recurrently by 5 of 19 GPS-tracked yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis). In comparison with conventional land-based surveys, GPS tracking allows a much wider and cost-efficient spatiotemporal coverage, even of the most hazardous sites, while GPS data accessibility through the internet enables rapid intervention. Our results suggest that multi-species guilds of feathered detectives equipped with GPS and cameras could help fight illegal dumping at continental scales. We encourage further experimental studies, to infer waste detection thresholds in gulls and other scavenging species exploiting human waste dumps.

The self-reported health of legal and illegal/irregular immigrants in the Czech Republic.

PubMed

Pikhart, Hynek; Drbohlav, Dusan; Dzurova, Dagmar

2010-10-01

To test whether immigrants with illegal/irregular status have higher odds of poor self-rated health (SRH) than immigrants with legal status, and whether different demographic, socioeconomic and psychosocial factors affect SRH among legal and illegal/irregular immigrants. Analysis is based on data from two questionnaire surveys of 285 Post-Soviet and Vietnamese immigrants (126 legal and 159 illegal/irregular) living and working in the Czech Republic, which were conducted between 2003 and 2006. The risk of poor SRH was estimated by ordered polytomous regression, the dependent variable was SRH, and selected demographic, socioeconomic and psychosocial characteristics entered the analysis as explanatory variables. Odds of poor SRH among illegal immigrants were not statistically significantly higher than among legal migrants in fully adjusted analysis. Females and older immigrants had poorer SRH. Satisfaction with work, and, partly, with housing were found to have a significant role. Educational level and 'social communication' variables did not have an important role in predicting SRH. Inequalities in SRH among legal and illegal immigrants were largely explained by socioeconomic and psychosocial factors in this study. These results should stimulate further research activities that might improve health policy and planning related to immigrants' health in this and other countries in Europe.

Comparison of illegal drug use pattern in Taiwan and Korea from 2006 to 2014.

PubMed

Feng, Ling-Yi; Yu, Wen-Jing; Chang, Wei-Ting; Han, Eunyoung; Chung, Heesun; Li, Jih-Heng

2016-09-23

Illegal drug use has long been a global concern. Taiwan and Korea are geographically adjacent and both countries have experienced the illegal use problems of methamphetamine, a predominant prototype of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS). NPS, a term coined by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in recent years, have not been scrutinized for their safety and may become a new threat to public health and security worldwide. To conduct evidence-based drug policy, it is imperative to estimate the trend and pattern of illegal drug use. Therefore, this study aims to analyze and compare the current status of drug-related seizures, arrests and illegal drug use, with a focus on methamphetamine and NPS, between Taiwan and Korea. Data of illegal drug (including NPS)-related seizures and arrests were collected via anti-drug related agencies of both countries from 2006 through 2014.Since listing of NPS as controlled substances was a result of NPS abuse liability through official evaluation, the items of controlled NPS were used as an indicator of emerging use. These data obtained from Taiwan and Korea was then compared. The results showed that while methamphetamine remained as a predominant drug in both Taiwan and Korea for decades, different illegal drug use patterns have been observed in these two countries. In Taiwan, the major illegal drugs were methamphetamine, heroin, and ketamine, whereas in Korea those were methamphetamine and cannabis. By comparison of per capita illicit drug seizures, the illegal drug use situation in Taiwan was at a higher stake than that in Korea. In terms of NPS use, ketamine has been a major drug in Taiwan, but it was seldom found in Korea. Besides ketamine, the major type of NPS was synthetic cathinones in Taiwan whereas it was synthetic cannabinoids and phenethylamines in Korea. The difference in the numbers of controlled NPS items between Taiwan (23) and Korea (93) may be due to the implementation of temporary control on NPS in

Ultra-Wideband EMI Sensing: Non-Metallic Target Detection and Automatic Classification of Unexploded Ordnance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sigman, John Brevard

Buried explosive hazards present a pressing problem worldwide. Millions of acres and thousands of sites are contaminated in the United States alone [1, 2]. There are three categories of explosive hazards: metallic, intermediate-electrical conducting (IEC), and non-conducting targets. Metallic target detection and classification by electromagnetic (EM) signature has been the subject of research for many years. Key to the success of this research is modern multi-static Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) sensors, which are able to measure the wideband EMI response from metallic buried targets. However, no hardware solutions exist which can characterize IEC and non-conducting targets. While high-conducting metallic targets exhibit a quadrature peak response for frequencies in a traditional EMI regime under 100 kHz, the response of intermediate-conducting objects manifests at higher frequencies, between 100 kHz and 15 MHz. In addition to high-quality electromagnetic sensor data and robust electromagnetic models, a classification procedure is required to discriminate Targets of Interest (TOI) from clutter. Currently, costly human experts are used for this task. This expense and effort can be spared by using statistical signal processing and machine learning. This thesis has two main parts. In the first part, we explore using the high frequency EMI (HFEMI) band (100 kHz-15 MHz) for detection of carbon fiber UXO, voids, and of materials with characteristics that may be associated with improvised explosive devices (IED). We constructed an HFEMI sensing instrument, and apply the techniques of metal detection to sensing in a band of frequencies which are the transition between the induction and radar bands. In this transition domain, physical considerations and technological issues arise that cannot be solved via the approaches used in either of the bracketing lower and higher frequency ranges. In the second half of this thesis, we present a procedure for automatic

Outcomes of pregnancy in women using illegal drugs and in women who smoke cigarettes.

PubMed

Black, Mairead; Bhattacharya, Sohinee; Fairley, Tara; Campbell, Doris M; Shetty, Ashalatha

2013-01-01

To compare obstetric outcomes in women using illegal drugs with women who smoke cigarettes. Retrospective cohort study. Aberdeen, UK. All deliveries in Aberdeen in women using illegal drugs and women who smoked cigarettes during 1997-2007. The women who used illegal drugs were identified from a database of affected pregnant women in Aberdeen. The Aberdeen Maternity and Neonatal Databank was used to identify women who smoke cigarettes and to obtain pregnancy outcome information. Sociodemographic characteristics, maternal and perinatal outcomes were compared using chi-squared test, independent sample t-test and logistic regression analysis. Preterm delivery, low birthweight (standardized birthweight score <-2) and admission to the neonatal unit. Of the 561 illegal drug users, 96% were also cigarette smokers. Compared with women who smoke cigarettes with no reported illegal drug use, they were significantly more likely to have a preterm delivery [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-2.1)], low birthweight baby [aOR 1.9 (95%CI 1.4-2.6)], baby admitted to the neonatal unit [aOR 13.3 (95%CI 10.9-16.3)], deep vein thrombosis [aOR (95%CI 8.8-50.8)] and antepartum hemorrhage [aOR (95%CI 1.2-2.1)]. They were less likely to be at the extremes of age, or to develop pregnancy-induced hypertension [aOR 0.3 (95%CI 0.2-0.4)]. Illegal drug use in pregnancy appears to increase the risk of adverse outcomes, over and above that related to cigarette smoking, but appears to be associated with lower prevalence of gestational hypertension. © 2013 The Authors © 2013 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Social capital, political trust and purchase of illegal liquor: a population-based study in southern Sweden.

PubMed

Lindström, Martin

2008-05-01

To investigate the association between political trust in the Riksdag (the national parliament in Sweden) and having purchased illegal liquor during the past 12 months. The 2004 public health survey in Skåne is a cross-sectional postal questionnaire study answered by 27,757 respondents aged 18-80 with a 59% response rate. A logistic regression model was used to investigate the associations between political trust and having purchased illegal liquor during the past 12 months. Multivariate analyses of political trust and having purchased illegal liquor were performed in order to investigate the importance of possible confounders (including generalized/horizontal trust in other people). A 21.2% fraction of the men and 9.6% of the women had purchased illegal alcohol during the past 12 months. A total of 17.3% and 11.6% of the male and female respondents, respectively, reported that they had no trust at all in the national parliament, and another 38.2% and 36.2%, respectively, reported that their political trust was not particularly high. Respondents in younger age groups, with medium/low education, economic stress, low horizontal trust and not particularly high and no political trust at all and no opinion had significantly higher levels of having purchased illegal liquor. The significant odds ratios of having purchased illegal liquor in the not particularly high political trust and no political trust at all categories were somewhat reduced although still significant after multiple adjustments. The results suggest that political trust may have an independent effect on the propensity to purchase illegal liquor in Sweden.

For Illegal College Students, an Uncertain Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horwedel, Dina M.

2006-01-01

With almost two million undocumented children in school and an estimated 65,000 graduating from high school every year, higher education is becoming the new frontier in the immigration debate. In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the children of illegal immigrants have a right to a free K-12 education. However, the court never extended that…

Feathered Detectives: Real-Time GPS Tracking of Scavenging Gulls Pinpoints Illegal Waste Dumping

PubMed Central

Grémillet, David; Afán, Isabel; Ramírez, Francisco; Bouten, Willem; Forero, Manuela G.

2016-01-01

Urban waste impacts human and environmental health, and waste management has become one of the major challenges of humanity. Concurrently with new directives due to manage this human by-product, illegal dumping has become one of the most lucrative activities of organized crime. Beyond economic fraud, illegal waste disposal strongly enhances uncontrolled dissemination of human pathogens, pollutants and invasive species. Here, we demonstrate the potential of novel real-time GPS tracking of scavenging species to detect environmental crime. Specifically, we were able to detect illegal activities at an officially closed dump, which was visited recurrently by 5 of 19 GPS-tracked yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis). In comparison with conventional land-based surveys, GPS tracking allows a much wider and cost-efficient spatiotemporal coverage, even of the most hazardous sites, while GPS data accessibility through the internet enables rapid intervention. Our results suggest that multi-species guilds of feathered detectives equipped with GPS and cameras could help fight illegal dumping at continental scales. We encourage further experimental studies, to infer waste detection thresholds in gulls and other scavenging species exploiting human waste dumps. PMID:27448048

28 CFR 36.209 - Illegal use of drugs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... the program. (c) Drug testing. (1) This part does not prohibit a public accommodation from adopting or administering reasonable policies or procedures, including but not limited to drug testing, designed to ensure..., restrict, or authorize the conducting of testing for the illegal use of drugs. ...

Engineered Metal-Phenolic Capsules Show Tunable Targeted Delivery to Cancer Cells.

PubMed

Ju, Yi; Cui, Jiwei; Sun, Huanli; Müllner, Markus; Dai, Yunlu; Guo, Junling; Bertleff-Zieschang, Nadja; Suma, Tomoya; Richardson, Joseph J; Caruso, Frank

2016-06-13

We engineered metal-phenolic capsules with both high targeting and low nonspecific cell binding properties. The capsules were prepared by coating phenolic-functionalized hyaluronic acid (HA) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) on calcium carbonate templates, followed by cross-linking the phenolic groups with metal ions and removing the templates. The incorporation of HA significantly enhanced binding and association with a CD44 overexpressing (CD44+) cancer cell line, while the incorporation of PEG reduced nonspecific interactions with a CD44 minimal-expressing (CD44-) cell line. Moreover, high specific targeting to CD44+ cells can be balanced with low nonspecific binding to CD44- cells simply by using an optimized feed-ratio of HA and PEG to vary the content of HA and PEG incorporated into the capsules. Loading an anticancer drug (i.e., doxorubicin) into the obtained capsules resulted in significantly higher cytotoxicity to CD44+ cells but lower cytotoxicity to CD44- cells.

48 CFR 52.203-10 - Price or Fee Adjustment for Illegal or Improper Activity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Price or Fee Adjustment... Text of Provisions and Clauses 52.203-10 Price or Fee Adjustment for Illegal or Improper Activity. As prescribed in 3.104-9(b) insert the following clause: Price or Fee Adjustment for Illegal or Improper...

Public spending for illegal drug and alcohol treatment in hospitals: an EU cross-country comparison.

PubMed

Lievens, Delfine; Vander Laenen, Freya; Christiaens, Johan

2014-06-30

In view of the current economic crisis and the resulting austerity measures being implemented by governments across Europe, public expenditure for substance abuse treatment has increasingly become a subject of discussion. An EU cross-country comparison would allow an estimation of the total amount of public resources spent on substance abuse treatment, compare various substance abuse treatment funding options, and evaluate the division of expenditures between alcohol and illegal drugs. The purpose of this study is to estimate the public spending of EU countries for alcohol and illegal drug abuse treatment in hospitals. Our study uses a uniform methodology in order to enable valid cross-national comparisons. Our data are drawn from the Eurostat database, which provides anno 2010 data on government spending for the treatment of illegal drug and alcohol abuse in 21 EU member states. The cross-country comparison is restricted to hospitals, since data were unavailable for other types of treatment providers. The systematic registration of in- and outpatient data is essential to monitoring public expenditures on substance abuse treatment using international databases. Total public spending for hospital-based treatment of illegal drug and alcohol abuse in the 21 EU member states studied is estimated to be 7.6 billion euros. Per capita expenditures for treatment of illegal drug abuse vary, ranging from 0.1 euros in Romania to 13 euros in Sweden. For alcohol abuse, that figure varied from 0.9 euros in Bulgaria to 24 euros in Austria. These results confirm other studies indicating that public expenditures for alcohol treatment exceed that for illegal drug treatment. Multiple factors may influence the number of hospital days for alcohol or illegal substance abuse treatment, and expenditures fluctuate accordingly. In this respect, we found a strong correlation between gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and public expenditures per hospital day. The prevalence of problematic

Public spending for illegal drug and alcohol treatment in hospitals: an EU cross-country comparison

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background In view of the current economic crisis and the resulting austerity measures being implemented by governments across Europe, public expenditure for substance abuse treatment has increasingly become a subject of discussion. An EU cross-country comparison would allow an estimation of the total amount of public resources spent on substance abuse treatment, compare various substance abuse treatment funding options, and evaluate the division of expenditures between alcohol and illegal drugs. The purpose of this study is to estimate the public spending of EU countries for alcohol and illegal drug abuse treatment in hospitals. Methods Our study uses a uniform methodology in order to enable valid cross-national comparisons. Our data are drawn from the Eurostat database, which provides anno 2010 data on government spending for the treatment of illegal drug and alcohol abuse in 21 EU member states. The cross-country comparison is restricted to hospitals, since data were unavailable for other types of treatment providers. The systematic registration of in- and outpatient data is essential to monitoring public expenditures on substance abuse treatment using international databases. Results Total public spending for hospital-based treatment of illegal drug and alcohol abuse in the 21 EU member states studied is estimated to be 7.6 billion euros. Per capita expenditures for treatment of illegal drug abuse vary, ranging from 0.1 euros in Romania to 13 euros in Sweden. For alcohol abuse, that figure varied from 0.9 euros in Bulgaria to 24 euros in Austria. These results confirm other studies indicating that public expenditures for alcohol treatment exceed that for illegal drug treatment. Conclusions Multiple factors may influence the number of hospital days for alcohol or illegal substance abuse treatment, and expenditures fluctuate accordingly. In this respect, we found a strong correlation between gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and public expenditures per

Polymer-based metal nano-coated disposable target for matrix-assisted and matrix-free laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Bugovsky, Stefan; Winkler, Wolfgang; Balika, Werner; Koranda, Manfred; Allmaier, Günter

2016-07-15

The ideal MALDI/LDI mass spectrometry sample target for an axial TOF instrument possesses a variety of properties. Primarily, it should be chemically inert to the sample, i.e. analyte, matrix and solvents, highly planar across the whole target, without any previous chemical contact and provide a uniform surface to facilitate reproducible measurements without artifacts from previous sample or matrix compounds. This can be hard to achieve with a metal target, which has to be extensively cleaned every time after use. Any cleaning step may leave residues behind, may change the surface properties due to the type of cleaning method used or even cause microscopic scratches over time hence altering matrix crystallization behavior. Alternatively, use of disposable targets avoids these problems. As each possesses the same surface they therefore have the potential to replace the conventional full metal targets so commonly employed. Furthermore, low cost single-use targets with high planarity promise an easier compliance with GLP guidelines as they alleviate the problem of low reproducibility due to inconsistent sample/matrix crystallization and changes to the target surface properties. In our tests, polymeric metal nano-coated targets were compared to a stainless steel reference. The polymeric metal nano-coated targets exhibited all the performance characteristics for a MALDI MS sample support, and even surpassed the - in our lab commonly used - reference in some aspects like limit of detection. The target exhibits all necessary features such as electrical conductivity, vacuum, laser and solvent compatibility. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-density convergent plasma sputtering device for a liquid metal target using an unheated glass plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Motomura, T.; Tabaru, T.

2018-06-01

A high-density convergent plasma sputtering device has been developed for a liquid metal target, using an unheated glass plate. The convergent magnetic field lines, which are produced by an external solenoid coil and a permanent magnet positioned behind the liquid metal target, effectively transport high-density plasmas near the target. In this study, a liquid gallium target was sputtered with nitrogen plasmas, without additive gas required for depositing gallium nitride films on the unheated substrates. The deposition rate of the GaN film was estimated at ˜13 nm/min at a gas pressure of 0.2 Pa. A strong diffraction peak was observed along the GaN (002) axis, with the use of an unheated glass plate and a target-substrate distance of ˜45 mm.

Illegal trade of regulated and protected aquatic species in the Philippines detected by DNA barcoding.

PubMed

Asis, Angelli Marie Jacynth M; Lacsamana, Joanne Krisha M; Santos, Mudjekeewis D

2016-01-01

Illegal trade has greatly affected marine fish stocks, decreasing fish populations worldwide. Despite having a number of aquatic species being regulated, illegal trade still persists through the transport of dried or processed products and juvenile species trafficking. In this regard, accurate species identification of illegally traded marine fish stocks by DNA barcoding is deemed to be a more efficient method in regulating and monitoring trade than by morphological means which is very difficult due to the absence of key morphological characters in juveniles and processed products. Here, live juvenile eels (elvers) and dried products of sharks and rays confiscated for illegal trade were identified. Twenty out of 23 (87%) randomly selected "elvers" were identified as Anguilla bicolor pacifica and 3 (13%) samples as Anguilla marmorata. On the other hand, 4 out of 11 (36%) of the randomly selected dried samples of sharks and rays were Manta birostris. The rest of the samples were identified as Alopias pelagicus, Taeniura meyeni, Carcharhinus falciformis, Himantura fai and Mobula japonica. These results confirm that wild juvenile eels and species of manta rays are still being caught in the country regardless of its protected status under Philippine and international laws. It is evident that the illegal trade of protected aquatic species is happening in the guise of dried or processed products thus the need to put emphasis on strengthening conservation measures. This study aims to underscore the importance of accurate species identification in such cases of illegal trade and the effectivity of DNA barcoding as a tool to do this.

The Use of Illegal Drugs and Infectious Contagious Diseases: Knowledge and Intervention among Dockworkers

PubMed Central

Cezar-Vaz, Marta Regina; Bonow, Clarice Alves; da Silva, Mara Regina Santos; de Farias, Francisca Lucélia Ribeiro; de Almeida, Marlise Capa Verde

2016-01-01

This study’s objective was to analyze the use of illegal drugs by dockworkers and provide risk communication regarding the use of illegal drugs and test for infectious contagious diseases among dockworkers. This cross-sectional study including an intervention addressed to 232 dockworkers, who were individually interviewed, as well as communication of risk with testing for infectious contagious diseases for 93 dockworkers from a city in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Poisson regression analysis was used. Twenty-nine workers reported the use of illegal drugs. Poisson regression indicated that being a wharfage worker, smoker, having a high income, and heavier workload increases the prevalence of the use of illegal drugs. During risk communication, two workers were diagnosed with hepatitis B (2.2%), three (3.2%) with hepatitis C, two (2.2%) with syphilis. None of the workers, though, had HIV. This study provides evidence that can motivate further research on the topic and also lead to treatment of individuals to improve work safety, productivity, and the health of workers. PMID:26771625

The Use of Illegal Drugs and Infectious Contagious Diseases: Knowledge and Intervention among Dockworkers.

PubMed

Cezar-Vaz, Marta Regina; Bonow, Clarice Alves; da Silva, Mara Regina Santos; de Farias, Francisca Lucélia Ribeiro; de Almeida, Marlise Capa Verde

2016-01-12

This study's objective was to analyze the use of illegal drugs by dockworkers and provide risk communication regarding the use of illegal drugs and test for infectious contagious diseases among dockworkers. This cross-sectional study including an intervention addressed to 232 dockworkers, who were individually interviewed, as well as communication of risk with testing for infectious contagious diseases for 93 dockworkers from a city in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Poisson regression analysis was used. Twenty-nine workers reported the use of illegal drugs. Poisson regression indicated that being a wharfage worker, smoker, having a high income, and heavier workload increases the prevalence of the use of illegal drugs. During risk communication, two workers were diagnosed with hepatitis B (2.2%), three (3.2%) with hepatitis C, two (2.2%) with syphilis. None of the workers, though, had HIV. This study provides evidence that can motivate further research on the topic and also lead to treatment of individuals to improve work safety, productivity, and the health of workers.

75 FR 17379 - Identification of Nations Whose Fishing Vessels Are Engaged in Illegal, Unreported, or...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-06

... Identification of Nations Whose Fishing Vessels Are Engaged in Illegal, Unreported, or Unregulated Fishing and/or... illegal, unregulated, or unreported (IUU) fishing or bycatch of protected living marine resources (PLMRs... High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (Moratorium Protection Act). On March 5, 2010...

Identifying areas under potential risk of illegal construction and demolition waste dumping using GIS tools.

PubMed

Seror, Nissim; Portnov, Boris A

2018-05-01

Construction and demolition (C&D) waste, dumped illegally in ravines and open areas, contaminates soil and can cause underground water pollution and forests fires. Yet, effective monitoring of illegal C&D waste dumping and enforcing legislation against the offenders are often a difficult task due to the large size of geographic areas that need to be monitored, and limited human and financial resources available to environmental law enforcement agencies. In this study, we use Geographic Information System (GIS) tools and geo-statistical modelling to identify the areas under potentially elevated risk of illegal C&D waste dumping in the Haifa district of Israel. As our analysis shows, locational factors, significantly associated with the accumulated amount of waste in the existing illegal C&D waste sites, include: distance to the nearest main road, depth of the ravine present at the site (p<0.01), and forest proximity (p<0.05). Using the model incorporating these locational parameters, we mapped the areas under the elevated risk of illegal C&D waste dumping for future monitoring. As we suggest, the proposed approach may be useful for environmental law enforcement authorities, by helping them to focus on specific sites for inspection, save resources, and act against the offenders more efficiently. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

10 CFR 707.13 - Medical review of results of tests for illegal drug use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Medical review of results of tests for illegal drug use. 707.13 Section 707.13 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WORKPLACE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS AT DOE SITES Procedures § 707.13 Medical review of results of tests for illegal drug use. (a) All test results shall be...

10 CFR 707.13 - Medical review of results of tests for illegal drug use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Medical review of results of tests for illegal drug use. 707.13 Section 707.13 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WORKPLACE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS AT DOE SITES Procedures § 707.13 Medical review of results of tests for illegal drug use. (a) All test results shall be...

10 CFR 707.13 - Medical review of results of tests for illegal drug use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Medical review of results of tests for illegal drug use. 707.13 Section 707.13 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WORKPLACE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS AT DOE SITES Procedures § 707.13 Medical review of results of tests for illegal drug use. (a) All test results shall be...

10 CFR 707.13 - Medical review of results of tests for illegal drug use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Medical review of results of tests for illegal drug use. 707.13 Section 707.13 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WORKPLACE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS AT DOE SITES Procedures § 707.13 Medical review of results of tests for illegal drug use. (a) All test results shall be...

10 CFR 707.13 - Medical review of results of tests for illegal drug use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Medical review of results of tests for illegal drug use... Procedures § 707.13 Medical review of results of tests for illegal drug use. (a) All test results shall be submitted for medical review by the MRO. A confirmed positive test for drugs shall consist of an initial...

Client and clinician-rated characteristics of problem gamblers with and without history of gambling-related illegal behaviors.

PubMed

Ellis, Jennifer D; Lister, Jamey J; Struble, Cara A; Cairncross, Molly; Carr, Meagan M; Ledgerwood, David M

2018-03-12

Individuals with gambling disorder are at an elevated risk for engaging in gambling-related illegal behaviors. The present study examined client (N = 88) and clinician ratings (N = 30) of client characteristics associated with a history of gambling-related illegal behaviors. We also examined client characteristics associated with history of arrest for a gambling-related crime. Gambling-related illegal behaviors and arrest were common (57.3% and 23.9%, respectively) in the present sample. Clients of younger age, and those with greater gambling-related financial consequences, lifetime alcohol problems, impulsivity, mood symptoms, and daily living role difficulties were more likely to report gambling-related illegal behaviors. Clients who had been arrested for a gambling-related crime were more likely to report daily living and role functioning difficulties and lifetime alcohol problems. Clinicians rated clients with a history of gambling-related illegal behaviors and/or gambling-related arrests as more impulsive, and clinicians also endorsed higher rates of treatment failure among these clients. Both client and clinician report suggested that clients with a history of illegal behaviors may have a variety of comorbid problems that may be a focus of clinical intervention. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Executive Policy--Administration: E11.201, Illegal Drug and Substance Abuse. Executive Policy E11.203, Illegal Drugs and Alcohol Abuse.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawaii Univ., Honolulu.

This document includes two statements of policy for the University of Hawaii's drug and alcohol abuse prevention program. The first, "Illegal Drugs and Substance Abuse," opens with an introduction stating the University's general mission and that mission's incompatibility with substance abuse. A second section details the University's…

8 CFR 251.2 - Notification of illegal landings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... or desertion occurred, in writing, of the name, nationality, passport number and, if known, the... any passport surrendered pursuant to § 252.1(d) of this chapter. Failure to file notice of illegal landing or desertion and to furnish any surrendered passport within 24 hours of the time of such landing...

8 CFR 251.2 - Notification of illegal landings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... or desertion occurred, in writing, of the name, nationality, passport number and, if known, the... any passport surrendered pursuant to § 252.1(d) of this chapter. Failure to file notice of illegal landing or desertion and to furnish any surrendered passport within 24 hours of the time of such landing...

8 CFR 251.2 - Notification of illegal landings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... or desertion occurred, in writing, of the name, nationality, passport number and, if known, the... any passport surrendered pursuant to § 252.1(d) of this chapter. Failure to file notice of illegal landing or desertion and to furnish any surrendered passport within 24 hours of the time of such landing...

8 CFR 251.2 - Notification of illegal landings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... or desertion occurred, in writing, of the name, nationality, passport number and, if known, the... any passport surrendered pursuant to § 252.1(d) of this chapter. Failure to file notice of illegal landing or desertion and to furnish any surrendered passport within 24 hours of the time of such landing...

8 CFR 251.2 - Notification of illegal landings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... or desertion occurred, in writing, of the name, nationality, passport number and, if known, the... any passport surrendered pursuant to § 252.1(d) of this chapter. Failure to file notice of illegal landing or desertion and to furnish any surrendered passport within 24 hours of the time of such landing...

Doping Attitudes and the Use of Legal and Illegal Performance-Enhancing Substances among Italian Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mallia, Luca; Lucidi, Fabio; Zelli, Arnaldo; Violani, Cristiano

2013-01-01

Using retrospective self-reporting, rates of illegal and legal performance-enhancing substance (PES) use in the past three months among more than 3,400 Italian high school adolescents were obtained and estimated. The study focused on the extent to which these sociodemographic characteristics and illegal PES use were associated with adolescents'…

Morphology of meteoroid and space debris craters on LDEF metal targets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Love, S. G.; Brownlee, D. E.; King, N. L.; Hoerz, F.

1994-01-01

We measured the depths, average diameters, and circularity indices of over 600 micrometeoroid and space debris craters on various metal surfaces exposed to space on the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) satellite, as a test of some of the formalisms used to convert the diameters of craters on space-exposed surfaces into penetration depths for the purpose of calculating impactor sizes or masses. The topics covered include the following: targe materials orientation; crater measurements and sample populations; effects of oblique impacts; effects of projectile velocity; effects of crater size; effects of target hardness; effects of target density; and effects of projectile properties.

Games of corruption: how to suppress illegal logging.

PubMed

Lee, Joung-Hun; Sigmund, Karl; Dieckmann, Ulf; Iwasa, Yoh

2015-02-21

Corruption is one of the most serious obstacles for ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation. In particular, more than half of the loss of forested area in many tropical countries is due to illegal logging, with corruption implicated in a lack of enforcement. Here we study an evolutionary game model to analyze the illegal harvesting of forest trees, coupled with the corruption of rule enforcers. We consider several types of harvesters, who may or may not be committed towards supporting an enforcer service, and who may cooperate (log legally) or defect (log illegally). We also consider two types of rule enforcers, honest and corrupt: while honest enforcers fulfill their function, corrupt enforcers accept bribes from defecting harvesters and refrain from fining them. We report three key findings. First, in the absence of strategy exploration, the harvester-enforcer dynamics are bistable: one continuum of equilibria consists of defecting harvesters and a low fraction of honest enforcers, while another consists of cooperating harvesters and a high fraction of honest enforcers. Both continua attract nearby strategy mixtures. Second, even a small rate of strategy exploration removes this bistability, rendering one of the outcomes globally stable. It is the relative rate of exploration among enforcers that then determines whether most harvesters cooperate or defect and most enforcers are honest or corrupt, respectively. This suggests that the education of enforcers, causing their more frequent trialing of honest conduct, can be a potent means of curbing corruption. Third, if information on corrupt enforcers is available, and players react opportunistically to it, the domain of attraction of cooperative outcomes widens considerably. We conclude by discussing policy implications of our results. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Traces of illegal drugs on body surfaces: indicator for consumption or dealing?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aberl, Franz; Bonenberger, Johannes; Berg, Ralf-Peter; Zimmermann, Rudolph; Sachs, Hans W.

1997-01-01

Customs investigation and drug enforcement services are interest in a rapid and reliable identification of smugglers and dealers. In contrast workplace testing and traffic controls are aiming at the detection of intoxicated persons via the determination of illegal narcotics in body fluids like urine or blood. DRUGWIPE is a pen size, test strip based immunochemical detector for narcotic contaminations on surfaces. It is extremely simple to apply and takes about two minutes to read test results without depending upon any further technical means. This paper describes the applicability of DRUGWIPE to identify drug smugglers or dealers as well as consumers. With respect to the situation and the initial suspicion the test indicates handling as well as consumption. In cooperation with the Institute for Legal Medicine in Munich suspicious drivers were examined with DRUGWIPE for the abuse of illegal narcotics. Test results from this test series are presented and compared with the results from the blood or urine analysis. The question whether the detected traces of illegal narcotics on the body surface of suspicious drivers are combing transpiration or external contamination are discussed.

Nontargeted Screening Method for Illegal Additives Based on Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Fu, Yanqing; Zhou, Zhihui; Kong, Hongwei; Lu, Xin; Zhao, Xinjie; Chen, Yihui; Chen, Jia; Wu, Zeming; Xu, Zhiliang; Zhao, Chunxia; Xu, Guowang

2016-09-06

Identification of illegal additives in complex matrixes is important in the food safety field. In this study a nontargeted screening strategy was developed to find illegal additives based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). First, an analytical method for possible illegal additives in complex matrixes was established including fast sample pretreatment, accurate UHPLC separation, and HRMS detection. Second, efficient data processing and differential analysis workflow were suggested and applied to find potential risk compounds. Third, structure elucidation of risk compounds was performed by (1) searching online databases [Metlin and the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB)] and an in-house database which was established at the above-defined conditions of UHPLC-HRMS analysis and contains information on retention time, mass spectra (MS), and tandem mass spectra (MS/MS) of 475 illegal additives, (2) analyzing fragment ions, and (3) referring to fragmentation rules. Fish was taken as an example to show the usefulness of the nontargeted screening strategy, and six additives were found in suspected fish samples. Quantitative analysis was further carried out to determine the contents of these compounds. The satisfactory application of this strategy in fish samples means that it can also be used in the screening of illegal additives in other kinds of food samples.

[Self-Reported consumption of illegal psychoactive substances in a street inhabitant population from Cali, Colombia].

PubMed

Hernández-Carrillo, Mauricio; Álvarez-Claros, Katherine E; Osorio-Sabogal, Iván Alberto

2015-04-01

Objective To determine the prevalence of self-reported use of illegal psychoactive substances in a homeless population of the city of Cali. Method Descriptive study of prevalence of period. The target population was 763 homeless people registered during 2010 in the database provided by a temporary shelter facility in the city of Cali. Statistical analysis was performed using R version 3.2.0. Research safe according to the resolution 8430 of 1993. Results 76.9 % of the homeless population recognizes that they consume some type of illegal psychoactive substance (IPAS). The substances with a higher prevalence of use in this population were: marijuana (51.2 %), the crack cocaine (44.6 %) and cocaine (11.3 %). 28.6 % of homeless people were found to consume IPAS more than three times a day and that the main route of administration is smoke (54.7 %). 50% of respondents reported having been hospitalized at some time in a rehabilitation center. Discussion The results in this study show that the problem of PASI consumption significantly affects the population of homeless people, with marijuana and crack cocaine being the most commonly used, which is a complex situation if the easy access of these substances and the severe physical and mental degenerative effects the cause in those who consume them are taken into account. Therefore it is necessary to support initiatives aimed at intervening in this social phenomenon.

Remote sensing for illegal dumps detection: a case study in southern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vincenzo Angelino, Cesario; Focareta, Mariano; Meoli, Giuseppe; Piacquadio, Giovanni; Cicala, Luca; Parrilli, Sara; De Mizio, Marco

2017-04-01

This paper presents a case study about the detection of illegal dumps from optical satellite images in a large territory falling in the provinces of Naples and Caserta, Southern Italy. This location is also known with the term "Terra dei Fuochi" because in this area is particularly widespread the phenomenon of waste burning and, over the past decades, there have been many landfills of hazardous waste of industrial origin. In addition to the potential damage caused to the environmental matrices, this situation has led to considerable concerns over the health of citizens and a serious economic impact on the agricultural sector. In order to contrast this phenomenon, the government of the Campania Region organized some prevention, monitoring and repression activities. In particular, the monitoring activities are employed by periodic inspection of sites, which are often object of illegal deposits (former quarries, illegal dumps, as well as city and country roads). The periodic inspection is usually performed by patrols of the company SMA Campania (the in-house regional company, specialized in environmental protection), and law enforcement. As part of a project, the remote sensing company MAPSAT srl and CIRA (the Italian Aerospace Research Center), have proposed to SMA Campania to support the periodic monitoring inspection of the patrols, with optical satellite acquisitions. This paper describes the proposed approach, the type of data used, the technical problems encountered and solutions introduced. The periodic monitoring with biannual satellite acquisitions, was effective for both finding new illegal spills and to follow the evolution (in terms of extension) of landfills already found in the past.

Father Absence as a Risk Factor for Substance Use and Illegal Behavior by the Adolescent Sons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedman, Alfred S.; Ali, Asad; McMurphy, Suzanne

1998-01-01

Illegal behavior, drug trafficking, and substance abuse levels of two groups (both parents, mother only) of inner-city African-American youth were compared. African-American subjects who had been raised in mother-only households reported significantly fewer illegal offenses. Findings are contrary to common attitudes regarding the effects of…

Illegal drugs, anti-drug policy failure, and the need for institutional reforms in Colombia.

PubMed

Thoumi, Francisco E

2012-01-01

This paper is inspired by two anomalies encountered in the study of the illegal drugs industry. First, despite the very high profits of coca/cocaine and poppy/opium/heroin production, most countries that can produce do not. Why, for example, does Colombia face much greater competition in the international coffee, banana, and other legal product markets than in cocaine? And second, though illegal drugs are clearly associated with violence, why is it that illegal drug trafficking organizations have been so much more violent in Colombia and Mexico than in the rest of the world? The answers to these questions cannot be found in factors external to Colombia (and Mexico). They require identifying the societal weaknesses of each country. To do so, the history of the illegal drugs industry is surveyed, a simple model of human behavior that stresses the conflict between formal (legal) and informal (socially accepted) norms as a source of the weaknesses that make societies vulnerable is formulated. The reasons why there is a wide gap between formal and informal norms in Colombia are explored and the effectiveness of anti-drug policies is considered to explain why they fail to achieve their posited goals. The essay ends with reflections and conclusion on the need for institutional change.

A simple dilute and shoot methodology for the identification and quantification of illegal insulin.

PubMed

Vanhee, Celine; Janvier, Steven; Moens, Goedele; Deconinck, Eric; Courselle, Patricia

2016-10-01

The occurrence of illegal medicines is a well-established global problem and concerns mostly small molecules. However, due to the advances in genomics and recombinant expression technologies there is an increased development of polypeptide therapeutics. Insulin is one of the best known polypeptide drug, and illegal versions of this medicine led to lethal incidents in the past. Therefore, it is crucial for the public health sector to develop reliable, efficient, cheap, unbiased and easily applicable active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) identification and quantification strategies for routine analysis of suspected illegal insulins. Here we demonstrate that our combined label-free full scan approach is not only able to distinguish between all those different versions of insulin and the insulins originating from different species, but also able to chromatographically separate human insulin and insulin lispro in conditions that are compatible with mass spectrometry (MS). Additionally, we were also able to selectively quantify the different insulins, including human insulin and insulin lispro according to the validation criteria, put forward by the United Nations (UN), for the analysis of seized illicit drugs. The proposed identification and quantification method is currently being used in our official medicines control laboratory to analyze insulins retrieved from the illegal market.

The Role of Family Experiences for Adolescents' Readiness to Use and Participate in Illegal Political Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glatz, Terese; Dahl, Viktor

2016-01-01

This study used reactance theory as a starting point to explain what role a perceived undemocratic and controlling family has for adolescents' readiness to use illegal political activity. Additionally, we examined whether adolescents' readiness to use illegal political means was related to actual political behaviour, which has been lacking in…

Illegal drug impersonators: the synthetic drug abuse boom.

PubMed

Falkowski, Carol

2011-10-01

The Internet has opened the door to marketers of products that contain substances that when ingested mimic the effects of illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and LSD. This article traces the history of synthetic drugs, describes some of the newest substances on the market and their physiologic and psychological effects, and discusses efforts aimed at curbing their sale and use.

China's Rare Earth Supply Chain: Illegal Production, and Response to new Cerium Demand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Ruby Thuy; Imholte, D. Devin

2016-07-01

As the demand for personal electronic devices, wind turbines, and electric vehicles increases, the world becomes more dependent on rare earth elements. Given the volatile, Chinese-concentrated supply chain, global attempts have been made to diversify supply of these materials. However, the overall effect of supply diversification on the entire supply chain, including increasing low-value rare earth demand, is not fully understood. This paper is the first attempt to shed some light on China's supply chain from both demand and supply perspectives, taking into account different Chinese policies such as mining quotas, separation quotas, export quotas, and resource taxes. We constructed a simulation model using Powersim Studio that analyzes production (both legal and illegal), production costs, Chinese and rest-of-world demand, and market dynamics. We also simulated new demand of an automotive aluminum-cerium alloy in the US market starting from 2018. Results showed that market share of the illegal sector has grown since 2007-2015, ranging between 22% and 25% of China's rare earth supply, translating into 59-65% illegal heavy rare earths and 14-16% illegal light rare earths. There will be a shortage in certain light and heavy rare earths given three production quota scenarios and constant demand growth rate from 2015 to 2030. The new simulated Ce demand would require supply beyond that produced in China. Finally, we illustrate revenue streams for different ore compositions in China in 2015.

Melt layer behavior of metal targets irradiatead by powerful plasma streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandura, A. N.; Byrka, O. V.; Chebotarev, V. V.; Garkusha, I. E.; Makhlaj, V. A.; Solyakov, D. G.; Tereshin, V. I.; Wuerz, H.

2002-12-01

In this paper melt layer erosion of metal targets under pulsed high-heat loads is studied. Experiments with steel, copper, aluminum and titanium samples were carried out in two plasma accelerator devices with different time durations of the heat load. The surfaces of the resolidified melt layers show a considerable roughness with microcraters and ridge like relief on the surface. For each material the mass loss was determined. Melt layer erosion by melt motion was clearly identified. However it is masked by boiling, bubble expansion and bubble collapse and by formation of a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The experimental results can be used for validation of numerical codes which model melt layer erosion of metallic armour materials in off-normal events, in tokamaks.

DNA Barcoding Identifies Illegal Parrot Trade.

PubMed

Gonçalves, Priscila F M; Oliveira-Marques, Adriana R; Matsumoto, Tania E; Miyaki, Cristina Y

2015-01-01

Illegal trade threatens the survival of many wild species, and molecular forensics can shed light on various questions raised during the investigation of cases of illegal trade. Among these questions is the identity of the species involved. Here we report a case of a man who was caught in a Brazilian airport trying to travel with 58 avian eggs. He claimed they were quail eggs, but authorities suspected they were from parrots. The embryos never hatched and it was not possible to identify them based on morphology. As 29% of parrot species are endangered, the identity of the species involved was important to establish a stronger criminal case. Thus, we identified the embryos' species based on the analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene [COI] and 16S ribosomal DNA). Embryonic COI sequences were compared with those deposited in BOLD (The Barcode of Life Data System) while their 16S sequences were compared with GenBank sequences. Clustering analysis based on neighbor-joining was also performed using parrot COI and 16S sequences deposited in BOLD and GenBank. The results, based on both genes, indicated that 57 embryos were parrots (Alipiopsitta xanthops, Ara ararauna, and the [Amazona aestiva/A. ochrocephala] complex), and 1 was an owl. This kind of data can help criminal investigations and to design species-specific anti-poaching strategies, and demonstrate how DNA sequence analysis in the identification of bird species is a powerful conservation tool. © The American Genetic Association 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Prevalence of use, abuse and dependence on legal and illegal psychotropic substances in an adolescent inpatient psychiatric population.

PubMed

Niethammer, Oliver; Frank, Reiner

2007-06-01

To examine the prevalence of use, abuse, and dependence on legal and illegal psychotropic substances in an adolescent in-patient psychiatric population in relation to age and gender. Participants were all consecutive admissions (patients aged from 14 to 17) to the adolescent psychiatric in-patient unit. Of the 86 patients who met all the criteria for taking part in the study 70 were interviewed, giving a response rate of 81%. Prevalence of use and of substance use disorders were assessed through structured diagnostic interviews (M-CIDI), conducted from March 2000 through July 2000. We found high prevalence of use and of the diagnosis of legal and illegal psychotropic substances. Around 76% reported a regular use of tobacco, 44% regular alcohol use, and 40% regular use of illegal substances. Diagnosis (abuse or dependence) was found in 50% of cases for nicotine, 29% for alcohol, and 26% for illegal substances. The adolescent in-patient psychiatric population is at high risk of use, abuse, and dependence on legal and illegal psychotropic substances. It is important to diagnose these disorders (anamnesis, screening tools) and to install preventive and therapeutic programs in clinical therapeutic settings.

Determination of heavy metals in the common smokeless tobacco afzal in oman.

PubMed

Al-Mukhaini, Nawal; Ba-Omar, Taher; Eltayeb, Elsadig; Al-Shehi, Aisha

2014-08-01

Afzal is an illegally sold smokeless tobacco product (STP) commonly used by youths and teenagers in Oman. The aim of this study was to analyse the composition of Afzal, also commonly known as sweekah, as it is believed to contain many carcinogens and toxic components. In particular, Afzal's heavy metal content includes cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb) and nickel (Ni). This study was conducted between March and June 2013. Three samples of Afzal were first dried and then ground to form a homogenous powder. The powder was digested prior to the heavy metal analysis by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Afzal was shown to have high levels of all heavy metals except for Ni and Pb, which were detected in quantities below acceptable international limits. The concentrations of the tested metals were 15.75 μg/g, 1.85 μg/g, 1.62 μg/g and 1.57 μg/g for Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni, respectively. The estimated daily intake of heavy metals from Afzal was below the maximum permissible limit accepted by the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization, except for Cr and Ni which were found to be dangerously elevated when compared with international standards. The results of this study showed that Afzal contains a number of heavy metals that may cause health problems. Therefore, urgent regulation of the illegal sale of Afzal is needed at the national level in Oman along with a campaign to address public health education and awareness of Afzal and its health risks.

Exploring differences in stakeholders' perceptions of illegal bird trapping in Cyprus.

PubMed

Jenkins, Heather M; Mammides, Christos; Keane, Aidan

2017-11-28

Cyprus is recognised as a hotspot for illegal bird trapping in the Mediterranean basin. A consumer demand for the Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) is driving the use of non-selective trapping methods, resulting in the indiscriminate killing of millions of migratory birds. Efforts to tackle the issue have so far been characterised mostly by a top-down approach, focusing on legislation and enforcement. However, trapping levels are not decreasing and conflict between stakeholder groups is intensifying. To understand why efforts to stop illegal bird trapping have not been effective, we used semi-structured interviews to interview 18 local bird trappers and nine representatives from the pertinent environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the governmental agencies responsible for enforcing the legislation. We found distinct differences between the views of the local trapping community and the environmental NGOs, particularly on why trapping is occurring and its impact on the avifauna. This disparity has contributed to misrepresentations of both sides and a high degree of conflict, which is potentially proving counterproductive to conservation interventions. In addition, it appears that trappers are a heterogeneous group, likely driven by various motivations besides profit. We argue that stakeholders interested in reducing illegal bird trapping need to develop anti-poaching strategies that aim at minimising the disparity in the views, and subsequently the conflict, acknowledging also that trappers are not a homogenous group, as often treated.

Metal Detector Searches: An Effective Means To Help Keep Weapons Out of Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Robert S.

2000-01-01

Disagrees with Ferraraccio's views and argues that: (1) students do bring illegal weapons to school; (2) metal detectors do detect weapons and help schools to disarm students; (3) disarming students reduces the threat of violence; and (4) courts have repeatedly approved the constitutionality of weapon-related suspicionless student searches…

Likelihood of illegal alcohol sales at professional sport stadiums.

PubMed

Toomey, Traci L; Erickson, Darin J; Lenk, Kathleen M; Kilian, Gunna R

2008-11-01

Several studies have assessed the propensity for illegal alcohol sales at licensed alcohol establishments and community festivals, but no previous studies examined the propensity for these sales at professional sport stadiums. In this study, we assessed the likelihood of alcohol sales to both underage youth and obviously intoxicated patrons at professional sports stadiums across the United States, and assessed the factors related to likelihood of both types of alcohol sales. We conducted pseudo-underage (i.e., persons age 21 or older who appear under 21) and pseudo-intoxicated (i.e., persons feigning intoxication) alcohol purchase attempts at stadiums that house professional hockey, basketball, baseball, and football teams. We conducted the purchase attempts at 16 sport stadiums located in 5 states. We measured 2 outcome variables: pseudo-underage sale (yes, no) and pseudo-intoxicated sale (yes, no), and 3 types of independent variables: (1) seller characteristics, (2) purchase attempt characteristics, and (3) event characteristics. Following univariate and bivariate analyses, we a separate series of logistic generalized mixed regression models for each outcome variable. The overall sales rates to the pseudo-underage and pseudo-intoxicated buyers were 18% and 74%, respectively. In the multivariate logistic analyses, we found that the odds of a sale to a pseudo-underage buyer in the stands was 2.9 as large as the odds of a sale at the concession booths (30% vs. 13%; p = 0.01). The odds of a sale to an obviously intoxicated buyer in the stands was 2.9 as large as the odds of a sale at the concession booths (89% vs. 73%; p = 0.02). Similar to studies assessing illegal alcohol sales at licensed alcohol establishments and community festivals, findings from this study shows the need for interventions specifically focused on illegal alcohol sales at professional sporting events.

Frequency of and responses to illegal activity related to commerce in firearms: findings from the Firearms Licensee Survey.

PubMed

Wintemute, Garen J

2013-12-01

Firearms may be obtained illegally from federally-licensed dealers and pawnbrokers through surrogate (straw) purchases, undocumented purchases and theft. Some retailers knowingly make illegal sales. To obtain information about the frequency of and risk factors for these events, and retailers' reactions to them, directly from licensed retailers. Survey of a random sample of 1601 licensed dealers and pawnbrokers in 43 states who were believed to sell ≥50 firearms annually, conducted by mail during June-August 2011. The response rate was 36.9%, typical of establishment surveys using such methods. In the preceding year, 67.3% of respondents experienced attempted straw purchases; 42.4% experienced undocumented purchase attempts. For each event, 10% reported ≥1 occurrence/month. A quarter (25.6%) experienced firearm theft in the preceding 5 years. Pawnbroker status, sales volume, denied sales and sales of firearms that were subsequently traced by law enforcement were associated with all outcomes in multivariate analysis. Estimates of retailer involvement in illegal sales (median 3%, IQR 1-10%) were related in multivariate analysis to respondents' age and sex, and to denied sales. In a hypothetical case involving 50 illegal sales, respondents recommended prolonged incarceration (median 10 years, IQR 5-20 years) and a substantial fine (median $50 000, IQR $10 000-$250 000) for retailers and made similar recommendations for buyers. Attempts to acquire firearms illegally from licensed dealers and pawnbrokers are common. Characteristics associated with frequency of occurrence may facilitate prevention efforts. Licensed retailers consider selling and buying firearms illegally to be serious crimes.

Economic consequences of legal and illegal drugs: The case of social costs in Belgium.

PubMed

Lievens, Delfine; Vander Laenen, Freya; Verhaeghe, Nick; Putman, Koen; Pauwels, Lieven; Hardyns, Wim; Annemans, Lieven

2017-06-01

Legal and illegal drugs impose a considerable burden to the individual and to society. The misuse of addictive substances results in healthcare and law enforcement costs, loss of productivity and reduced quality of life. A social cost study was conducted to estimate the substance-attributable costs of alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs and psychoactive medication to Belgian society in 2012. The cost-of-illness framework with prevalence-based and human capital approach was applied. Three cost components were considered: direct, indirect and intangible costs related to substance misuse. The direct and indirect cost of addictive substances was estimated at 4.6 billion euros in Belgium (419 euros per capita or 1.19% of the GDP) and more than 515,000 healthy years are lost due to substance misuse. The Belgian social cost study reaffirms that alcohol and tobacco impose the highest cost to society compared to illegal drugs. Health problems are the main driver of the social cost of legal drugs. Law enforcement expenditure exceed the healthcare costs but only in the case of illegal drugs. Estimating social costs of addictive substances is complex because it is difficult to determine to what extent the societal harm is caused by substances. It can be argued that social cost studies take only a 'snapshot' of the monetary consequences of substance misuse. Nevertheless, the current study offers the most comprehensive analysis thus far of the social costs of substance misuse in Belgium. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

China’s rare earth supply chain: Illegal production, and response to new cerium demand

DOE PAGES

Nguyen, Ruby Thuy; Imholte, D. Devin

2016-03-29

As the demand for personal electronic devices, wind turbines, and electric vehicles increases, the world becomes more dependent on rare earth elements. Given the volatile, Chinese-concentrated supply chain, global attempts have been made to diversify supply of these materials. However, the overall effect of supply diversification on the entire supply chain, including increasing low-value rare earth demand, is not fully understood. This paper is the first attempt to shed some light on China’s supply chain from both demand and supply perspectives, taking into account different Chinese policies such as mining quotas, separation quotas, export quotas, and resource taxes. We constructedmore » a simulation model using Powersim Studio that analyzes production (both legal and illegal), production costs, Chinese and rest-of-world demand, and market dynamics. We also simulated new demand of an automotive aluminum-cerium alloy in the U.S. market starting from 2018. Results showed that market share of the illegal sector has grown since 2007 to 2015, ranging between 22% and 25% of China’s rare earth supply, translating into 59–65% illegal heavy rare earths and 14–16% illegal light rare earths. There would be a shortage in certain light and heavy rare earths given three production quota scenarios and constant demand growth rate from 2015 to 2030. The new simulated Ce demand would require supply beyond that produced in China. Lastly, we illustrated revenue streams for different ore compositions in China in 2015.« less

China’s rare earth supply chain: Illegal production, and response to new cerium demand

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, Ruby Thuy; Imholte, D. Devin

As the demand for personal electronic devices, wind turbines, and electric vehicles increases, the world becomes more dependent on rare earth elements. Given the volatile, Chinese-concentrated supply chain, global attempts have been made to diversify supply of these materials. However, the overall effect of supply diversification on the entire supply chain, including increasing low-value rare earth demand, is not fully understood. This paper is the first attempt to shed some light on China’s supply chain from both demand and supply perspectives, taking into account different Chinese policies such as mining quotas, separation quotas, export quotas, and resource taxes. We constructedmore » a simulation model using Powersim Studio that analyzes production (both legal and illegal), production costs, Chinese and rest-of-world demand, and market dynamics. We also simulated new demand of an automotive aluminum-cerium alloy in the U.S. market starting from 2018. Results showed that market share of the illegal sector has grown since 2007 to 2015, ranging between 22% and 25% of China’s rare earth supply, translating into 59–65% illegal heavy rare earths and 14–16% illegal light rare earths. There would be a shortage in certain light and heavy rare earths given three production quota scenarios and constant demand growth rate from 2015 to 2030. The new simulated Ce demand would require supply beyond that produced in China. Lastly, we illustrated revenue streams for different ore compositions in China in 2015.« less

Release from ISOLDE molten metal targets under pulsed proton beam conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lettry, J.; Catherall, R.; Cyvoct, G.; Evensen, A. H. M.; Lindroos, M.; Jonsson, O. C.; Kugler, E.; Schindl, K.; Ravn, H.; Wildner, E.; Drumm, P.; Obert, J.; Putaux, J. C.; Sauvage, J.

1996-04-01

By moving the ISOLDE mass separators from the 600 MeV Synchrocyclotron (SC) to the 1 GeV Proton-Synchrotron-Booster (PS) the instantaneous energy density of the proton beam went up by 3 orders of magnitude. The developments of the molten metal target units and the optimization of the PS proton beam to cope with the effects of the thermal shocks induced by the proton beam are described. The energy density of the PS proton beam was reduced by spatial defocusing and time staggered extraction of the four PS-accelerators. The release from lanthanum, lead and tin targets is discussed for different settings of the proton beam and compared to the release observed at ISOLDE-SC. The yields of Hg isotopes are presented.

Social costs of illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco in the European Union: A systematic review.

PubMed

Barrio, Pablo; Reynolds, Jillian; García-Altés, Anna; Gual, Antoni; Anderson, Peter

2017-09-01

Drug use accounts for one of the main disease groups in Europe, with relevant consequences to society. There is an increasing need to evaluate the economic consequences of drug use in order to develop appropriate policies. Here, we review the social costs of illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco in the European Union. A systematic search of relevant databases was conducted. Grey literature and previous systematic reviews were also searched. Studies reporting on social costs of illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco were included. Methodology, cost components as well as costs were assessed from individual studies. To compare across studies, final costs were transformed to 2014 Euros. Forty-five studies reported in 43 papers met the inclusion criteria (11 for illegal drugs, 26 for alcohol and 8 for tobacco). While there was a constant inclusion of direct costs related to treatment of substance use and comorbidities, there was a high variability for the rest of cost components. Total costs showed also a great variability. Price per capita for the year 2014 ranged from €0.38 to €78 for illegal drugs, from €26 to €1500 for alcohol and from €10.55 to €391 for tobacco. Drug use imposes a heavy economic burden to Europe. However, given the high existing heterogeneity in methodologies, and in order to better assess the burden and thus to develop adequate policies, standardised methodological guidance is needed. [Barrio P, Reynolds J, García-Altés A, Gual A, Anderson P. Social costs of illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco in the European Union: A systematic review. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;00:000-000]. © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Diagnostic overview of the illegal trade in primates and law enforcement in Peru.

PubMed

Shanee, Noga; Mendoza, A Patricia; Shanee, Sam

2017-11-01

Peru has one of the richest primate faunas of any country. The illegal trade in wild primates is one of the largest threats to this fauna in Peru. We characterize the illegal trade in primates through empirical and ethnographic data. We collected data from traffic routes and centers throughout Peru and evaluate current efforts to combat this traffic. Based on our findings from 2,070 instances of wildlife crime involving 6,872 primates, we estimate the domestic trade in primates for pets and bushmeat in Peru in the hundreds of thousands per year, with the larger bodied Atelidae facing the highest direct consequences. We found that government authorities lack sufficient staff, capacity, resources, infrastructure, and protocols to efficiently combat illegal trade in primates. Also, the complicated legal framework and lack of cooperation and antagonism with the public further limit these efforts. Wildlife authorities in Peru are able to confiscate only a fraction of primates traded and mostly intervene in cases of private pet owners rather than traffickers. We estimate that the current rate of illegal trade in primates is comparable to levels of trade prior to the 1973 ban on primates' exportation. The combination of direct observations on primate trade and ethnographic data allows a comprehensive look at primate trade in Peru. We call upon decision makers and international funders to channel their efforts toward "on the ground" actions such as increasing the ability of the authorities to act, giving them "in action" training in law enforcement and establishing strict control measures against corruption. Am. J. Primatol. 79:e22516, 2017. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Illegal Drugs: What Should We Do Now? An Issue Book.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Issues Forums, Dayton, OH.

Increasing frustration with the illegal drug problem is fueling public discussion about the effectiveness of the nation's antidrug efforts. This document offers three choices for dealing with the drug abuse problem in the Untied States. Each choice presents "what can be done" and information "in support" and "in…

The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Cause for National Concern

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-02-28

was officially terminated in 1964. However, illegal aliens were recruited in large numbers well after the Bracero program .24 For almost ten years...Mexico has its official roots in the demise of the Bracero program . Employers had become accustomed to cheap Mexican labor and were willing to ignore

School Violence, Substance Use, and Availability of Illegal Drugs on School Property among U.S. High School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowry, Richard; Cohen, Lisa R.; Modzeleski, William; Kann, Laura; Collins, Janet L.; Kolbe, Lloyd J.

1999-01-01

Investigated whether school violence among high school students related to substance use and availability of illegal drugs at school, examining the associations of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana and availability of illegal drugs with five school violence indicators. Data from the 1995 Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicated that school violence…

Factors Associated with Illegal Drug Use in Rural Georgia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Napier, Ted L.; And Others

To ascertain the incidence of drug use in a rural area and to provide insight into the covariates of illegal drug use which might be useful in developing prevention programs, data were collected in the spring of 1981 from 2,060 or 83.2% of all students grades 8 through 12 in a southern Georgia county. Data were collected during regularly scheduled…

Determination of Heavy Metals in the Common Smokeless Tobacco Afzal in Oman

PubMed Central

Al-Mukhaini, Nawal; Ba-Omar, Taher; Eltayeb, Elsadig; Al-Shehi, Aisha

2014-01-01

Objectives: Afzal is an illegally sold smokeless tobacco product (STP) commonly used by youths and teenagers in Oman. The aim of this study was to analyse the composition of Afzal, also commonly known as sweekah, as it is believed to contain many carcinogens and toxic components. In particular, Afzal’s heavy metal content includes cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb) and nickel (Ni). Methods: This study was conducted between March and June 2013. Three samples of Afzal were first dried and then ground to form a homogenous powder. The powder was digested prior to the heavy metal analysis by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results: Afzal was shown to have high levels of all heavy metals except for Ni and Pb, which were detected in quantities below acceptable international limits. The concentrations of the tested metals were 15.75 μg/g, 1.85 μg/g, 1.62 μg/g and 1.57 μg/g for Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni, respectively. The estimated daily intake of heavy metals from Afzal was below the maximum permissible limit accepted by the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization, except for Cr and Ni which were found to be dangerously elevated when compared with international standards. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that Afzal contains a number of heavy metals that may cause health problems. Therefore, urgent regulation of the illegal sale of Afzal is needed at the national level in Oman along with a campaign to address public health education and awareness of Afzal and its health risks. PMID:25097770

19 CFR 12.27 - Importation or exportation of wild animals or birds, or the dead bodies thereof illegally...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... birds, or the dead bodies thereof illegally captured or killed, etc. 12.27 Section 12.27 Customs Duties... SPECIAL CLASSES OF MERCHANDISE Wild Animals, Birds, and Insects § 12.27 Importation or exportation of wild animals or birds, or the dead bodies thereof illegally captured or killed, etc. Customs officers shall...

19 CFR 12.27 - Importation or exportation of wild animals or birds, or the dead bodies thereof illegally...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... birds, or the dead bodies thereof illegally captured or killed, etc. 12.27 Section 12.27 Customs Duties... SPECIAL CLASSES OF MERCHANDISE Wild Animals, Birds, and Insects § 12.27 Importation or exportation of wild animals or birds, or the dead bodies thereof illegally captured or killed, etc. Customs officers shall...

Survey of illegal immigrants seen in an emergency department.

PubMed Central

Chan, T C; Krishel, S J; Bramwell, K J; Clark, R F

1996-01-01

There is growing controversy regarding illegal immigrants and their use of social services, including health care, in this country. We surveyed undocumented persons presenting at our emergency department to investigate the reasons why they sought care in the United States. Overall, 227 visits (8.6%) were made in the emergency department by illegal immigrants, mostly Hispanics. Of 104 patients surveyed, all sought care in this country because they were here at the time, and 86 (83%) intended to remain permanently. Of the 104 persons, 83 (80%) cited lack of funding as a reason for seeking emergency department care. Undocumented Hispanics had a higher uninsured rate (64%) than both Hispanics (32%) and non-Hispanics (30%). Of the 104 patients, 38 (36%) had difficulty obtaining care elsewhere because of their status, 53 (51%) knew of no other sources of care, and 46 (44%) said that even if available, only the emergency department was acceptable. Many undocumented persons seek care in the United States because they reside here permanently, often using this emergency department as their source of care. These findings may be important in light of recent efforts to restrict services for this group. PMID:8775931

Innovative Techniques for Estimating Illegal Activities in a Human-Wildlife-Management Conflict

PubMed Central

Cross, Paul; St. John, Freya A. V.; Khan, Saira; Petroczi, Andrea

2013-01-01

Effective management of biological resources is contingent upon stakeholder compliance with rules. With respect to disease management, partial compliance can undermine attempts to control diseases within human and wildlife populations. Estimating non-compliance is notoriously problematic as rule-breakers may be disinclined to admit to transgressions. However, reliable estimates of rule-breaking are critical to policy design. The European badger (Meles meles) is considered an important vector in the transmission and maintenance of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle herds. Land managers in high bTB prevalence areas of the UK can cull badgers under license. However, badgers are also known to be killed illegally. The extent of illegal badger killing is currently unknown. Herein we report on the application of three innovative techniques (Randomized Response Technique (RRT); projective questioning (PQ); brief implicit association test (BIAT)) for investigating illegal badger killing by livestock farmers across Wales. RRT estimated that 10.4% of farmers killed badgers in the 12 months preceding the study. Projective questioning responses and implicit associations relate to farmers' badger killing behavior reported via RRT. Studies evaluating the efficacy of mammal vector culling and vaccination programs should incorporate estimates of non-compliance. Mitigating the conflict concerning badgers as a vector of bTB requires cross-disciplinary scientific research, departure from deep-rooted positions, and the political will to implement evidence-based management. PMID:23341973

Innovative techniques for estimating illegal activities in a human-wildlife-management conflict.

PubMed

Cross, Paul; St John, Freya A V; Khan, Saira; Petroczi, Andrea

2013-01-01

Effective management of biological resources is contingent upon stakeholder compliance with rules. With respect to disease management, partial compliance can undermine attempts to control diseases within human and wildlife populations. Estimating non-compliance is notoriously problematic as rule-breakers may be disinclined to admit to transgressions. However, reliable estimates of rule-breaking are critical to policy design. The European badger (Meles meles) is considered an important vector in the transmission and maintenance of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle herds. Land managers in high bTB prevalence areas of the UK can cull badgers under license. However, badgers are also known to be killed illegally. The extent of illegal badger killing is currently unknown. Herein we report on the application of three innovative techniques (Randomized Response Technique (RRT); projective questioning (PQ); brief implicit association test (BIAT)) for investigating illegal badger killing by livestock farmers across Wales. RRT estimated that 10.4% of farmers killed badgers in the 12 months preceding the study. Projective questioning responses and implicit associations relate to farmers' badger killing behavior reported via RRT. Studies evaluating the efficacy of mammal vector culling and vaccination programs should incorporate estimates of non-compliance. Mitigating the conflict concerning badgers as a vector of bTB requires cross-disciplinary scientific research, departure from deep-rooted positions, and the political will to implement evidence-based management.

Illegal drug use and its correlates in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

PubMed

Caetano, Raul; Vaeth, Patrice A C; Canino, Glorisa

2018-04-01

Data on the prevalence and correlates of illegal drug use in Puerto Rico are now almost 20 years old. This study sought to estimate the 12-month prevalence of illegal and non-prescribed medical drug use in San Juan, Puerto Rico and identify sociodemographic correlates of use. Data are from a random household sample of 1510 individuals, 18-64 years of age in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The 12-month prevalence of any illegal or non-prescribed drug use was 16.5%. Prevalence among men (20.7%) was higher than among women (12.9%; chi 2  = 16.308; df = 1; p < .01). Prevalence for specific drugs ranged from 11.2% for marijuana to 0.2% for methadone. of the multiple logistic regression analysis showed that male gender (OR = 1.67, 95CI = 1.21-2.3; p < .01), age 18-29 (OR = 2.39; 95CI = 1.35-4.23; p < .01), age 30-39 (OR = 1.93; 95CI = 1.01-3.69; p < .05), low (OR = 2.03; 95CI = 1.36-3.02; p < .001) and medium (OR = 1.50; 95CL = 1.01-2.23; p < .05) family cohesion/pride, and no religious preference (OR = 1.99; 95CI = 1.23-3.22; p < .01) increased the odds of drug use. Annual family income of $40,000-$60,000 (OR = 0.45; 95CI = 0.21-0.93; p < .05) and $60,001 and more (OR = 0.35; 95CI = 0.13-0.94; p > .05) were negatively associated with drug use compared to annual income up to $10,000. As in many other places in the U.S., drug use in San Juan, Puerto Rico is high, affecting about 1 in 6 adults in the population. The highest prevalence is for marijuana use, which cannot be medically prescribed and of which recreational use is illegal on the island. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

19 CFR 12.27 - Importation or exportation of wild animals or birds, or the dead bodies thereof illegally...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... birds, or the dead bodies thereof illegally captured or killed, etc. 12.27 Section 12.27 Customs Duties... animals or birds, or the dead bodies thereof illegally captured or killed, etc. Customs officers shall... or exportation of wild animals or birds, or the dead bodies thereof, or the eggs of such birds...

19 CFR 12.27 - Importation or exportation of wild animals or birds, or the dead bodies thereof illegally...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... birds, or the dead bodies thereof illegally captured or killed, etc. 12.27 Section 12.27 Customs Duties... animals or birds, or the dead bodies thereof illegally captured or killed, etc. Customs officers shall... or exportation of wild animals or birds, or the dead bodies thereof, or the eggs of such birds...

19 CFR 12.27 - Importation or exportation of wild animals or birds, or the dead bodies thereof illegally...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... birds, or the dead bodies thereof illegally captured or killed, etc. 12.27 Section 12.27 Customs Duties... animals or birds, or the dead bodies thereof illegally captured or killed, etc. Customs officers shall... or exportation of wild animals or birds, or the dead bodies thereof, or the eggs of such birds...

Motivating Illegal Drug Use Recovery: Evidence for a Culturally Congruent Intervention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Longshore, Douglas; Grills, Cheryl

2000-01-01

Describes a motivational intervention, based on the transtheoretical model, to promote recovery from illegal drug use among African Americans. The culturally sensitive intervention featured a needs assessment and service referrals. Participants completed motivational intervention or standard assessment-referral protocols. Interview data indicated…

Handicap Parking: A Demographic Study of Legal and Illegal Users.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bordeaux, Monica N.; And Others

Studies on handicap parking reveal the existence of a significant problem of unauthorized use of designated handicap spaces. This study examined various demographic variables involved in the illegal use of handicap parking spaces. Subjects (N=266) were drivers of vehicles observed in handicap parking spaces in three grocery store parking lots.…

[Parent discourse on legal and illegal drugs use perceived by university students].

PubMed

Suárez, Rosa Elba Sánchez; Galera, Sueli Aparecida Frari

2004-01-01

The problems related to use and abuse of legal and illegal drugs are considered worldwide epidemic. Although the drug use is considered an individual decision it is important to stress the role of the family in the conservation and changes of habits, custom and behaviours among family members and among generations. This study aimed to identify parents' discourses about legal and illegal drugs and to explore the divergences and agreements in their discourses. The research was conducted through individual interviews with 13 university students at Bogotá. The interviews were analysed with the focus on systemic theory, constructivism and narrative analysis. In the results emerged the a) the patriarchal culture context and expectance on the genre role, b) three kinds of parents discourses that present divergences and agreements typical of the nuclear family.

Addressing Illegal Immigrants Inside the United States: A Policy Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

1 B. BACKGROUND OF UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION POLICY WITH MEXICO ...INTRODUCTION A. PURPOSE Since the early 1990s, illegal immigration in the United States, particularly from Mexico , has increased markedly...POLICY WITH MEXICO 1. Brief History of Immigration Policy Mexican migration to the United States has a long history which has existed since Texas, New

Infants' Acceptance of Phonotactically Illegal Word Forms as Object Labels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vukatana, Ena; Curtin, Suzanne; Graham, Susan A.

2016-01-01

We investigated 16- and 20-month-olds' flexibility in mapping phonotactically illegal words to objects. Using an associative word-learning task, infants were presented with a training phase that either highlighted or did not highlight the referential status of a novel label. Infants were then habituated to two novel objects, each paired with a…

Quantitative methods of identifying the key nodes in the illegal wildlife trade network

PubMed Central

Patel, Nikkita Gunvant; Rorres, Chris; Joly, Damien O.; Brownstein, John S.; Boston, Ray; Levy, Michael Z.; Smith, Gary

2015-01-01

Innovative approaches are needed to combat the illegal trade in wildlife. Here, we used network analysis and a new database, HealthMap Wildlife Trade, to identify the key nodes (countries) that support the illegal wildlife trade. We identified key exporters and importers from the number of shipments a country sent and received and from the number of connections a country had to other countries over a given time period. We used flow betweenness centrality measurements to identify key intermediary countries. We found the set of nodes whose removal from the network would cause the maximum disruption to the network. Selecting six nodes would fragment 89.5% of the network for elephants, 92.3% for rhinoceros, and 98.1% for tigers. We then found sets of nodes that would best disseminate an educational message via direct connections through the network. We would need to select 18 nodes to reach 100% of the elephant trade network, 16 nodes for rhinoceros, and 10 for tigers. Although the choice of locations for interventions should be customized for the animal and the goal of the intervention, China was the most frequently selected country for network fragmentation and information dissemination. Identification of key countries will help strategize illegal wildlife trade interventions. PMID:26080413

[Current situation with abortion in Colombia: between illegality and reality].

PubMed

González Vélez, Ana Cristina

2005-01-01

This article discusses the illegality of abortion in Colombia, situating this country within the 0.4% of the world population where abortion is completely banned. Absolute criminalization of abortion turns it into a public health matter and produces social inequality. The Colombian legislation has always disregarded women as individuals and as persons in full possession of their legal rights. In contrast to a comprehensive conceptualization of sexual and reproductive rights, the various abortion bills merely refer either to "morally unacceptable" situations such as pregnancy resulting from rape or to therapeutic motives. Contradictions between illegality and reality give rise to a public discourse that features rejection of abortion practices, in keeping with the prevailing stance of the ecclesiastic hierarchy, while in practice, and at the private level, people resort to voluntary interruption of pregnancy under conditions of safety and confidentiality, at least for women from the higher socioeconomic strata. This situation not only causes social inequality but also reflects how laws lose meaning and create the collective impression of being useless or unnecessary, thus undermining the state's governing role.

Winning the War on Drugs in Mexico? Toward an Integrated Approach to the Illegal Drug Trade

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

the beginning of the twentieth century when prohibition of the opium trade started. Since then, the social harm of the illegal drug trade in all...its forms has been constantly increasing. Today, the most obvious example of the social harm of the illegal drug trade in Mexico is drug-related crime...reduction approach that has proved ineffective both in Mexico and around the world over the last century because it is not aimed at the social roots of

Risks, prices, and positions: A social network analysis of illegal drug trafficking in the world-economy.

PubMed

Boivin, Rémi

2014-03-01

Illegal drug prices are extremely high, compared to similar goods. There is, however, considerable variation in value depending on place, market level and type of drugs. A prominent framework for the study of illegal drugs is the "risks and prices" model (Reuter & Kleiman, 1986). Enforcement is seen as a "tax" added to the regular price. In this paper, it is argued that such economic models are not sufficient to explain price variations at country-level. Drug markets are analysed as global trade networks in which a country's position has an impact on various features, including illegal drug prices. This paper uses social network analysis (SNA) to explain price markups between pairs of countries involved in the trafficking of illegal drugs between 1998 and 2007. It aims to explore a simple question: why do prices increase between two countries? Using relational data from various international organizations, separate trade networks were built for cocaine, heroin and cannabis. Wholesale price markups are predicted with measures of supply, demand, risks of seizures, geographic distance and global positioning within the networks. Reported prices (in $US) and purchasing power parity-adjusted values are analysed. Drug prices increase more sharply when drugs are headed to countries where law enforcement imposes higher costs on traffickers. The position and role of a country in global drug markets are also closely associated with the value of drugs. Price markups are lower if the destination country is a transit to large potential markets. Furthermore, price markups for cocaine and heroin are more pronounced when drugs are exported to countries that are better positioned in the legitimate world-economy, suggesting that relations in legal and illegal markets are directed in opposite directions. Consistent with the world-system perspective, evidence is found of coherent world drug markets driven by both local realities and international relations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B

Profile of international air passengers intercepted with illegal animal products in baggage at Guarulhos and Galeão airports in Brazil.

PubMed

de Melo, Cristiano Barros; Pinheiro de Sá, Marcos Eielson; Alves, Flaviane Faria; McManus, Concepta; Aragão, Lucas Fernandes; Belo, Bruno Benin; Campani, Paulo Ricardo; da Matta Ribeiro, Antonio Cavalcanti; Seabra, Christina Isoldi; Seixas, Luiza

2014-01-01

Protection against biological material entering a country or region through airports is important because, through them, infectious agents can quickly reach exotic destinations and be disseminated. Illegal products of animal origin may contain hazardous infectious agents that can compromise animal and public health. The aim of this study was to identify associations between possession of illegal animal products in baggage and demographic characteristics of the passengers, as well as characteristics of their travel plans in the two main Brazilian international airports. A total of 457 passengers were divided into two groups: passengers identified as carrying illegal animal products and control. Passengers identified as carrying illegal animal products not stated on the accompanied baggage declaration completed a questionnaire, to aid in profiling. Nationality, origin, age and residency of passengers were analyzed using chi square, logistic regression and odds ratios. Passengers from Eastern Europe were the most likely to enter with animal products as were those aged between 35 and 55 years. When evaluating the departure point, the highest frequency was seen in those coming from Portugal. Passenger group, reasons for travel, amount and type of baggage were available only for passengers identified as carrying illegal animal products, noting that they prefer traveling alone, for leisure, bringing few bags. Such information can contribute to the early identification of passengers that have illegal animal products in baggage at Brazilian airports.

"Unequal opportunity": neighbourhood disadvantage and the chance to buy illegal drugs.

PubMed

Storr, C L; Chen, C-Y; Anthony, J C

2004-03-01

This study investigates whether subgroups of people living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods may be more likely to come into contact with drug dealers as compared with persons living in more advantaged areas, with due attention to male-female and race-ethnicity differences. Standardised survey data collected using stratified, multistage area probability sampling. United States of America, 1998. Nationally representative sample of household residents age 12 or older (n = 25 500). Evidence supports an inference that women are less likely to be approached by someone selling illegal drugs. The study found no more than modest and generally null racial and ethnicity differences, even for residents living within socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods, where chances to buy illegal drugs are found to be more common. Limitations of survey data always merit attention, but this study evidence lends support to the inference that physical and social characteristics of a neighbourhood can set the stage for opportunities to become involved with drugs.

Targeted Single-Site MOF Node Modification: Trivalent Metal Loading via Atomic Layer Deposition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, In Soo; Borycz, Joshua; Platero-Prats, Ana E.

Postsynthetic functionalization of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) enables the controlled, high-density incorporation of new atoms on a crystallographically precise framework. Leveraging the broad palette of known atomic layer deposition (ALD) chemistries, ALD in MOFs (AIM) is one such targeted approach to construct diverse, highly functional, few-atom clusters. We here demonstrate the saturating reaction of trimethylindium (InMe3) with the node hydroxyls and ligated water of NU-1000, which takes place without significant loss of MOF crystallinity or internal surface area. We computationally identify the elementary steps by which trimethylated trivalent metal compounds (ALD precursors) react with this Zr-based MOF node to generatemore » a uniform and well characterized new surface layer on the node itself, and we predict a final structure that is fully consistent with experimental X-ray pair distribution function (PDF) analysis. We further demonstrate tunable metal loading through controlled number density of the reactive handles (-OH and -OH2) achieved through node dehydration at elevated temperatures.« less

Limits of Brazil's Forest Code as a means to end illegal deforestation.

PubMed

Azevedo, Andrea A; Rajão, Raoni; Costa, Marcelo A; Stabile, Marcelo C C; Macedo, Marcia N; Dos Reis, Tiago N P; Alencar, Ane; Soares-Filho, Britaldo S; Pacheco, Rayane

2017-07-18

The 2012 Brazilian Forest Code governs the fate of forests and savannas on Brazil's 394 Mha of privately owned lands. The government claims that a new national land registry (SICAR), introduced under the revised law, could end illegal deforestation by greatly reducing the cost of monitoring, enforcement, and compliance. This study evaluates that potential, using data from state-level land registries (CAR) in Pará and Mato Grosso that were precursors of SICAR. Using geospatial analyses and stakeholder interviews, we quantify the impact of CAR on deforestation and forest restoration, investigating how landowners adjust their behaviors over time. Our results indicate rapid adoption of CAR, with registered properties covering a total of 57 Mha by 2013. This suggests that the financial incentives to join CAR currently exceed the costs. Registered properties initially showed lower deforestation rates than unregistered ones, but these differences varied by property size and diminished over time. Moreover, only 6% of registered producers reported taking steps to restore illegally cleared areas on their properties. Our results suggest that, from the landowner's perspective, full compliance with the Forest Code offers few economic benefits. Achieving zero illegal deforestation in this context would require the private sector to include full compliance as a market criterion, while state and federal governments develop SICAR as a de facto enforcement mechanism. These results are relevant to other tropical countries and underscore the importance of developing a policy mix that creates lasting incentives for sustainable land-use practices.

A rapid situation assessment of the market for surrogate and illegal alcohols in Tallinn, Estonia.

PubMed

Pärna, Kersti; Lang, Katrin; Raju, Kadi; Väli, Marika; McKee, Martin

2007-01-01

To understand the phenomenon of consumption of surrogate and illegal alcohols in Tallinn, capital of Estonia. This study, conducted in Tallinn in May 2006, used rapid situation assessment. Interviews with key informants in relevant settings such as emergency departments of hospitals, accommodation for the homeless, police etc. (n = 22), with alcohol abusers (n = 33), natural observations of surrogate sale and consumption venues (n = 46), and tracking of trade data were carried out. Key informants confirmed that consumption of illegal and surrogate alcohols are widely used by alcohol abusers, a finding confirmed by the alcohol abusers. Availability of surrogates varied by area of the city, mainly sold from street kiosks. Illegally produced spirits were also easily available. Sales of surrogates appear to have increased in recent years. A range of alcohol-containing substances that appear to be easily available at low cost, and that have high concentration of ethanol or contaminants known to be toxic, were identified in Tallinn. Alcohol policies in Estonia should address the consumption and availability of these substances.

Analysis and design of Cubesat constellation for the Mediterranean south costal monitoring against illegal immigration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazreg, Nissen; Ben Bahri, Omar; Besbes, Kamel

2018-02-01

Costal monitoring is focused on fast response to illegal immigration and illegal ship traffic. Especially, the illegal ship traffic has been present in media since April 2015, as the number of reported deaths of immigrants crossing the Mediterranean significantly increased. Satellite images provide a possibility to at least partially control both types of events. This paper defines the principal criteria to select the best satellite constellation architecture for maritime and coastal monitoring, filling the gaps of imagery techniques in term of real-time control. The primary purpose of a constellation is to obtain global measurement improving the temporal resolution. The small size and low-cost are the main factors, which make CubeSats ideal for use in constellations. We propose a constellation of 9 Cubesats distributed evenly in 3 different planes. This reduces the revisit time enhancing the coverage duration. In addition, it also allows observing fire, damage on building and similar disasters. In this analysis, the performance criteria were reported such as the revisit time, the vision duration and the area coverage.

Introduction of African swine fever into the European Union through illegal importation of pork and pork products.

PubMed

Costard, Solenne; Jones, Bryony Anne; Martínez-López, Beatriz; Mur, Lina; de la Torre, Ana; Martínez, Marta; Sánchez-Vizcaíno, Fernando; Sánchez-Vizcaíno, Jose-Manuel; Pfeiffer, Dirk Udo; Wieland, Barbara

2013-01-01

Transboundary animal diseases can have very severe socio-economic impacts when introduced into new regions. The history of disease incursions into the European Union suggests that initial outbreaks were often initiated by illegal importation of meat and derived products. The European Union would benefit from decision-support tools to evaluate the risk of disease introduction caused by illegal imports in order to inform its surveillance strategy. However, due to the difficulty in quantifying illegal movements of animal products, very few studies of this type have been conducted. Using African swine fever as an example, this work presents a novel risk assessment framework for disease introduction into the European Union through illegal importation of meat and products. It uses a semi-quantitative approach based on factors that likely influence the likelihood of release of contaminated smuggled meat and products, and subsequent exposure of the susceptible population. The results suggest that the European Union is at non-negligible risk of African swine fever introduction through illegal importation of pork and products. On a relative risk scale with six categories from negligible to very high, five European Union countries were estimated at high (France, Germany, Italy and United Kingdom) or moderate (Spain) risk of African swine fever release, five countries were at high risk of exposure if African swine fever were released (France, Italy, Poland, Romania and Spain) and ten countries had a moderate exposure risk (Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Sweden and United Kingdom). The approach presented here and results obtained for African swine fever provide a basis for the enhancement of risk-based surveillance systems and disease prevention programmes in the European Union.

Results of DATAS Investigation of Illegal Mode S ID's at JFK Airport

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1992-12-01

This report documents the second deployment of the Data Link Test and Analysis : System (DATAS) as a Traffic Alert and Collision System (TCAS) monitor. The : purpose was to identify aircraft which were reporting Illegal Mode Select : (Mode S) ID's. T...

[Pregnant women and mothers using alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs].

PubMed

Nechanská, B; Mravčík, V; Sopko, B; Velebil, P

2012-10-01

This analysis is focused on use of addictive substances among women hospitalised during delivery or puerperium. Analysed data come from National Registry of Mothers at Childbirth and from National Registry of Newborns, which are managed by the Institute of Health Information and Statistics. To describe the prevalence of addictive substances use among women during gestation and to study its relation to health complications during pregnancy, delivery or puerperium and to health status of foetus and newborns. The reporting to registries is provided in the Report on mother at childbirth and in the Report on newborn. Both registers provide basic socio-demographic information about mother, information about previous pregnancies and abortions, about current pregnancy, course of delivery, birth and neonatal treatment and health of newborn during hospitalization of mother during delivery or puerperium. Use of addictive substances is monitored in the National Registry of Mothers at Childbirth since 2000. Addictive substances are divided to tobacco, alcohol and drugs. Descriptive analysis of data was performed and binary logistic regression was used to test association of substance use with education and marital status (adjusted for age), analysis of variance was used to test association of substance use with selected health complications of pregnancy, delivery or puerperium and with health status of foetus/newborns (adjusted for age, education, marital status and interaction between addictive substances). In 2000-2009, 1,008,821 mothers were reported of whom 60,502 women were registered as cigarette smokers, 1,528 used alcohol and 1,836 used other (illegal) drugs. Total of 1,027,200 newborns were reported. The average age of mothers using addictive substances were about 0.5-3 years lower in comparison with nonusers, in average mothers using illegal drugs were the youngest. Mothers using addictive substances were more often unmarried and had lower education than nonusers

A New Business: Redirecting Black Youth from the Illegal Economy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox Edmondson, Vickie

2009-01-01

Young Black males are an at-risk group for earning a living through illegal activities in the U.S. As with most at-risk groups, concerted efforts have been made to help prepare them to become viable contributors and valued members of society. Anecdotal evidence shows that faculty members have also tried to reach out and influence young Black males…

Simultaneous LC-MS/MS determination of 40 legal and illegal psychoactive drugs in breast and bovine milk.

PubMed

López-García, Ester; Mastroianni, Nicola; Postigo, Cristina; Valcárcel, Yolanda; González-Alonso, Silvia; Barceló, Damia; López de Alda, Miren

2018-04-15

This work presents a fast, sensitive and reliable multi-residue methodology based on fat and protein precipitation and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of common legal and illegal psychoactive drugs, and major metabolites, in breast milk. One-fourth of the 40 target analytes is investigated for the first time in this biological matrix. The method was validated in breast milk and also in various types of bovine milk, as tranquilizers are occasionally administered to food-producing animals. Absolute recoveries were satisfactory for 75% of the target analytes. The use of isotopically labeled compounds assisted in correcting analyte losses due to ionization suppression matrix effects (higher in whole milk than in the other investigated milk matrices) and ensured the reliability of the results. Average method limits of quantification ranged between 0.4 and 6.8 ng/mL. Application of the developed method showed the presence of caffeine in breast milk samples (12-179 ng/mL). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 1773.9 - Disclosure of fraud, illegal acts, and other noncompliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., the auditor must design the audit to provide reasonable assurance of detecting fraud that is material... UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) POLICY ON AUDITS OF RUS BORROWERS RUS Audit... statements, auditors should apply audit procedures specifically directed to ascertaining whether an illegal...

Catalog of Selected Federal Publications on Illegal Drug and Alcohol Abuse.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (DHHS), Rockville, MD.

A concise collection of federal publications in the area of illegal drug and alcohol abuse, this catalog begins with a listing of seven federal clearinghouse, with information on services, user audience, and a contact provided for each. The main part of the document provides briefly annotated information on federal publications organized into the…

Psychopathology and resident status - comparing asylum seekers, refugees, illegal migrants, labor migrants, and residents.

PubMed

Heeren, Martina; Wittmann, Lutz; Ehlert, Ulrike; Schnyder, Ulrich; Maier, Thomas; Müller, Julia

2014-05-01

This study aimed to describe, compare, and predict mental health outcomes of different migrant groups and native residents in Switzerland. Asylum seekers (n=65); refugees holding permanent protection visas (n=34); illegal migrants (n=21); labor migrants (n=26); and residents (n=56) completed an assessment by questionnaire. Main outcome variables were symptoms of posttraumatic stress, anxiety and depression. It was tested whether resident status predicted psychopathology over and above the influence of control variables including social desirability, traumatic event types and post-migration resources. Asylum seekers (54.0%) and refugees (41.4%) fulfilled criteria of PTSD most frequently. Clinically relevant symptoms of anxiety and depression were most frequently reported by asylum seekers (84.6% and 63.1%, resp.) and illegal migrants (both 47.6%). Resident status contributed to psychopathology over and above the influence of control variables. Overall, asylum seekers, refugees, and illegal migrants showed high psychiatric morbidity. Differences in resident status appear to be specifically associated with mental health outcomes. This association persists even when controlling for social desirability, post-migration resources and traumatic events. This emphasizes the importance of current socio-political living conditions for mental health, even with respect to the psychopathological sequelae of past traumatic experiences. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The potential for accurately measuring behavioral and economic dimensions of consumption, prices, and markets for illegal drugs.

PubMed

Johnson, Bruce D; Golub, Andrew

2007-09-01

There are numerous analytic and methodological limitations to current measures of drug market activity. This paper explores the structure of markets and individual user behavior to provide an integrated understanding of behavioral and economic (and market) aspects of illegal drug use with an aim toward developing improved procedures for measurement. This involves understanding the social processes that structure illegal distribution networks and drug users' interactions with them. These networks are where and how social behaviors, prices, and markets for illegal drugs intersect. Our focus is upon getting an up close measurement of these activities. Building better measures of consumption behaviors necessitates building better rapport with subjects than typically achieved with one-time surveys in order to overcome withholding and underreporting and to get a comprehensive understanding of the processes involved. This can be achieved through repeated interviews and observations of behaviors. This paper also describes analytic advances that could be adopted to direct this inquiry including behavioral templates, and insights into the economic valuation of labor inputs and cash expenditures for various illegal drugs. Additionally, the paper makes recommendations to funding organizations for developing the mechanisms that would support behavioral scientists to weigh specimens and to collect small samples for laboratory analysis-by providing protection from the potential for arrest. The primary focus is upon U.S. markets. The implications for other countries are discussed.

The Potential for Accurately Measuring Behavioral and Economic Dimensions of Consumption, Prices, and Markets for Illegal Drugs

PubMed Central

Johnson, Bruce D.; Golub, Andrew

2007-01-01

There are numerous analytic and methodological limitations to current measures of drug market activity. This paper explores the structure of markets and individual user behavior to provide an integrated understanding of behavioral and economic (and market) aspects of illegal drug use with an aim toward developing improved procedures for measurement. This involves understanding the social processes that structure illegal distribution networks and drug users’ interactions with them. These networks are where and how social behaviors, prices, and markets for illegal drugs intersect. Our focus is upon getting an up close measurement of these activities. Building better measures of consumption behaviors necessitates building better rapport with subjects than typically achieved with one-time surveys in order to overcome withholding and underreporting and to get a comprehensive understanding of the processes involved. This can be achieved through repeated interviews and observations of behaviors. This paper also describes analytic advances that could be adopted to direct this inquiry including behavioral templates, and insights into the economic valuation of labor inputs and cash expenditures for various illegal drugs. Additionally, the paper makes recommendations to funding organizations for developing the mechanisms that would support behavioral scientists to weigh specimens and to collect small samples for laboratory analysis—by providing protection from the potential for arrest. The primary focus is upon U.S. markets. The implications for other countries are discussed. PMID:16978801

International Illegal Trade in Wildlife: Threats and U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-19

and Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB), are reportedly sponsoring elephant and rhino poaching for profit, according to a British news article.101 CRS...wildlife commodities include tiger parts, caviar, elephant ivory, rhino horn, and exotic birds and reptiles. Demand for illegally obtained wildlife is...officials, some of the most lucrative illicit wildlife commodities include tiger parts, caviar, elephant ivory, rhino horn, and exotic birds and reptiles. Due

International Illegal Trade in Wildlife: Threats and U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-03

Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB), are reportedly sponsoring elephant and rhino poaching for profit, according to a British news article.99 CRS-21 Sources...include tiger parts, caviar, elephant ivory, rhino horn, and exotic birds and reptiles. Demand for illegally obtained wildlife is ubiquitous, and...law enforcement officials, some of the most lucrative illicit wildlife commodities include tiger parts, caviar, elephant ivory, rhino horn, and exotic

Recent developments in human biomonitoring: non-invasive assessment of target tissue dose and effects of pneumotoxic metals.

PubMed

Mutti, A; Corradi, M

2006-01-01

Tobacco smoke and polluted environments substantially increase the lung burden of pneumotoxic chemicals, particularly pneumotoxic metallic elements. To achieve a better understanding of the early events between exposure to inhaled toxicants and the onset of adverse effects on the lung, the characterization of dose at the target organ would be extremely useful. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC), obtained by cooling exhaled air under conditions of spontaneous breathing, is a novel technique that could provide a non-invasive assessment of pulmonary pathobiology. Considering that EBC is water practically free of interfering solutes, it represents an ideal biological matrix for elemental characterization. Published data show that several toxic metals and trace elements are detectable in EBC, raising the possibility of using this medium to quantify the lung tissue dose of pneumotoxic substances. This novel approach may represent a significant advance over the analysis of alternative media (blood, serum, urine, hair), which are not as reliable (owing to interfering substances in the complex matrix) and reflect systemic rather than lung (target tissue) levels of both toxic metals and essential trace elements. Data obtained among workers occupationally exposed to either hard metals or chromium (VI) and in smokers with or without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are reviewed to show that--together with biomarkers of exposure--EBC also allows the simultaneous quantification of biomarkers of effect directly sampled from the epithelial lining fluid, thus providing novel insights on both kinetic and dynamic aspects of metal toxicology.

Polarized internal target apparatus

DOEpatents

Holt, Roy J.

1986-01-01

A polarized internal target apparatus with a polarized gas target of improved polarization and density achieved by mixing target gas atoms with a small amount of alkali metal gas atoms, and passing a high intensity polarized light source into the mixture to cause the alkali metal gas atoms to become polarized which interact in spin exchange collisions with target gas atoms yielding polarized target gas atoms.

The Spillover of US Immigration Policy on Citizens and Permanent Residents of Mexican Descent: How Internalizing "Illegality" Impacts Public Health in the Borderlands.

PubMed

Sabo, Samantha; Lee, Alison Elizabeth

2015-01-01

The militarization of the US-Mexico border region exacerbates the process of "Othering" Latino immigrants - as "illegal aliens." The internalization of "illegality" can manifest as a sense of "undeservingness" of legal protection in the population and be detrimental on a biopsychological level. We explore the impacts of "illegality" among a population of US citizen and permanent resident farmworkers of Mexican descent. We do so through the lens of immigration enforcement-related stress and the ability to file formal complaints of discrimination and mistreatment perpetrated by local immigration enforcement agents, including local police authorized to enforce immigration law. Drawing from cross-sectional data gathered through the National Institute of Occupation Safety and Health, "Challenges to Farmworker Health at the US-Mexico Border" study, a community-based participatory research project conducted at the Arizona-Sonora border, we compared Arizona resident farmworkers (N = 349) to Mexico-based farmworkers (N = 140) or Transnational farmworkers who cross the US-Mexico border daily or weekly to work in US agriculture. Both samples of farmworkers experience significant levels of stress in anticipation of encounters with immigration officials. Fear was cited as the greatest factor preventing individuals from reporting immigration abuses. The groups varied slightly in the relative weight attributed to different types of fear. The militarization of the border has consequences for individuals who are not the target of immigration enforcement. These spillover effects cause harm to farmworkers in multiple ways. Multi-institutional and community-centered systems for reporting immigration-related victimization is required. Applied participatory research with affected communities can mitigate the public health effects of state-sponsored immigration discrimination and violence among US citizen and permanent residents.

Targeted Single-Site MOF Node Modification: Trivalent Metal Loading via Atomic Layer Deposition

DOE PAGES

Kim, In Soo; Borycz, Joshua; Platero-Prats, Ana E.; ...

2015-07-02

Postsynthetic functionalization of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) enables the controlled, high-density incorporation of new atoms on a crystallographically precise framework. Leveraging the broad palette of known atomic layer deposition (ALD) chemistries, ALD in MOFs (AIM) is one such targeted approach to construct diverse, highly functional, few-atom clusters. In this paper, we demonstrate the saturating reaction of trimethylindium (InMe 3) with the node hydroxyls and ligated water of NU-1000, which takes place without significant loss of MOF crystallinity or internal surface area. We computationally identify the elementary steps by which trimethylated trivalent metal compounds (ALD precursors) react with this Zr-based MOFmore » node to generate a uniform and well characterized new surface layer on the node itself, and we predict a final structure that is fully consistent with experimental X-ray pair distribution function (PDF) analysis. Finally, we further demonstrate tunable metal loading through controlled number density of the reactive handles (–OH and –OH 2) achieved through node dehydration at elevated temperatures.« less

Targeted Single-Site MOF Node Modification: Trivalent Metal Loading via Atomic Layer Deposition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, In Soo; Borycz, Joshua; Platero-Prats, Ana E.

Postsynthetic functionalization of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) enables the controlled, high-density incorporation of new atoms on a crystallographically precise framework. Leveraging the broad palette of known atomic layer deposition (ALD) chemistries, ALD in MOFs (AIM) is one such targeted approach to construct diverse, highly functional, few-atom clusters. In this paper, we demonstrate the saturating reaction of trimethylindium (InMe 3) with the node hydroxyls and ligated water of NU-1000, which takes place without significant loss of MOF crystallinity or internal surface area. We computationally identify the elementary steps by which trimethylated trivalent metal compounds (ALD precursors) react with this Zr-based MOFmore » node to generate a uniform and well characterized new surface layer on the node itself, and we predict a final structure that is fully consistent with experimental X-ray pair distribution function (PDF) analysis. Finally, we further demonstrate tunable metal loading through controlled number density of the reactive handles (–OH and –OH 2) achieved through node dehydration at elevated temperatures.« less

Object tracking via background subtraction for monitoring illegal activity in crossroad

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghimire, Deepak; Jeong, Sunghwan; Park, Sang Hyun; Lee, Joonwhoan

2016-07-01

In the field of intelligent transportation system a great number of vision-based techniques have been proposed to prevent pedestrians from being hit by vehicles. This paper presents a system that can perform pedestrian and vehicle detection and monitoring of illegal activity in zebra crossings. In zebra crossing, according to the traffic light status, to fully avoid a collision, a driver or pedestrian should be warned earlier if they possess any illegal moves. In this research, at first, we detect the traffic light status of pedestrian and monitor the crossroad for vehicle pedestrian moves. The background subtraction based object detection and tracking is performed to detect pedestrian and vehicles in crossroads. Shadow removal, blob segmentation, trajectory analysis etc. are used to improve the object detection and classification performance. We demonstrate the experiment in several video sequences which are recorded in different time and environment such as day time and night time, sunny and raining environment. Our experimental results show that such simple and efficient technique can be used successfully as a traffic surveillance system to prevent accidents in zebra crossings.

Illegal Mexican Aliens in Southern Colorado: A Sampling of Their Views on Living and Working in the United States and Mexico.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Philip L.

Observations and recollections of Mexican workers, smuggled illegally to farms in southern Colorado, resulted in this account of their attitudes toward work conditions, pay and benefits, leisure activities, feelings of insecurity, and their aspirations. Backgrounds of the 30 aliens interviewed coincided with available statistics on illegal Mexican…

Bifunctional Coupling Agents for Radiolabeling of Biomolecules and Target-Specific Delivery of Metallic Radionuclides

PubMed Central

Liu, Shuang

2008-01-01

Receptor-based radiopharmaceuticals are of great current interest in early molecular imaging and radiotherapy of cancers, and provide a unique tool for target-specific delivery of radionuclides to the diseased tissues. In general, a target-specific radiopharmaceutical can be divided into four parts: targeting biomolecule (BM), pharmacokinetic modifying (PKM) linker, bifunctional coupling or chelating agent (BFC), and radionuclide. The targeting biomolecule serves as a “carrier” for specific delivery of the radionuclide. PKM linkers are used to modify radiotracer excretion kinetics. BFC is needed for radiolabeling of biomolecules with a metallic radionuclide. Different radiometals have significant difference in their coordination chemistry, and require BFCs with different donor atoms and chelator frameworks. Since the radiometal chelate can have a significant impact on physical and biological properties of the target-specific radiopharmaceutical, its excretion kinetics can be altered by modifying the coordination environment with various chelators or coligand, if needed. This review will focus on the design of BFCs and their coordination chemistry with technetium, copper, gallium, indium, yttrium and lanthanide radiometals. PMID:18538888

Polarized internal target apparatus

DOEpatents

Holt, R.J.

1984-10-10

A polarized internal target apparatus with a polarized gas target of improved polarization and density (achieved by mixing target gas atoms with a small amount of alkali metal gas atoms, and passing a high intensity polarized light source into the mixture to cause the alkali metal gas atoms to become polarized which interact in spin exchange collisions with target gas atoms yielding polarized target gas atoms) is described.

Limits of Brazil’s Forest Code as a means to end illegal deforestation

PubMed Central

Azevedo, Andrea A.; Rajão, Raoni; Costa, Marcelo A.; Stabile, Marcelo C. C.; dos Reis, Tiago N. P.; Alencar, Ane; Soares-Filho, Britaldo S.; Pacheco, Rayane

2017-01-01

The 2012 Brazilian Forest Code governs the fate of forests and savannas on Brazil’s 394 Mha of privately owned lands. The government claims that a new national land registry (SICAR), introduced under the revised law, could end illegal deforestation by greatly reducing the cost of monitoring, enforcement, and compliance. This study evaluates that potential, using data from state-level land registries (CAR) in Pará and Mato Grosso that were precursors of SICAR. Using geospatial analyses and stakeholder interviews, we quantify the impact of CAR on deforestation and forest restoration, investigating how landowners adjust their behaviors over time. Our results indicate rapid adoption of CAR, with registered properties covering a total of 57 Mha by 2013. This suggests that the financial incentives to join CAR currently exceed the costs. Registered properties initially showed lower deforestation rates than unregistered ones, but these differences varied by property size and diminished over time. Moreover, only 6% of registered producers reported taking steps to restore illegally cleared areas on their properties. Our results suggest that, from the landowner's perspective, full compliance with the Forest Code offers few economic benefits. Achieving zero illegal deforestation in this context would require the private sector to include full compliance as a market criterion, while state and federal governments develop SICAR as a de facto enforcement mechanism. These results are relevant to other tropical countries and underscore the importance of developing a policy mix that creates lasting incentives for sustainable land-use practices. PMID:28674015

Local Perspectives on Environmental Insecurity and Its Influence on Illegal Biodiversity Exploitation

PubMed Central

Gore, Meredith L.; Lute, Michelle L.; Ratsimbazafy, Jonah H.; Rajaonson, Andry

2016-01-01

Environmental insecurity is a source and outcome of biodiversity declines and social conflict. One challenge to scaling insecurity reduction policies is that empirical evidence about local attitudes is overwhelmingly missing. We set three objectives: determine how local people rank risk associated with different sources of environmental insecurity; assess perceptions of environmental insecurity, biodiversity exploitation, myths of nature and risk management preferences; and explore relationships between perceptions and biodiversity exploitation. We conducted interviews (N = 88) with residents of Madagascar’s Torotorofotsy Protected Area, 2014. Risk perceptions had a moderate effect on perceptions of environmental insecurity. We found no effects of environmental insecurity on biodiversity exploitation. Results offer one if not the first exploration of local perceptions of illegal biodiversity exploitation and environmental security. Local people’s perception of risk seriousness associated with illegal biodiversity exploitation such as lemur hunting (low overall) may not reflect perceptions of policy-makers (considered to be high). Discord is a key entry point for attention. PMID:27082106

Mitochondrial DNA Profiling of Illegal Tortoiseshell Products Derived from Hawksbill Sea Turtles.

PubMed

Foran, David R; Ray, Rebecca L

2016-07-01

The hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a highly endangered species, commonly poached for its ornate shell. "Tortoiseshell" products made from the shell are widely, although illegally, available in many countries. Hawksbills have a circumglobal distribution; thus, determining their origin is difficult, although genetic differences exist geographically. In the research presented, a procedure was developed to extract and amplify mitochondrial DNA from tortoiseshell items, in an effort to better understand where the species is being poached. Confiscated tortoiseshell items were obtained from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and DNA from 56 of them was analyzed. Multiple mitochondrial haplotypes were identified, including five not previously reported. Only one tortoiseshell item proved to be of Atlantic origin, while all others corresponded to genetic stocks in the Indo-Pacific region. The developed methodology allows for unique, and previously unattainable, genetic information on the illegal poaching of sea turtles for the decorative tortoiseshell trade. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Local Perspectives on Environmental Insecurity and Its Influence on Illegal Biodiversity Exploitation.

PubMed

Gore, Meredith L; Lute, Michelle L; Ratsimbazafy, Jonah H; Rajaonson, Andry

2016-01-01

Environmental insecurity is a source and outcome of biodiversity declines and social conflict. One challenge to scaling insecurity reduction policies is that empirical evidence about local attitudes is overwhelmingly missing. We set three objectives: determine how local people rank risk associated with different sources of environmental insecurity; assess perceptions of environmental insecurity, biodiversity exploitation, myths of nature and risk management preferences; and explore relationships between perceptions and biodiversity exploitation. We conducted interviews (N = 88) with residents of Madagascar's Torotorofotsy Protected Area, 2014. Risk perceptions had a moderate effect on perceptions of environmental insecurity. We found no effects of environmental insecurity on biodiversity exploitation. Results offer one if not the first exploration of local perceptions of illegal biodiversity exploitation and environmental security. Local people's perception of risk seriousness associated with illegal biodiversity exploitation such as lemur hunting (low overall) may not reflect perceptions of policy-makers (considered to be high). Discord is a key entry point for attention.

TECHNICAL APPROACHES TO CHARACTERIZING AND REDEVELOPING BROWNFIELDS SITES: MUNICIPAL LANDFILLS AND ILLEGAL DUMPS

EPA Science Inventory

The guidance document gives assistance to communities, decision-makers, states and municipalities, academia, and the private sector to address issues related to the redevelopment of Brownfields sites, specifically, municipal landfill and illegal dump sites. The document helps use...

Chemical fractionation resulting from the hypervelocity impact process on metallic targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Libourel, Guy; Ganino, Clément; Michel, Patrick; Nakamura, Akiko

2016-10-01

In a regime of hypervelocity impact cratering, the internal energy deposited in target + projectile region is large enough to melt and/or vaporize part of the material involved, which expands rapidly away from the impact site. Fast and energetic impact processes have therefore important chemical consequences on the projectile and target rock transformations during major impact events. Several physical and chemical processes occurred indeed in the short duration of the impact, e.g., melting, coating, mixing, condensation, crystallization, redox reactions, quenching, etc., all concurring to alter both projectile and target composition on the irreversible way.In order to document such hypervelocity impact chemical fractionation, we have started a program of impact experiments by shooting doped (27 trace elements) millimeter-sized basalt projectiles on metallic target using a two stages light gas gun. With impact velocity in the range from 0.25 to 7 km.s-1, these experiments are aimed i) to characterize chemically and texturally all the post-mortem materials (e.g., target, crater, impact melt, condensates, and ejectas), in order ii) to make a chemical mass balance budget of the process, and iii) to relate it to the kinetic energy involved in the hypervelocity impacts for scaling law purpose. Irrespective of the incident velocities, our preliminary results show the importance of redox processes, the significant changes in the ejecta composition (e.g., iron enrichment) and the systematic coating of the crater by the impact melt [1]. On the target side, characterizations of the microstructure of the shocked iron alloys to better constrain the shielding processes. We also show how these results have great implications in our understanding on the current surface properties of small bodies, and chiefly in the case of M-type asteroids. [1] Ganino C, Libourel G, Nakamura AM & Michel P (2015) Goldschmidt Abstracts, 2015 990.

34 CFR 668.40 - Conviction for possession or sale of illegal drugs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STUDENT ASSISTANCE GENERAL PROVISIONS Student Eligibility § 668.40 Conviction for possession or sale of illegal drugs. (a)(1) A student is ineligible to... student has been convicted of an offense under any Federal or State law involving the possession or sale...

Thebaine in hair as a marker for chronic use of illegal opium poppy substances.

PubMed

Lee, Sooyeun; Park, Yonghoon; Han, Eunyoung; Choi, Hwakyung; Chung, Heesun; Oh, Seung Min; Chung, Kyu Hyuck

2011-01-30

Opium poppy products are often illegally used for both recreational and medicinal purposes. In order to demonstrate the ingestion of opium poppy substances, morphine, codeine and their metabolites have been identified. However, morphine and codeine also originate from the ingestion of therapeutic drugs. Therefore, thebaine, one of the main opium alkaloids, in hair was suggested as a marker for chronic use of illegal opium poppy substances in the present study. First, thebaine was included in the analyte list of our routine analytical method for the simultaneous quantification of codeine, morphine, norcodeine, normorphine and 6-acetylmorphine (6-AM) in hair, which was fully validated previously. Then, the incorporation of thebaine and other opiates into hair and the effect of hair pigmentation were examined using lean Zucker rats with both dark grey and white hair on the same body. Thebaine was also measured in hair samples from actual cases of opium poppy substance use. Consequently, thebaine in hair was demonstrated as a marker of chronic use of illegal opium poppy substances using an animal study and actual cases. Thebaine and other opiates were successfully measured in pigmented hair from rats that ingested raw opium suspension. Moreover, thebaine identified in hair excluded possibility of ingestion of pharmaceutical opiates in actual cases. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[What to do? The Ontario government and the illegal recreational use of drugs, 1966-1972].

PubMed

Martel, Marcel

2003-01-01

This paper deals with the social construction of illegal drug use in the context of the counterculture movement. It looks at the actions and reactions of three groups in particular: the Ontario government, the Addiction Research Foundation of Ontario and citizens. It demonstrates that the debate about drug use took place in particular circumstances characterized by ignorance about the health consequences of illegal drug use but also within a moral panic context. Medical expertise was solicited to provide guidance to the Ontario government but it was gradually challenged by other medical groups and citizens who, by sending letters to their Provincial Premier and the Minister of Health, tried to shape public policy.

Targeted Catalytic Inactivation of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme by Lisinopril-Coupled Transition Metal Chelates

PubMed Central

Joyner, Jeff C.; Hocharoen, Lalintip; Cowan, J. A.

2012-01-01

A series of compounds that target reactive transition metal chelates to somatic Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (sACE-1) have been synthesized. Half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) and rate constants for both inactivation and cleavage of full length sACE-1 have been determined and evaluated in terms of metal-chelate size, charge, reduction potential, coordination unsaturation, and coreactant selectivity. Ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclo-dodecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA), and tripeptide GGH were linked to the lysine sidechain of lisinopril by EDC/NHS coupling. The resulting amide-linked chelate-lisinopril (EDTA-lisinopril, NTA-lisinopril, DOTA-lisinopril, and GGH-lisinopril) conjugates were used to form coordination complexes with iron, cobalt, nickel and copper, such that lisinopril could mediate localization of the reactive metal chelates to sACE-1. ACE activity was assayed by monitoring cleavage of the fluorogenic substrate Mca-RPPGFSAFK(Dnp)-OH, a derivative of bradykinin, following pre-incubation with metal-chelate-lisinopril compounds. Concentration-dependent inhibition of sACE-1 by metal-chelate-lisinopril complexes revealed IC50 values ranging from 44 nM to 4,500 nM for Ni-NTA-lisinopril and Ni-DOTA-lisinopril, respectively, versus 1.9 nM for lisinopril. Stronger inhibition was correlated with smaller size and lower negative charge of the attached metal chelates. Time-dependent inactivation of sACE-1 by metal-chelate-lisinopril complexes revealed a remarkable range of catalytic activities, with second order rate constants as high as 150,000 M−1min−1 (Cu-GGH-lisinopril), while catalyst-mediated cleavage of sACE-1 typically occurred at much lower rates, indicating that inactivation arose primary from sidechain modification. Optimal inactivation of sACE-1 was observed when the reduction potential for the metal center was poised near 1000 mV, reflecting the difficulty of protein

Targeted catalytic inactivation of angiotensin converting enzyme by lisinopril-coupled transition-metal chelates.

PubMed

Joyner, Jeff C; Hocharoen, Lalintip; Cowan, J A

2012-02-22

A series of compounds that target reactive transition-metal chelates to somatic angiotensin converting enzyme (sACE-1) have been synthesized. Half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC(50)) and rate constants for both inactivation and cleavage of full-length sACE-1 have been determined and evaluated in terms of metal chelate size, charge, reduction potential, coordination unsaturation, and coreactant selectivity. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA), and tripeptide GGH were linked to the lysine side chain of lisinopril by 1-ethyl-3-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide hydrochloride/N-hydroxysuccinimide coupling. The resulting amide-linked chelate-lisinopril (EDTA-lisinopril, NTA-lisinopril, DOTA-lisinopril, and GGH-lisinopril) conjugates were used to form coordination complexes with iron, cobalt, nickel, and copper, such that lisinopril could mediate localization of the reactive metal chelates to sACE-1. ACE activity was assayed by monitoring cleavage of the fluorogenic substrate Mca-RPPGFSAFK(Dnp)-OH, a derivative of bradykinin, following preincubation with metal chelate-lisinopril compounds. Concentration-dependent inhibition of sACE-1 by metal chelate-lisinopril complexes revealed IC(50) values ranging from 44 to 4500 nM for Ni-NTA-lisinopril and Ni-DOTA-lisinopril, respectively, versus 1.9 nM for lisinopril. Stronger inhibition was correlated with smaller size and lower negative charge of the attached metal chelates. Time-dependent inactivation of sACE-1 by metal chelate-lisinopril complexes revealed a remarkable range of catalytic activities, with second-order rate constants as high as 150,000 M(-1) min(-1) (Cu-GGH-lisinopril), while catalyst-mediated cleavage of sACE-1 typically occurred at much lower rates, indicating that inactivation arose primarily from side chain modification. Optimal inactivation of sACE-1 was observed when the reduction potential for the

International Illegal Trade in Wildlife: Threats and U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-08-22

fact_sheets/ASEAN_WEN .pdf]. 6 House Committee on Natural Resources, “ Poaching American Security: Impacts of Illegal Wildlife Trade,” Hearing, March 5, 2008...Department of State. reportedly sponsoring elephant and rhino poaching for profit, according to several news articles.103 CRS-23 Sources: For “Potential...at the border.134 CRS-34 135 See for example, testimony by Claudia A. McMurray, House Natural Resources Committee, “ Poaching American Security: Impact

Emergency medicine residency applicant perceptions of unethical recruiting practices and illegal questioning in the match.

PubMed

Thurman, R Jason; Katz, Eric; Carter, Wallace; Han, Jin; Kayala, Eve; McCoin, Nicole; Storrow, Alan B

2009-06-01

The authors hypothesized that unethical recruiting practices and illegal questioning occur during emergency medicine (EM) resident recruitment. The objectives were to estimate the prevalence of specific unethical recruiting practices and illegal questioning by EM programs based on the perceptions of residency applicants and to measure the effect of these perceptions on applicant appraisal of programs. This was a cross-sectional survey of all applicants who matched to U.S. EM programs in 2005 and 2006. The survey questionnaire was developed by the study authors and was validated by pretesting on a small group representative of the study population. The survey addressed specific questions regarding program recruiting behaviors and interview questioning. The hyperlink to the secure anonymous online survey questionnaire was distributed to all EM program directors, asking them in turn to forward the hyperlink to their newly matched incoming residency class. All data were calculated with Score method with continuity correction and reported in proportions with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The authors received 671 survey responses. Among respondents, 56 (8.3%, 95% CI = 6.4% to 10.7%) stated that they were specifically asked to disclose at least one program's position on their rank list by a program representative, and 44 (6.6%, 95% CI = 4.9% to 8.9%) reported that they matched at a program residing lower on their rank list than at least one other program that had informed the applicant they were ranked to match. Furthermore, 201 respondents (30.0%, 95% CI = 26.5% to 33.7%) believed that they were asked at least one illegal question during their interviews, the most common of which was inquiry into their marital status (189 respondents: 28.2%, 95% CI = 24.8% to 31.9%). Respondents were 11 times more likely to move a program to a lower position of preference on their rank order list (12.2%, 95% CI = 9.8% to 15.0%) rather than a higher position (1.1%, 95% CI = 0.5% to 2

Design of antibody-functionalized carbon nanotubes filled with radioactivable metals towards a targeted anticancer therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spinato, Cinzia; Perez Ruiz de Garibay, Aritz; Kierkowicz, Magdalena; Pach, Elzbieta; Martincic, Markus; Klippstein, Rebecca; Bourgognon, Maxime; Wang, Julie Tzu-Wen; Ménard-Moyon, Cécilia; Al-Jamal, Khuloud T.; Ballesteros, Belén; Tobias, Gerard; Bianco, Alberto

2016-06-01

In the present work we have devised the synthesis of a novel promising carbon nanotube carrier for the targeted delivery of radioactivity, through a combination of endohedral and exohedral functionalization. Steam-purified single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been initially filled with radioactive analogues (i.e. metal halides) and sealed by high temperature treatment, affording closed-ended CNTs with the filling material confined in the inner cavity. The external functionalization of these filled CNTs was then achieved by nitrene cycloaddition and followed by the derivatization with a monoclonal antibody (Cetuximab) targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), overexpressed by several cancer cells. The targeting efficiency of the so-obtained conjugate was evaluated by immunostaining with a secondary antibody and by incubation of the CNTs with EGFR positive cells (U87-EGFR+), followed by flow cytometry, confocal microscopy or elemental analyses. We demonstrated that our filled and functionalized CNTs can internalize more efficiently in EGFR positive cancer cells.In the present work we have devised the synthesis of a novel promising carbon nanotube carrier for the targeted delivery of radioactivity, through a combination of endohedral and exohedral functionalization. Steam-purified single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been initially filled with radioactive analogues (i.e. metal halides) and sealed by high temperature treatment, affording closed-ended CNTs with the filling material confined in the inner cavity. The external functionalization of these filled CNTs was then achieved by nitrene cycloaddition and followed by the derivatization with a monoclonal antibody (Cetuximab) targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), overexpressed by several cancer cells. The targeting efficiency of the so-obtained conjugate was evaluated by immunostaining with a secondary antibody and by incubation of the CNTs with EGFR positive cells (U87

Search for Two Categories of Target Produces Fewer Fixations to Target-Color Items

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menneer, Tamaryn; Stroud, Michael J.; Cave, Kyle R.; Li, Xingshan; Godwin, Hayward J.; Liversedge, Simon P.; Donnelly, Nick

2012-01-01

Searching simultaneously for metal threats (guns and knives) and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in X-ray images is less effective than 2 independent single-target searches, 1 for metal threats and 1 for IEDs. The goals of this study were to (a) replicate this dual-target cost for categorical targets and to determine whether the cost remains…

The Labor Market and Illegal Immigration: The Outlook for the 1980s.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wachter, Michael L.

1980-01-01

A labor supply forecast is developed for the U.S. labor market in the 1980s, focusing on the effects of the low fertility rates of recent years. That forecast is then compared with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projection of employment demand in the next decade. Effects of illegal immigrants are also discussed. (CT)

Radiological Aspects of Heavy Metal Liquid Targets for Accelerator-Driven Systems as Intense Neutron Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gai, E. V.; Ignatyuk, A. V.; Lunev, V. P.; Shubin, Yu. N.

2001-11-01

General problems arising in development of intense neutron sources as a part of accelerator-driven systems and first experience accumulated in IPPE during last several years are briefly discussed. The calculation and analysis of nuclear-physical properties of the targets, such as the accumulation of spallation reaction products, activity and heat release for various versions of heavy liquid metal targets were performed in IPPE. The sensitivity of the results of calculations to the various sets of nuclear data was considered. The main radiology characteristics of the lead-bismuth target, which is now under construction in the frame of ISTC Project # 559, are briefly described. The production of short-lived nuclides was estimated, the total activity and volatile nuclide accumulation, residual heat release, the energies of various decay modes were analysed.

Rabid dog illegally imported to France from Morocco, August 2011.

PubMed

Mailles, A; Boisseleau, D; Dacheux, L; Michalewiscz, C; Gloaguen, C; Ponçon, N; Bourhy, H; Callon, H; Vaillant, V; Dabosville, I; Morineau-Le Houssine, P

2011-08-18

In August 2011, a case of canine rabies was notified to the French veterinary services. The dog was a three-month-old puppy illegally imported from Morocco that presented behavioural changes on 1 August and was admitted to a veterinary clinic on 6 August. It died the following day and the body was shortly sent to the national reference centre where rabies was laboratory-confirmed on 11 August. Contact tracing and post-exposure treatment were initiated immediately.

Prediction of Chinese Drivers' Intentions to Park Illegally in Emergency Lanes: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior.

PubMed

Zheng, Yubing; Ma, Yang; Guo, Lixin; Cheng, Jianchuan; Zhang, Yunlong

2018-06-21

Illegal parking in emergency lanes (paved highway shoulders) is becoming a serious road safety issue in China. The aim of this study was: 1) to examine the utility of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) extended with descriptive norm, past behavior, facilitating and deterring circumstances, sensation seeking and invulnerability in predicting Chinese drivers' intentions in illegal emergency lane parking; 2) to investigate whether respondents' demographic characteristics would impact their views towards the behavior and predictive patterns of intentions; 3) to identify significant predictors of intentions. In this cross-sectional study, eligible respondents were all qualified Chinese drivers. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to collect data including demographic information, descriptive norm, past behavior, facilitating and deterring circumstances, sensation seeking and scenario-based invulnerability combined with TPB constructs. Descriptive statistics, MANOVAs and a series of hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were conducted in SPSS. A total of 435 qualified drivers (234 males and 201 females) with a mean age of 35.2 years (S.D.=10.3) were included in analysis. The descriptive analysis showed that most participants reported weak intentions (M = 2.35) to park illegally in emergency lanes with negative attitude (M = 3.19), low perceived support (M = 2.91) and high control (M = 5.08) over the behavior. The model succeeded in explaining 64% of the variance in intentions for the whole sample, and principal TPB components accounted for 21% of variance in intentions after demographic variables were controlled. MANOVAs revealed that significant differences of respondents' opinions towards illegal emergency lane parking were only found between better-educated drivers (with college education background) and less-educated ones. Separate regression analyses revealed that predictive pattern of better-educated participants also

Adolescent Behavior: Legal and Illegal Drug Use by Race, Gender and Group.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, Harry

A study of legal and illegal drug use rates among working class adolescents in Georgia was conducted in a small city of 16,000 residents. Students at the local high school completed a questionnaire administered by their classroom teacher. Of the 296 female and 283 male participants, 102 were black and 477 were white. The results indicate that…

Characterization of illegal food items and identification of foodborne pathogens brought into the European Union via two major German airports.

PubMed

Beutlich, Janine; Hammerl, Jens Andre; Appel, Bernd; Nöckler, Karsten; Helmuth, Reiner; Jöst, Kristine; Ludwig, Marie-Luise; Hanke, Christine; Bechtold, Dirk; Mayer-Scholl, Anne

2015-09-16

Foods of animal origin brought illegally from third party countries into the European Community pose a risk for the introduction of diseases. This can lead to animal disease outbreaks with significant economic and social costs and subsequent severe trade restrictions. Further, disease outbreaks in humans due to illegally imported foods of animal origin have been described, yet, there are very few studies examining the potential human health impact. Passenger baggage is the most likely route by which illegal products enter a country. Therefore, the volume and geographic origin of foods of animal origin introduced illegally into Germany via the Frankfurt International Airport and Berlin-Schönefeld Airport by passenger luggage were characterized. Further, the occurrence of foodborne zoonotic bacteria such as Salmonella spp., Listeria spp., Campylobacter spp., Yersinia spp., Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) and Brucella spp. and the microbial quality of the foods were analysed by total bacterial count. Between 2012 and 2013, a total of 663 food items were seized from 296 passengers arriving in Germany from 35 different departure countries. The majority of confiscates (51%) originated from Turkey and Russia. A selection of 474 samples was subjected to microbiological analyses. Twenty-three food products tested positive for at least one of the pathogens analysed. The majority of the contaminated foods were meat (33%) or meat products (42%), and milk products (21%). Considering that only a small fraction of arriving passengers is subjected to airport custom controls and only a small number of confiscated foods could be analysed during this study, further investigations are needed to understand the public health risks posed by illegally introduced food items. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Target-directed catalytic metallodrugs

PubMed Central

Joyner, J.C.; Cowan, J.A.

2013-01-01

Most drugs function by binding reversibly to specific biological targets, and therapeutic effects generally require saturation of these targets. One means of decreasing required drug concentrations is incorporation of reactive metal centers that elicit irreversible modification of targets. A common approach has been the design of artificial proteases/nucleases containing metal centers capable of hydrolyzing targeted proteins or nucleic acids. However, these hydrolytic catalysts typically provide relatively low rate constants for target inactivation. Recently, various catalysts were synthesized that use oxidative mechanisms to selectively cleave/inactivate therapeutic targets, including HIV RRE RNA or angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). These oxidative mechanisms, which typically involve reactive oxygen species (ROS), provide access to comparatively high rate constants for target inactivation. Target-binding affinity, co-reactant selectivity, reduction potential, coordination unsaturation, ROS products (metal-associated vs metal-dissociated; hydroxyl vs superoxide), and multiple-turnover redox chemistry were studied for each catalyst, and these parameters were related to the efficiency, selectivity, and mechanism(s) of inactivation/cleavage of the corresponding target for each catalyst. Important factors for future oxidative catalyst development are 1) positioning of catalyst reduction potential and redox reactivity to match the physiological environment of use, 2) maintenance of catalyst stability by use of chelates with either high denticity or other means of stabilization, such as the square planar geometric stabilization of Ni- and Cu-ATCUN complexes, 3) optimal rate of inactivation of targets relative to the rate of generation of diffusible ROS, 4) targeting and linker domains that afford better control of catalyst orientation, and 5) general bio-availability and drug delivery requirements. PMID:23828584

Environmental pollution from illegal waste disposal and health effects: a review on the "triangle of death".

PubMed

Triassi, Maria; Alfano, Rossella; Illario, Maddalena; Nardone, Antonio; Caporale, Oreste; Montuori, Paolo

2015-01-22

The term "triangle of death" was used for the first time by Senior and Mazza in the journal The Lancet Oncology referring to the eastern area of the Campania Region (Southern Italy) which has one of the worst records of illegal waste dumping practices. In the past decades, many studies have focused on the potential of illegal waste disposal to cause adverse effects on human health in this area. The great heterogeneity in the findings, and the bias in media communication has generated great healthcare doubts, anxieties and alarm. This paper addresses a review of the up-to-date literature on the "triangle of death", bringing together the available information on the occurrence and severity of health effects related to illegal waste disposal. The Scopus database was searched using the search terms "waste", "Campania", "Naples", "triangle of death" and "human biomonitoring". Despite the methodological and sampling heterogeneity between the studies, this review examines the evidence from published data concerning cancer incidence, childhood mortality and birth defects, so that the current situation, knowledge gaps and research priorities can be established. The review aims to provide a contribution to the scientific community, and to respond to the concerns of the general population.

An automated flow system incorporating in-line acid dissolution of bismuth metal from a cyclotron irradiated target assembly for use in the isolation of astatine-211

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O’Hara, Matthew J.; Krzysko, Anthony J.; Niver, Cynthia M.

Astatine-211 (211At) is a promising cyclotron-produced radionuclide being investigated for use in targeted alpha therapy of blood borne and metastatic cancers, as well as treatment of tumor remnants after surgical resections. The isolation of trace quantities of 211At, produced within several grams of a Bi metal cyclotron target, involves a complex, multi-step procedure: (1) Bi metal dissolution in strong HNO3, (2) distillation of the HNO3 to yield Bi salts containing 211At, (3) dissolution of the salts in strong HCl, (4) solvent extraction of 211At from bismuth salts with diisopropyl ether (DIPE), and (5) back-extraction of 211At from DIPE into NaOH,more » leading to a purified 211At product. Step (1) has been addressed first to begin the process of automating the onerous 211At isolation process. A computer-controlled Bi target dissolution system has been designed. The system performs in-line dissolution of Bi metal from the target assembly using an enclosed target dissolution block, routing the resulting solubilized 211At/Bi mixture to the subsequent process step. The primary parameters involved in Bi metal solubilization (HNO3 concentration and influent flow rate) were optimized prior to evaluation of the system performance on replicate cyclotron irradiated targets. The results indicate that the system performs reproducibly, having nearly quantitative release of 211At from irradiated targets, with cumulative 211At recoveries that follow a sigmoidal function. The predictable nature of the 211At release profile allows the user to tune the system to meet target processing requirements.« less

Trophic flow structure of the Danajon ecosystem (Central Philippines) and impacts of illegal and destructive fishing practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bacalso, Regina Therese M.; Wolff, Matthias

2014-11-01

A trophic model of the shallow Danajon Bank, in the Central Visayas, Philippines was developed using a mass-balance approach (Ecopath) to describe the system characteristics and fisheries interactions. The Ecopath model is composed of 37 functional groups and 17 fishing fleet types reflecting the high diversity of catches and fishing operations in the Danajon Bank. Collectively, the catch is dominated by lower trophic level fish and invertebrates as reflected in the mean trophic level of the fishery (2.95). The low biomass and high exploitation levels for many upper trophic level groups and the little evidence for strong natural physical disturbances suggest that top-down fishery is the main driver of system dynamics. The mixed trophic impacts (MTI) analysis reveals the role of the illegal and destructive fishing operations in influencing the ecosystem structure and dynamics. Furthermore, the illegal fisheries' estimated collective annual harvest is equivalent to nearly a quarter of the entire municipal fisheries catch in the area. Improved fisheries law enforcement by the local government units to curb these illegal and destructive fishing operations could substantially increase the potential gains of the legal fisheries.

Systems and methods for producing metal clusters; functionalized surfaces; and droplets including solvated metal ions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cooks, Robert Graham; Li, Anyin; Luo, Qingjie

The invention generally relates to systems and methods for producing metal clusters; functionalized surfaces; and droplets including solvated metal ions. In certain aspects, the invention provides methods that involve providing a metal and a solvent. The methods additionally involve applying voltage to the solvated metal to thereby produce solvent droplets including ions of the metal containing compound, and directing the solvent droplets including the metal ions to a target. In certain embodiments, once at the target, the metal ions can react directly or catalyze reactions.

Systems and methods for producing metal clusters; functionalized surfaces; and droplets including solvated metal ions

DOEpatents

Cooks, Robert Graham; Li, Anyin; Luo, Qingjie

2017-01-24

The invention generally relates to systems and methods for producing metal clusters; functionalized surfaces; and droplets including solvated metal ions. In certain aspects, the invention provides methods that involve providing a metal and a solvent. The methods additionally involve applying voltage to the solvated metal to thereby produce solvent droplets including ions of the metal containing compound, and directing the solvent droplets including the metal ions to a target. In certain embodiments, once at the target, the metal ions can react directly or catalyze reactions.

Tracking illegal small arms traffic across U.S. borders through the implementation of firearm microstamping to small arms and small arms exports

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lizotte, Todd E.; Ohar, Orest P.

2009-05-01

At a border security conference in August 2008, Michael Sullivan, acting director of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives stated that, "Nearly all illegal firearms (90% to 95%) seized in Mexico come from the United States"[1]. When firearms are recovered at a crime scene, the firearms can be traced providing specific details on illegal firearm dealers or straw purchasers within the United States. Criminals or narco terrorist groups target US dealers to source firearms for drug cartels in Mexico and South America. Joint law enforcement programs between the US and Mexico law enforcement have been effective, however, in most cases the firearms that are seized are only a small fraction of the firearms trafficked across the United States border. A technology called Microstamping, when applied to newly manufactured firearms will provide further opportunities for tracing illegal firearms for law enforcement in the United States and across the globe. Microstamping is a patented technology and trace solution where intentional tooling marks are formed or micromachined onto firearms interior surfaces that come into contact or impact the surfaces of cartridge casings. The intentional tooling marks can take the form of alphanumeric codes or encoded geometric codes, such as a barcode. As the firearm is discharged the intentional tooling marks transfer a code to the cartridge casing before it is ejected out of the firearm. When recovered at the scene of an incident, the Microstamped cartridge can indentify a specific firearm, without the need to recover that firearm. Microstamping provides critical intelligence for use in border security operations and cross border violent drug related crime investigations. This paper will explain the key attributes of microstamping technology; including its potential benefits in border security operations and how data gathered from the technique can be used in geospatial information systems to identify illicit firearm sources

Heavy metal contamination of soil and water in the vicinity of an abandoned e-waste recycling site: implications for dissemination of heavy metals.

PubMed

Wu, Qihang; Leung, Jonathan Y S; Geng, Xinhua; Chen, Shejun; Huang, Xuexia; Li, Haiyan; Huang, Zhuying; Zhu, Libin; Chen, Jiahao; Lu, Yayin

2015-02-15

Illegal e-waste recycling activity has caused heavy metal pollution in many developing countries, including China. In recent years, the Chinese government has strengthened enforcement to impede such activity; however, the heavy metals remaining in the abandoned e-waste recycling site can still pose ecological risk. The present study aimed to investigate the concentrations of heavy metals in soil and water in the vicinity of an abandoned e-waste recycling site in Longtang, South China. Results showed that the surface soil of the former burning and acid-leaching sites was still heavily contaminated with Cd (>0.39 mg kg(-1)) and Cu (>1981 mg kg(-1)), which exceeded their respective guideline levels. The concentration of heavy metals generally decreased with depth in both burning site and paddy field, which is related to the elevated pH and reduced TOM along the depth gradient. The pond water was seriously acidified and contaminated with heavy metals, while the well water was slightly contaminated since heavy metals were mostly retained in the surface soil. The use of pond water for irrigation resulted in considerable heavy metal contamination in the paddy soil. Compared with previous studies, the reduced heavy metal concentrations in the surface soil imply that heavy metals were transported to the other areas, such as pond. Therefore, immediate remediation of the contaminated soil and water is necessary to prevent dissemination of heavy metals and potential ecological disaster. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of Plasmodium spp. in illegal gold miners in French Guiana in 2015: a hidden but critical malaria reservoir.

PubMed

Douine, Maylis; Musset, Lise; Corlin, Florine; Pelleau, Stéphane; Pasquier, Jérémie; Mutricy, Louise; Adenis, Antoine; Djossou, Felix; Brousse, Paul; Perotti, Frédérique; Hiwat, Helene; Vreden, Stephen; Demar, Magalie; Nacher, Mathieu

2016-06-09

Malaria is endemic in French Guiana, an overseas territory of France on the Guiana Shield. Since 2005, notified malaria cases are decreasing. However, new data show that malaria affects many Brazilian gold miners working illegally in French Guiana, the majority of whom are not counted in official data. In addition, one major concern is the usual practice of improper self-treatment in this mining population, raising fear of the development of anti-malarial resistance. This prospective study, conducted in 2015, aimed to estimate the prevalence of Plasmodium spp. in illegal gold miners working in French Guiana. The recruitment of gold miners was carried out in resting sites along the French Guiana-Suriname border, where they go for supplies, medical care or leisure. After recording agreement, three malaria diagnostic methods were performed: rapid diagnostic test, microscopy and PCR. Among 421 persons recruited in the study, malaria prevalence, detected by nested-PCR, was 22.3 % (CI [18.3-26.3], n = 94/421) of which 84 % were asymptomatic. This significant malaria reservoir in a mobile and illegal population with difficult access to a health care system raises the threat of artemisinin resistance and puts the population of the Guiana Shield at risk of new transmission foci while countries of the region aim at malaria elimination. Even though French legislation may hamper dealing with this population, France must face the reality of malaria in illegal gold miners in order to meet its commitment to malaria elimination.

THCVA-A - a new additional marker for illegal cannabis consumption.

PubMed

Radünz, Lars; Westphal, Folker; Maser, Edmund; Rochholz, Gertrud

2012-02-10

The aim of the present investigations was to find markers for differentiating between the consumption of illegal cannabis products and legal medication containing fully synthetic Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), e.g., Marinol capsules. Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (Δ9-THCA-A) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid A (Δ9-THCVA-A) were taken into consideration for analysis, because these substances are the precursors of Δ9-THC and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (Δ9-THCV) in plant material of Cannabis sativa and are not contained in medical THC formulations. Whereas Δ9-THCA-A is an already well investigated substance, there is little analytical data on Δ9-THCVA-A. The reason for the presented investigations was a case in which a man was tested positive for Δ9-THC during a routine traffic control claiming that the positive serum sample resulted from the intake of a THC medication (Marinol) and not from consuming illegal cannabis products. Sample preparation consisted of a protein precipitation with acetonitrile. Analysis was carried out on a Thermo Fisher LCQ Deca ion trap LC-MS-MS-system using electron spray ionization (ESI) in negative mode. MS(2)- and MS(3)-full scan spectra were recorded for Δ9-THCA-A and Δ9-THCVA-A starting from [M-H](-). Reference spectra were obtained by measuring a Δ9-THCA-A reference solution and an ethanolic cannabis extract for Δ9-THCVA-A as there is no reference material for this cannabinoid available on the market yet. Main transitions for Δ9-THCA-A were m/z 357→313 and 339 in the MS(2)-spectrum and m/z 313→245 and 191 in the MS(3)-spectrum. Fragmentation pattern of Δ9-THCVA-A was identical with a difference of 28 amu less for the precursor ion as well as the fragments due to a shorter alkyl side chain in the molecule (MS(2): m/z 329→285 and 311; MS(3): m/z 285→217 and 163). The two plant cannabinoids Δ9-THCA-A and Δ9-THCVA-A could be detected in the serum sample by LC-MS-MS which proved the intake of illegal

The relation of self-esteem and illegal drug usage in high school students.

PubMed

Khajehdaluee, Mohammad; Zavar, Abbas; Alidoust, Mahbobeh; Pourandi, Razieh

2013-11-01

Adolescence is the period of stress and strain. Researchers have shown that adolescents without strong social supports would have tendency towards smoking and drug abuse. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between low self-esteem and illegal drug abuse. Participants were 943 grades nine to 12 high school students, from Sarakhs during 2010 - 2011. Adolescents participated in the study, completed two self-report questionnaires. The first questionnaire included questions about individual and family information, smoking and illegal drug abuse history, and the second was the Rosenberg's self-esteem scale. 53.8% of participants were male (507 individuals). The mean Rosenberg self-esteem score was 19.8 + 5.2, and the most frequent obtained scores were from 22 to 30. The difference of Rosenberg self-esteem score test between students who did not use any substance and those who had a history of smoking or drug abuse like heroin, pills, alcohols, betel nut (Nas) and other drugs (such as Pan and Hookah) was significant (P < 0.001). But this difference was not significant for marijuana (hashish) and opium. The difference of mean self-esteem scores between adolescents who lived with both or one of the parents, and those who did not live with any of parents, was significant (P = 0.04). There was also a significant association between the number of children in the family and self-esteem score. The current study showed significant association between the Rosenberg self-esteem test results and smoking, and illegal drug abuse like heroin, pills, alcohol, Nas, and other substances. Therefore, increasing self-esteem is essential for preventing the adolescents' emotional and behavioral disorders. This fact could guide us to the new approaches for smoking and drug-abuse prevention in adolescents.

The Relation of Self-Esteem and Illegal Drug Usage in High School Students

PubMed Central

Khajehdaluee, Mohammad; Zavar, Abbas; Alidoust, Mahbobeh; Pourandi, Razieh

2013-01-01

Background Adolescence is the period of stress and strain. Researchers have shown that adolescents without strong social supports would have tendency towards smoking and drug abuse. Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between low self-esteem and illegal drug abuse. Materials and Methods Participants were 943 grades nine to 12 high school students, from Sarakhs during 2010 - 2011. Adolescents participated in the study, completed two self-report questionnaires. The first questionnaire included questions about individual and family information, smoking and illegal drug abuse history, and the second was the Rosenberg's self-esteem scale. Results 53.8% of participants were male (507 individuals). The mean Rosenberg self-esteem score was 19.8 + 5.2, and the most frequent obtained scores were from 22 to 30. The difference of Rosenberg self-esteem score test between students who did not use any substance and those who had a history of smoking or drug abuse like heroin, pills, alcohols, betel nut (Nas) and other drugs (such as Pan and Hookah) was significant (P < 0.001). But this difference was not significant for marijuana (hashish) and opium. The difference of mean self-esteem scores between adolescents who lived with both or one of the parents, and those who did not live with any of parents, was significant (P = 0.04). There was also a significant association between the number of children in the family and self-esteem score. Conclusions The current study showed significant association between the Rosenberg self-esteem test results and smoking, and illegal drug abuse like heroin, pills, alcohol, Nas, and other substances. Therefore, increasing self-esteem is essential for preventing the adolescents’ emotional and behavioral disorders. This fact could guide us to the new approaches for smoking and drug-abuse prevention in adolescents. PMID:24719686

Enhanced electron emission from coated metal targets: Effect of surface thickness on performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madas, Saibabu; Mishra, S. K.; Upadhyay Kahaly, Mousumi

2018-03-01

In this work, we establish an analytical formalism to address the temperature dependent electron emission from a metallic target with thin coating, operating at a finite temperature. Taking into account three dimensional parabolic energy dispersion for the target (base) material and suitable thickness dependent energy dispersion for the coating layer, Fermi Dirac statistics of electron energy distribution and Fowler's mechanism of the electron emission, we discuss the dependence of the emission flux on the physical properties such as the Fermi level, work function, thickness of the coating material, and operating temperature. Our systematic estimation of how the thickness of coating affects the emission current demonstrates superior emission characteristics for thin coating layer at high temperature (above 1000 K), whereas in low temperature regime, a better response is expected from thicker coating layer. This underlying fundamental behavior appears to be essentially identical for all configurations when work function of the coating layer is lower than that of the bulk target work function. The analysis and predictions could be useful in designing new coated materials with suitable thickness for applications in the field of thin film devices and field emitters.

Differences in illegal drug consumption between native and immigrants in a large sample of injected drug users in Catalonia (Spain).

PubMed

Saigí, Núria; Espelt, Albert; Folch, Cinta; Sarasa-Renedo, Ana; Castellano, Yolanda; Majó, Xavier; Meroño, Mercè; Brugal, M Teresa; Casabona, Jordi

2014-01-01

The aims of this study were to describe illegal drug abuse patterns in relation to the migration process and use of drug treatment centers among immigrant injected drug users (IDUs) involved in harm reduction programs, and to compare the characteristics of immigrant and native IDUs. Cross-sectional study of 748 IDUs aged ≥18 years attending harm reduction centers between 2008 and 2009. We explored differences in socio-economic status, illegal drug consumption, health status and use of treatment centers in native versus immigrant IDUs. We also described whether immigrant IDUs started using injected drugs before or after entering the host country. Immigrant IDUs tend to live alone more frequently, start injection at later ages, use heroin and inject it more frequently and use drug treatment centers less frequently than native IDUs. Seventy-six percent of immigrants began using illegal drugs before arriving at the host country. Those who started in other countries were residing in the host country for 5 years or less (63.9%). Overall, immigrant IDUs attended drug treatment centers (36.9%) less frequently than native IDUs (71.8%). In conclusion, migration could be a risk factor for illegal drug abuse initiation or increase in consumption, often with the adoption of local consumption patterns and aggravated due to a lower access to drug treatment centers.

Trait psychopathy, emotional intelligence, and criminal thinking: Predicting illegal behavior among college students.

PubMed

Fix, Rebecca L; Fix, Spencer T

2015-01-01

Research focusing on individuals high on trait psychopathy remains limited. Higher trait psychopathy is associated with lower levels of emotional intelligence and increased participation in illegal behavior. Additionally, research has confirmed significantly higher levels of criminal thinking and lower levels of empathy in the incarcerated psychopathic population. However, the relationships between trait psychopathy and criminal thinking have not been researched in the community or college population. To test for such differences, questionnaires containing relevant measures were administered to 111 college students. Results indicated that higher levels of trait psychopathy were significantly related to less caring for others, intrapersonal understanding, and general mood, and greater interpersonal functioning and stress management. Furthermore, trait psychopathy was a strong predictor of violent, property, drug, and status offenses. Power-oriented criminal thinking was also predictive of violent behaviors, and entitlement predicted property offending. Results suggest emotional intelligence is important for predicting psychopathy, and trait psychopathy is a strong predictor of all types of illegal behaviors among the non-incarcerated population. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Assessment of fire-damaged mesquite trees 8 years following an illegal burn

Treesearch

Gerald J. Gottfried; Peter F. Ffolliott; Pablo Garcia; Diego Valdez-Zamudio; Akram Al-Khouri

2003-01-01

Effects of an illegal burn on the Santa Rita Experimental Range on mesquite (Prosopis velutina) survival in the semidesert grass-shrub ecosystem was initially assessed in terms of firedamage classes 18 months after the fire and again 8 years after the burn. While many of the mesquite trees on the burned site were damaged by the fire, some of the trees appear to have...

Predictors of antimalarial self-medication in illegal gold miners in French Guiana: a pathway towards artemisinin resistance.

PubMed

Douine, M; Lazrek, Y; Blanchet, D; Pelleau, S; Chanlin, R; Corlin, F; Hureau, L; Volney, B; Hiwat, H; Vreden, S; Djossou, F; Demar, M; Nacher, M; Musset, L

2018-01-01

Malaria is endemic in French Guiana (FG), South America. Despite the decrease in cases in the local population, illegal gold miners are very affected by malaria (22.3% of them carried Plasmodium spp.). Self-medication seems to be very common, but its modalities and associated factors have not been studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate parasite susceptibility to drugs and to document behaviours that could contribute to resistance selection in illegal gold miners. This multicentric cross-sectional study was conducted in resting sites along the FG-Surinamese border. Participating gold miners working in FG completed a questionnaire and provided a blood sample. From January to June 2015, 421 illegal gold miners were included. Most were Brazilian (93.8%) and 70.5% were male. During the most recent malaria attack, 45.5% reported having been tested for malaria and 52.4% self-medicated, mainly with artemisinin derivatives (90%). Being in FG during the last malaria attack was the main factor associated with self-medication (adjusted OR = 22.1). This suggests that access to malaria diagnosis in FG is particularly difficult for Brazilian illegal gold miners. Treatment adherence was better for persons who reported being tested. None of the 32 samples with Plasmodium falciparum presented any mutation on the pfK13 gene, but one isolate showed a resistance profile to artemisinin derivatives in vitro. The risk factors for the selection of resistance are well known and this study showed that they are present in FG with persons who self-medicated with poor adherence. Interventions should be implemented among this specific population to avoid the emergence of artemisinin resistance. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Children's proneness to shame and guilt predict risky and illegal behaviors in young adulthood.

PubMed

Stuewig, Jeffrey; Tangney, June P; Kendall, Stephanie; Folk, Johanna B; Meyer, Candace Reinsmith; Dearing, Ronda L

2015-04-01

Do shame and guilt help people avoid doing wrong? Although some research suggests that guilt-proneness is a protective factor while shame-proneness puts individuals at risk, most research is either cross-sectional or short-term. In this longitudinal study, 380 5th graders (ages 10-12) completed measures of proneness to shame and guilt. We re-interviewed 68 % of participants after they turned 18 years old (range 18-21). Guilt-proneness assessed in childhood predicted fewer sexual partners, less use of illegal drugs and alcohol, and less involvement with the criminal justice system. Shame-proneness, in contrast, was a risk factor for later deviant behavior. Shame-prone children were more likely to have unprotected sex and use illegal drugs in young adulthood. These results held when controlling for childhood SES and teachers' ratings of aggression. Children's moral emotional styles appear to be well established by at least middle childhood, with distinct downstream implications for risky behavior in early adulthood.

Metal complexes of curcumin for cellular imaging, targeting, and photoinduced anticancer activity.

PubMed

Banerjee, Samya; Chakravarty, Akhil R

2015-07-21

damaging the cancer cells on photoactivation in visible light while being minimally toxic in darkness. In this Account, we have made an attempt to review the current status of the chemistry of metal curcumin complexes and present results from our recent studies on curcumin complexes showing remarkable in vitro photocytotoxicity. The undesirable dark toxicity of the complexes can be reduced with suitable choice of the metal and the ancillary ligands in a ternary structure. The complexes can be directed to specific subcellular organelles. Selectivity by targeting cancer cells over normal cells can be achieved with suitable ligand design. We expect that this methodology is likely to provide an impetus toward developing curcumin-based photochemotherapeutics for anticancer treatment and cure.

[Current status of illegal trade in pharmaceutical products on Internet auction sites in Japan and responses of site administrators to such transactions].

PubMed

Ohtani, Hisakazu; Imaoka, Ayuko; Akiyoshi, Takeshi

2015-01-01

In Japan, it is illegal to sell pharmaceuticals on Internet auction sites, although a considerable number of pharmaceuticals are listed on such sites. We investigated the current situation regarding the illegal trade in pharmaceuticals on Japanese Internet auction sites and the responses of site administrators to such transactions. We searched for pharmaceuticals and "gray" items that were suspected of being pharmaceuticals on Yahoo-oku! (Yahoo! Auctions, Japan) over a 37-day period and then submitted violation reports indicating that selling pharmaceuticals is illegal or that the description of an item was insufficient. The reports were directed to the site administrators and forwarded to the sellers. One hundred and six pharmaceutical products and 34 gray items were identified during the study period. After the submission of the violation reports, only 28 of the pharmaceutical products and one of the gray items were deleted by the administrator, while 18 of the pharmaceutical products and 7 of the gray items were withdrawn by their sellers. However, 41 pharmaceuticals and 20 gray items were sold. Most of the gray items were listed using characteristic terms or abbreviations without photographic images. More than 70% of the identified pharmaceuticals had a contraindication(s) other than hypersensitivity. In conclusion, the illegal trade in pharmaceuticals on Internet auction sites remains a serious problem in Japan, and the responses of site administrators to such transactions are inadequate. The government and pharmaceutical industry may have to take measures such as providing public and administrative guidance to stop the illegal trade in pharmaceuticals on the Internet.

Health risks related to illegal and on-line sale of drugs and food supplements: results of a survey on marketed products in Italy from 2011 to 2013.

PubMed

Gaudiano, Maria Cristina; Manna, Livia; Bartolomei, Monica; Rodomonte, Andrea Luca; Bertocchi, Paola; Antoniella, Eleonora; Romanini, Laura; Alimonti, Stefano; Rufini, Leandro; Valvo, Luisa

2016-01-01

The increasing illegal and on-line market of medicines and food supplements is helping the widespread diffusion of harmful counterfeit and forbidden products among consumers of developed countries. The objectives of this survey were the description of the main frauds recognized by public officers and the detection of illegal or counterfeit drugs and food supplements. Medicines and food supplements found by Police forces on the illegal market or resulting from seizures made by Italian Customs authorities were visually inspected and analysed to evaluate their quality and the presence of other undeclared substances. The visual inspection and the chemical analysis revealed unsuitable packaging (mostly lacking of adequate information for consumers), absence of the declared active substances and presence of undeclared active substances. Products containing doping agents, illegal substances and active ingredients requiring medical supervision were found. The present work confirmed the health risk associated with assumption of medicines purchased on the Internet and from the illegal supply chain and evidenced a new threat to consumer safety related to the presence of pharmaceutical active ingredients in food supplements claiming to contain only "natural ingredients".

Criminal Liability for Illegal Actions Concerning Insider Information in the Republic of Kazakhstan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Togaibaeva, Sholpan S.; Togaibaev, Amir I.; Khanov, Talgat A.; Sikhimbayev, Muratbay R.; Rustemova, Gaukhar R.

2016-01-01

The article considers the analysis of a crime under rule 230 of the Criminal code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (illegal actions in relation to insider information). The authors discuss the concept of insider information, the interpretation to the possibility of its misuse. A brief analysis of the object and the subject of insider information is…

Completing fishing monitoring with spaceborne Vessel Detection System (VDS) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) to assess illegal fishing in Indonesia.

PubMed

Longépé, Nicolas; Hajduch, Guillaume; Ardianto, Romy; Joux, Romain de; Nhunfat, Béatrice; Marzuki, Marza I; Fablet, Ronan; Hermawan, Indra; Germain, Olivier; Subki, Berny A; Farhan, Riza; Muttaqin, Ahmad Deni; Gaspar, Philippe

2017-10-26

The Indonesian fisheries management system is now equipped with the state-of-the-art technologies to deter and combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. Since October 2014, non-cooperative fishing vessels can be detected from spaceborne Vessel Detection System (VDS) based on high resolution radar imagery, which directly benefits to coordinated patrol vessels in operation context. This study attempts to monitor the amount of illegal fishing in the Arafura Sea based on this new source of information. It is analyzed together with Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and satellite-based Automatic Identification System (Sat-AIS) data, taking into account their own particularities. From October 2014 to March 2015, i.e. just after the establishment of a new moratorium by the Indonesian authorities, the estimated share of fishing vessels not carrying VMS, thus being illegal, ranges from 42 to 47%. One year later in January 2016, this proportion decreases and ranges from 32 to 42%. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental Pollution from Illegal Waste Disposal and Health Effects: A Review on the “Triangle of Death”

PubMed Central

Triassi, Maria; Alfano, Rossella; Illario, Maddalena; Nardone, Antonio; Caporale, Oreste; Montuori, Paolo

2015-01-01

The term “triangle of death” was used for the first time by Senior and Mazza in the journal The Lancet Oncology referring to the eastern area of the Campania Region (Southern Italy) which has one of the worst records of illegal waste dumping practices. In the past decades, many studies have focused on the potential of illegal waste disposal to cause adverse effects on human health in this area. The great heterogeneity in the findings, and the bias in media communication has generated great healthcare doubts, anxieties and alarm. This paper addresses a review of the up-to-date literature on the “triangle of death”, bringing together the available information on the occurrence and severity of health effects related to illegal waste disposal. The Scopus database was searched using the search terms “waste”, “Campania”, “Naples”, “triangle of death” and “human biomonitoring”. Despite the methodological and sampling heterogeneity between the studies, this review examines the evidence from published data concerning cancer incidence, childhood mortality and birth defects, so that the current situation, knowledge gaps and research priorities can be established. The review aims to provide a contribution to the scientific community, and to respond to the concerns of the general population. PMID:25622140

Metal cofactor modulated folding and target recognition of HIV-1 NCp7.

PubMed

Ren, Weitong; Ji, Dongqing; Xu, Xiulian

2018-01-01

The HIV-1 nucleocapsid 7 (NCp7) plays crucial roles in multiple stages of HIV-1 life cycle, and its biological functions rely on the binding of zinc ions. Understanding the molecular mechanism of how the zinc ions modulate the conformational dynamics and functions of the NCp7 is essential for the drug development and HIV-1 treatment. In this work, using a structure-based coarse-grained model, we studied the effects of zinc cofactors on the folding and target RNA(SL3) recognition of the NCp7 by molecular dynamics simulations. After reproducing some key properties of the zinc binding and folding of the NCp7 observed in previous experiments, our simulations revealed several interesting features in the metal ion modulated folding and target recognition. Firstly, we showed that the zinc binding makes the folding transition states of the two zinc fingers less structured, which is in line with the Hammond effect observed typically in mutation, temperature or denaturant induced perturbations to protein structure and stability. Secondly, We showed that there exists mutual interplay between the zinc ion binding and NCp7-target recognition. Binding of zinc ions enhances the affinity between the NCp7 and the target RNA, whereas the formation of the NCp7-RNA complex reshapes the intrinsic energy landscape of the NCp7 and increases the stability and zinc affinity of the two zinc fingers. Thirdly, by characterizing the effects of salt concentrations on the target RNA recognition, we showed that the NCp7 achieves optimal balance between the affinity and binding kinetics near the physiologically relevant salt concentrations. In addition, the effects of zinc binding on the inter-domain conformational flexibility and folding cooperativity of the NCp7 were also discussed.

Illegal Dumping of Toxic Waste and Its Effect on Human Health in Campania, Italy

PubMed Central

Mazza, Alfredo; Piscitelli, Prisco; Neglia, Cosimo; Rosa, Giulia Della; Iannuzzi, Leopoldo

2015-01-01

The region of Campania (particularly Naples and Caserta) has experienced an emergency in the waste management cycle during past years. Although the most critical phase has been overcome after the construction of the incineration plant in Acerra (an old-fashioned technology built up over a few months, whose impact on environment and health has not yet been assessed), most of the underlying problems have not been resolved. The illegal burning of wheels, plastics, textiles, and other industrial residuals, along with the detection of two thousand toxic substance dumping sites, still represents major concerns of environmental pollution and population health. This review summarizes the most relevant studies, which analyzed chemical contamination (primarily dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)) of the air, soil, water, animals, and humans in Campania. In addition, we reviewed information on population health (i.e., mortality data, congenital malformations, and cancer incidence). Moving from a detailed mapping of (mostly illegal) waste dumping sites in Campania, we have focused on recent studies which have found: (a) high concentrations of dioxins (≥5.0 pg TEQ/g fat) in milk samples from sheep, cows, and river buffaloes; (b) remarkable contamination of dioxin and PCBs in human milk samples from those living in the Naples and Caserta areas (PCDDs+PCDFs and dioxin-like-PCBs (dl-PCBs) assessed at 16.6 pg TEQ/g of fat; range: 7.5–43 pg/g of fat); (c) potential age-adjusted standardized mortality rates associated with some specific cancer types; (d) a statistically significant association between exposure to illegal toxic waste dumping sites and cancer mortality, even after adjustment by socio-economic factors and other environmental indicators. PMID:26086704

Illegal Dumping of Toxic Waste and Its Effect on Human Health in Campania, Italy.

PubMed

Mazza, Alfredo; Piscitelli, Prisco; Neglia, Cosimo; Della Rosa, Giulia; Iannuzzi, Leopoldo

2015-06-16

The region of Campania (particularly Naples and Caserta) has experienced an emergency in the waste management cycle during past years. Although the most critical phase has been overcome after the construction of the incineration plant in Acerra (an old-fashioned technology built up over a few months, whose impact on environment and health has not yet been assessed), most of the underlying problems have not been resolved. The illegal burning of wheels, plastics, textiles, and other industrial residuals, along with the detection of two thousand toxic substance dumping sites, still represents major concerns of environmental pollution and population health. This review summarizes the most relevant studies, which analyzed chemical contamination (primarily dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)) of the air, soil, water, animals, and humans in Campania. In addition, we reviewed information on population health (i.e., mortality data, congenital malformations, and cancer incidence). Moving from a detailed mapping of (mostly illegal) waste dumping sites in Campania, we have focused on recent studies which have found: (a) high concentrations of dioxins (≥5.0 pg TEQ/g fat) in milk samples from sheep, cows, and river buffaloes; (b) remarkable contamination of dioxin and PCBs in human milk samples from those living in the Naples and Caserta areas (PCDDs+PCDFs and dioxin-like-PCBs (dl-PCBs) assessed at 16.6 pg TEQ/g of fat; range: 7.5-43 pg/g of fat); (c) potential age-adjusted standardized mortality rates associated with some specific cancer types; (d) a statistically significant association between exposure to illegal toxic waste dumping sites and cancer mortality, even after adjustment by socio-economic factors and other environmental indicators.

How economic recessions and unemployment affect illegal drug use: A systematic realist literature review.

PubMed

Nagelhout, Gera E; Hummel, Karin; de Goeij, Moniek C M; de Vries, Hein; Kaner, Eileen; Lemmens, Paul

2017-06-01

Economic recessions may influence illegal drug use via different mechanisms, for example increased use due to more psychological distress or decreased use due to lower incomes and purchasing power. This paper reviews the literature on how economic recessions and unemployment affect the use of illegal drugs among adults. We conducted a systematic realist literature review, which is an explanatory method that aims to understand underlying mechanisms that connect an event to an outcome in a specific context. A systematic search was performed in EconLit, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, SocIndex, and Web of Science for studies examining mechanisms explaining how recessions or unemployment affect illegal drug use. We synthesized 28 studies published between 1990 and 2015. Most evidence (17 studies) was found for the counter-cyclical mechanism that recessions and unemployment increase psychological distress, which increases drug use. Mainly supportive evidence for this mechanism was found in several high quality studies, in different contexts, and in a diverse number of countries and samples. In contrast, decreased income did not seem to decrease drug use (10 studies). Little evidence was available on the non-working time mechanism (4 studies) and the social exclusion mechanism (5 studies). Most of the studies that did examine these latter mechanisms confirmed the hypothesized counter-cyclical associations. The current evidence is in line with the hypothesis that drug use increases in times of recession because unemployment increases psychological distress which increases drug use. During times of recession, psychological support for those who lost their job and are vulnerable to drug use (relapse) is likely to be important. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The costs of alcohol, illegal drugs, and tobacco in Canada, 2002.

PubMed

Rehm, Jürgen; Gnam, William; Popova, Svetlana; Baliunas, Dolly; Brochu, Serge; Fischer, Benedikt; Patra, Jayadeep; Sarnocinska-Hart, Anna; Taylor, Benjamin

2007-11-01

The aim of this study was to estimate costs attributable to substance use and misuse in Canada in 2002. Based on information about prevalence of exposure and risk relations for more than 80 disease categories, deaths, years of life lost, and hospitalizations attributable to substance use and misuse were estimated. In addition, substance-attributable fractions for criminal justice expenditures were derived. Indirect costs were estimated using a modified human capital approach. Costs of substance use and misuse totaled almost Can. $40 billion in 2002. The total cost per capita for substance use and misuse was about Can. $1,267: Can. $463 for alcohol, Can. $262 for illegal drugs, and Can. $541 for tobacco. Legal substances accounted for the vast majority of these costs (tobacco: almost 43% of total costs; alcohol: 37%). Indirect costs or productivity losses were the largest cost category (61%), followed by health care (22%) and law enforcement costs (14%). More than 40,000 people died in Canada in 2002 because of substance use and misuse: 37,209 deaths were attributable to tobacco, 4,258 were attributable to alcohol, and 1,695 were attributable to illegal drugs. A total of about 3.8 million hospital days were attributable to substance use and misuse, again mainly to tobacco. Substance use and misuse imposes a considerable economic toll on Canadian society and requires more preventive efforts.

[Illegal professional conflict of interest from the viewpoint of the attorney].

PubMed

Broglie, M G

1998-10-01

Since the so called "heart-valve scandal" occurred in Germany, the practice of financially or otherwise supported hospitals and practicing doctors has to be critically re-examined and may be changed. The practice and acceptance of support is common in many areas of our daily life, however, due to governmental social laws regulating the flow of money and due to the various financial forms of support for the health care system, criminal violations and sanctions may arise. Aside from the existing standard criminal violations, a new law, as of has been enacted August 13, 1997-this law specifically deals with bribery and the acceptance of such illegal payments. Proving that such a criminal violation was committed by a physician can be very difficult for the prosecutor. The mass of procedural laws--aside from the substantive law requirements--cause problems for the state. It is also very difficult to determine the exact amount of damages or that a physician has gained an illegal advantage. In these specific and other general cases, a professional defense by a competent attorney is absolutely essential to prevent an unpleasant suit or to resolve charges outside of court. In some cases, it may even be possible to persuade the prosecutor to only levy a fine, if it is not possible to persuade him to drop the charges all together--for lack of good evidence.

Perceptions and Practices of Illegal Abortion among Urban Young Adults in the Philippines: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Gipson, Jessica D.; Hirz, Alanna E.; Avila, Josephine L.

2015-01-01

This study draws on in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with young adults in a metropolitan area of the Philippines to examine perceptions and practices of illegal abortion. Study participants indicated that unintended pregnancies are common and may be resolved through eventual acceptance or through self-induced injury or ingestion of substances to terminate the pregnancy. Despite the illegality of abortion and the restricted status of misoprostol, substantial knowledge and use of the drug exists. Discussions mirrored broader controversies associated with abortion in this setting. Abortion was generally thought to invoke gaba (bad karma), yet some noted its acceptability under certain circumstances. This study elucidates the complexities of pregnancy decisionmaking in this restrictive environment and the need for comprehensive and confidential reproductive health services for Filipino young adults. PMID:22292245

Perceptions and practices of illegal abortion among urban young adults in the Philippines: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Gipson, Jessica D; Hirz, Alanna E; Avila, Josephine L

2011-12-01

This study draws on in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with young adults in a metropolitan area of the Philippines to examine perceptions and practices of illegal abortion. Study participants indicated that unintended pregnancies are common and may be resolved through eventual acceptance or through self-induced injury or ingestion of substances to terminate the pregnancy. Despite the illegality of abortion and the restricted status of misoprostol, substantial knowledge and use of the drug exists. Discussions mirrored broader controversies associated with abortion in this setting. Abortion was generally thought to invoke gaba (bad karma), yet some noted its acceptability under certain circumstances. This study elucidates the complexities of pregnancy decisionmaking in this restrictive environment and the need for comprehensive and confidential reproductive health services for Filipino young adults.

Breast Milk and Hair Testing to Detect Illegal Drugs, Nicotine, and Caffeine in Donors to a Human Milk Bank.

PubMed

Escuder-Vieco, Diana; Garcia-Algar, Óscar; Joya, Xavier; Marchei, Emilia; Pichini, Simona; Pacifici, Roberta; Pallás-Alonso, Carmen Rosa

2016-08-01

The use of illegal drugs and tobacco is an exclusion criteria for accepting a nursing mother as a milk donor. The detection window for human milk testing is typically a few hours. Hair testing has been considered the gold standard to assess chronic exposure to these toxic substances. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of illegal drugs, nicotine, and caffeine in breast milk and hair samples from donors to assess whether these substances were being used during the donation period and the months leading up to it. Thirty-six samples of hair and breast milk were obtained from 36 donors. The tests performed identified nicotine, caffeine, morphine, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines, codeine, methadone, and other substances derived therefrom. No illegal drugs were found in any of the samples analyzed. Nicotine and cotinine were found in 33.3% (12/36) of all hair samples. Among these 12 samples, 10 had cotinine concentrations consistent with cutoff values for unexposed nonsmokers, 1 had concentrations consistent with cutoff values for passive smokers, and 1 had concentrations consistent with cutoff values for active smokers. Caffeine was found in 77.7% of the hair samples and in 50% of the donor milk samples. The correlation for caffeine between donor milk and hair samples was r = 0.288, P = .0881. Donors do not use illegal drugs during either the donation period or the months leading up to it. They are occasionally exposed to tobacco smoke and almost all of them consume caffeine. © The Author(s) 2016.

Overview of skin whitening agents with an insight into the illegal cosmetic market in Europe.

PubMed

Desmedt, B; Courselle, P; De Beer, J O; Rogiers, V; Grosber, M; Deconinck, E; De Paepe, K

2016-06-01

Lightening skin tone is an ancient and well-documented practice, and remains common practice among many cultures. Whitening agents such as corticosteroids, tretinoin and hydroquinone are medically applied to effectively lighten the skin tone of hyperpigmented lesions. However, when these agents are used cosmetically, they are associated with a variety of side-effect. Alternative agents, such as arbutin and its derivatives kojic acid and nicotinamide have been subsequently developed for cosmetic purposes. Unfortunately, some cosmetics contain whitening agents that are banned for use in cosmetic products. This article provides an overview of the mode of action and potential side-effects of cosmetic legal and illegal whitening agents, and the pattern of use of these types of products. Finally, an EU analysis of the health problems due to the presence of illegal products on the market is summarized. © 2016 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Assessment of Caspian Seal By-Catch in an Illegal Fishery Using an Interview-Based Approach

PubMed Central

Dmitrieva, Lilia; Kondakov, Andrey A.; Oleynikov, Eugeny; Kydyrmanov, Aidyn; Karamendin, Kobey; Kasimbekov, Yesbol; Baimukanov, Mirgaliy; Wilson, Susan; Goodman, Simon J.

2013-01-01

The Caspian seal (Pusa caspica) has declined by more than 90% since 1900 and is listed as endangered by IUCN. We made the first quantitative assessment of Caspian seal by-catch mortality in fisheries in the north Caspian Sea by conducting semi-structured interviews in fishing communities along the coasts of Russia (Kalmykia, Dagestan), Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. We recorded a documented minimum by-catch of 1,215 seals in the survey sample, for the 2008–2009 fishing season, 93% of which occurred in illegal sturgeon fisheries. Due to the illegal nature of the fishery, accurately quantifying total fishing effort is problematic and the survey sample could reflect less than 10% of poaching activity in the north Caspian Sea. Therefore total annual by-catch may be significantly greater than the minimum documented by the survey. The presence of high by-catch rates was supported independently by evidence of net entanglement from seal carcasses, during a mass stranding on the Kazakh coast in May 2009, where 30 of 312 carcasses were entangled in large mesh sturgeon net remnants. The documented minimum by-catch may account for 5 to 19% of annual pup production. Sturgeon poaching therefore not only represents a serious threat to Caspian sturgeon populations, but may also be having broader impacts on the Caspian Sea ecosystem by contributing to a decline in one of the ecosystem’s key predators. This study demonstrates the utility of interview-based approaches in providing rapid assessments of by-catch in illegal small-scale fisheries, which are not amenable to study by other methods. PMID:23840590

Assessment of Caspian Seal By-Catch in an Illegal Fishery Using an Interview-Based Approach.

PubMed

Dmitrieva, Lilia; Kondakov, Andrey A; Oleynikov, Eugeny; Kydyrmanov, Aidyn; Karamendin, Kobey; Kasimbekov, Yesbol; Baimukanov, Mirgaliy; Wilson, Susan; Goodman, Simon J

2013-01-01

The Caspian seal (Pusa caspica) has declined by more than 90% since 1900 and is listed as endangered by IUCN. We made the first quantitative assessment of Caspian seal by-catch mortality in fisheries in the north Caspian Sea by conducting semi-structured interviews in fishing communities along the coasts of Russia (Kalmykia, Dagestan), Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. We recorded a documented minimum by-catch of 1,215 seals in the survey sample, for the 2008-2009 fishing season, 93% of which occurred in illegal sturgeon fisheries. Due to the illegal nature of the fishery, accurately quantifying total fishing effort is problematic and the survey sample could reflect less than 10% of poaching activity in the north Caspian Sea. Therefore total annual by-catch may be significantly greater than the minimum documented by the survey. The presence of high by-catch rates was supported independently by evidence of net entanglement from seal carcasses, during a mass stranding on the Kazakh coast in May 2009, where 30 of 312 carcasses were entangled in large mesh sturgeon net remnants. The documented minimum by-catch may account for 5 to 19% of annual pup production. Sturgeon poaching therefore not only represents a serious threat to Caspian sturgeon populations, but may also be having broader impacts on the Caspian Sea ecosystem by contributing to a decline in one of the ecosystem's key predators. This study demonstrates the utility of interview-based approaches in providing rapid assessments of by-catch in illegal small-scale fisheries, which are not amenable to study by other methods.

Changes in the emission properties of metallic targets upon exposure to repetitively pulsed laser radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konov, V. I.; Pimenov, S. M.; Prokhorov, A. M.; Chapliev, N. I.

1988-02-01

A scanning electron microscope and a repetitively pulsed CO2 laser are used to reveal the relationships which govern the correlation of the transforming metal surface microrelief with the emission of charged particles and the surface luminescence upon exposure to multipulse laser focusing. It is shown that the effect of sorption and laser-stimulated desorption on the emission signals can manifest itself in different ways depending on the current oscillation mode in the target-vacuum chamber circuit.

75 FR 10213 - Identification of Nations Whose Fishing Vessels are Engaged in Illegal, Unreported, or...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-05

... Identification of Nations Whose Fishing Vessels are Engaged in Illegal, Unreported, or Unregulated Fishing and/or..., or unreported (IUU) fishing or bycatch of protected living marine resources (PLMRs). Such information... Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (Moratorium Protection Act). DATES: Information should be received on or...

Family Structure versus Family Relationships for Predicting to Substance Use/Abuse and Illegal Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedman, Alfred S.; Terras, Arlene; Glassman, Kimberly

2000-01-01

Study looked at sample of African-American adolescent males to determine the degree to which family structure (e.g., single parent vs. two-parent families) vs. the nature of the family relationships predict sons' involvement in substance use/abuse and illegal behavior. Of 33 relationships measures analyzed, 3 predicted the degree of recent…

[Abortion in unsafe conditions. Concealment, illegality, corruption and negligence].

PubMed

Ortiz Ortega, A

1993-01-01

"Abortion practiced under conditions of risk" is a phrase used to refer to illegal abortion. The phrase does not highlight the disappearance of risk when legislation changes. Rather, it calls attention to the fact that legal restrictions significantly increase dangers while failing to discourage women determined to terminate pregnancies. The International Planned Parenthood Federation defines abortion under conditions of risk as the use of nonoptimal technology, lack of counseling and services to orient the woman's decision and provide postabortion counseling, and the limitation of freedom to make the decision. The phrase encompasses concealment, illegality, corruption, and negligence. It is designed to impose a reproductive health perspective in response to an unresolved social conflict. Steps have been developed to improve the situation of women undergoing abortion even without a change in its legal status. Such steps include training and purchase of equipment for treatment of incomplete abortions and development of counseling and family planning services. The central difficulty of abortion induced in conditions of risk derives from the laws imposing the need for secrecy. In Mexico, the abortion decision belongs to the government and the society, while individual absorb the consequences of the practice of abortion. Public decision making about abortion is dominated by the concept that the female has an obligation to carry any pregnancy to term. Women who interfere with male descendency and practice a sexuality distinct from reproduction are made to pay a price in health and emotional balance. Resolution of the problem of abortion will require new concepts in terms of legal status, public health issues, and the rights of women. The problem becomes more pressing as abortion becomes more common in a country anxious to advance in the demographic transition. Only a commitment to the reproductive health of women and the full development of their rights as citizens will

Children’s Proneness to Shame and Guilt Predict Risky and Illegal Behaviors in Young Adulthood

PubMed Central

Stuewig, Jeffrey; Tangney, June P.; Kendall, Stephanie; Folk, Johanna B.; Meyer, Candace Reinsmith; Dearing, Ronda L.

2014-01-01

Do shame and guilt help people avoid doing wrong? Although some research suggests that guilt-proneness is a protective factor while shame-proneness puts individuals at risk, most research is either cross-sectional or short-term. In this longitudinal study, 380 5th graders (ages 10–12) completed measures of proneness to shame and guilt. We re-interviewed 68% of participants after they turned 18 years old (range 18–21). Guilt-proneness assessed in childhood predicted fewer sexual partners, less use of illegal drugs and alcohol, and less involvement with the criminal justice system. Shame-proneness, in contrast, was a risk factor for later deviant behavior. Shame-prone children were more likely to have unprotected sex and use illegal drugs in young adulthood. These results held when controlling for childhood SES and teachers’ ratings of aggression. Children’s moral emotional styles appear to be well established by at least middle childhood, with distinct downstream implications for risky behavior in early adulthood. PMID:24842762

Non-Destructive and Discriminating Identification of Illegal Drugs by Transient Absorption Spectroscopy in the Visible and Near-IR Wavelength Range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Chie; Furube, Akihiro; Katoh, Ryuzi; Nonaka, Hidehiko; Inoue, Hiroyuki

2008-11-01

We have tested the possibility of identifying illegal drugs by means of nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy with a 10-ns UV-laser pulse for the excitation light and visible-to-near-IR light for the probe light. We measured the transient absorption spectra of acetonitrile solutions of d-methamphetamine, dl-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine hydrochloride (MDMA), and dl-N-methyl-1-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-butanamine hydrochloride (MBDB), which are illegal drugs widely consumed in Japan. Transient absorption signals of these drugs were observed between 400 and 950 nm, a range in which they are transparent in the ground state. By analyzing the spectra in terms of exponential and Gaussian functions, we could identify the drugs and discriminate them from chemical substances having similar structures. We propose that transient absorption spectroscopy will be a useful, non-destructive method of inspecting for illegal drugs, especially when they are dissolved in liquids. Such a method may even be used for drugs packed in opaque materials if it is further extended to utilize intense femtosecond laser pulses.

Risk of Introduction in Northern Vietnam of HPAI Viruses from China: Description, Patterns and Drivers of Illegal Poultry Trade.

PubMed

Desvaux, S; Nguyen, C O; Vu, D T; Henriquez, C; Ky, V D; Roger, F; Fenwick, S; Goutard, F

2016-08-01

Poultry movement is known to contribute to the dissemination of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses. In Northern Vietnam, the illegal trade of poultry from China is a source of concern and is considered as responsible for the regular introduction of new H5N1 viruses. The general objective of this study was to get a better understanding of this illegal trade (organization, volume, actors involved and drivers) to propose adequate preventive and control options. The information was also used to qualitatively evaluate the risk of exposure of susceptible poultry to HPAI H5N1 virus introduced from China by illegally traded poultry. We found that the main products imported from China are spent hens, day-old chicks (DOCs) and ducklings; spent hens being introduced in very large number. The drivers of this trade are multiple: economic (especially for spent hens) but also technical (demand for improved genetic potential for DOC and ducklings). Furthermore, these introductions also meet a high consumer demand at certain periods of the year. We also found that spatial dispersion of a batch of poultry illegally introduced from China is extensive and rapid, making any prediction of possible new outbreaks very hazardous. Finally, a risk mitigation plan should include measures to tackle the drivers of this trade or to legally organize it, to limit the threat to the local poultry sector. It is also essential for traders to be progressively better organized and biosecure and for hygienic practices to be enforced, as our study confirmed that at-risk behaviours are still very common among this profession. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Water-soluble polymers for recovery of metal ions from aqueous streams

DOEpatents

Smith, Barbara F.; Robison, Thomas W.

1998-01-01

A process of selectively separating a target metal contained in an aqueous solution by contacting the aqueous solution containing a target metal with an aqueous solution including a water-soluble polymer capable of binding with the target metal for sufficient time whereby a water-soluble polymer-target metal complex is formed, and, separating the solution including the water-soluble polymer-target metal complex from the solution is disclosed.

A multi-element screening method to identify metal targets for blood biomonitoring in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas).

PubMed

Villa, C A; Finlayson, S; Limpus, C; Gaus, C

2015-04-15

Biomonitoring of blood is commonly used to identify and quantify occupational or environmental exposure to chemical contaminants. Increasingly, this technique has been applied to wildlife contaminant monitoring, including for green turtles, allowing for the non-lethal evaluation of chemical exposure in their nearshore environment. The sources, composition, bioavailability and toxicity of metals in the marine environment are, however, often unknown and influenced by numerous biotic and abiotic factors. These factors can vary considerably across time and space making the selection of the most informative elements for biomonitoring challenging. This study aimed to validate an ICP-MS multi-element screening method for green turtle blood in order to identify and facilitate prioritisation of target metals for subsequent fully quantitative analysis. Multi-element screening provided semiquantitative results for 70 elements, 28 of which were also determined through fully quantitative analysis. Of the 28 comparable elements, 23 of the semiquantitative results had an accuracy between 67% and 112% relative to the fully quantified values. In lieu of any available turtle certified reference materials (CRMs), we evaluated the use of human blood CRMs as a matrix surrogate for quality control, and compared two commonly used sample preparation methods for matrix related effects. The results demonstrate that human blood provides an appropriate matrix for use as a quality control material in the fully quantitative analysis of metals in turtle blood. An example for the application of this screening method is provided by comparing screening results from blood of green turtles foraging in an urban and rural region in Queensland, Australia. Potential targets for future metal biomonitoring in these regions were identified by this approach. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Validation of a screening questionnaire for a human milk bank to determine the presence of illegal drugs, nicotine, and caffeine.

PubMed

Escuder-Vieco, Diana; Garcia-Algar, Óscar; Pichini, Simona; Pacifici, Roberta; García-Lara, Nadia Raquel; Pallás-Alonso, Carmen Rosa

2014-04-01

To validate the health and lifestyle questionnaire answered by donors to a human milk bank with respect to the presence of illegal drugs, nicotine, and caffeine levels in donor milk. A total of 400 human milk samples from 63 donors were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for the presence of 14 illegal drugs, nicotine, and caffeine. Demographics and clinical and lifestyle data (illegal drugs, tobacco, and caffeinated beverage use) were collected from the required screening questionnaire of a human milk bank. The relationship between the 2 evaluation techniques was determined. Illegal drugs were not found in donor milk. Nicotine (46.1 ng/mL) and cotinine (138.6 ng/mL) were quantified in one milk sample from a donor who did not report tobacco use in the questionnaire (1.6% false negative). Caffeine was detected in 45.3% (181/400) of the total milk samples, with a mean concentration of 496 ± 778 ng/mL. The sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaire to detect caffeine in donor milk was 46% and 77%, respectively. The lifestyle questionnaire is reliable for the assessment of illicit drug use by donors to a human milk bank, but there are certain limitations regarding the identification of second-hand smoke exposure and the disclosure of consumption of caffeinated beverages. Data such as smoking habits of partners, type and volume of beverage or food containing caffeine, method of preparation, and time of day of consumption should be collected by the questionnaire. Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

The impact of illegal waste sites on a transmission of zoonotic viruses.

PubMed

Duh, Darja; Hasic, Sandra; Buzan, Elena

2017-07-20

Illegal waste disposal impacts public health and causes aesthetic and environmental pollution. Waste disposed in places without permitted and controlled facilities can provide a ready source of nutrition and shelter for rodents and thus promote the spread of their ecto- and endoparasites. The presence of two distinct zoonotic viruses, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), was searched at illegal waste sites. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of infection with both viruses in rodents and to discuss the virus-rodent relations in such environments. Rodents sampled between October 2011 and April 2013 at 7 locations in the Istrian peninsula, were identified morphologically and genetically to minimize misidentification. Serological and molecular techniques were used to determine seroprevalence of infection in rodents and to detect viral RNAs. Serological testing was performed by immune fluorescence assay for detection of LCMV and TBEV specific antibodies. Real-time RT PCR was used for the detection of LCMV nucleoprotein gene and TBEV 3' non-coding region. Data were statistically analysed using SPSS statistic v2.0. Out of 82 rodent sera tested, the presence of LCMV antibodies was demonstrated in 24.93%. The highest prevalence of LCMV infection was found in commensal Mus musculus (47.37%), followed by 11.53%, 19.04% and 25% prevalence of infection in A. agrarius, A. flavicolis and A. sylvaticus, respectively. The highest prevalence of infection in rodents (53.33%) was found in locations with large waste sites and high anthropogenic influence. LCMV seroprevalence was significantly lower in rodents sampled from natural habitats. Viral nucleic acids were screened in 46 samples but yielded no amplicons of LCMV or TBEV. In addition, TBEV specific antibodies were not detected. Illegal waste sites have considerable impact on the area where they are located. Results have shown that the transmission of human

Pre-Teenage Pupils' Experiences of Education in School on the Subject of Illegal Drugs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntosh, James; MacDonald, Fiona; McKeganey, Neil

2004-01-01

There is mounting evidence that the age at which children are using and becoming exposed to illegal drugs is declining and that such use and exposure is becoming an increasing problem within pre-teenage populations. This suggests that there is an important role for drug education in primary schools in encouraging and helping young children to…

Microjet formation and hard x-ray production from a liquid metal target irradiated by intense femtosecond laser pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lar'kin, A.; Uryupina, D.; Ivanov, K.; Savel'ev, A.; Bonnet, T.; Gobet, F.; Hannachi, F.; Tarisien, M.; Versteegen, M.; Spohr, K.; Breil, J.; Chimier, B.; Dorchies, F.; Fourment, C.; Leguay, P.-M.; Tikhonchuk, V. T.

2014-09-01

By using a liquid metal as a target one may significantly enhance the yield of hard x-rays with a sequence of two intense femtosecond laser pulses. The influence of the time delay between the two pulses is studied experimentally and interpreted with numerical simulations. It was suggested that the first arbitrary weak pulse produces microjets from the target surface, while the second intense pulse provides an efficient electron heating and acceleration along the jet surface. These energetic electrons are the source of x-ray emission while striking the target surface. The microjet formation is explained based on the results given by both optical diagnostics and hydrodynamic modeling by a collision of shocks originated from two distinct zones of laser energy deposition.

Using spatial patterns in illegal wildlife uses to reveal connections between subsistence hunting and trade.

PubMed

Sánchez-Mercado, Ada; Asmüssen, Marianne; Rodríguez-Clark, Kathryn M; Rodríguez, Jon Paul; Jedrzejewski, Wlodzimierz

2016-12-01

Although most often considered independently, subsistence hunting, domestic trade, and international trade as components of illegal wildlife use (IWU) may be spatially correlated. Understanding how and where subsistence and commercial uses may co-occur has important implications for the design and implementation of effective conservation actions. We analyzed patterns in the joint geographical distribution of illegal commercial and subsistence use of multiple wildlife species in Venezuela and evaluated whether available data were sufficient to provide accurate estimates of the magnitude, scope, and detectability of IWU. We compiled records of illegal subsistence hunting and trade from several sources and fitted a random-forest classification model to predict the spatial distribution of IWUs. From 1969 to 2014, 404 species and 8,340,921 specimens were involved in IWU, for a mean extraction rate of 185,354 individuals/year. Birds were the most speciose group involved (248 spp.), but reptiles had the highest extraction rates (126,414 individuals/year vs. 3,133 individuals/year for birds). Eighty-eight percent of international trade records spatially overlapped with domestic trade, especially in the north and along the coast but also in western inland areas. The distribution of domestic trade was broadly distributed along roads, suggesting that domestic trade does not depend on large markets in cities. Seventeen percent of domestic trade records overlapped with subsistence hunting, but the spatial distribution of this overlap covered a much larger area than between commercial uses. Domestic trade seems to respond to demand from rural more than urban communities. Our approach will be useful for understanding how IWU works at national scales in other parts of the world. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

[Analysis and identification of illegal constituents in health food products implicitly advertizing tonic or slimming effect in the National Institute of Health Sciences in Japan].

PubMed

Goda, Yukihiro

2014-01-01

With the prefectural governments' aid of the purchase, the Division of Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry and Narcotics, National Institute of Health Sciences (NIHS) successively has surveyed illegal constituents in health food products implicitly advertizing tonic or slimming effect since the fiscal year of 2002 (slimming type) or 2003 (tonic type). The average numbers of the analyzed products per year are about 100 (slimming type) and 150 (tonic type), respectively. We also continuously distribute standards of authentic samples of several illegal components such as N-nitrosofenfluramine (NFF) and sildenafil (SIL) to prefectural institutes and the average gross number per year is about 140. In the case of slimming type, the fact that the products containing NFF were widely sold in Japanese markets in 2002 is well known. In addition, phenolphthalein, fenfluramine, sibtramine, desdimethylsibtramine, orlistat, mazindol, Rhubarb, Senna Leaf, etc. have been found as illegal constituents. In the tonic type products, we have identified more than 20 synthetic compounds relating to the erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment drugs, SIL, vardenafil and tadalafil (TDF). Since 2005, their synthetic intermediates and the patented but non-approved PDE5 inhibitors also have been found. It should be noted that TDF was found in the shells of capsule in 2009 and that mutaprodenafil was found as pro-drug type illegal component in 2010. In this report identification method of these illegal constituents is briefly described and then analytical trend in this decade is reviewed.

Alcohol, Sex and Illegal Activities: An Analysis of Selected Facebook Central Photos in Fifty States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Sandy White; Smith, Zachary; Driver, Jennifer

2006-01-01

The purpose of this research study was to evaluate the central photos of 150 students in 50 states participating in Facebook for evidence of alcohol consumption, illegal activities and portrayal of sexually inappropriate behaviors (including nudity or partial nudity). Because the media has frequently reported evidence of these behaviors in…

[Doping with illegal and legal substances in old age].

PubMed

Münzer, Thomas

2018-02-01

The number of old persons who participate in sports and can even achieve peak performances is increasing steadily. Normal aging, however, is associated with decreased muscle strength and a decline in cardiovascular endurance even in those persons who regularly participate in sports. Thus, it seems obvious to impact on muscle mass and muscle strength by using anabolic substances. The number of older persons who illegally use doping substances is currently unknown. Besides classical anabolic drugs, other proteins and amino acids are used to impact on muscle mass or strength. This article provides some insights into clinical trials of classical anabolic drugs in older persons and gives an overview on more recent studies examining the potential effects of taurine, creatine and whey protein in older persons.

[Current situation and issues for analyzing illegal drug products].

PubMed

Hasegawa, Takashi; Takahashi, Kazunaga; Saijo, Masaaki; Fukiwake, Tomohide; Motoki, Yuji

2013-01-01

Thirty-two psychotropic substances (31 compounds and one plant) have been controlled as designated substances (Shitei-yakubutsu) in Japan by the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law since April 2007. Although the trafficking of these drugs has decreased because of this regulation, new designer drugs (synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones) have appeared, one after the other. As of October 2011, 40 compounds had been newly added to this category. Analytical methods have become more complicated due to this increase in the number of designated substances. Moreover, many reference substances for such designated substances and other new designer drugs are not commercially available. For the reasons stated above, a lot of time and effort is required to analyze the illegal drug products available on the market.

Rapid and reliable determination of illegal adulterant in herbal medicines and dietary supplements by LC/MS/MS.

PubMed

Liang, Qionglin; Qu, Jun; Luo, Guoan; Wang, Yiming

2006-02-13

In recent years, dietary supplements and herbal medicines are increasing in popularity all over the world. However, it is problematic that some manufacturers illegally included synthetic drugs in their products. Due to the extremely complex matrices of those products, most existing methods for screening illegal adulterations are time-consuming and liable to false positive. In this paper, a robust LC/MS/MS method for the high-throughput, sensitive and reliable determination of illegal adulterations from herbal medicines and dietary supplements was established. Minimal LC separation was employed and MRM was used to simultaneously monitor the three transitions under their respective optimal collision energy for each compound. Positive results were determined only if well-defined peaks appeared at all of the three transitions and the ratios among the peak areas were within given threshold. In this study, the method had been applied for the screening of nine most commonly adulterated therapeutic substances, such as sildenafil (Viagra) and famotidine, and the lower limits of detection of these compounds ranged from 0.05 to 1.5 ng/ml. Little sample preparation was needed for this method and the analysis time was less than 5 min/sample. The reliability has been demonstrated by the test with blank matrix. Over 200 products that were under suspicion by SDA of China had been assayed and till now no false negative or positive result was found. This method is rapid, simple, reliable and capable of screening multiple adulterants in one run.

Tracking Foodborne Pathogenic Bacteria in Raw and Ready-to-Eat Food Illegally Sold at the Eastern EU Border.

PubMed

Ciolacu, Luminita; Stessl, Beatrix; Bolocan, Andrei Sorin; Oniciuc, Elena Alexandra; Wagner, Martin; Rychli, Kathrin; Nicolau, Anca Ioana

2016-03-01

Food illegally brought into the European Union, mainly in the personal luggage of travelers, represents a potential threat to consumers' health. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of five pathogens in food brought into the European Union by Moldavian citizens as personal goods and illegally sold in Romania in the vicinity of the border. The occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes was 7.5% and 8%, while Campylobacter spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella spp. were absent in all samples. L. monocytogenes sequence type 2, 9, 121, and 155, highly prevalent among foodstuffs worldwide, was also present among isolates from ready-to-eat food illegally sold in Romania, even at the same date of sampling, indicating cross-contamination during food handling. S. aureus spa types t449, t304, and t524 were most often isolated from raw-milk cheeses contaminated with 10(3)-10(5) colony-forming units per gram, evidencing a contamination at herd level or unhygienic conditions during processing. S. aureus t011 and t3625, both included in the livestock-associated CC398, were isolated from pork lard and poultry meat. This study shows that cross-border trade from nonmember states represents a neglected route of transmission of foodborne pathogens into the European Union that could lead to sporadic or family-associated cases of disease.

An electrochemical aptasensor for multiplex antibiotics detection based on metal ions doped nanoscale MOFs as signal tracers and RecJf exonuclease-assisted targets recycling amplification.

PubMed

Chen, Meng; Gan, Ning; Zhou, You; Li, Tianhua; Xu, Qing; Cao, Yuting; Chen, Yinji

2016-12-01

An ultrasensitive electrochemical aptasensor for simultaneous detection of oxytetracycline (OTC) and kanamycin (KAN) has been developed based on metal ions doped metal organic frame materials (MOFs) as signal tracers and RecJ f exonuclease-catalyzed targets recycling amplification. The aptasensor consists of capture beads (the anti-single-stranded DNA Antibody, as anti-ssDNA Ab, labeled on Dynabeads) and nanoscale MOF (NMOF) based signal tracers (simplified as Apts-MNM, the NMOF labeled with metal ions and the aptamers). Particularly, the MOF (UiO-66-NH 2 ), with large internal surface areas, ultrahigh porosity and abundant amine groups in the pores, was employed as substrates to carry plenty of metal ions (Pb 2+ or Cd 2+ ) and label aptamers of OTC or KAN. Thus, the aptasensor is formed by the specific recognition between anti-ssDNA Ab and aptamers. In the presence of targets (OTC and KAN), aptamers prefer to form targets-Apts-MNM complexes in lieu of anti-ssDNA Ab-aptamer complexes, which results in the dissociation of Apts-MNM from capture beads. With the employment of RecJ f exonuclease, targets-Apts-MNM in supernatant was digested into mononucleotides and liberated the target, which can further participate in the next reaction cycling to produce more signal tracers. After magnetic separation, the enhanced square wave voltammetry (SWV) signals were produced from signal tracers. The aptasensor exhibited a linear correlation in the range from 0.5pM to 50nM, with detection limits of 0.18pM and 0.15pM (S/N=3) toward OTC and KAN respectively. This strategy provides specificity and sensitive approach for multiplex antibiotics detection and has promising applications in food analysis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pet snakes illegally marketed in Brazil: Climatic viability and establishment risk.

PubMed

Fonseca, Érica; Solé, Mirco; Rödder, Dennis; de Marco, Paulo

2017-01-01

Invasive species are one among many threats to biodiversity. Brazil has been spared, generically, of several destructive invasive species. Reports of invasive snakes' populations are nonexistent, but the illegal pet trade might change this scenario. Despite the Brazilian laws forbid to import most animals, illegal trade is frequently observed and propagules are found in the wild. The high species richness within Brazilian biomes and accelerated fragmentation of natural reserves are a critical factors facilitating successful invasion. An efficient way to ease damages caused by invasive species is identifying potential invaders and consequent prevention of introductions. For the identification of potential invaders many factors need to be considered, including estimates of climate matching between areas (native vs. invaded). Ecological niche modelling has been widely used to predict potential areas for invasion and is an important tool for conservation biology. This study evaluates the potential geographical distribution and establishment risk of Lampropeltis getula (Linnaeus, 1766), Lampropeltis triangulum (Lacépède, 1789), Pantherophis guttatus (Linnaeus, 1766), Python bivittatus Kuhl, 1820 and Python regius (Shaw, 1802) through the Maximum Entropy modelling approach to estimate the potential distribution of the species within Brazil and qualitative evaluation of specific biological attributes. Our results suggest that the North and Midwest regions harbor major suitable areas. Furthermore, P. bivittatus and P. guttatus were suggested to have the highest invasive potential among the analyzed species. Potentially suitable areas for these species were predicted within areas which are highly relevant for Brazilian biodiversity, including several conservation units. Therefore, these areas require special attention and preventive measures should be adopted.

Pet snakes illegally marketed in Brazil: Climatic viability and establishment risk

PubMed Central

Rödder, Dennis; de Marco, Paulo

2017-01-01

Invasive species are one among many threats to biodiversity. Brazil has been spared, generically, of several destructive invasive species. Reports of invasive snakes’ populations are nonexistent, but the illegal pet trade might change this scenario. Despite the Brazilian laws forbid to import most animals, illegal trade is frequently observed and propagules are found in the wild. The high species richness within Brazilian biomes and accelerated fragmentation of natural reserves are a critical factors facilitating successful invasion. An efficient way to ease damages caused by invasive species is identifying potential invaders and consequent prevention of introductions. For the identification of potential invaders many factors need to be considered, including estimates of climate matching between areas (native vs. invaded). Ecological niche modelling has been widely used to predict potential areas for invasion and is an important tool for conservation biology. This study evaluates the potential geographical distribution and establishment risk of Lampropeltis getula (Linnaeus, 1766), Lampropeltis triangulum (Lacépède, 1789), Pantherophis guttatus (Linnaeus, 1766), Python bivittatus Kuhl, 1820 and Python regius (Shaw, 1802) through the Maximum Entropy modelling approach to estimate the potential distribution of the species within Brazil and qualitative evaluation of specific biological attributes. Our results suggest that the North and Midwest regions harbor major suitable areas. Furthermore, P. bivittatus and P. guttatus were suggested to have the highest invasive potential among the analyzed species. Potentially suitable areas for these species were predicted within areas which are highly relevant for Brazilian biodiversity, including several conservation units. Therefore, these areas require special attention and preventive measures should be adopted. PMID:28817630

Linking cases of illegal shootings of the endangered California condor using stable lead isotope analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Finkelstein, Myra E., E-mail: myraf@ucsc.edu; Kuspa, Zeka E.; Welch, Alacia

Lead poisoning is preventing the recovery of the critically endangered California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) and lead isotope analyses have demonstrated that ingestion of spent lead ammunition is the principal source of lead poisoning in condors. Over an 8 month period in 2009, three lead-poisoned condors were independently presented with birdshot embedded in their tissues, evidencing they had been shot. No information connecting these illegal shooting events existed and the timing of the shooting(s) was unknown. Using lead concentration and stable lead isotope analyses of feathers, blood, and recovered birdshot, we observed that: i) lead isotope ratios of embedded shot frommore » all three birds were measurably indistinguishable from each other, suggesting a common source; ii) lead exposure histories re-constructed from feather analysis suggested that the shooting(s) occurred within the same timeframe; and iii) two of the three condors were lead poisoned from a lead source isotopically indistinguishable from the embedded birdshot, implicating ingestion of this type of birdshot as the source of poisoning. One of the condors was subsequently lead poisoned the following year from ingestion of a lead buckshot (blood lead 556 µg/dL), illustrating that ingested shot possess a substantially greater lead poisoning risk compared to embedded shot retained in tissue (blood lead ∼20 µg/dL). To our knowledge, this is the first study to use lead isotopes as a tool to retrospectively link wildlife shooting events. - Highlights: • We conducted a case-based analysis of illegal shootings of California condors. • Blood and feather Pb isotopes were used to reconstruct the illegal shooting events. • Embedded birdshot from the three condors had the same Pb isotope ratios. • Feather and blood Pb isotopes indicated that the condors were shot in a common event. • Ingested shot causes substantially greater lead exposure compared to embedded shot.« less

Novel strategy for the determination of illegal adulterants in health foods and herbal medicines using high-performance liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Wang, Zhe; Wu, Caisheng; Wang, Gangli; Zhang, Qingsheng; Zhang, Jinlan

2015-03-01

The detection, confirmation, and quantification of multiple illegal adulterants in health foods and herbal medicines by using a single analytical method are a challenge. This paper reports on a new strategy to meet this challenge by employing high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry and a mass spectral tree similarity filter technique. This analytical method can rapidly collect high-resolution, high-accuracy, optionally multistage mass data for compounds in samples. After a preliminary screening by retention time and high-resolution mass spectral data, known illegal adulterants can be detected. The mass spectral tree similarity filter technique has been applied to rapidly confirm these adulterants and simultaneously discover unknown ones. By using full-scan mass spectra as stem and data-dependent subsequent stage mass spectra to form branches, mass spectrometry data from detected compounds are converted into mass spectral trees. The known or unknown illegal adulterants in the samples are confirmed or discovered based on the similarity between their mass spectral trees and those of the references in a library, and they are finally quantified against standard curves. This new strategy has been tested by using 50 samples, and the illegal adulterants were rapidly and effectively detected, confirmed and quantified. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Zoonotic viruses associated with illegally imported wildlife products

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Kristine M.; Anthony, Simon J.; Switzer, William M.; Epstein, Jonathan H.; Seimon, Tracie; Jia, Hongwei; Sanchez, Maria D.; Huynh, Thanh Thao; Galland, G. Gale; Shapiro, Sheryl E.; Sleeman, Jonathan M.; McAloose, Denise; Stuchin, Margot; Amato, George; Kolokotronis, Sergios-Orestis; Lipkin, W. Ian; Karesh, William B.; Daszak, Peter; Marano, Nina

2012-01-01

The global trade in wildlife has historically contributed to the emergence and spread of infectious diseases. The United States is the world's largest importer of wildlife and wildlife products, yet minimal pathogen surveillance has precluded assessment of the health risks posed by this practice. This report details the findings of a pilot project to establish surveillance methodology for zoonotic agents in confiscated wildlife products. Initial findings from samples collected at several international airports identified parts originating from nonhuman primate (NHP) and rodent species, including baboon, chimpanzee, mangabey, guenon, green monkey, cane rat and rat. Pathogen screening identified retroviruses (simian foamy virus) and/or herpesviruses (cytomegalovirus and lymphocryptovirus) in the NHP samples. These results are the first demonstration that illegal bushmeat importation into the United States could act as a conduit for pathogen spread, and suggest that implementation of disease surveillance of the wildlife trade will help facilitate prevention of disease emergence.

Informal E-waste recycling in developing countries: review of metal(loid)s pollution, environmental impacts and transport pathways.

PubMed

Ackah, Michael

2017-11-01

Crude or primitive recycling practices are often adopted in material resource recovery from E-waste in developing nations. Significant human health and environmental impacts may occur because of such practices. Literature on metal(loid)s pollution during E-waste processing is fragmented. Here, I review the health and environmental impacts of E-waste recycling operations and transport pathways of metal(loid)s, dispersed during operations. This paper is organised into five sections. Section 1 relates to the background of global E-waste generation and legal/illegal trade, citing specific cases from Ghana and other developing nations. Section 2 provides a brief information on sources of metal(loid)s in E-waste. Section 3 describes characteristics of informal E-waste recycling operations in developing nations. Section 4 examines the health and environmental impacts in E-waste recycling while section 5 evaluates major transport pathways of metal(loid)s contaminants.

Causes and manners of death among users of heroin, methadone, amphetamine, and cannabis in relation to postmortem chemical tests for illegal drugs.

PubMed

Eksborg, Staffan; Rajs, Jovan

2008-01-01

A 12-year medicolegal investigation of deceased illegal drug users (ILDU) in Stockholm, Sweden, classified on the basis of postmortem chemical tests, showed noticeable variations in causes and manners of death as well as in the distribution of suicide methods. This study offers objective information about connection between the postmortem findings of illegal drugs and the causes and manners of death of their users. However, further studies, comparing prevalence of drug use in general population and at the postmortem tests, are needed for more detailed elucidation of this connection.

[Repackaging drugs in pill-box in France: an illegal activity for pharmacists?].

PubMed

Hallouard, F; Bourdelin, M; Fessi, H; Bontemps, H

2011-07-01

Drug repackaging in pill-box by pharmacists is booming since few years. However, repackaging processes needed to open the industrially primary packaging will be found illegal in France. Thus, in this country drug repacking remains legal only by overwrapping medicines. Now, this solution is not applicable for example, with divisible or liquid forms. Therefore, packaging recommendations must be taken immediately in order to preserve the quality of drugs dispensed and to obtain a legalization of this activity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Metallic coatings on silicon substrates, and methods of forming metallic coatings on silicon substrates

DOEpatents

Branagan, Daniel J [Idaho Falls, ID; Hyde, Timothy A [Idaho Falls, ID; Fincke, James R [Los Alamos, NM

2008-03-11

The invention includes methods of forming a metallic coating on a substrate which contains silicon. A metallic glass layer is formed over a silicon surface of the substrate. The invention includes methods of protecting a silicon substrate. The substrate is provided within a deposition chamber along with a deposition target. Material from the deposition target is deposited over at least a portion of the silicon substrate to form a protective layer or structure which contains metallic glass. The metallic glass comprises iron and one or more of B, Si, P and C. The invention includes structures which have a substrate containing silicon and a metallic layer over the substrate. The metallic layer contains less than or equal to about 2 weight % carbon and has a hardness of at least 9.2 GPa. The metallic layer can have an amorphous microstructure or can be devitrified to have a nanocrystalline microstructure.

Spectral analysis of ground penetrating radar signals in concrete, metallic and plastic targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Vinicius Rafael N. dos; Al-Nuaimy, Waleed; Porsani, Jorge Luís; Hirata, Nina S. Tomita; Alzubi, Hamzah S.

2014-01-01

The accuracy of detecting buried targets using ground penetrating radar (GPR) depends mainly on features that are extracted from the data. The objective of this study is to test three spectral features and evaluate the quality to provide a good discrimination among three types of materials (concrete, metallic and plastic) using the 200 MHz GPR system. The spectral features which were selected to check the interaction of the electromagnetic wave with the type of material are: the power spectral density (PSD), short-time Fourier transform (STFT) and the Wigner-Ville distribution (WVD). The analyses were performed with simulated data varying the sizes of the targets and the electrical properties (relative dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity) of the soil. To check if the simulated data are in accordance with the real data, the same approach was applied on the data obtained in the IAG/USP test site. A noticeable difference was found in the amplitude of the studies' features in the frequency domain and these results show the strength of the signal processing to try to differentiate buried materials using GPR, and so can be used in urban planning and geotechnical studies.

[Meanings and contradictions of the drugs phenomenon: legal and illegal drugs in Chile].

PubMed

Ortiz Rebolledo, Néstor; Costa, Maria Cristina Silva

2005-01-01

This is a bibliographic and documental research with the purpose to interpret the meaning of using legal and illegal drugs to the Chilean society, describing the most consumed drugs, identifying facilitating factors to the increase of drugs use, analyzing public actions and emphasizing the contradictions surrounding the question. Authors conclude that it is relevant consider the symbolic dimension in the reflections and actions regarding drugs, giving emphasis to the values and habits that stimulate drugs production, distribution and consumption.

Targeting high value metals in lithium-ion battery recycling via shredding and size-based separation.

PubMed

Wang, Xue; Gaustad, Gabrielle; Babbitt, Callie W

2016-05-01

Development of lithium-ion battery recycling systems is a current focus of much research; however, significant research remains to optimize the process. One key area not studied is the utilization of mechanical pre-recycling steps to improve overall yield. This work proposes a pre-recycling process, including mechanical shredding and size-based sorting steps, with the goal of potential future scale-up to the industrial level. This pre-recycling process aims to achieve material segregation with a focus on the metallic portion and provide clear targets for subsequent recycling processes. The results show that contained metallic materials can be segregated into different size fractions at different levels. For example, for lithium cobalt oxide batteries, cobalt content has been improved from 35% by weight in the metallic portion before this pre-recycling process to 82% in the ultrafine (<0.5mm) fraction and to 68% in the fine (0.5-1mm) fraction, and been excluded in the larger pieces (>6mm). However, size fractions across multiple battery chemistries showed significant variability in material concentration. This finding indicates that sorting by cathode before pre-treatment could reduce the uncertainty of input materials and therefore improve the purity of output streams. Thus, battery labeling systems may be an important step towards implementation of any pre-recycling process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Displacement method and apparatus for reducing passivated metal powders and metal oxides

DOEpatents

Morrell,; Jonathan S. , Ripley; Edward, B [Knoxville, TN

2009-05-05

A method of reducing target metal oxides and passivated metals to their metallic state. A reduction reaction is used, often combined with a flux agent to enhance separation of the reaction products. Thermal energy in the form of conventional furnace, infrared, or microwave heating may be applied in combination with the reduction reaction.

The Use of Legal, Illegal, and Roll-you-own Cigarettes to Increasing Tobacco Excise Taxes and Comprehensive Tobacco Control Policies-Findings from the ITC Uruguay Survey

PubMed Central

Curti, Dardo; Shang, Ce; Ridgeway, William; Chaloupka, Frank J.; Fong, Geoffrey T

2015-01-01

Background Little research has been done to examine whether smokers switch to illegal or roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes in response to a change in their relative price. Objective This paper explores how relative prices between three cigarette forms (manufactured legal, manufactured illegal, and RYO cigarettes) are associated with the choice of one form over another after controlling for covariates, including sociodemographic characteristics, smokers’ exposure to anti-smoking messaging, health warning labels, and tobacco marketing. Methods Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were employed to analyse the association between the price ratio of two different cigarette forms and the usage of one form over the other. Findings A 10% increase in the relative price ratio of legal to RYO cigarettes is associated with 4.6% increase in the probability of consuming RYO over manufactured legal cigarettes (P≤0.05). In addition, more exposure to anti-smoking messaging is associated with lower odds of choosing RYO over manufactured legal cigarettes (P≤0.05). Non-significant associations exist between the manufactured illegal to legal cigarette price ratios and choosing manufactured illegal cigarettes, suggesting that smokers do not switch to manufactured illegal cigarettes as prices of legal ones increase. However, these non-significant findings may be due to lack of variation in the price ratio measures. In order to improve the effectiveness of increased taxes and prices in reducing smoking, policy makers need to narrow price variability in the tobacco market. Moreover, increasing anti-smoking messaging reduces tax avoidance in the form of switching to cheaper RYO cigarettes in Uruguay. PMID:25740084

Zoonotic Viruses Associated with Illegally Imported Wildlife Products

PubMed Central

Switzer, William M.; Epstein, Jonathan H.; Seimon, Tracie; Jia, Hongwei; Sanchez, Maria D.; Huynh, Thanh Thao; Galland, G. Gale; Shapiro, Sheryl E.; Sleeman, Jonathan M.; McAloose, Denise; Stuchin, Margot; Amato, George; Kolokotronis, Sergios-Orestis; Lipkin, W. Ian; Karesh, William B.; Daszak, Peter; Marano, Nina

2012-01-01

The global trade in wildlife has historically contributed to the emergence and spread of infectious diseases. The United States is the world's largest importer of wildlife and wildlife products, yet minimal pathogen surveillance has precluded assessment of the health risks posed by this practice. This report details the findings of a pilot project to establish surveillance methodology for zoonotic agents in confiscated wildlife products. Initial findings from samples collected at several international airports identified parts originating from nonhuman primate (NHP) and rodent species, including baboon, chimpanzee, mangabey, guenon, green monkey, cane rat and rat. Pathogen screening identified retroviruses (simian foamy virus) and/or herpesviruses (cytomegalovirus and lymphocryptovirus) in the NHP samples. These results are the first demonstration that illegal bushmeat importation into the United States could act as a conduit for pathogen spread, and suggest that implementation of disease surveillance of the wildlife trade will help facilitate prevention of disease emergence. PMID:22253731

Illegal Immigration in the United States: Implications for Rule of Law and National Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-15

AIR WAR COLLEGE AIR UNIVERSITY ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IN THE UNITED STATES: IMPLICATIONS FOR RULE OF LAW AND NATIONAL SECURITY By Paul A...government’s failure to strictly enforce immigration laws presents national security vulnerabilities and is subversive to the rule of law . Without...the rule of law , serious social tensions will occur that impel states and localities to fill the void left by the lack of immigration enforcement. In

Targets and processes for fabricating same

DOEpatents

Cowan, Thomas [Dresden, DE; Malekos, Steven [Reno, NV; Korgan, Grant [Reno, NV; Adams, Jesse [Reno, NV; Sentoku, Yasuhiko [Reno, NV; Le Galloudec, Nathalie [Reno, NV; Fuchs, Julien [Paris, FR

2012-07-24

In particular embodiments, the present disclosure provides targets including a metal layer and defining a hollow inner surface. The hollow inner surface has an internal apex. The distance between at least two opposing points of the internal apex is less than about 15 .mu.m. In particular examples, the distance is less than about 1 .mu.m. Particular implementations of the targets are free standing. The targets have a number of disclosed shaped, including cones, pyramids, hemispheres, and capped structures. The present disclosure also provides arrays of such targets. Also provided are methods of forming targets, such as the disclosed targets, using lithographic techniques, such as photolithographic techniques. In particular examples, a target mold is formed from a silicon wafer and then one or more sides of the mold are coated with a target material, such as one or more metals.

Targets and processes for fabricating same

DOEpatents

Adams, Jesse D; Malekos, Steven; Le Galloudec, Nathalie; Korgan, Grant; Cowan, Thomas; Sentoku, Yasuhiko

2016-05-17

In particular embodiments, the present disclosure provides targets including a metal layer and defining a hollow inner surface. The hollow inner surface has an internal apex. The distance between at least two opposing points of the internal apex is less than about 15 .mu.m. In particular examples, the distance is less than about 1 .mu.m. Particular implementations of the targets are free standing. The targets have a number of disclosed shaped, including cones, pyramids, hemispheres, and capped structures. The present disclosure also provides arrays of such targets. Also provided are methods of forming targets, such as the disclosed targets, using lithographic techniques, such as photolithographic techniques. In particular examples, a target mold is formed from a silicon wafer and then one or more sides of the mold are coated with a target material, such as one or more metals.

Targets and processes for fabricating same

DOEpatents

Cowna, Thomas; Malekos, Steven; Korgan, Grant; Adams, Jesse; Sentoku, Yasuhiko; LeGalloudec, Nathalie

2014-06-10

In particular embodiments, the present disclosure provides targets including a metal layer and defining a hollow inner surface. The hollow inner surface has an internal apex. The distance between at least two opposing points of the internal apex is less than about 15 .mu.m. In particular examples, the distance is less than about 1 .mu.m. Particular implementations of the targets are free standing. The targets have a number of disclosed shaped, including cones, pyramids, hemispheres, and capped structures. The present disclosure also provides arrays of such targets. Also provided are methods of forming targets, such as the disclosed targets, using lithographic techniques, such as photolithographic techniques. In particular examples, a target mold is formed from a silicon wafer and then one or more sides of the mold are coated with a target material, such as one or more metals.

Using crowd sourcing to combat potentially illegal or dangerous UAV operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tapsall, Brooke T.

2016-10-01

The UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) industry is growing exponentially at a pace that policy makers, individual countries and law enforcement agencies are finding difficult to keep up. The UAV market is large, as such the amount of UAVs being operated in potentially dangerous situations is prevalent and rapidly increasing. Media is continually reporting `near-miss' incidents between UAVs and commercial aircraft, UAV breaching security in sensitive areas or invading public privacy. One major challenge for law enforcement agencies is gaining tangible evidence against potentially dangerous or illegal UAV operators due to the rapidity with which UAV operators are able to enter, fly and exit a scene before authorities can arrive or before they can be located. DroneALERT, an application available via the Airport-UAV.com website, allows users to capture potentially dangerous or illegal UAV activity using their mobile device as it the incident is occurring. A short online DroneALERT Incident Report (DIR) is produced, emailed to the user and the Airport-UAV.com custodians. The DIR can be used to aid authorities in their investigations. The DIR contains details such as images and videos, location, time, date of the incident, drone model, its distance and height. By analysing information from the DIR, photos or video, there is a high potential for law enforcement authorities to use this evidence to identify the type of UAV used, triangulate the location of the potential dangerous UAV and operator, create a timeline of events, potential areas of operator exit and to determine the legalities breached. All provides crucial evidence for identifying and prosecuting a UAV operator.

A general analytical platform and strategy in search for illegal drugs.

PubMed

Johansson, Monika; Fransson, Dick; Rundlöf, Torgny; Huynh, Ngoc-Hang; Arvidsson, Torbjörn

2014-11-01

An effective screening procedure to identify and quantify active pharmaceutical substances in suspected illegal medicinal products is described. The analytical platform, consisting of accurate mass determination with liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) in combination with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy provides an excellent analytical tool to screen for unknowns in medicinal products, food supplements and herbal formulations. This analytical approach has been successfully applied to analyze thousands of samples. The general screening method usually starts with a methanol extraction of tablets/capsules followed by liquid chromatographic separation on a Halo Phenyl-Hexyl column (2.7μm; 100mm×2.1mm) using an acetonitrile/0.1% formic acid gradient as eluent. The accurate mass of peaks of interest was recorded and a search made against an in-house database containing approximately 4200 substances, mostly pharmaceutical compounds. The search could be general or tailored against different classes of compounds. Hits were confirmed by analyzing a reference substance and/or by NMR. Quantification was normally performed with quantitative NMR (qNMR) spectroscopy. Applications for weight-loss substances like sibutramine and orlistat, sexual potency enhancement (PDE-5 inhibitors), and analgesic drugs are presented in this study. We have also identified prostaglandin analogues in eyelash growth serum, exemplified by isopropyl cloprostenate and bimatoprost. For creams and ointments, matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) was found to give a clean extracts with high recovery prior to LC-MS analyses. The structural elucidation of cetilistat, a new weight-loss substance recently found in illegal medicines purchased over the Internet, is also presented. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermohydraulic behavior of the liquid metal target of a spallation neutron source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Takeda, Y.

1996-06-01

The author presents work done on three main problems. (1) Natural circulation in double coaxial cylindircal container: The thermohydraulic behaviour of the liquid metal target of the spallation neutron source at PSI has been investigated. The configuration is a natural-circulation loop in a concentric double-tube-type container. The results show that the natural-circulation loop concept is valid for the design phase of the target construction, and the current specified design criteria will be fulfilled with the proposed parameter values. (2) Flow around the window: Water experiments were performed for geometry optimisation of the window shape of the SINQ container for avoidingmore » generating recirculation zones at peripheral area and the optimal cooling of the central part of the beam entrance window. Flow visualisation technique was mainly used for various window shapes, gap distance between the window and the guide tube edge. (3) Flow in window cooling channels: Flows in narrow gaps of cooling channels of two different types of windows were studied by flow visualisation techniques. One type is a slightly curved round cooling channel and the other is hemispherical shape, both of which have only 2 mm gap distance and the water inlet is located on one side and flows out from the opposite side. In both cases, the central part of the flow area has lower velocity than peripheral area.« less

‘On the Perimeter of the Lawful’: Enduring Illegality in the Irish Family Planning Movement, 1972-1985

PubMed Central

Cloatre, Emilie; Enright, Máiréad

2017-01-01

Between 1935 and 1985, Irish law criminalized the sale and importation of condoms. Activists established illegal markets to challenge the law and alleviate its social consequences. They distributed condoms through postal services, shops, stalls, clinics, and machines. Though they largely operated in the open, their activities attracted little direct punishment from the state, and they were able to build a stable network of medical and commercial family planning services. We use 30 interviews conducted with former activists to explore this history. In doing so, we also examine the limits of ‘illegality’ in describing acts of everyday resistance to law, arguing that the boundaries between legal and illegal, in the discourses and practices of those who sought to challenge the state, were shifting and uncertain. In turn, we revisit ‘illegality’, characterizing it as an assemblage of varying selectively-performed political practices, shaped by complex choreographies of negotiation between state and non-state actors. PMID:29307949

Abstracting of suspected illegal land use in urban areas using case-based classification of remote sensing images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Fulong; Wang, Chao; Yang, Chengyun; Zhang, Hong; Wu, Fan; Lin, Wenjuan; Zhang, Bo

2008-11-01

This paper proposed a method that uses a case-based classification of remote sensing images and applied this method to abstract the information of suspected illegal land use in urban areas. Because of the discrete cases for imagery classification, the proposed method dealt with the oscillation of spectrum or backscatter within the same land use category, and it not only overcame the deficiency of maximum likelihood classification (the prior probability of land use could not be obtained) but also inherited the advantages of the knowledge-based classification system, such as artificial intelligence and automatic characteristics. Consequently, the proposed method could do the classifying better. Then the researchers used the object-oriented technique for shadow removal in highly dense city zones. With multi-temporal SPOT 5 images whose resolution was 2.5×2.5 meters, the researchers found that the method can abstract suspected illegal land use information in urban areas using post-classification comparison technique.

Developing a theory of change for a community-based response to illegal wildlife trade.

PubMed

Biggs, Duan; Cooney, Rosie; Roe, Dilys; Dublin, Holly T; Allan, James R; Challender, Dan W S; Skinner, Diane

2017-02-01

The escalating illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is one of the most high-profile conservation challenges today. The crisis has attracted over US$350 million in donor and government funding in recent years, primarily directed at increased enforcement. There is growing recognition among practitioners and policy makers of the need to engage rural communities that neighbor or live with wildlife as key partners in tackling IWT. However, a framework to guide such community engagement is lacking. We developed a theory of change (ToC) to guide policy makers, donors, and practitioners in partnering with communities to combat IWT. We identified 4 pathways for community-level actions: strengthen disincentives for illegal behavior, increase incentives for wildlife stewardship, decrease costs of living with wildlife, and support livelihoods that are not related to wildlife. To succeed the pathways, all require strengthening of enabling conditions, including capacity building, and of governance. Our ToC serves to guide actions to tackle IWT and to inform the evaluation of policies. Moreover, it can be used to foster dialogue among IWT stakeholders, from local communities to governments and international donors, to develop a more effective, holistic, and sustainable community-based response to the IWT crisis. © 2016 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

Undocumented Intelligence: Laying Low by Achieving High--An "Illegal Alien's" Co-Option of School and Citizenship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Aurora

2016-01-01

In this article, I relay the irony of my own path as an "illegal alien" in the US--identifying the tension between being a successful student earning straight As and accolades for good citizenship, while hiding my undocumented legal status. Drawing from the notions of race, smartness and citizenship as social constructions, I use a…

Generation of Subsurface Voids, Incubation Effect, and Formation of Nanoparticles in Short Pulse Laser Interactions with Bulk Metal Targets in Liquid: Molecular Dynamics Study

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The ability of short pulse laser ablation in liquids to produce clean colloidal nanoparticles and unusual surface morphology has been employed in a broad range of practical applications. In this paper, we report the results of large-scale molecular dynamics simulations aimed at revealing the key processes that control the surface morphology and nanoparticle size distributions by pulsed laser ablation in liquids. The simulations of bulk Ag targets irradiated in water are performed with an advanced computational model combining a coarse-grained representation of liquid environment and an atomistic description of laser interaction with metal targets. For the irradiation conditions that correspond to the spallation regime in vacuum, the simulations predict that the water environment can prevent the complete separation of the spalled layer from the target, leading to the formation of large subsurface voids stabilized by rapid cooling and solidification. The subsequent irradiation of the laser-modified surface is found to result in a more efficient ablation and nanoparticle generation, thus suggesting the possibility of the incubation effect in multipulse laser ablation in liquids. The simulations performed at higher laser fluences that correspond to the phase explosion regime in vacuum reveal the accumulation of the ablation plume at the interface with the water environment and the formation of a hot metal layer. The water in contact with the metal layer is brought to the supercritical state and provides an environment suitable for nucleation and growth of small metal nanoparticles from metal atoms emitted from the hot metal layer. The metal layer itself has limited stability and can readily disintegrate into large (tens of nanometers) nanoparticles. The layer disintegration is facilitated by the Rayleigh–Taylor instability of the interface between the higher density metal layer decelerated by the pressure from the lighter supercritical water. The nanoparticles

Molecular tracing of confiscated pangolin scales for conservation and illegal trade monitoring in Southeast Asia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhang, Huarong; Miller, Mark P.; Yang, Feng; Chan, Hon Ki; Gaubert, Philippe; Ades, Gary; Fischer, Gunter A

2015-01-01

Despite being protected by both international and national regulations, pangolins are threatened by illegal trade. Here we report mitochondrial DNA identification and haplotype richness estimation, using 239 pangolin scale samples from two confiscations in Hong Kong. We found a total of 13 genetically distinct cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) haplotypes in two confiscations (13 and ten haplotypes respectively, with ten shared haplotypes between confiscations). These haplotypes clustered in two distinct clades with one clade representing the Sunda pangolin (Manisjavanica). The other clade did not match with any known Asian pangolin sequences, and likely represented a cryptic pangolin lineage in Asia. By fitting sample coverage and rarefaction/regression models to our sample data, we predicted that the total number of COI haplotypes in two confiscations were 14.86 and 11.06 respectively, suggesting that our sampling caught the majority of haplotypes and that we had adequately characterized each confiscation. We detected substantial sequence divergence among the seized scales, likely evidencing that the Sunda pangolins were harvested over wide geographical areas across Southeast Asia. Our study illustrates the value of applying DNA forensics for illegal wildlife trade monitoring.

Results of DATAS Investigation of Illegal Mode S ID’s at JFK Airport

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-12-01

December 1992 RESULTS OF DATAS INVESTIGATION OF ILLEGAL MODE S 6. Performing Organization Code ID’S AT JFK AIRPORT ACD-320 _8. Performing Organization...collection effort with JFK Airport engineers and Air Traffic personnel. The deployment of the TCAS monitor at the JFK Airport would not have been possible...Surveillance Radar (ASR)-9. The TCAS monitor was deployed at the John F. Kennedy ( JFK ) Airport . Since the TCAS monitor provides only directional

Mass Producing Targets for Nuclear Fusion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, T. G.; Elleman, D. D.; Kendall, J. M.

1983-01-01

Metal-encapsulating technique advances prospects of controlling nuclear fusion. Prefilled fusion targets form at nozzle as molten metal such as tin flows through outer channel and pressurized deuterium/tritium gas flows through inner channel. Molten metal completely encloses gas charge as it drops off nozzle.

Activity targets for nanostructured platinum-group-metal-free catalysts in hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells.

PubMed

Setzler, Brian P; Zhuang, Zhongbin; Wittkopf, Jarrid A; Yan, Yushan

2016-12-06

Fuel cells are the zero-emission automotive power source that best preserves the advantages of gasoline automobiles: low upfront cost, long driving range and fast refuelling. To make fuel-cell cars a reality, the US Department of Energy has set a fuel cell system cost target of US$30 kW -1 in the long-term, which equates to US$2,400 per vehicle, excluding several major powertrain components (in comparison, a basic, but complete, internal combustion engine system costs approximately US$3,000). To date, most research for automotive applications has focused on proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), because these systems have demonstrated the highest power density. Recently, however, an alternative technology, hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells (HEMFCs), has gained significant attention, because of the possibility to use stable platinum-group-metal-free catalysts, with inherent, long-term cost advantages. In this Perspective, we discuss the cost profile of PEMFCs and the advantages offered by HEMFCs. In particular, we discuss catalyst development needs for HEMFCs and set catalyst activity targets to achieve performance parity with state-of-the-art automotive PEMFCs. Meeting these targets requires careful optimization of nanostructures to pack high surface areas into a small volume, while maintaining high area-specific activity and favourable pore-transport properties.

Activity targets for nanostructured platinum-group-metal-free catalysts in hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setzler, Brian P.; Zhuang, Zhongbin; Wittkopf, Jarrid A.; Yan, Yushan

2016-12-01

Fuel cells are the zero-emission automotive power source that best preserves the advantages of gasoline automobiles: low upfront cost, long driving range and fast refuelling. To make fuel-cell cars a reality, the US Department of Energy has set a fuel cell system cost target of US$30 kW-1 in the long-term, which equates to US$2,400 per vehicle, excluding several major powertrain components (in comparison, a basic, but complete, internal combustion engine system costs approximately US$3,000). To date, most research for automotive applications has focused on proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), because these systems have demonstrated the highest power density. Recently, however, an alternative technology, hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells (HEMFCs), has gained significant attention, because of the possibility to use stable platinum-group-metal-free catalysts, with inherent, long-term cost advantages. In this Perspective, we discuss the cost profile of PEMFCs and the advantages offered by HEMFCs. In particular, we discuss catalyst development needs for HEMFCs and set catalyst activity targets to achieve performance parity with state-of-the-art automotive PEMFCs. Meeting these targets requires careful optimization of nanostructures to pack high surface areas into a small volume, while maintaining high area-specific activity and favourable pore-transport properties.

The use of legal, illegal and roll-your-own cigarettes to increasing tobacco excise taxes and comprehensive tobacco control policies: findings from the ITC Uruguay Survey.

PubMed

Curti, Dardo; Shang, Ce; Ridgeway, William; Chaloupka, Frank J; Fong, Geoffrey T

2015-07-01

Little research has been done to examine whether smokers switch to illegal or roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes in response to a change in their relative price. This paper explores how relative prices between three cigarette forms (manufactured legal, manufactured illegal and RYO cigarettes) are associated with the choice of one form over another after controlling for covariates, including sociodemographic characteristics, smokers' exposure to antismoking messaging, health warning labels and tobacco marketing. Generalised estimating equations were employed to analyse the association between the price ratio of two different cigarette forms and the usage of one form over the other. A 10% increase in the relative price ratio of legal to RYO cigarettes is associated with a 4.6% increase in the probability of consuming RYO cigarettes over manufactured legal cigarettes (p≤0.05). In addition, more exposure to antismoking messaging is associated with a lower odds of choosing RYO cigarettes over manufactured legal cigarettes (p≤0.05). Non-significant associations exist between the manufactured illegal to legal cigarette price ratios and choosing manufactured illegal cigarettes, suggesting that smokers do not switch to manufactured illegal cigarettes as prices of legal ones increase. However, these non-significant findings may be due to lack of variation in the price ratio measures. To improve the effectiveness of increased taxes and prices in reducing smoking, policymakers need to narrow price variability in the tobacco market. Moreover, increasing antismoking messaging reduces tax avoidance in the form of switching to cheaper RYO cigarettes in Uruguay. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Ecological Risk Assessment of Metals Contamination in the Sediments of Natural Urban Wetlands in Dry Tropical Climate.

PubMed

Rana, Vivek; Maiti, Subodh Kumar; Jagadevan, Sheeja

2016-09-01

The pollution load due to metal contamination in the sediments of urban wetlands (Dhanbad, India) due to illegal release of domestic and industrial wastewater was studied by using various geochemical indices, such as contamination factor (Cf), degree of contamination (Cd), modified degree of contamination (mCd), pollution load index (PLI) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) for Cu, Co, Cd, Cr and Mn. Cluster analysis (CA) and Principal component analysis (PCA) of metals present in wetland sediments were carried out to assess their origin and relationship with each other. The Cf values for different metals in the wetlands under investigation indicated low to very high level of pollution (Cf ranged between 0.02 and 14.15) with highest Cf (14.15) for Cd. The wetland receiving both domestic and industrial wastewater had the highest values of Cd, mCd and PLI as 17.48, 3.49 and 1.03 respectively.

Impact of illegal trade on the quality of epoetin alfa in Thailand.

PubMed

Fotiou, Fotis; Aravind, Suresh; Wang, Ping-Ping; Nerapusee, Osot

2009-02-01

Reports from the World Health Organization have suggested that counterfeit medicines pose a serious problem in developing countries. An investigation of anti-erythropoietin antibody-mediated pure red cell aplasia in Thailand found evidence of drug smuggling, which may have serious safety implications. This study assessed the authenticity and quality of epoetin alfa samples in Thailand. Samples of epoetin alfa-prefilled syringes were collected from the pharmacies at 2 major hospitals (62 samples), 8 retail pharmacies (41 samples), and Thai authorities (30 samples confiscated from smugglers at 2 airports, and 6 samples from a condominium used by smugglers). These samples were tested against the European Union Pharmacopeia specifications for aggregate content in epoetins of <2%. The integrity of epoetin alfa distribution channels, coldchain processes (maintenance at 2 degrees C-8 degrees C), primary and secondary packaging components (eg, batch number, expiration date, appearance, letter size), and company's confidential features (eg, nature of the ink, type and quality of the paper, other covered features) were also investigated. The main outcome measures were protein aggregate content, determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting; and isoform distribution, assessed by isoelectric focusing and Western blotting. Epoetin alfa samples obtained from the company's cold-chain and authorized distribution channels met all quality standards, as did all epoetin alfa samples obtained from the hospital pharmacies. However, evidence showed that some samples were being smuggled or sold illegally through certain unauthorized retail pharmacies. The epoetin alfa samples obtained from both airports and the condominium were stored improperly at room temperature. Aggregate levels exceeded the specification of <2% in 11 samples from 2 of the retail pharmacies (range, 1.2%-3.1%), 15 samples from the Dongmuang Airport (range, 2.2%-17.0%), and

Isolation and characterization of avian influenza viruses from raw poultry products illegally imported to Japan by international flight passengers.

PubMed

Shibata, A; Hiono, T; Fukuhara, H; Sumiyoshi, R; Ohkawara, A; Matsuno, K; Okamatsu, M; Osaka, H; Sakoda, Y

2018-04-01

The transportation of poultry and related products for international trade contributes to transboundary pathogen spread and disease outbreaks worldwide. To prevent pathogen incursion through poultry products, many countries have regulations about animal health and poultry product quarantine. However, in Japan, animal products have been illegally introduced into the country in baggage and confiscated at the airport. Lately, the number of illegally imported poultry and the incursion risk of transboundary pathogens through poultry products have been increasing. In this study, we isolated avian influenza viruses (AIVs) from raw poultry products illegally imported to Japan by international passengers. Highly (H5N1 and H5N6) and low (H9N2 and H1N2) pathogenic AIVs were isolated from raw chicken and duck products carried by flight passengers. H5 and H9 isolates were phylogenetically closely related to viruses isolated from poultry in China, and haemagglutinin genes of H5N1 and H5N6 isolates belonged to clades 2.3.2.1c and 2.3.4.4, respectively. Experimental infections of H5 and H9 isolates in chickens and ducks demonstrated pathogenicity and tissue tropism to skeletal muscles. To prevent virus incursion by poultry products, it is important to encourage the phased cleaning based on the disease control and eradication and promote the reduction in contamination risk in animal products. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Bowel perforation secondary to illegally induced abortion: a tertiary hospital experience in Tanzania.

PubMed

Mabula, Joseph B; Chalya, Phillipo L; Mchembe, Mabula D; Kihunrwa, Albert; Massinde, Anthony; Chandika, Alphonce B; Gilyoma, Japhet M

2012-09-01

Bowel perforation though rarely reported is a serious complication of induced abortion, which is often performed illegally by persons without any medical training in developing countries. A sudden increase in the number of patients in our centre in recent years prompted the authors to analyze this problem. The study was conducted to describe our own experiences in the surgical management of these patients. This was a retrospective study involving patients who were jointly managed by the surgical and gynecological teams at Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) for bowel perforation secondary to illegally induced abortion from January 2002 to December 2011. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 17.0. A total of 68 patients (representing 4.2% of cases) were enrolled in the study. Their ages ranged from 14 to 45 years with a median age of 21 years. Majority of patients were, secondary school students/leavers (70.6%), unmarried (88.2%), nulliparous (80.9%), unemployed (82.4%) and most of them were dependent member of the family. Previous history of contraceptive use was reported in only 14.7% of cases. The majority of patients (79.4%) had procured the abortion in the 2nd trimester. Dilatation and curettage (82.4%) was the most common reported method used in procuring abortion. The interval from termination of pregnancy to presentation in hospital ranged from 1 to 14 days (median 6 days ). The ileum (51.5%) and sigmoid colon (22.1%) was the most common portions of the bowel affected. Resection and anastomosis with uterine repair was the most common (86.8%) surgical procedure performed. Complication and mortality rates were 47.1% and 10.3% respectively. According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, gestational age at termination of pregnancy, delayed presentation, delayed surgical treatment and presence of complications were significantly associated with mortality (P<0.001). The overall median length of hospital stay (LOS) was 18 days (1day to 128

Out of view but in plain sight: the illegal sale of single cigarettes.

PubMed

Stillman, Frances A; Bone, Lee R; Milam, Adam J; Ma, Jiemin; Hoke, Kathleen

2014-04-01

The practice of selling single cigarettes (loosies) through an informal economy is prevalent in urban, low socioeconomic (low SES) communities. Although US state and federal laws make this practice illegal, it may be occurring more frequently with the recent increase in taxes on cigarettes. This investigation provides information concerning the illegal practice of selling single cigarettes to better understand this behavior and to inform intervention programs and policymakers. A total of 488 African American young adults were recruited and surveyed at two education and employment training programs in Baltimore City from 2005 to 2008. Fifty-one percent of the sample reported smoking cigarettes in the past month; only 3.7% of the sample were former smokers. Approximately 65% of respondents reported seeing single cigarettes sold daily on the street. Multivariate logistic regression modeling found that respondents who reported seeing single cigarettes sold on the street several times a week were more than two times as likely to be current smokers compared to participants who reported that they never or infrequently saw single cigarettes being sold, after controlling for demographics (OR = 2.16; p = 0.034). Tax increases have led to an overall reduction in cigarette smoking. However, smoking rates in urban, low SES communities and among young adults remain high. Attention and resources are needed to address the environmental, normative, and behavioral conditions influencing tobacco use and the disparities it causes. Addressing these factors would help reduce future health care costs and save lives.

Novel metals and metal complexes as platforms for cancer therapy.

PubMed

Frezza, Michael; Hindo, Sarmad; Chen, Di; Davenport, Andrew; Schmitt, Sara; Tomco, Dajena; Dou, Q Ping

2010-06-01

Metals are essential cellular components selected by nature to function in several indispensable biochemical processes for living organisms. Metals are endowed with unique characteristics that include redox activity, variable coordination modes, and reactivity towards organic substrates. Due to their reactivity, metals are tightly regulated under normal conditions and aberrant metal ion concentrations are associated with various pathological disorders, including cancer. For these reasons, coordination complexes, either as drugs or prodrugs, become very attractive probes as potential anticancer agents. The use of metals and their salts for medicinal purposes, from iatrochemistry to modern day, has been present throughout human history. The discovery of cisplatin, cis-[Pt(II) (NH(3))(2)Cl(2)], was a defining moment which triggered the interest in platinum(II)- and other metal-containing complexes as potential novel anticancer drugs. Other interests in this field address concerns for uptake, toxicity, and resistance to metallodrugs. This review article highlights selected metals that have gained considerable interest in both the development and the treatment of cancer. For example, copper is enriched in various human cancer tissues and is a co-factor essential for tumor angiogenesis processes. However the use of copper-binding ligands to target tumor copper could provide a novel strategy for cancer selective treatment. The use of nonessential metals as probes to target molecular pathways as anticancer agents is also emphasized. Finally, based on the interface between molecular biology and bioinorganic chemistry the design of coordination complexes for cancer treatment is reviewed and design strategies and mechanisms of action are discussed.

Novel Metals and Metal Complexes as Platforms for Cancer Therapy

PubMed Central

Frezza, Michael; Hindo, Sarmad; Chen, Di; Davenport, Andrew; Schmitt, Sara; Tomco, Dajena; Dou, Q. Ping

2013-01-01

Metals are essential cellular components selected by nature to function in several indispensable biochemical processes for living organisms. Metals are endowed with unique characteristics that include redox activity, variable coordination modes, and reactivity towards organic substrates. Due to their reactivity, metals are tightly regulated under normal conditions and aberrant metal ion concentrations are associated with various pathological disorders, including cancer. For these reasons, coordination complexes, either as drugs or prodrugs, become very attractive probes as potential anticancer agents. The use of metals and their salts for medicinal purposes, from iatrochemistry to modern day, has been present throughout human history. The discovery of cisplatin, cis-[PtII(NH3)2Cl2], was a defining moment which triggered the interest in platinum(II)- and other metal-containing complexes as potential novel anticancer drugs. Other interests in this field address concerns for uptake, toxicity, and resistance to metallodrugs. This review article highlights selected metals that have gained considerable interest in both the development and the treatment of cancer. For example, copper is enriched in various human cancer tissues and is a co-factor essential for tumor angiogenesis processes. However the use of copper-binding ligands to target tumor copper could provide a novel strategy for cancer selective treatment. The use of nonessential metals as probes to target molecular pathways as anticancer agents is also emphasized. Finally, based on the interface between molecular biology and bioinorganic chemistry the design of coordination complexes for cancer treatment is reviewed and design strategies and mechanisms of action are discussed. PMID:20337575

Hepatotoxicity of illegal home-made alcohols.

PubMed

Gökce, Hasan; Akcan, Ramazan; Celikel, Adnan; Zeren, Cem; Ortanca, Ibrahim; Demirkiran, Sumeyra

2016-10-01

Alcohol-related hepatotoxicity is not only caused by excessive alcohol consumption but also caused and even accelerated by hepatotoxic ingredients other than ethanol. Concentrations of hepatotoxic substances might be significantly high, particularly in illegally produced home-made alcohols. In this study we aim to analyze the hepatotoxic effects of a home-made alcohol traditionally called "bogma raki" in Turkey. Fifty Wistar albino male rats were used. Five groups were randomly formed with ten animals in each. Besides laboratory diets, groups were fed as follows: Group 1 (control group) distilled water; Group 2 bogma raki with distilled water (%44 (v/v), 9.2 ml/kg/day); Group 3 bogma raki with distilled water (%44 (v/v), 9.2 ml/kg/day)+walnut (10 g/kg/day); Group 4 whisky with distilled water (%40 (v/v), 9.2 ml/kg/day); Group 5 distilled water + walnut (10 g/kg/day), for 28 days. The toxicological analysis of The spirits were analyzed using Hewlett-Packard (Palo Alto, CA) GC/MS system with HP 6890 gas chromatograph, an HP 5972 mass selective detector (MSD) and an HP 6890 automatic liquid sampler GC/MS; the pressure of the carrier gas helium was 6.0 bar and the split value with a ratio of 1:100. The injection unit temperature set to 250 °C and MS quadrupole temperature set to 280 °C. The MS quadrupole detector ionization energy set to 70 eV. The initial column temperature was 60 °C (for 4 min) programmed by 6 °C/min to final temperature 160 °C and kept for 8 min at 160 °C. Utilized whisky and bogma raki samples were analyzed for the amounts of trans-anethole, ethanol, methanol, 1-propanolol, butanol, 2-butanol, 2-methyl-1-propanolol (isobutanol) and 3-methylbutanol (isoamyl alcohol). Histopathological changes in liver tissues were graded as follows; normal = 0 (<10%), mild = 1 (10%-40%), moderate = 2 (40%-70%), severe = 3 (above 70%). Chemical composition of illegally produced raki sample (%v/v) was as follows: trans-anethole %1

A Probabilistic Model of Illegal Drug Trafficking Operations in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

partner agencies and nations, detects, tracks, and interdicts illegal drug-trafficking in this region. In this thesis, we develop a probability model based...trafficking in this region. In this thesis, we develop a probability model based on intelligence inputs to generate a spatial temporal heat map specifying the...complement and vet such complicated simulation by developing more analytically tractable models. We develop probability models to generate a heat map

A preliminary assessment of the impact of lowering the illegal per se limit to 0.08 in five states

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-12-01

Author's abstract: This report contains the results of a preliminary assessment of the impact of lowering the illegal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) per se limit to 0.08 in five states (California, Maine, Oregon, Utah, and Vermont). The report pro...

HYDROGEN ISOTOPE TARGETS

DOEpatents

Ashley, R.W.

1958-08-12

The design of targets for use in the investigation of nuclear reactions of hydrogen isotopes by bombardment with accelerated particles is described. The target con struction eomprises a backing disc of a metal selected from the group consisting of molybdenunn and tungsten, a eoating of condensed titaniunn on the dise, and a hydrogen isotope selected from the group consisting of deuterium and tritium absorbed in the coatiag. The proeess for preparing these hydrogen isotope targets is described.

Accelerator-based production of the (99m)Tc-(186)Re diagnostic-therapeutic pair using metal disulfide targets (MoS2, WS2, OsS2).

PubMed

Gott, Matthew D; Hayes, Connor R; Wycoff, Donald E; Balkin, Ethan R; Smith, Bennett E; Pauzauskie, Peter J; Fassbender, Michael E; Cutler, Cathy S; Ketring, Alan R; Wilbur, D Scott; Jurisson, Silvia S

2016-08-01

Novel, natural abundance metal disulfide targets were irradiated for 1h with a 10µA proton beam in a small, medical cyclotron. Osmium disulfide was synthesized by simple distillation and precipitation methods while MoS2 and WS2 were commercially available. The targets dissolved under mild conditions and were analyzed by γ-spectroscopy. Production rates and potential applications are discussed, including target recovery and recycling schemes for OsS2 and WS2. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combating the illegal trade in African elephant ivory with DNA forensics.

PubMed

Wasser, Samuel K; Joseph Clark, William; Drori, Ofir; Stephen Kisamo, Emily; Mailand, Celia; Mutayoba, Benezeth; Stephens, Matthew

2008-08-01

International wildlife crime is burgeoning in this climate of global trade. We contend that the most effective way to contain this illegal trade is to determine where the wildlife is being removed. This allows authorities to direct law enforcement to poaching hot spots, potentially stops trade before the wildlife is actually killed, prevents countries from denying their poaching problems at home, and thwarts trade before it enters into an increasingly complex web of international criminal activity. Forensic tools have been limited in their ability to determine product origin because the information they can provide typically begins only at the point of shipment. DNA assignment analyses can determine product origin, but its use has been limited by the inability to assign samples to locations where reference samples do not exist. We applied new DNA assignment methods that can determine the geographic origin(s) of wildlife products from anywhere within its range. We used these methods to examine the geographic origin(s) of 2 strings of seizures involving large volumes of elephant ivory, 1 string seized in Singapore and Malawi and the other in Hong Kong and Cameroon. These ivory traffickers may comprise 2 of the largest poaching rings in Africa. In both cases all ivory seized in the string had common origins, which indicates that crime syndicates are targeting specific populations for intense exploitation. This result contradicts the dominant belief that dealers are using a decentralized plan of procuring ivory stocks as they became available across Africa. Large quantities of ivory were then moved, in multiple shipments, through an intermediate country prior to shipment to Asia, as a risk-reduction strategy that distances the dealer from the poaching locale. These smuggling strategies could not have been detected by forensic information, which typically begins only at the shipping source.

Reframing the science and policy of nicotine, illegal drugs and alcohol - conclusions of the ALICE RAP Project.

PubMed

Anderson, Peter; Berridge, Virginia; Conrod, Patricia; Dudley, Robert; Hellman, Matilda; Lachenmeier, Dirk; Lingford-Hughes, Anne; Miller, David; Rehm, Jürgen; Room, Robin; Schmidt, Laura; Sullivan, Roger; Ysa, Tamyko; Gual, Antoni

2017-01-01

In 2013, illegal drug use was responsible for 1.8% of years of life lost in the European Union, alcohol was responsible for 8.2% and tobacco for 18.2%, imposing economic burdens in excess of 2.5% of GDP. No single European country has optimal governance structures for reducing the harm done by nicotine, illegal drugs and alcohol, and existing ones are poorly designed, fragmented, and sometimes cause harm. Reporting the main science and policy conclusions of a transdisciplinary five-year analysis of the place of addictions in Europe, researchers from 67 scientific institutions addressed these problems by reframing an understanding of addictions.  A new paradigm needs to account for evolutionary evidence which suggests that humans are biologically predisposed to seek out drugs, and that, today, individuals face availability of high drug doses, consequently increasing the risk of harm.  New definitions need to acknowledge that the defining element of addictive drugs is 'heavy use over time', a concept that could replace the diagnostic artefact captured by the clinical term 'substance use disorder', thus opening the door for new substances to be considered such as sugar. Tools of quantitative risk assessment that recognize drugs as toxins could be further deployed to assess regulatory approaches to reducing harm. Re-designed governance of drugs requires embedding policy within a comprehensive societal well-being frame that encompasses a range of domains of well-being, including quality of life, material living conditions and sustainability over time; such a frame adds arguments to the inappropriateness of policies that criminalize individuals for using drugs and that continue to categorize certain drugs as illegal. A health footprint, modelled on the carbon footprint, and using quantitative measures such as years of life lost due to death or disability, could serve as the accountability tool that apportions responsibility for who and what causes drug-related harm.

Waterpipe tobacco smoking prevalence and illegal underage use in waterpipe-serving premises: a cross-sectional analysis among schoolchildren in Stoke-on-Trent.

PubMed

Jawad, M; McIver, C

2017-05-01

Waterpipe tobacco smoking has received little epidemiological and policy attention in the UK despite reports of increasing prevalence alongside an anecdotally non-compliant industry. This study aimed to determine how waterpipe tobacco smoking is changing among young people in the UK, both in terms of prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of use, and to quantify the extent of illegal underage use in waterpipe-serving premises in the UK. Repeat cross-sectional. A secondary analysis of two cross-sectional surveys (total N = 3376), conducted in 2013 and 2015 among secondary school students aged 11-16 years in Stoke-on-Trent, measured lifetime (both surveys) and regular (at least monthly; 2015 survey only) waterpipe tobacco prevalence and location of usual use. Logistic regression models measured the association between independent variables (age, sex, ethnicity, presence of free school meals, cigarette smoking status) with lifetime and regular waterpipe tobacco use, and with illegal underage use; the latter defined as usually smoking waterpipe tobacco in a waterpipe-serving premise. Lifetime waterpipe tobacco prevalence remained similar in 2013 (13.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 12.0-15.4%) and 2015 (14.6%, 95% CI 12.8-16.4%), whereas regular use was measured at 2.9% (95% CI 2.1-3.8%) in 2015. Older, non-white, males who concurrently used cigarettes had higher odds of lifetime waterpipe tobacco use. Illegal underage use was reported among 27.1% of all regular users, correlates of which included increasing age and South Asian ethnicity. The presence of free school meals was not associated with lifetime or regular waterpipe tobacco prevalence, nor illegal underage use. Increased monitoring of waterpipe tobacco prevalence and patterns, including the underage policy compliance of waterpipe-serving premises, is needed to help inform policy decisions to control waterpipe tobacco use. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd

Interacting Effects of Newcastle Disease Transmission and Illegal Trade on a Wild Population of White-Winged Parakeets in Peru: A Modeling Approach

PubMed Central

Daut, Elizabeth F.; Lahodny, Glenn; Peterson, Markus J.; Ivanek, Renata

2016-01-01

Illegal wildlife-pet trade can threaten wildlife populations directly from overharvest, but also indirectly as a pathway for introduction of infectious diseases. This study evaluated consequences of a hypothetical introduction of Newcastle disease (ND) into a wild population of Peru’s most trafficked psittacine, the white-winged parakeet (Brotogeris versicolurus), through release of infected confiscated individuals. We developed two mathematical models that describe ND transmission and the influence of illegal harvest in a homogeneous (model 1) and age-structured population of parakeets (model 2). Infection transmission dynamics and harvest were consistent for all individuals in model 1, which rendered it mathematically more tractable compared to the more complex, age-structured model 2 that separated the host population into juveniles and adults. We evaluated the interaction of ND transmission and harvest through changes in the basic reproduction number (R0) and short-term host population dynamics. Our findings demonstrated that ND introduction would likely provoke considerable disease-related mortality, up to 24% population decline in two years, but high harvest rates would dampen the magnitude of the outbreak. Model 2 produced moderate differences in disease dynamics compared to model 1 (R0 = 3.63 and 2.66, respectively), but highlighted the importance of adult disease dynamics in diminishing the epidemic potential. Therefore, we suggest that future studies should use a more realistic, age-structured model. Finally, for the presumptive risk that illegal trade of white-winged parakeets could introduce ND into wild populations, our results suggest that while high harvest rates may have a protective effect on the population by reducing virus transmission, the combined effects of high harvest and disease-induced mortality may threaten population survival. These results capture the complexity and consequences of the interaction between ND transmission and harvest

Can stable isotopes and radiocarbon dating provide a forensic solution for curbing illegal harvesting of threatened cycads?

PubMed

Retief, Kirsten; West, Adam G; Pfab, Michèle F

2014-11-01

Cycads in South Africa are facing an extinction crisis due to the illegal extraction of plants from the wild. Proving wild origin of suspect ex situ cycads to the satisfaction of a court of law is difficult, limiting law enforcement efforts. We investigated the feasibility of using multiple stable isotopes to identify specimens removed from the wild. Relocated and wild specimens from two species in the African genus Encephalartos (E. lebomboensis and E. arenarius) were sampled. (14) C analysis indicated that a ± 30-year chronology could be reliably obtained from the cycads. For E. arenarius, pre-relocation tissue was consistent with a wild origin, whereas tissue grown post-relocation was isotopically distinct from the wild for (87) Sr/(86) Sr and δ(15) N. For E. lebomboensis, δ(34) S, δ(18) O, and (87) Sr/(86) Sr were different between relocated and control plants, consistent with the >30 years since relocation. Our findings demonstrate the potential for a forensic isotope approach to identify illegal ex situ cycads. © 2014 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Species and hybrid identification of sturgeon caviar: a new molecular approach to detect illegal trade.

PubMed

Boscari, E; Barmintseva, A; Pujolar, J M; Doukakis, P; Mugue, N; Congiu, L

2014-05-01

Overexploitation of wild populations due to the high economic value of caviar has driven sturgeons to near extinction. The high prices commanded by caviar on world markets have made it a magnet for illegal and fraudulent caviar trade, often involving low-value farmed caviar being sold as top-quality caviar. We present a new molecular approach for the identification of pure sturgeon species and hybrids that are among the most commercialized species in Europe and North America. Our test is based on the discovery of species-specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ribosomal protein S7, supplemented with the Vimentin gene and the mitochondrial D-loop. Test validations performed in 702 specimens of target and nontarget sturgeon species demonstrated a 100% identification success for Acipenser naccarii, A. fulvescens, A. stellatus, A. sinensis and A. transmontanus. In addition to species identification, our approach allows the identification of Bester and AL hybrids, two of the most economically important hybrids in the world, with 80% and 100% success, respectively. Moreover, the approach has the potential to identify many other existing sturgeon hybrids. The development of a standardized sturgeon identification tool will directly benefit trade law enforcement, providing the tools to monitor and regulate the legal trade of caviar and protect sturgeon stocks from illicit producers and traders, hence contributing to safeguarding this group of heavily threatened species. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

In vitro Dermal Absorption of Hydroquinone: Protocol Validation and Applicability on Illegal Skin-Whitening Cosmetics.

PubMed

Desmedt, Bart; Ates, Gamze; Courselle, Patricia; De Beer, Jacques O; Rogiers, Vera; Hendrickx, Benoit; Deconinck, Eric; De Paepe, Kristien

2016-01-01

In Europe, hydroquinone is a forbidden cosmetic ingredient. It is, however, still abundantly used because of its effective skin-whitening properties. The question arises as to whether the quantities of hydroquinone used become systemically available and may cause damage to human health. Dermal absorption studies can provide this information. In the EU, dermal absorption has to be assessed in vitro since the Cosmetic Regulation 1223/2009/EC forbids the use of animals. To obtain human-relevant data, a Franz diffusion cell protocol was validated using human skin. The results obtained were comparable to those from a multicentre validation study. The protocol was applied to hydroquinone and the dermal absorption ranged between 31 and 44%, which is within the range of published in vivo human values. This shows that a well-validated in vitro dermal absorption study using human skin provides relevant human data. The validated protocol was used to determine the dermal absorption of illegal skin-whitening cosmetics containing hydroquinone. All samples gave high dermal absorption values, rendering them all unsafe for human health. These results add to our knowledge of illegal cosmetics on the EU market, namely that they exhibit a negative toxicological profile and are likely to induce health problems. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Monte Carlo simulation of the influence of pressure and target-substrate distance on the sputtering process for metal and semiconductor layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouazza, Abdelkader; Settaouti, Abderrahmane

2016-07-01

The energy and the number of particles arriving at the substrate during physical vapor deposition (PVD) are in close relation with divers parameters. In this work, we present the influence of the distance between the target and substrate and the gas pressure in the sputtering process of deposited layers of metals (Cu, Al and Ag) and semiconductors (Ge, Te and Si) for substrate diameter of 40 cm and target diameter of 5 cm. The nascent sputter flux, the flux of the atoms and their energy arriving at the substrate have been simulated by Monte Carlo codes. A good agreement between previous works of other groups and our simulations for sputter pressures (0.3-1 Pa) and target-substrate distances (8-20 cm) is obtained.

Rapid immune colloidal gold strip for cetacean meat restraining illegal trade and consumption: implications for conservation and public health.

PubMed

Lo, Chieh; Chin, Li-Te; Chu, Chi-Shih; Wang, Yu-Ting; Chan, Kun-Wei; Yang, Wei-Cheng

2013-01-01

The consumption of cetacean meat is geographically common and often of undetermined sustainability. Besides, it can expose humans to contaminants and zoonotic pathogens. The illegality of possessing cetacean meat was likely under-reported in some countries due to lack of attention paid by the officials although DNA analysis of market products helped to show such practices. We developed two monoclonal antibodies against synthetic peptides of myoglobin (Mb) for constructing a rapid immune colloidal gold strip. Only cetacean Mb is capable of binding to both antibodies and presents positive signal while the Mb from other animals can bind only 1 of the antibodies and presents negative result. The strip for cetacean meat would be an applicable and cost-effective test for field inspectors and even the general public. It contributes to increase the reporting capacity and coverage of illegal cetacean meat possession, which has implications for global cetacean conservation and public health.

[Safe illegal abortion would make an important contribution to decreasing maternal mortality and female suffering].

PubMed

Kleiverda, G

2008-03-01

Unsafe abortion is a major public health concern in many developing countries, contributing to a substantial proportion of maternal deaths. Increased legal access to abortion services is associated with improvement in mortality and morbidity. Safe illegal abortion by means of drugs is another possible way to prevent this unnecessary harm to women. The Dutch government, however, is now proposing legal changes that will diminish the access to medical abortion by general practitioners.

Biodiversity data mining from Argus-eyed citizens: the first illegal introduction record of Lepomis macrochirus macrochirus Rafinesque, 1819 in Japan based on Twitter information.

PubMed

Miyazaki, Yusuke; Teramura, Akinori; Senou, Hiroshi

2016-01-01

An apparent illegal introduction of Lepomis macrochirus macrochirus from Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, is reported based on a juvenile specimen and a photograph of two adults collected on 14 June 2015 and deposited in the Kangawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History. The specimens and photographs were initially reported on the internet-based social networking site, Twitter. Two specimens of Carassius auratus, including an aquarium form, were also reported at the same locality and date, suggesting that the illegal introductions originated from an aquarium release. Our report demonstrates an example of web data mining in the discipline of Citizen Science.

Inhalation Exposure Method for Illegal Drugs.

PubMed

Inomata, Akiko; Ogata, Akio; Tada, Yukie; Nagasawa, Akemichi; Yuzawa, Katsuhiro; Ando, Hiroshi; Kubo, Yoshikazu; Takahashi, Hiroshi; Kaihoko, Fujifumi; Tanaka, Kazuyoshi; Nakajima, Jun'ichi; Suzuki, Atsuko; Uemura, Nozomi; Moriyasu, Takako; Watanabe, Daisuke; Ishihara, Kei; Usami, Takashi; Kamei, Satoru; Kohno, Yasuaki

2017-01-01

We developed a new inhalation exposure method to evaluate effects of synthetic cannabimimetics that are being distributed as new, unregulated drugs in the Tokyo area. We selected the commercial product "SOUTOU" containing AB-CHMINACA and 5F-AMB as the test drug and dried marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) leaves as the negative control. A half cigarette packed with dried marshmallow leaves or SOUTOU was ignited, then mainstream smoke from each was delivered to five mice in an exposure box. After the cigarettes were fully consumed, neurobehavioral observations and a catalepsy test were performed at 15, 30 and 60 min after exposure. The effluent air from the exposure box was poured into impingers containing acetonitrile (first impinger) and dimethyl sulfoxide (second impinger). The resulting solutions were analyzed to assess decomposition of the synthetic cannabimimetics. Mice exposed to SOUTOU smoke showed many excitement behaviors and some suppressive behaviors at 15, 30 and 60 min. These clearly included cannabimimetic specific pharmacological actions. Negative control mice also showed some suppressive behaviors at 15 min but these were attenuated at later times, nearly disappearing at 60 min. In addition, the behavioral effects observed in controls were less pronounced than those in SOUTOU exposed mice. The inhalation exposure method developed in our study would be effective for determining cannabinoid specific pharmacological effects of illegal drugs, as well as for assessing the presence of active compound(s) by comparing the test substance with a negative control.

A multifunctional metal-organic framework based tumor targeting drug delivery system for cancer therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiao-Gang; Dong, Zhi-Yue; Cheng, Hong; Wan, Shuang-Shuang; Chen, Wei-Hai; Zou, Mei-Zhen; Huo, Jia-Wei; Deng, He-Xiang; Zhang, Xian-Zheng

2015-09-01

Drug delivery systems (DDSs) with biocompatibility and precise drug delivery are eagerly needed to overcome the paradox in chemotherapy that high drug doses are required to compensate for the poor biodistribution of drugs with frequent dose-related side effects. In this work, we reported a metal-organic framework (MOF) based tumor targeting DDS developed by a one-pot, and organic solvent-free ``green'' post-synthetic surface modification procedure, starting from the nanoscale MOF MIL-101. Owing to the multifunctional surface coating, premature drug release from this DDS was prevented. Due to the pH responsive benzoic imine bond and the redox responsive disulfide bond at the modified surface, this DDS exhibited tumor acid environment enhanced cellular uptake and intracellular reducing environment triggered drug release. In vitro and in vivo results showed that DOX loaded into this DDS exhibited effective cancer cell inhibition with much reduced side effects.Drug delivery systems (DDSs) with biocompatibility and precise drug delivery are eagerly needed to overcome the paradox in chemotherapy that high drug doses are required to compensate for the poor biodistribution of drugs with frequent dose-related side effects. In this work, we reported a metal-organic framework (MOF) based tumor targeting DDS developed by a one-pot, and organic solvent-free ``green'' post-synthetic surface modification procedure, starting from the nanoscale MOF MIL-101. Owing to the multifunctional surface coating, premature drug release from this DDS was prevented. Due to the pH responsive benzoic imine bond and the redox responsive disulfide bond at the modified surface, this DDS exhibited tumor acid environment enhanced cellular uptake and intracellular reducing environment triggered drug release. In vitro and in vivo results showed that DOX loaded into this DDS exhibited effective cancer cell inhibition with much reduced side effects. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available

In Situ Determination of Illegal Drugs in Oral Fluid by Portable Capillary Electrophoresis with Deep UV Excited Fluorescence Detection.

PubMed

Saar-Reismaa, Piret; Erme, Enn; Vaher, Merike; Kulp, Maria; Kaljurand, Mihkel; Mazina-Šinkar, Jekaterina

2018-05-15

The present study demonstrates the potential of a portable capillary electrophoresis (CE) instrument, coupled to deep UV fluorescence detector (FD) with a 230-255 nm excitation wavelength range, for the determination of the abuse of illegal drugs in oral fluids in situ. CE was introduced in this study due its exceptional power of separation and resolution, short analysis time, and ability for miniaturization for on-site assessment of different substances. The deep UV fluorescence detector was equipped with five interchangeable emission filters, in the emission wavelength range from 278 to 600 nm, and was successfully employed for determination of natively fluorescing illegal drugs, such as cocaine, cocaethylene, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), 3,4-methylenedioxeamphetamine (MDA), 3,4-methylenedioxy- N-ethylamphetamine (MDEA), para-methoxyamphetamine (PMA), para-methoxy- N-methylamphetamine (PMMA), amphetamine (AMP), methamphetamine (METH), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). The developed FD showed impressive sensitivity. The instrumental detection limit was 0.5 μg/L for MDMA. It also showed broad linearity, up to 50 mg/L for MDMA. The noise CV% was 1.1% for an empty capillary and 0.6% for a capillary filled with acetonitrile. The portable CE-FD with developed electrophoretic methodologies was successfully utilized for the determination of illegal abuse of drugs during "Weekend" 2016 and 2017 Music Festivals (Estonia). Moreover, CE-FD can be employed for detection of other natively fluorescing compounds in the proposed range (e.g., for different phenolic compounds, BTEX, naphthalene derivatives, and others), significantly widening the applicability of developed CE-FD instrument.

Metal Nanoparticles as Targeted Carriers Circumventing the Blood-Brain Barrier.

PubMed

Sintov, A C; Velasco-Aguirre, C; Gallardo-Toledo, E; Araya, E; Kogan, M J

2016-01-01

Metal nanoparticles have been proposed as a carrier and a therapeutic agent in biomedical field because of their unique physiochemical properties. Due to these physicochemical properties, they can be used in different fields of biomedicine. In relation to this, plasmonic nanoparticles can be used for detection and photothermal destruction of tumor cells or toxic protein aggregates, and magnetic iron nanoparticles can be used for imaging and for hyperthermia of tumor cells. In addition, both therapy and imaging can be combined in one nanoparticle system, in a process called theranostics. Metal nanoparticles can be synthesized to modulate their size and shape, and conjugated with different ligands, which allow their application in drug delivery, diagnostics, and treatment of central nervous system diseases. This review is focused on the potential applications of metal nanoparticles and their capability to circumvent the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Although many articles have demonstrated delivery of metal nanoparticles to the brain by crossing the BBB after systemic administration, the percentage of the injected dose that reaches this organ is low in comparison to others, especially the liver and spleen. In connection with this drawback, we elaborate the architecture of the BBB and review possible mechanisms to cross this barrier by engineered nanoparticles. The potential uses of metal nanoparticles for treatment of disorders as well as related neurotoxicological considerations are also discussed. Finally, we bring up for discussion a direct and relatively simpler solution to the problem. We discuss this in detail after having proposed the use of the intranasal administration route as a way to circumvent the BBB. This route has not been extensively studied yet for metal nanoparticles, although it could be used as a research tool for mechanistic understanding and toxicity as well as an added value for medical practice. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

LIQUID TARGET

DOEpatents

Martin, M.D.; Salsig, W.W. Jr.

1959-01-13

A liquid handling apparatus is presented for a liquid material which is to be irradiated. The apparatus consists essentially of a reservoir for the liquid, a target element, a drain tank and a drain lock chamber. The target is in the form of a looped tube, the upper end of which is adapted to be disposed in a beam of atomic particles. The lower end of the target tube is in communication with the liquid in the reservoir and a means is provided to continuously circulate the liquid material to be irradiated through the target tube. Means to heat the reservoir tank is provided in the event that a metal is to be used as the target material. The apparatus is provided with suitable valves and shielding to provide maximum safety in operation.

Illegal or legitimate use? Precursor compounds to amphetamine and methamphetamine.

PubMed

Musshoff, F

2000-02-01

The interpretation of methamphetamine and amphetamine positive test results in biological samples is a challenge to clinical and forensic toxicology for several reasons. The effects of pH and dilution of urine samples and the knowledge about legitimate and illicit sources have to be taken into account. Besides a potentially legal prescription of amphetamines, many substances metabolize to methamphetamine or amphetamine in the body: amphetaminil, benzphetamine, clobenzorex, deprenyl, dimethylamphetamine, ethylamphetamine, famprofazone, fencamine, fenethylline, fenproporex, furfenorex, mefenorex, mesocarb, and prenylamine. Especially the knowledge of potential origins of methamphetamine and amphetamine turns out to be very important to prevent a misinterpretation of the surrounding circumstances and to prove illegal drug abuse. In this review, potential precursor compounds are described, including their medical use and major clinical effects and their metabolic profiles, as well as some clues which help to identify the sources.

Ca-48 targets - Home and abroad!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greene, John P.; Carpenter, Michael; Janssens, Robert V. F.

2018-05-01

Using the method of reduction/distillation, high-purity films of robust and ductile calcium metal were prepared for use as targets in nuclear physics experiments. These targets, however, are extremely air-sensitive and procedures must be developed for their handling and use without exposure to the air. In most instances, the thin 48Ca target is used on a carrier foil (backing) and a thin covering film of similar material is employed to further reduce re-oxidation. Un-backed metallic targets are rarely produced due to these concerns. In addition, the low natural abundance of the isotope 48Ca provided an increased incentive for the best efficiencies available in their preparation. Here, we describe the preparation of 48Ca targets employing a gold backing and thin gold cover for use at home, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), as well as abroad, at Osaka University. For the overseas shipments, much care and preparation were necessary to ensure good targets and safe arrival to the experimental facilities.

Laser Driven Compression Equations of State and Hugoniot Pressure Measurements in Thick Solid Metallic Targets at ˜0.17-13 TW/cm2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Remo, John L.

2010-10-01

An electro-optic laser probe was developed to obtain parameters for high energy density equations of state (EoS), Hugoniot pressures (PH), and strain rates for high energy density laser irradiation intensity, I, experiments at ˜170 GW/cm2 (λ = 1064 nm) to ˜13 TW/cm2 (λ = 527 nm) on Al, Cu, Ti, Fe, Ni metal targets in a vacuum. At I ˜7 TW/cm2 front surface plasma pressures and temperatures reached 100's GPa and over two million K. Rear surface PH ranged from 7-120 GPa at average shock wave transit velocities 4.2-8.5 km/s, depending on target thickness and I. A surface plasma compression ˜100's GPa generated an impulsive radial expanding shock wave causing compression, rarefactions, and surface elastic and plastic deformations depending on I. A laser/fiber optic system measured rear surface shock wave emergence and particle velocity with ˜3 GHz resolution by monitoring light deflection from diamond polished rear surfaces of malleable metallic targets, analogous to an atomic force microscope. Target thickness, ˜0.5-2.9 mm, prevented front surface laser irradiation penetration, due to low radiation skin depth, from altering rear surface reflectivity (refractive index). At ˜10 TW electromagnetic plasma pulse noise generated from the target chamber overwhelmed detector signals. Pulse frequency analysis using Moebius loop antennae probed transient noise characteristics. Average shock (compression) and particle (rear surface displacement) velocity measurements determined rear surface PH and GPa) EoS that are compared with gas guns.

Atmospheric electromagnetic pulse propagation effects from thick targets in a terawatt laser target chamber.

PubMed

Remo, John L; Adams, Richard G; Jones, Michael C

2007-08-20

Generation and effects of atmospherically propagated electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) initiated by photoelectrons ejected by the high density and temperature target surface plasmas from multiterawatt laser pulses are analyzed. These laser radiation pulse interactions can significantly increase noise levels, thereby obscuring data (sometimes totally) and may even damage sensitive probe and detection instrumentation. Noise effects from high energy density (approximately multiterawatt) laser pulses (approximately 300-400 ps pulse widths) interacting with thick approximately 1 mm) metallic and dielectric solid targets and dielectric-metallic powder mixtures are interpreted as transient resonance radiation associated with surface charge fluctuations on the target chamber that functions as a radiating antenna. Effective solutions that minimize atmospheric EMP effects on internal and proximate electronic and electro-optical equipment external to the system based on systematic measurements using Moebius loop antennas, interpretations of signal periodicities, and dissipation indicators determining transient noise origin characteristics from target emissions are described. Analytic models for the effect of target chamber resonances and associated noise current and temperature in a probe diode laser are described.

Atmospheric electromagnetic pulse propagation effects from thick targets in a terawatt laser target chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Remo, John L.; Adams, Richard G.; Jones, Michael C.

2007-08-01

Generation and effects of atmospherically propagated electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) initiated by photoelectrons ejected by the high density and temperature target surface plasmas from multiterawatt laser pulses are analyzed. These laser radiation pulse interactions can significantly increase noise levels, thereby obscuring data (sometimes totally) and may even damage sensitive probe and detection instrumentation. Noise effects from high energy density (approximately multiterawatt) laser pulses (˜300-400 ps pulse widths) interacting with thick (˜1 mm) metallic and dielectric solid targets and dielectric-metallic powder mixtures are interpreted as transient resonance radiation associated with surface charge fluctuations on the target chamber that functions as a radiating antenna. Effective solutions that minimize atmospheric EMP effects on internal and proximate electronic and electro-optical equipment external to the system based on systematic measurements using Moebius loop antennas, interpretations of signal periodicities, and dissipation indicators determining transient noise origin characteristics from target emissions are described. Analytic models for the effect of target chamber resonances and associated noise current and temperature in a probe diode laser are described.

Atmospheric electromagnetic pulse propagation effects from thick targets in a terawatt laser target chamber

DOE PAGES

Remo, John L.; Adams, Richard G.; Jones, Michael C.

2007-08-16

Generation and effects of atmospherically propagated electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) initiated by photoelectrons ejected by the high density and temperature target surface plasmas from multiterawatt laser pulses are analyzed. These laser radiation pulse interactions can significantly increase noise levels, thereby obscuring data (sometimes totally) and may even damage sensitive probe and detection instrumentation. Noise effects from high energy density (approximately multiterawatt) laser pulses (~300–400 ps pulse widths) interacting with thick (~1 mm) metallic and dielectric solid targets and dielectric–metallic powder mixtures are interpreted as transient resonance radiation associated with surface charge fluctuations on the target chamber that functions as a radiatingmore » antenna. Effective solutions that minimize atmospheric EMP effects on internal and proximate electronic and electro-optical equipment external to the system based on systematic measurements using Moebius loop antennas, interpretations of signal periodicities, and dissipation indicators determining transient noise origin characteristics from target emissions are described. Analytic models for the effect of target chamber resonances and associated noise current and temperature in a probe diode laser are described.« less

Tumor targeting of gene expression through metal-coordinated conjugation with dextran.

PubMed

Hosseinkhani, Hossein; Aoyama, Teruyoshi; Ogawa, Osamu; Tabata, Yasuhiko

2003-03-07

Tumor targeting of plasmid DNA was achieved through the conjugation of dextran derivatives with chelate residues based on metal coordination. Diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA), spermidine (Sd), and spermine (Sm) were chemically introduced to the hydroxyl groups of dextran to obtain dextran-DTPA, dextran-Sd and dextran-Sm derivatives. Conjugation of the dextran derivative by Zn(2+) coordination decreased the apparent size of the plasmid DNA, depending on the derivative type. The negative zeta potential of plasmid DNA became almost 0 mV after Zn(2+)-coordinated conjugation with dextran-Sm. When the dextran derivative-plasmid DNA conjugates with Zn(2+) coordination were intravenously injected subcutaneously into mice bearing Meth-AR-1 fibrosarcoma, the dextran-Sm-plasmid DNA conjugate significantly enhanced the level of gene expression in the tumor, in contrast to the conjugate of other dextran derivatives and free plasmid DNA. The enhanced gene expression produced by the Zn(2+)-coordinated dextran-Sm-plasmid DNA conjugate was specific to the tumor, whereas a simple mixture of dextran-Sm and plasmid DNA was not effective. The level of gene expression depended on the percentage of chelate residues introduced, the mixing weight ratio of the plasmid DNA/Sm residue used for conjugate preparation, and the plasmid DNA dose. A fluorescent microscopic study revealed that localization of plasmid DNA in the tumor tissue was observed only after injection of the dextran-Sm-plasmid DNA conjugate with Zn(2+) coordination. In addition, the gene expression induced by the conjugate lasted for more than 10 days after the injection. We conclude that Zn(2+)-coordinated dextran-Sm conjugation is a promising way to enable plasmid DNA to target the tumor in gene expression as well as to prolong the duration of gene expression.

Targets for the production of radioisotopes and method of assembly

DOEpatents

Quinby, Thomas C.

1976-01-01

A target for preparation of radioisotopes by nuclear bombardment, and a method for its assembly are provided. A metallic sample to be bombarded is enclosed within a metallic support structure and the resulting target subjected to heat and pressure to effect diffusion bonds therebetween. The bonded target is capable of withstanding prolonged exposure to nuclear bombardment without thermal damage to the sample.

Fine-Grained Targets for Laser Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Michael W. (Inventor); Park, Cheol (Inventor)

2017-01-01

A mechanically robust, binder-free, inexpensive target for laser synthesis of carbon nanotubes and a method for making same, comprising the steps of mixing prismatic edge natural flake graphite with a metal powder catalyst and pressing the graphite and metal powder mixture into a mold having a desired target shape.

Fine-Grained Targets for Laser Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Michael W. (Inventor); Park, Cheol (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A mechanically robust, binder-free, inexpensive target for laser synthesis of carbon nanotubes and a method for making same, comprising the steps of mixing prismatic edge natural flake graphite with a metal powder catalyst and pressing the graphite and metal powder mixture into a mold having a desired target shape.

A brief report on the illegal cage-bird trade in southern Florida: a potentially serious negative impact on the eastern population of Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sykes, P.W.; Manfredi, L.; Padura, M.

2006-01-01

Populations of Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) have been declining annually over the past 35 years. A cursory survey indicates that illegal trapping of Painted Buntings for a black market cage-bird trade is widespread in southeastern Florida. Coupled with other negative factors confronting the eastern population, the trapping of buntings for the cagebird trade may, in time, produce dire results for this native songbird. Law enforcement personnel need to continue to monitor the illegal activity of trapping native passerines for the local songbird market and to continue to arrest those who support it.

Project Catch: A space based solution to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Part I: Vessel monitoring system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Detsis, Emmanouil; Brodsky, Yuval; Knudtson, Peter; Cuba, Manuel; Fuqua, Heidi; Szalai, Bianca

2012-11-01

Space assets have a unique opportunity to play a more active role in global resource management. There is a clear need to develop resource management tools in a global framework. Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing is placing pressure on the health and size of fishing stocks around the world. Earth observation systems can provide fishery management organizations with cost effective monitoring of large swaths of ocean. Project Catch is a fisheries management project based upon the complimentary, but independent Catch-VMS and Catch-GIS systems. Catch-VMS is a Vessel Monitoring System with increased fidelity over existing offerings. Catch-GIS is a Geographical Information System that combines VMS information with existing Earth Observation data and other data sources to identify Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing. Project Catch was undertaken by 19 Masters students from the 2010 class of the International Space University. In this paper, the space-based system architecture of Project Catch is presented and analyzed. The rationale for the creation of the system, as well as the engineering trade-off studies in its creation, are discussed. The Catch-VMS proposal was envisaged in order to address two specific problems: (1) the expansion of illegal fishing to high-latitude regions where existing satellite systems coverage is an issue and (2) the lack of coverage in remote oceanic regions due to reliance on coastal-based monitoring. Catch-VMS utilizes ship-borne transponders and hosted-payload receivers on a Global Navigation Satellite System in order to monitor the position and activity of compliant fishing vessels. Coverage is global and continuous with multiple satellites in view providing positional verification through multilateration techniques. The second part of the paper briefly describes the Catch-GIS system and investigates its cost of implementation.

Decline but No Fall? New Millennium Trends in Young People's Use of Illegal and Illicit Drugs in Britain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aldridge, Judith

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe trends since 2000 in young people's use of illegal/illicit drugs in Britain, and to place these into a longer-term context alongside recent theorising on youthful drug taking. The implications for health educators are to be examined. Design/methodology/approach: A selective narrative review of…

Stable hydrogen isotope analysis as a method to identify illegally trapped songbirds.

PubMed

Kelly, Andrew; Thompson, Richard; Newton, Jason

2008-06-01

We measured stable hydrogen isotope ratios in the primary feathers of two subspecies of goldfinches, confiscated by the Police and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) on suspicion that they had been illegally taken from the wild. We found significant differences in the delta2H values of the two subspecies indicating that they were sourced from different geographical regions. Our results correlated with isotopic precipitation maps and with the known distribution of the two subspecies of goldfinch. We believe that this technique could be used by law enforcement agencies to determine the origin of birds in cases where the species or subspecies involved are geographically distinct.

Welfare impacts of the illegal wildlife trade in a cohort of confiscated greater slow lorises, Nycticebus coucang.

PubMed

Fuller, Grace; Eggen, Wilhelmina Frederica; Wirdateti, Wirdateti; Nekaris, K A I

2018-01-01

Illegal harvesting and trade are major forces behind population declines of wild slow lorises (genus Nycticebus). The impacts of the wildlife trade on individual slow lorises have not been as well described. In this article, we describe quantitatively the consequences of the wildlife trade for 77 greater slow lorises, N. coucang, who were confiscated en masse and brought to Cikananga Wildlife Center in Indonesia. Medical records indicated that in total, 28.6% of the slow lorises died within the first 6 months, mostly due to traumatic injury, and all the infants died. The greatest sources of morbidity were external wounds (33.1% of 166 total medical events) and dental problems (19.3%). Of the surviving individuals, 25.4% displayed abnormal behavior. Behavioral observations indicated that healthy adults (n = 3) spent 48.2% of their active period performing stereotypies. These data illustrate the physical and behavioral impacts of the illegal wildlife trade on the welfare of slow lorises. We suggest that sharing these individual stories may help generate empathy and educate the public about the impacts of the exotic companion-animal (pet) trade on nonhuman animal welfare.

Overcrowded motor vehicle trauma from the smuggling of illegal immigrants in the desert of the Southwest.

PubMed

Lumpkin, Mary F; Judkins, Dan; Porter, John M; Latifi, Rifat; Williams, Mark D

2004-12-01

Overcrowded motor vehicle crashes caused by the very active criminal enterprise of smuggling illegal immigrants in the desert of the Southwest is a recent and under-recognized trauma etiology. A computerized database search from 1990 through 2003 of local newspaper reports of overcrowded motor vehicle crashes along the 281 miles of Arizona's border with Mexico was conducted. This area was covered by two level I trauma centers, but since July 2003 is now served only by the University Medical Center. Each of these crashes involved a single motor vehicle in poor mechanical shape packed with illegal immigrants. Speeding out of control on bad tires, high-speed rollovers result in ejection of most passengers. Since 1999, there have been 38 crashes involving 663 passengers (an average of 17 per vehicle) with an injury rate of 49 per cent and a mortality rate of 9 per cent. This relatively recent phenomenon (no reports from before 1998) of trauma resulting from human smuggling is lethal and demonstrates the smugglers' wanton disregard for human life, particularly when facing apprehension. Even a few innocent bystanders have been killed. These crashes overwhelm a region's trauma resources and must be recognized when planning the distribution of trauma resources to border states.

[Nursing school students' perception of legal and illegal drugs consumption].

PubMed

Bermúdez-Herrera, Azucena; Silva, Marta Angélica Iossi; Priotto, Elis Maria Teixeira; Sampaio, Julliane Messias Cordeiro

2011-06-01

Drugs consumption is as ancient as humanity. It has always existed and is associated with culture, in its historical and social context. The aim of this research is to know and analyze the perception of students from the Nursing School at the University of Guayaquil about legal and illegal drugs consumption. The methodological approach was qualitative, descriptive and exploratory. The sample consisted of eleven first-year students from the Nursing School. Individual and semi structured interviews were used for data collection. Thematic content analysis was adopted, in which five themes were identified: The economic situation, domestic violence, migration of close relatives, influence of the media that surround us, and ignorance about the topic. With a view to enhancing awareness on this hard reality that hurts and prejudices humanity, knowing students' perceptions contributes to identify their needs and create possibilities for health care interventions, particularly health promotion.

Firearm retailers' willingness to participate in an illegal gun purchase.

PubMed

Wintemute, Garen

2010-09-01

Firearm-related violence is a significant public health and public safety problem for cities in the USA, and licensed firearm retailers are an important source of the guns used in that violence. Using a scripted telephone interview, we screened a sample of licensed retailers in California to assess their willingness to participate in the surrogate or "straw" purchase of a handgun; such purchases are illegal under federal law. Of 149 retailers who provided a response, 30 (20.1%) agreed to participate. In multivariate analysis, pawnbrokers were more likely to agree than were gun dealers (odds ratio 6.58, 95% confidence interval 1.99-21.71). Sales of handguns that were later subjected to ownership tracing (a proxy measure for a gun's use in crime) were not more frequent among retailers who agreed to participate than among others, and other findings were unexpected as well.

Exploitation rates of two benthic resources across management regimes in central Chile: Evidence of illegal fishing in artisanal fisheries operating in open access areas

PubMed Central

Andreu-Cazenave, Miguel; Subida, Maria Dulce; Fernandez, Miriam

2017-01-01

There is an urgent need to quantify the impacts of artisanal fisheries and define management practices that allow for the recovery and conservation of exploited stocks. The extent of illegal catch is particularly critical as a driver of overexploitation in artisanal fisheries. However, the lack of data at proper spatial scales limits the evaluation of illegal fishing and effectiveness of management practices. We used a catch curve analysis to estimate total instantaneous mortality as a proxy of fishing pressure in the artisanal benthic fishery in central Chile. We compared the patterns of total mortality in fishing grounds under the well-studied territorial use rights for fisheries system (TURF) immersed in a landscape of open access areas (OAA; no access restriction), and from these patterns determined the extent of illegal fishing in open access areas focusing on the two most frequently extracted resources: locos (Concholepas concholepas) and keyhole limpets (Fissurella spp.). The beauty of this seascape is the presence of the no-take (NT) area of Las Cruces as control (no fishing), allowing us to estimate natural mortality. Loco exploitation is banned in OAAs. However, loco mortality in OAAs was 92% higher than in the NT, and 42% higher than in TURFs. Keyhole limpet mortality was similar between TURFs and the NT, but doubled in OAAs. We also found strong differences in mortality among fishing grounds with the same level of protection (i.e. TURFs), and over time. Our results highlight (a) the high level of illegal fishing that may occur in artisanal fisheries under traditional management regimes, and (b) that TURFs can be effective to reduce fishing mortality. However, large variability among TURFs suggests the need for a deeper understanding of the drivers of success of TURFs. PMID:28666013

Exploitation rates of two benthic resources across management regimes in central Chile: Evidence of illegal fishing in artisanal fisheries operating in open access areas.

PubMed

Andreu-Cazenave, Miguel; Subida, Maria Dulce; Fernandez, Miriam

2017-01-01

There is an urgent need to quantify the impacts of artisanal fisheries and define management practices that allow for the recovery and conservation of exploited stocks. The extent of illegal catch is particularly critical as a driver of overexploitation in artisanal fisheries. However, the lack of data at proper spatial scales limits the evaluation of illegal fishing and effectiveness of management practices. We used a catch curve analysis to estimate total instantaneous mortality as a proxy of fishing pressure in the artisanal benthic fishery in central Chile. We compared the patterns of total mortality in fishing grounds under the well-studied territorial use rights for fisheries system (TURF) immersed in a landscape of open access areas (OAA; no access restriction), and from these patterns determined the extent of illegal fishing in open access areas focusing on the two most frequently extracted resources: locos (Concholepas concholepas) and keyhole limpets (Fissurella spp.). The beauty of this seascape is the presence of the no-take (NT) area of Las Cruces as control (no fishing), allowing us to estimate natural mortality. Loco exploitation is banned in OAAs. However, loco mortality in OAAs was 92% higher than in the NT, and 42% higher than in TURFs. Keyhole limpet mortality was similar between TURFs and the NT, but doubled in OAAs. We also found strong differences in mortality among fishing grounds with the same level of protection (i.e. TURFs), and over time. Our results highlight (a) the high level of illegal fishing that may occur in artisanal fisheries under traditional management regimes, and (b) that TURFs can be effective to reduce fishing mortality. However, large variability among TURFs suggests the need for a deeper understanding of the drivers of success of TURFs.

Exploration of the medical periodic table: towards new targets.

PubMed

Barry, Nicolas P E; Sadler, Peter J

2013-06-07

Metallodrugs offer potential for unique mechanisms of drug action based on the choice of the metal, its oxidation state, the types and number of coordinated ligands and the coordination geometry. We discuss recent progress in identifying new target sites and elucidating the mechanisms of action of anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-neurodegenerative agents, as well as in the design of metal-based diagnostic agents. Progress in identifying and defining target sites has been accelerated recently by advances in proteomics, genomics and metal speciation analysis. Examples of metal compounds and chelating agents (enzyme inhibitors) currently in clinical use, clinical trials or preclinical development are highlighted.

Inertial Confinement fusion targets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hendricks, C. D.

1982-01-01

Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targets are made as simple flat discs, as hollow shells or as complicated multilayer structures. Many techniques were devised for producing the targets. Glass and metal shells are made by using drop and bubble techniques. Solid hydrogen shells are also produced by adapting old methods to the solution of modern problems. Some of these techniques, problems, and solutions are discussed. In addition, the applications of many of the techniques to fabrication of ICF targets is presented.

A systematic review of the research evidence on cross-country features of illegal abortions

PubMed Central

Aghaei, Farideh; Shaghaghi, Abdolreza; Sarbakhsh, Parvin

2017-01-01

Background: There are contrasting debates about abortions and prohibitory regulations posed serious public health challenges especially in underdeveloped and developing countries. Due to paucity of the empirical evidences this study was conducted to explore the existent cumulative knowledge with special focus on the applied methodology. Methods: A comprehensive review of published articles from January 1995 to December 2015 was performed. Several databases including: Embase, PubMed, Cochrane and also databasesof the Iranian medical journals were searched using combinations of relevant Medical Subject Headings (MeSH terms) and their equivalents, i.e., induced abortion, embryotomy, criminal abortion and illegal abortion. The STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement for appraisal of the cross-sectional studies and Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist for the qualitative reports were utilized. After removal of duplicates and irrelevant publications 36 articles remained for data analysis. Results: A wide heterogeneity was observed in the utilized methodology with no standard data collection tool. Face to face interview and self-administered questionnaire were the most common reported data collection/tool respectively. Married and unemployed women of 26-30 years old age group with low socioeconomic backgrounds were the most typical illegal abortees in the included studies. Conclusion: Despite limitation in accessing all relevant publications and including only those reports written in English or Persian languages, the accumulated knowledge might be applicable to develop a potentially inclusive data collection tool and hence, improve the quality of data collection and/or application of a more robust study design in future investigations. PMID:28695098

Gambling disorder-related illegal acts: Regression model of associated factors

PubMed Central

Gorsane, Mohamed Ali; Reynaud, Michel; Vénisse, Jean-Luc; Legauffre, Cindy; Valleur, Marc; Magalon, David; Fatséas, Mélina; Chéreau-Boudet, Isabelle; Guilleux, Alice; JEU Group; Challet-Bouju, Gaëlle; Grall-Bronnec, Marie

2017-01-01

Background and aims Gambling disorder-related illegal acts (GDRIA) are often crucial events for gamblers and/or their entourage. This study was designed to determine the predictive factors of GDRIA. Methods Participants were 372 gamblers reporting at least three DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) criteria. They were assessed on the basis of sociodemographic characteristics, gambling-related characteristics, their personality profile, and psychiatric comorbidities. A multiple logistic regression was performed to identify the relevant predictors of GDRIA and their relative contribution to the prediction of the presence of GDRIA. Results Multivariate analysis revealed a higher South Oaks Gambling Scale score, comorbid addictive disorders, and a lower level of income as GDRIA predictors. Discussion and conclusion An original finding of this study was that the comorbid addictive disorder effect might be mediated by a disinhibiting effect of stimulant substances on GDRIA. Further studies are necessary to replicate these results, especially in a longitudinal design, and to explore specific therapeutic interventions. PMID:28198636

Gambling disorder-related illegal acts: Regression model of associated factors.

PubMed

Gorsane, Mohamed Ali; Reynaud, Michel; Vénisse, Jean-Luc; Legauffre, Cindy; Valleur, Marc; Magalon, David; Fatséas, Mélina; Chéreau-Boudet, Isabelle; Guilleux, Alice; Challet-Bouju, Gaëlle; Grall-Bronnec, Marie

2017-03-01

Background and aims Gambling disorder-related illegal acts (GDRIA) are often crucial events for gamblers and/or their entourage. This study was designed to determine the predictive factors of GDRIA. Methods Participants were 372 gamblers reporting at least three DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) criteria. They were assessed on the basis of sociodemographic characteristics, gambling-related characteristics, their personality profile, and psychiatric comorbidities. A multiple logistic regression was performed to identify the relevant predictors of GDRIA and their relative contribution to the prediction of the presence of GDRIA. Results Multivariate analysis revealed a higher South Oaks Gambling Scale score, comorbid addictive disorders, and a lower level of income as GDRIA predictors. Discussion and conclusion An original finding of this study was that the comorbid addictive disorder effect might be mediated by a disinhibiting effect of stimulant substances on GDRIA. Further studies are necessary to replicate these results, especially in a longitudinal design, and to explore specific therapeutic interventions.

Canvasback mortality from illegal hunting on the upper Mississippi River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Korschgen, Carl E.; Kenow, Kevin P.; Nissen, James M.; Wetzel, John F.

1996-01-01

To quantify the consequences of local hunting on illegal kill of canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria), we studied the behavior of hunters on a 646-ha area open to duck hunting (closed to canvasback hunting) on Lake Onalaska, Navigation Pool 7, Wisconsin, during the 1991 and 1992 waterfowl hunting seasons. Law enforcement officers observed 258 hunting parties for 419 hours. Of 94 hunting parties encountering canvasbacks, 41 (44%) shot at the ducks on 56 occasions, or 27% of 207 encounters observed, Based on a ratio estimator, there were 790 (95% CI = 376) attempts to shoot at canvasbacks on the Lake Onalaska study area during 1991 and 837 (95% CI = 390) during 1992. Mortality of canvasbacks, excluding crippling loss, was estimated to be 128 during 1991 and 166 during 1992. Thus, total canvasback losses may be higher than currently estimated on a flyway or national basis. This estimating technique offers a promising method for enumerating hunter take of protected and legal species.

Global Trends and Factors Associated with the Illegal Killing of Elephants: A Hierarchical Bayesian Analysis of Carcass Encounter Data

PubMed Central

Burn, Robert W.; Underwood, Fiona M.; Blanc, Julian

2011-01-01

Elephant poaching and the ivory trade remain high on the agenda at meetings of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Well-informed debates require robust estimates of trends, the spatial distribution of poaching, and drivers of poaching. We present an analysis of trends and drivers of an indicator of elephant poaching of all elephant species. The site-based monitoring system known as Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE), set up by the 10th Conference of the Parties of CITES in 1997, produces carcass encounter data reported mainly by anti-poaching patrols. Data analyzed were site by year totals of 6,337 carcasses from 66 sites in Africa and Asia from 2002–2009. Analysis of these observational data is a serious challenge to traditional statistical methods because of the opportunistic and non-random nature of patrols, and the heterogeneity across sites. Adopting a Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach, we used the proportion of carcasses that were illegally killed (PIKE) as a poaching index, to estimate the trend and the effects of site- and country-level factors associated with poaching. Important drivers of illegal killing that emerged at country level were poor governance and low levels of human development, and at site level, forest cover and area of the site in regions where human population density is low. After a drop from 2002, PIKE remained fairly constant from 2003 until 2006, after which it increased until 2008. The results for 2009 indicate a decline. Sites with PIKE ranging from the lowest to the highest were identified. The results of the analysis provide a sound information base for scientific evidence-based decision making in the CITES process. PMID:21912670

Global trends and factors associated with the illegal killing of elephants: A hierarchical bayesian analysis of carcass encounter data.

PubMed

Burn, Robert W; Underwood, Fiona M; Blanc, Julian

2011-01-01

Elephant poaching and the ivory trade remain high on the agenda at meetings of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Well-informed debates require robust estimates of trends, the spatial distribution of poaching, and drivers of poaching. We present an analysis of trends and drivers of an indicator of elephant poaching of all elephant species. The site-based monitoring system known as Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE), set up by the 10(th) Conference of the Parties of CITES in 1997, produces carcass encounter data reported mainly by anti-poaching patrols. Data analyzed were site by year totals of 6,337 carcasses from 66 sites in Africa and Asia from 2002-2009. Analysis of these observational data is a serious challenge to traditional statistical methods because of the opportunistic and non-random nature of patrols, and the heterogeneity across sites. Adopting a bayesian hierarchical modeling approach, we used the proportion of carcasses that were illegally killed (PIKE) as a poaching index, to estimate the trend and the effects of site- and country-level factors associated with poaching. Important drivers of illegal killing that emerged at country level were poor governance and low levels of human development, and at site level, forest cover and area of the site in regions where human population density is low. After a drop from 2002, PIKE remained fairly constant from 2003 until 2006, after which it increased until 2008. The results for 2009 indicate a decline. Sites with PIKE ranging from the lowest to the highest were identified. The results of the analysis provide a sound information base for scientific evidence-based decision making in the CITES process.

Alcohol, illegal drugs, violent crime, and traffic-related and other unintended injuries in U.S. local and national news.

PubMed

Slater, Michael D; Long, Marilee; Ford, Valerie L

2006-11-01

The present study seeks to establish the extent to which media coverage acknowledges alcohol's contribution to violent crime as well as to motor vehicle injuries and other injury incidents. The study content-analyzes a unique sample, closely approximating national representativeness, of local and national television news, local newspapers, and national magazines randomly sampled during a 2-year period. Alcohol's role in violent crime and, to a lesser extent, in motor vehicle and other injury incidents is underreported relative to available estimates regarding alcohol-attributable fractions. Relative frequency of various news frames for coverage of alcohol and illegal drugs and differences in coverage of alcohol and illegal drugs as a function of the type of story and news medium are described. The underreporting in the United States of alcohol's contribution to serious and fatal injury from these causes may reduce public perceptions of alcohol-related risks, potentially influencing behavior, including public support of alcohol-control policies. This provides an opportunity for media-advocacy approaches to improve public health content of news coverage.

Two-dimensional correlation infrared spectroscopy applied to the identification of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine in illegally adulterated slimming herbal products.

PubMed

Miao, Li; Liu, Yan; Li, Hao; Qi, Yunpeng; Lu, Feng

2017-02-01

Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS) was employed for the identification of ephedrine (Ep) and pseudoephedrine (Ps) present in illegally adulterated slimming herbal products (SHPs). Second derivative (SD) spectral pretreatment was used prior to 2DCOS analysis to highlight specific features not readily observable by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), SD-FTIR, or original 2DCOS, leading to enhanced resolution and a reduced lower limit of detection (<1% in this study). After examining the power spectra of suspicious SHPs, bands containing characteristic peaks for Ep (701, 747, 1042, 1363, 1375, 1451, 1478 cm -1 etc) and/or Ps (703, 767, 1037, 1375, 1428, 1455, 1590 cm - 1, etc.) were selected to construct synchronous and asynchronous maps for further analysis, while the latter was applied to discriminate positive SHPs adulterated simultaneously with Ep and Ps. The proposed method is simple and economical and has the potential to identify other chemicals in illegally adulterated herbal products. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Targeted Structural Optimization with Additive Manufacturing of Metals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burt, Adam; Hull, Patrick

2015-01-01

The recent advances in additive manufacturing (AM) of metals have now improved the state-of-the-art such that traditionally non-producible parts can be readily produced in a cost-effective way. Because of these advances in manufacturing technology, structural optimization techniques are well positioned to supplement and advance this new technology. The goal of this project is to develop a structural design, analysis, and optimization framework combined with AM to significantly light-weight the interior of metallic structures while maintaining the selected structural properties of the original solid. This is a new state-of-the-art capability to significantly reduce mass, while maintaining the structural integrity of the original design, something that can only be done with AM. In addition, this framework will couple the design, analysis, and fabrication process, meaning that what has been designed directly represents the produced part, thus closing the loop on the design cycle and removing human iteration between design and fabrication. This fundamental concept has applications from light-weighting launch vehicle components to in situ resource fabrication.

Early warning of illegal development for protected areas by integrating cellular automata with neural networks.

PubMed

Li, Xia; Lao, Chunhua; Liu, Yilun; Liu, Xiaoping; Chen, Yimin; Li, Shaoying; Ai, Bing; He, Zijian

2013-11-30

Ecological security has become a major issue under fast urbanization in China. As the first two cities in this country, Shenzhen and Dongguan issued the ordinance of Eco-designated Line of Control (ELC) to "wire" ecologically important areas for strict protection in 2005 and 2009 respectively. Early warning systems (EWS) are a useful tool for assisting the implementation ELC. In this study, a multi-model approach is proposed for the early warning of illegal development by integrating cellular automata (CA) and artificial neural networks (ANN). The objective is to prevent the ecological risks or catastrophe caused by such development at an early stage. The integrated model is calibrated by using the empirical information from both remote sensing and handheld GPS (global positioning systems). The MAR indicator which is the ratio of missing alarms to all the warnings is proposed for better assessment of the model performance. It is found that the fast urban development has caused significant threats to natural-area protection in the study area. The integration of CA, ANN and GPS provides a powerful tool for describing and predicting illegal development which is in highly non-linear and fragmented forms. The comparison shows that this multi-model approach has much better performances than the single-model approach for the early warning. Compared with the single models of CA and ANN, this integrated multi-model can improve the value of MAR by 65.48% and 5.17% respectively. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metallicity determination of M dwarfs. Expanded parameter range in metallicity and effective temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindgren, Sara; Heiter, Ulrike

2017-08-01

Context. Reliable metallicity values for late K and M dwarfs are important for studies of the chemical evolution of the Galaxy and advancement of planet formation theory in low-mass environments. Historically it has been challenging to determine the stellar parameters of low-mass stars because of their low surface temperature, which causes several molecules to form in the photospheric layers. In our work we use the fact that infrared high-resolution spectrographs have opened up a new window for investigating M dwarfs. This enables us to use similar methods as for warmer solar-like stars. Aims: Metallicity determination with high-resolution spectra is more accurate than with low-resolution spectra, but it is rather time consuming. In this paper we expand our sample analyzed with this precise method both in metallicity and effective temperature to build a calibration sample for a future revised empirical calibration. Methods: Because of the relatively few molecular lines in the J band, continuum rectification is possible for high-resolution spectra, allowing the stellar parameters to be determined with greater accuracy than with optical spectra. We obtained high-resolution spectra with the CRIRES spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope (VLT). The metallicity was determined using synthetic spectral fitting of several atomic species. For M dwarfs that are cooler than 3575 K, the line strengths of FeH lines were used to determine the effective temperatures, while for warmer stars a photometric calibration was used. Results: We analyzed 16 targets with a range of effective temperature from 3350-4550 K. The resulting metallicities lie between -0.5< [M/H] < +0.4. A few targets have previously been analyzed using low-resolution spectra and we find a rather good agreement with our values. A comparison with available photometric calibrations shows varying agreement and the spread within all empirical calibrations is large. Conclusions: Including the targets from our previous

Rapid and lasting gains from solving illegal fishing.

PubMed

Cabral, Reniel B; Mayorga, Juan; Clemence, Michaela; Lynham, John; Koeshendrajana, Sonny; Muawanah, Umi; Nugroho, Duto; Anna, Zuzy; Mira; Ghofar, Abdul; Zulbainarni, Nimmi; Gaines, Steven D; Costello, Christopher

2018-04-01

Perhaps the greatest challenge facing global fisheries is that recovery often requires substantial short-term reductions in fishing effort, catches and profits. These costs can be onerous and are borne in the present; thus, many countries are unwilling to undertake such socially and politically unpopular actions. We argue that many nations can recover their fisheries while avoiding these short-term costs by sharply addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. This can spur fishery recovery, often at little or no cost to local economies or food provision. Indonesia recently implemented aggressive policies to curtail the high levels of IUU fishing it experiences from foreign-flagged vessels. We show that Indonesia's policies have reduced total fishing effort by at least 25%, illustrating with empirical evidence the possibility of achieving fishery reform without short-term losses to the local fishery economy. Compared with using typical management reforms that would require a 15% reduction in catch and 16% reduction in profit, the approach of curtailing IUU has the potential to generate a 14% increase in catch and a 12% increase in profit. Applying this model globally, we find that addressing IUU fishing could facilitate similar rapid, long-lasting fisheries gains in many regions of the world.

Speciation in Metal Toxicity and Metal-Based Therapeutics

PubMed Central

Templeton, Douglas M.

2015-01-01

Metallic elements, ions and compounds produce varying degrees of toxicity in organisms with which they come into contact. Metal speciation is critical to understanding these adverse effects; the adjectives “heavy” and “toxic” are not helpful in describing the biological properties of individual elements, but detailed chemical structures are. As a broad generalization, the metallic form of an element is inert, and the ionic salts are the species that show more significant bioavailability. Yet the salts and other chelates of a metal ion can give rise to quite different toxicities, as exemplified by a range of carcinogenic potential for various nickel species. Another important distinction comes when a metallic element is organified, increasing its lipophilicity and hence its ability to penetrate the blood brain barrier, as is seen, for example, with organic mercury and tin species. Some metallic elements, such as gold and platinum, are themselves useful therapeutic agents in some forms, while other species of the same element can be toxic, thus focusing attention on species interconversions in evaluating metal-based drugs. The therapeutic use of metal-chelating agents introduces new species of the target metal in vivo, and this can affect not only its desired detoxification, but also introduce a potential for further mechanisms of toxicity. Examples of therapeutic iron chelator species are discussed in this context, as well as the more recent aspects of development of chelation therapy for uranium exposure. PMID:29056656

Reframing the science and policy of nicotine, illegal drugs and alcohol – conclusions of the ALICE RAP Project

PubMed Central

Anderson, Peter; Berridge, Virginia; Conrod, Patricia; Dudley, Robert; Hellman, Matilda; Lachenmeier, Dirk; Lingford-Hughes, Anne; Miller, David; Rehm, Jürgen; Room, Robin; Schmidt, Laura; Sullivan, Roger; Ysa, Tamyko; Gual, Antoni

2017-01-01

In 2013, illegal drug use was responsible for 1.8% of years of life lost in the European Union, alcohol was responsible for 8.2% and tobacco for 18.2%, imposing economic burdens in excess of 2.5% of GDP. No single European country has optimal governance structures for reducing the harm done by nicotine, illegal drugs and alcohol, and existing ones are poorly designed, fragmented, and sometimes cause harm. Reporting the main science and policy conclusions of a transdisciplinary five-year analysis of the place of addictions in Europe, researchers from 67 scientific institutions addressed these problems by reframing an understanding of addictions.  A new paradigm needs to account for evolutionary evidence which suggests that humans are biologically predisposed to seek out drugs, and that, today, individuals face availability of high drug doses, consequently increasing the risk of harm.  New definitions need to acknowledge that the defining element of addictive drugs is ‘heavy use over time’, a concept that could replace the diagnostic artefact captured by the clinical term ‘substance use disorder’, thus opening the door for new substances to be considered such as sugar. Tools of quantitative risk assessment that recognize drugs as toxins could be further deployed to assess regulatory approaches to reducing harm. Re-designed governance of drugs requires embedding policy within a comprehensive societal well-being frame that encompasses a range of domains of well-being, including quality of life, material living conditions and sustainability over time; such a frame adds arguments to the inappropriateness of policies that criminalize individuals for using drugs and that continue to categorize certain drugs as illegal. A health footprint, modelled on the carbon footprint, and using quantitative measures such as years of life lost due to death or disability, could serve as the accountability tool that apportions responsibility for who and what causes drug

Molecular and ionic mimicry and the transport of toxic metals

PubMed Central

Bridges, Christy C.; Zalups, Rudolfs K.

2008-01-01

Despite many scientific advances, human exposure to, and intoxication by, toxic metal species continues to occur. Surprisingly, little is understood about the mechanisms by which certain metals and metal-containing species gain entry into target cells. Since there do not appear to be transporters designed specifically for the entry of most toxic metal species into mammalian cells, it has been postulated that some of these metals gain entry into target cells, through the mechanisms of ionic and/or molecular mimicry, at the site of transporters of essential elements and/or molecules. The primary purpose of this review is to discuss the transport of selective toxic metals in target organs and provide evidence supporting a role of ionic and/or molecular mimicry. In the context of this review, molecular mimicry refers to the ability of a metal ion to bond to an endogenous organic molecule to form an organic metal species that acts as a functional or structural mimic of essential molecules at the sites of transporters of those molecules. Ionic mimicry refers to the ability of a cationic form of a toxic metal to mimic an essential element or cationic species of an element at the site of a transporter of that element. Molecular and ionic mimics can also be sub-classified as structural or functional mimics. This review will present the established and putative roles of molecular and ionic mimicry in the transport of mercury, cadmium, lead, arsenic, selenium, and selected oxyanions in target organs and tissues. PMID:15845419

Molecular and ionic mimicry and the transport of toxic metals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bridges, Christy C.; Zalups, Rudolfs K.

Despite many scientific advances, human exposure to, and intoxication by, toxic metal species continues to occur. Surprisingly, little is understood about the mechanisms by which certain metals and metal-containing species gain entry into target cells. Since there do not appear to be transporters designed specifically for the entry of most toxic metal species into mammalian cells, it has been postulated that some of these metals gain entry into target cells, through the mechanisms of ionic and/or molecular mimicry, at the site of transporters of essential elements and/or molecules. The primary purpose of this review is to discuss the transport ofmore » selective toxic metals in target organs and provide evidence supporting a role of ionic and/or molecular mimicry. In the context of this review, molecular mimicry refers to the ability of a metal ion to bond to an endogenous organic molecule to form an organic metal species that acts as a functional or structural mimic of essential molecules at the sites of transporters of those molecules. Ionic mimicry refers to the ability of a cationic form of a toxic metal to mimic an essential element or cationic species of an element at the site of a transporter of that element. Molecular and ionic mimics can also be sub-classified as structural or functional mimics. This review will present the established and putative roles of molecular and ionic mimicry in the transport of mercury, cadmium, lead, arsenic, selenium, and selected oxyanions in target organs and tissues.« less

Targets and methods for target preparation for radionuclide production

DOEpatents

Zhuikov, Boris L; Konyakhin, Nicolai A; Kokhanyuk, Vladimir M; Srivastava, Suresh C

2012-10-16

The invention relates to nuclear technology, and to irradiation targets and their preparation. One embodiment of the present invention includes a method for preparation of a target containing intermetallic composition of antimony Ti--Sb, Al--Sb, Cu--Sb, or Ni--Sb in order to produce radionuclides (e.g., tin-117 m) with a beam of accelerated particles. The intermetallic compounds of antimony can be welded by means of diffusion welding to a copper backing cooled during irradiation on the beam of accelerated particles. Another target can be encapsulated into a shell made of metallic niobium, stainless steel, nickel or titanium cooled outside by water during irradiation. Titanium shell can be plated outside by nickel to avoid interaction with the cooling water.

Specific metal recognition in nickel trafficking

PubMed Central

Higgins, Khadine A.; Carr, Carolyn E.; Maroney, Michael J.

2012-01-01

Nickel is an essential metal for a number of bacterial species that have developed systems for acquiring, delivering and incorporating the metal into target enzymes, and controlling the levels of nickel in cells to avoid toxic effects. As with other transition metals, these trafficking systems must be able to distinguish between the desired metal and other transition metal ions with similar physical and chemical properties. Because there are few enzymes (targets) that require nickel for activity (e.g., E. coli traffics nickel for hydrogenases made under anaerobic conditions and H. pylori requires nickel for hydrogenase and urease that are essential for acid viability), the ‘traffic pattern’ for nickel is relatively simple, and nickel trafficking therefore presents an opportunity to examine a system for the mechanisms that are used to distinguish nickel from other metals. In this review, we describe the details known for examples of uptake permeases, metallochaperones and proteins involved in metallocenter assembly, and nickel metalloregulators. We also illustrate the variety of mechanisms, including molecular recognition in the case of NikA protein and examples of allosteric regulation for HypA, NikR and RcnR, employed to generate specific biological responses to nickel ions. PMID:22970729

Tobacco, alcohol and illegal substances: experiences and attitudes among Italian university students.

PubMed

Kračmarová, Lenka; Klusoňová, Hana; Petrelli, Fabio; Grappasonni, Iolanda

2011-01-01

The purpose of this research was to assess the prevalence of addictive drug use among students of University of Camerino (Italy) and to verify aspects related to substance use in this population. The survey was carried out in the form of anonymous questionnaires completed by 345 participants. Chi-square test was used for statistic evaluation. Most students have experienced legal addictive substances: 28.0 % of participants smoke cigarettes regularly and 23.2 % of respondents have admitted regular alcohol consumption. In addition, 50.4 % of subjects have already tried an illegal drug; the most used substance was cannabis (46.7 %), followed by cocaine (13.3 %). Our results confirmed the increased experimental use of cannabis among young people in Europe and showed a long-term use of drugs, particularly cocaine, among university students.

Association between illegal drugs and weapon carrying in young people in Scotland: schools' survey

PubMed Central

McKeganey, Neil; Norrie, John

2000-01-01

Objectives To identify the type and extent of weapons being carried among young people in Scotland, and to determine the relation between use of illegal drugs and weapon carrying. Design Questionnaire school survey. Setting Independent schools in central Scotland and schools in Lanarkshire and Perth and Kinross. Participants 3121 students aged 11 to 16 in 20 schools. Main outcome measures Self completion questionnaire reporting history of drug use and weapon carrying. Results Overall, 34.1% of males and 8.6% of females reported having carried a weapon (P<0.0001), ranging from 29.2% of boys aged 11-13 (classes S1 to S2) to 39.3% of boys aged 13-15 (S3 to S4). These values are higher than those in a recent survey of young people in England. Weapon carrying in Lanarkshire was 70% higher for males than in the rural area of Perth and Kinross. Both males and females who had taken drugs were more likely to carry weapons (63.5% of male drug users versus 20.5% of non-users and 22.8% of female drug users versus 3.7% of non-users; both P<0.0001). The proportions of males carrying weapons who used none, one, two, three or four, or five or more illegal drugs were 21%, 52%, 68%, 74%, and 92% respectively. A similar trend was found among females. Conclusions Better information is needed on the nature and extent of weapon carrying by young people in the United Kingdom, and better educational campaigns are needed warning of the dangers of carrying weapons. PMID:10753152

SU-F-T-443: Quantification of Dosimetric Effects of Dental Metallic Implant On VMAT Plans

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, C; Jiang, W; Feng, Y

Purpose: To evaluate the dosimetric impact of metallic implant that correlates with the size of targets and metallic implants and distance in between on volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans for head and neck (H&N) cancer patients with dental metallic implant. Methods: CT images of H&N cancer patients with dental metallic implant were used. Target volumes with different sizes and locations were contoured. Metal artifact regions excluding surrounding critical organs were outlined and assigned with CT numbers close to water (0HU). VMAT plans with half-arc, one-full-arc and two-full-arcs were constructed and same plans were applied to structure sets with and withoutmore » CT number assignment of metal artifact regions and compared. D95% was utilized to investigate PTV dose coverage and SNC Patient− Software was used for the analysis of dose distribution difference slice by slice. Results: For different targets sizes, variation of PTV dose coverage (Delta-D95%) with and without CT number replacement reduced with larger target volume for all half-arc, one-arc and two-arc VMAT plans even though there were no clinically significant differences. Additionally, there were no significant variations of the maximum percent difference (max.%diff) of dose distribution. With regard to the target location, Delta-D95% and max. %diff dropped with increasing distance between target and metallic implant. Furthermore, half-arc plans showed greater impact than one-arc plans, and two-arc plans had smallest influence for PTV dose coverage and dose distribution. Conclusion: The target size has less correlation of doseimetric impact than the target location relative to metallic implants. Plans with more arcs alleviate the dosimetric effect of metal artifact because of less contribution to the target dose from beams going through the regions with metallic artifacts. Incorrect CT number causes inaccurate dose distribution, therefore appropriately overwriting metallic artifact

Community-based interventions to prevent fatal overdose from illegal drugs: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Okolie, Chukwudi; Evans, Bridie Angela; John, Ann; Moore, Chris; Russell, Daphne; Snooks, Helen

2015-11-03

Drug overdose is the most frequent cause of death among people who misuse illegal drugs. People who inject these drugs are 14-17 times more likely to die than their non-drug using peers. Various strategies to reduce drug-related deaths have failed to meet target reductions. Research into community-based interventions for preventing drug overdose deaths is promising. This review seeks to identify published studies describing community-based interventions and to evaluate their effectiveness at reducing drug overdose deaths. We will systematically search key electronic databases using a search strategy which groups terms into four facets: (1) Overdose event, (2) Drug classification, (3) Intervention and (4) Setting. Searches will be limited where possible to international literature published in English between 1998 and 2014. Data will be extracted by two independent reviewers using a predefined table adapted from the Cochrane Collaboration handbook. The quality of included studies will be evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias. We will conduct a meta-analysis for variables which can be compared across studies, using statistical methods to control for heterogeneity where appropriate. Where clinical or statistical heterogeneity prevents a valid numerical synthesis, we will employ a narrative synthesis to describe community-based interventions, their delivery and use and how effectively they prevent fatal overdoses. We will publish findings from this systematic review in a peer-reviewed scientific journal and present results at national and international conferences. It will be disseminated electronically and in print. PROSPERO CRD42015017833. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Development and optimization of a novel sample preparation method cored on functionalized nanofibers mat-solid-phase extraction for the simultaneous efficient extraction of illegal anionic and cationic dyes in foods.

PubMed

Qi, Feifei; Jian, Ningge; Qian, Liangliang; Cao, Weixin; Xu, Qian; Li, Jian

2017-09-01

A simple and efficient three-step sample preparation method was developed and optimized for the simultaneous analysis of illegal anionic and cationic dyes (acid orange 7, metanil yellow, auramine-O, and chrysoidine) in food samples. A novel solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure based on nanofibers mat (NFsM) was proposed after solvent extraction and freeze-salting out purification. The preferred SPE sorbent was selected from five functionalized NFsMs by orthogonal experimental design, and the optimization of SPE parameters was achieved through response surface methodology (RSM) based on the Box-Behnken design (BBD). Under the optimal conditions, the target analytes could be completely adsorbed by polypyrrole-functionalized polyacrylonitrile NFsM (PPy/PAN NFsM), and the eluent was directly analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). The limits of detection (LODs) were between 0.002 and 0.01 mg kg -1 , and satisfactory linearity with correlation coefficients (R > 0.99) for each dye in all samples was achieved. Compared with the Chinese standard method and the published methods, the proposed method was simplified greatly with much lower requirement of sorbent (5.0 mg) and organic solvent (2.8 mL) and higher sample preparation speed (10 min/sample), while higher recovery (83.6-116.5%) and precision (RSDs < 7.1%) were obtained. With this developed method, we have successfully detected illegal ionic dyes in three common representative foods: yellow croaker, soybean products, and chili seasonings. Graphical abstract Schematic representation of the process of the three-step sample preparation.

Responding to Illegal Inquiries on Job Application Blanks: The Effects of Information Management Strategy, Gender, and Position Type on Applicant Ratings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bredeson, P. V.

1992-01-01

Effects of an applicant's information management strategy while responding to a job application item requesting illegal candidate information and moderating effects of applicant sex and position were studied for 12 hypothetical school job applicants with 108 graduate student raters. The interactions of strategy, sex, and position have important…

25 CFR 166.814 - How will the BIA determine the value of the products or property illegally used or removed?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true How will the BIA determine the value of the products or property illegally used or removed? 166.814 Section 166.814 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER GRAZING PERMITS Trespass Penalties, Damages, and Costs § 166.814 How will...

25 CFR 166.814 - How will the BIA determine the value of the products or property illegally used or removed?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How will the BIA determine the value of the products or property illegally used or removed? 166.814 Section 166.814 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER GRAZING PERMITS Trespass Penalties, Damages, and Costs § 166.814 How will...

25 CFR 166.814 - How will the BIA determine the value of the products or property illegally used or removed?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How will the BIA determine the value of the products or property illegally used or removed? 166.814 Section 166.814 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER GRAZING PERMITS Trespass Penalties, Damages, and Costs § 166.814 How will...

25 CFR 166.814 - How will the BIA determine the value of the products or property illegally used or removed?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How will the BIA determine the value of the products or property illegally used or removed? 166.814 Section 166.814 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER GRAZING PERMITS Trespass Penalties, Damages, and Costs § 166.814 How will...

25 CFR 166.814 - How will the BIA determine the value of the products or property illegally used or removed?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false How will the BIA determine the value of the products or property illegally used or removed? 166.814 Section 166.814 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER GRAZING PERMITS Trespass Penalties, Damages, and Costs § 166.814 How will...

[The illegal market for gender-related drugs as portrayed in the Brazilian news media: the case of misoprostol and women].

PubMed

Diniz, Debora; Castro, Rosana

2011-01-01

This article analyzes how the Brazilian news media covers the illegal market for misoprostol, the main drug used to induce abortion. A total of 1,429 news stories were retrieved from 220 print and electronic media channels from 2004 to 2009. The analysis included 524 stories from 62 regional and national newspapers. Misoprostol appeared repeatedly in the news, but was usually approached from a criminal perspective, unlike abortion as a whole, which the Brazilian media routinely covers as a religious, political, and public health issue. Misoprostol is part of the illegal gender-related drug market, along with drugs for weight loss and erectile dysfunction and anabolic steroids. Sixty-four (12%) of the news stories told life histories of women who had aborted with misoprostol. The women's ages ranged from 13 to 46 years, and socioeconomic status was associated with different experiences with abortion. Three characters appeared in the women's abortion itineraries: girlfriends (confidantes), go-betweens, and physicians. Stories of late-stage abortion are confused with the criminal characterization of infanticide and provide the extreme cases in the media's narrative on abortion.

[What illegal substances are used by sportsmen? a study in Midi-Pyrénées Doping Preventing Medical Centre (AMPD-MP)].

PubMed

Senard-Ojero, Ana; Durrieu, Geneviève; Depiesse, Frédéric; Schmitt, Laurent; Riviere, Daniel; Montastruc, Jean-Louis

2010-01-01

Doping Preventing Medical Centres (Antennes Médicales de Prévention du Dopage) were established in France in 2000 in order to help sportsmen using illegal substances. These services are also information centres on illegal substances (drugs or others) used in sport. The aim of the study was to analyze the characteristics of sportsmen outpatient clinics in Antenne Médicale de Prevention du Dopage Midi-Pyrénées (AMPD-MP). We present the results of outpatient clinics in AMPD-MP from 2002 to 2008. A descriptive analysis of demographic data, substances used and sports practised were performed. During this 7 year-period, 35 outpatient clinics were performed [32 men, 3 women, mean age: 28 years (extreme values: 18-47; 10 patients ≥ 30 years)]. They were mainly involved in national (16), international (8) or regional (7) competitions. The main sports involved were rugby (9) followed by cycling (5), athletics (3) and body-building (3). The most frequently used illegal substances were cannabis (15) followed by glucocorticoïds (9), androgens (4), indirect sympathomimetics amphetaminics (4), beta 2 adrenergic agonists (2) and NSAIDs (2). Two veterinary substances (clenbuterol, boldone-veterinaire) were also found in body-builders. This study shows a clear under use of Doping Preventing Medical Centres by sportsmen and practitioners. It also indicates a relative high age for sportsmen referred to the centre. The main sports involved were rugby and cycling. Cannabis and glucocorticoïds were the drugs more often involved in doping behaviours.

Head circumference at birth and exposure to tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs during early pregnancy.

PubMed

Ortega-García, Juan A; Gutierrez-Churango, Jorge E; Sánchez-Sauco, Miguel F; Martínez-Aroca, Miguel; Delgado-Marín, Juan L; Sánchez-Solis, M; Parrilla-Paricio, J J; Claudio, Luz; Martínez-Lage, Juan F

2012-03-01

We aimed to assess the effects of exposure to tobacco smoke, alcohol and illegal drugs during early pregnancy on the head circumference (HC) at birth of otherwise healthy neonates. A follow-up study from the first trimester of pregnancy to birth was carried out in 419 neonates. An environmental reproductive health form was used to record data of substance exposure obtained during the first obstetric visit at the end of the first trimester. A multiple linear regression model was created for this purpose. Alcohol intake during pregnancy and medical ionizing radiation exposure were the most significant predictors of HC. The mothers' alcohol consumption increased with the mothers' and fathers' education level, net family income and fathers' alcohol consumption. In contrast, maternal smoking decreased with increasing mothers' and fathers' education level and net family income. About 13% of the surveyed embryos were exposed to illegal drugs. Mild to moderate alcohol consumption diminishes the at-birth HC of theoretically healthy newborns in a linear form. There was no threshold dose. We perceived a need for increasing the awareness, and for training, of health care professionals and parents, in regard to risks of alcohol consumption and for recommending abstinence of these substances in both parents during pregnancy. It should also be remembered that medical ionizing radiation should be performed only during the first half of the cycle in fertile women. We think that our study has an important social impact as it affords data for implementing policies for promoting "healthy pregnancies".

Alloy metal nanoparticles for multicolor cancer diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baptista, Pedro V.; Doria, Gonçalo; Conde, João

2011-03-01

Cancer is a multigenic complex disease where multiple gene loci contribute to the phenotype. The ability to simultaneously monitor differential expression originating from each locus results in a more accurate indicator of degree of cancerous activity than either locus alone. Metal nanoparticles have been thoroughly used as labels for in vitro identification and quantification of target sequences. We have synthesized nanoparticles with assorted noble metal compositions in an alloy format and functionalized them with thiol-modified ssDNA (nanoprobes). These nanoprobes were then used for the simultaneous specific identification of several mRNA targets involved in cancer development - one pot multicolor detection of cancer expression. The different metal composition in the alloy yield different "colors" that can be used as tags for identification of a given target. Following a non-cross-linking hybridization procedure previously developed in our group for gold nanoprobes, these multicolor nanoprobes were used for the molecular recognition of several different targets including differently spliced variants of relevant genes (e.g. gene products involved in chronic myeloid leukemia BCR, ABL, BCR-ABL fusion product). Based on the spectral signature of mixtures, before and after induced aggregation of metal nanoparticles, the correct identification could be made. Further application to differentially quantify expression of each locus in relation to another will be presented. The differences in nanoparticle stability and labeling efficiency for each metal combination composing the colloids, as well as detection capability for each nanoprobe will be discussed. Additional studies will be conducted towards allele specific expression studies.

Illegal Immigrants and Refugees--Their Economic Adaptation and Impact on Local U.S. Labor Markets: A Review of the Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ainsworth, Robert G.

This paper presents a review of existing case study literature on the local and regional impacts of illegal immigrants and refugees in the United States. This report is a part of the second phase of the National Commission for Employment Policy's long-term work plan "Changes in the Workplace." While there is an enormous amount of…

Inhalants as intermediate drugs between legal and illegal drugs among middle and high school students.

PubMed

Sanchez, Zila M; Ribeiro, Luciana A; Moura, Yone G; Noto, Ana R; Martins, Silvia S

2013-01-01

The aims of this study are to: (1) describe the prevalence and sociodemographic characteristics of inhalant use among middle and high school students in Brazil, and (2) test the hypothesis of inhalants being intermediate drugs between legal and illegal drug use. A representative sample of 5226 students from private schools in São Paulo, Brazil, was selected to answer a self-report questionnaire. Weighted data was analyzed through Cox proportional hazards models. In the overall sample, inhalants seems to be an intermediate drug, since prior inhalant initiation was associated with first marijuana use, adjusted for previous alcohol and tobacco initiation.

Isolation and structural identification of a novel minoxidil analogue in an illegal dietary supplement: triaminodil.

PubMed

Lee, Ji Hyun; Park, Han Na; Park, Hyoung Joon; Kim, Nam Sook; Park, Sung-Kwan; Lee, Jongkook; Baek, Sun Young

2018-01-01

A new minoxidil analogue was detected in an illegal dietary supplement advertised as a hair-growth treatment. The analogue was identified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HR-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The compound was structurally elucidated as a minoxidil analogue in which the piperidinyl group of minoxidil was replaced with a pyrrolidinyl group corresponding to a molecular formula of C 8 H 13 N 5 O. The new analogue has been named triaminodil. As this is the first report of the compound, there are no chemical, toxicology or pharmacological data available.

Firearm Retailers’ Willingness to Participate in an Illegal Gun Purchase

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Firearm-related violence is a significant public health and public safety problem for cities in the USA, and licensed firearm retailers are an important source of the guns used in that violence. Using a scripted telephone interview, we screened a sample of licensed retailers in California to assess their willingness to participate in the surrogate or “straw” purchase of a handgun; such purchases are illegal under federal law. Of 149 retailers who provided a response, 30 (20.1%) agreed to participate. In multivariate analysis, pawnbrokers were more likely to agree than were gun dealers (odds ratio 6.58, 95% confidence interval 1.99–21.71). Sales of handguns that were later subjected to ownership tracing (a proxy measure for a gun’s use in crime) were not more frequent among retailers who agreed to participate than among others, and other findings were unexpected as well. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11524-010-9489-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. PMID:20803095

Role of Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles as Diagnostic and Therapeutic Tools for Highly Prevalent Viral Infections

PubMed Central

Yadavalli, Tejabhiram; Shukla, Deepak

2016-01-01

Nanotechnology is increasingly playing important roles in various fields including virology. The emerging use of metal or metal oxide nanoparticles in virus targeting formulations shows the promise of improved diagnostic or therapeutic ability of the agents while uniquely enhancing the prospects of targeted drug delivery. Although a number of nanoparticles varying in composition, size, shape, and surface properties have been approved for human use, the candidates being tested or approved for clinical diagnosis and treatment of viral infections are relatively less in number. Challenges remain in this domain due to a lack of essential knowledge regarding the in vivo comportment of nanoparticles during viral infections. This review provides a broad overview of recent advances in diagnostic, prophylactic and therapeutic applications of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles in Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis virus, influenza virus and Herpes virus infections. Types of nanoparticles commonly used and their broad applications have been explained in this review. PMID:27575283

NDCX-II target experiments and simulations

DOE PAGES

Barnard, J. J.; More, R. M.; Terry, M.; ...

2013-06-13

The ion accelerator NDCX-II is undergoing commissioning at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). Its principal mission is to explore ion-driven High Energy Density Physics (HEDP) relevant to Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) especially in the Warm Dense Matter (WDM) regime. We have carried out hydrodynamic simulations of beam-heated targets for parameters expected for the initial configuration of NDCX-II. For metal foils of order one micron thick (thin targets), the beam is predicted to heat the target in a timescale comparable to the hydrodynamic expansion time for experiments that infer material properties from measurements of the resulting rarefaction wave. We have alsomore » carried out hydrodynamic simulations of beam heating of metallic foam targets several tens of microns thick (thick targets) in which the ion range is shorter than the areal density of the material. In this case shock waves will form and we derive simple scaling laws for the efficiency of conversion of ion energy into kinetic energy of fluid flow. Geometries with a tamping layer may also be used to study the merging of a tamper shock with the end-of-range shock. As a result, this process can occur in tamped, direct drive IFE targets.« less

Computational Modeling of Ablation on an Irradiated Target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehmedagic, Igbal; Thangam, Siva

2017-11-01

Computational modeling of pulsed nanosecond laser interaction with an irradiated metallic target is presented. The model formulation involves ablation of the metallic target irradiated by pulsed high intensity laser at normal atmospheric conditions. Computational findings based on effective representation and prediction of the heat transfer, melting and vaporization of the targeting material as well as plume formation and expansion are presented along with its relevance for the development of protective shields. In this context, the available results for a representative irradiation from 1064 nm laser pulse is used to analyze various ablation mechanisms, variable thermo-physical and optical properties, plume expansion and surface geometry. Funded in part by U. S. Army ARDEC, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ.

[ADHD and illegal conduct: a survey in Juvenile Justice Services in Puglia].

PubMed

Carabellese, Felice; La Tegola, Donatella; Margari, Lucia; Craig, Francesco; Ostuni, Alessio; Scardaccione, Ermenegilda; Perrini, Francesca; Margari, Francesco

2016-01-01

The aim of our study was to identify possible risk factors related to carrying out of illegal conducts by minors on their first offense, and any individual variables, family, economic and socio-cultural related to phenomenon also investigated. The longitudinal study involved the acquisition of a series of biographical information, family, school, behavioral and clinical characteristics of children on their first crime recruited over a year in Puglia Region. For its purpose the study involved the use two standardized clinical scales (Youth Self-Report and Conners Adolescent Self Report Scale). For over a year we proceeded to follow-up. The survey revealed some variables family, social and school related to antisocial behavior of children in their first contact with the judicial authorities. The results confirm the need for primary and secondary prevention of children at risk through mutidisciplinary, early, selective interventions.

Use of diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy and HPLC-UV-SPE-NMR to identify undeclared synthetic drugs in medicines illegally sold as phytotherapies.

PubMed

Silva, Lorena M A; Filho, Elenilson G A; Thomasi, Sérgio S; Silva, Bianca F; Ferreira, Antonio G; Venâncio, Tiago

2013-09-01

The informal (and/or illegal) e-commerce of pharmaceutical formulations causes problems that governmental health agencies find hard to control, one of which concerns formulas sold as natural products. The purpose of this work was to explore the advantages and limitations of DOSY and HPLC-UV-SPE-NMR. These techniques were used to identify the components of a formula illegally marketed in Brazil as an herbal medicine possessing anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. DOSY was able to detect the major components present at higher concentrations. Complete characterization was achieved using HPLC-UV-SPE-NMR, and 1D and 2D NMR analyses enabled the identification of known synthetic drugs. These were ranitidine and a mixture of orphenadrine citrate, piroxicam, and dexamethasone, which are co-formulated in a remedy called Rheumazim that is used to relieve severe pain, but it is prohibited in Brazil because of a lack of sufficient pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic information. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evolution and complexity of government policies to protect the health of undocumented/illegal migrants in Thailand - the unsolved challenges.

PubMed

Suphanchaimat, Rapeepong; Putthasri, Weerasak; Prakongsai, Phusit; Tangcharoensathien, Viroj

2017-01-01

Of the 65 million residents in Thailand, >1.5 million are undocumented/illegal migrants from neighboring countries. Despite several policies being launched to improve access to care for these migrants, policy implementation has always faced numerous challenges. This study aimed to investigate the policy makers' views on the challenges of implementing policies to protect the health of undocumented/illegal migrants in light of the dynamics of all of the migrant policies in Thailand. This study used a qualitative approach. Data were collected by document review, from related laws/regulations concerning migration policy over the past 40 years, and from in-depth interviews with seven key policy-level officials. Thematic analysis was applied. Three critical themes emerged, namely, national security, economic necessity, and health protection. The national security discourse played a dominant role from the early 1900s up to the 1980s as Thailand attempted to defend itself from the threats of colonialism and communism. The economic boom of the 1990s created a pronounced labor shortage, which required a large migrant labor force to drive the growing economy. The first significant attempt to protect the health of migrants materialized in the early 2000s, after Thailand achieved universal health coverage. During that period, public insurance for undocumented/illegal migrants was introduced. The insurance used premium-based financing. However, the majority of migrants remained uninsured. Recently, the government attempted to overhaul the entire migrant registry system by introducing a new measure, namely the One Stop Service. In principle, the One Stop Service aimed to integrate the functions of all responsible authorities, but several challenges still remained; these included ambiguous policy messages and the slow progress of the nationality verification process. The root causes of the challenges in migrant health policy are incoherent policy direction and objectives across

Composites for removing metals and volatile organic compounds and method thereof

DOEpatents

Coronado, Paul R [Livermore, CA; Coleman, Sabre J [Oakland, CA; Reynolds, John G [San Ramon, CA

2006-12-12

Functionalized hydrophobic aerogel/solid support structure composites have been developed to remove metals and organic compounds from aqueous and vapor media. The targeted metals and organics are removed by passing the aqueous or vapor phase through the composite which can be in molded, granular, or powder form. The composites adsorb the metals and the organics leaving a purified aqueous or vapor stream. The species-specific adsorption occurs through specific functionalization of the aerogels tailored towards specific metals and/or organics. After adsorption, the composites can be disposed of or the targeted metals and/or organics can be reclaimed or removed and the composites recycled.

Epidemiological and entomological studies of a malaria outbreak among French armed forces deployed at illegal gold mining sites reveal new aspects of the disease's transmission in French Guiana.

PubMed

Pommier de Santi, Vincent; Girod, Romain; Mura, Marie; Dia, Aissata; Briolant, Sébastien; Djossou, Félix; Dusfour, Isabelle; Mendibil, Alexandre; Simon, Fabrice; Deparis, Xavier; Pagès, Frédéric

2016-01-22

In December 2010, a Plasmodium vivax malaria outbreak occurred among French forces involved in a mission to control illegal gold mining in French Guiana. The findings of epidemiological and entomological investigations conducted after this outbreak are presented here. Data related to malaria cases reported to the French armed forces epidemiological surveillance system were collected during the epidemic period from December 2010 to April 2011. A retrospective cohort study was conducted to identify presumed contamination sites. Anopheles mosquitoes were sampled at the identified sites using Mosquito Magnet and CDC light traps. Specimens were identified morphologically and confirmed using molecular methods (sequencing of ITS2 gene and/or barcoding). Anopheles infections with Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax were tested by both enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and real-time PCR. Seventy-two P. vivax malaria cases were reported (three were mixed P. falciparum/P. vivax infections), leading to a global attack rate of 26.5% (72/272). Lack of compliance with vector control measures and doxycycline chemoprophylaxis was reported by patients. Two illegal gold mining sites located in remote areas in the primary forest were identified as places of contamination. In all, 595 Anopheles females were caught and 528 specimens were formally identified: 305 Anopheles darlingi, 145 Anopheles nuneztovari s.l., 63 Anopheles marajoara and 15 Anopheles triannulatus s.l. Three An. darlingi were infected by P. falciparum (infection rate: 1.1%) and four An. marajoara by P. vivax (infection rate: 6.4%). The main drivers of the outbreak were the lack of adherence by military personnel to malaria prevention measures and the high level of malaria transmission at illegal gold mining sites. Anopheles marajoara was clearly implicated in malaria transmission for the first time in French Guiana. The high infection rates observed confirm that illegal gold mining sites must be considered as high level

Paternal incarceration and trajectories of marijuana and other illegal drug use from adolescence into young adulthood: evidence from longitudinal panels of males and females in the United States.

PubMed

Roettger, Michael E; Swisher, Raymond R; Kuhl, Danielle C; Chavez, Jorge

2011-01-01

One-eighth of young adults in the United States report that their biological father has ever been incarcerated (FEI). This study is the first to examine associations between FEI and trajectories of substance use during the transition from adolescence into young adulthood for the US population. Using multi-level modeling techniques, trajectories of marijuana and other illegal drug use are examined, with FEI as the primary independent variable. Data are from the first three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative sample of US adolescents beginning in 1995. Panels of 7157 males and 7997 females followed from adolescence (7th-12th grades) into early adulthood (ages 18-27 years). Dependent variables included an ordinal measure of marijuana frequency of use in last thirty days, and a dichotomous measure for whether respondent had any use in the last thirty days of illegal drugs such crystal meth, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, PCP, LSD, speed, and ecstasy. Among males and females, respectively, FEI is associated with an increased frequency of marijuana use, and increased odds of any other illegal drug use. Interactions between FEI and age further reveal that FEI is associated with an accentuated trajectory (i.e. a steeper slope) of marijuana use, and an elevated risk (i.e. higher mean level) of other illegal drug use. Analysis provides some of the first evidence that paternal incarceration is significantly associated with drug use among U.S. males and females, even after controlling for a number of family background, parental, and individual characteristics. © 2010 The Authors, Addiction © 2010 Society for the Study of Addiction.

EFFECTS OF LASER RADIATION ON MATTER. LASER PLASMA: Dynamics of formation of the liquid-drop phase of laser erosion jets near the surfaces of metal targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goncharov, V. K.; Kontsevoi, V. L.; Puzyrev, M. V.

1995-03-01

An investigation was made of laser erosion jets formed at 0.1-1.5 mm above the surfaces of Pb, Co, Ni, Sn, and Zn targets. A neodymium laser emitting rectangular pulses of 400 μs duration and of energy up to 400 J was used. The diameters, as well as the number density and volume fraction of the metal particles present in the jet, were measured. An analysis of the results showed that the metal liquid drops broke up near the surface and experienced additional evaporation because of their motion opposite to the laser beam.

Iron-targeting antitumor activity of gallium compounds and novel insights into triapine(®)-metal complexes.

PubMed

Chitambar, Christopher R; Antholine, William E

2013-03-10

Despite advances made in the treatment of cancer, a significant number of patients succumb to this disease every year. Hence, there is a great need to develop new anticancer agents. Emerging data show that malignant cells have a greater requirement for iron than normal cells do and that proteins involved in iron import, export, and storage may be altered in cancer cells. Therefore, strategies to perturb these iron-dependent steps in malignant cells hold promise for the treatment of cancer. Recent studies show that gallium compounds and metal-thiosemicarbazone complexes inhibit tumor cell growth by targeting iron homeostasis, including iron-dependent ribonucleotide reductase. Chemical similarities of gallium(III) with iron(III) enable the former to mimic the latter and interpose itself in critical iron-dependent steps in cellular proliferation. Newer gallium compounds have emerged with additional mechanisms of action. In clinical trials, the first-generation-compound gallium nitrate has exhibited activity against bladder cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, while the thiosemicarbazone Triapine(®) has demonstrated activity against other tumors. Novel gallium compounds with greater cytotoxicity and a broader spectrum of antineoplastic activity than gallium nitrate should continue to be developed. The antineoplastic activity and toxicity of the existing novel gallium compounds and thiosemicarbazone-metal complexes should be tested in animal tumor models and advanced to Phase I and II clinical trials. Future research should identify biologic markers that predict tumor sensitivity to gallium compounds. This will help direct gallium-based therapy to cancer patients who are most likely to benefit from it.

Mixed metal films with switchable optical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, T. J.; Slack, J. L.; Farangis, B.; Rubin, M. D.

2002-02-01

Thin, Pd-capped metallic films containing magnesium and first-row transition metals (Mn, Fe, Co) switch reversibly from their initial reflecting state to visually transparent states when exposed to gaseous hydrogen or following cathodic polarization in an alkaline electrolyte. Reversion to the reflecting state is achieved by exposure to air or by anodic polarization. The films were prepared by cosputtering from one magnesium target and one manganese, iron, or cobalt target. Both the dynamic optical switching range and the speed of the transition depend on the magnesium-transition metal ratio. Infrared spectra of films in the transparent, hydrided (deuterided) states support the presence of the intermetallic hydride phases Mg3MnH7, Mg2FeH6, and Mg2CoH5.

Synthetic Cannabinoid and Mitragynine Exposure of Law Enforcement Agents During the Raid of an Illegal Laboratory - Nevada, 2014.

PubMed

Tapp, Loren; Ramsey, Jessica G; Wen, Anita; Gerona, Roy

2017-12-01

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs), commonly known by the street name "Spice," are designer drugs of abuse that mimic the psychoactive effects of marijuana. Intentional SC use has resulted in multiple toxicities (1,2), but little is known about occupational SC exposure. After a federal agency's law enforcement personnel in Nevada reported irritability and feeling "high" after raiding illegal SC laboratories and processing seized SCs, a request for a health hazard evaluation was made by the agency to CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in 2014 to evaluate agents' occupational SC exposures. After making the request for a health hazard evaluation, federal agents conducted a raid of an illegal SC laboratory, with assistance from local law enforcement and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) personnel and with NIOSH investigators observing from a distance. After the raid, agents collected and processed material evidence. NIOSH investigators tested agents' urine for SC levels before and after the raid and measured SCs in the air and on surfaces after the raid. DEA determined that AB-PINACA (an SC compound) and mitragynine (a plant material with opium-like effects, also known as "kratom") were present in the illegal laboratory. AB-PINACA, its metabolites, and mitragynine were not detected in agents' urine before the raid; however, one or more of these substances was found in the urine of six of nine agents after the raid and processing of the SC evidence. AB-PINACA was detected in one surface wipe sample from the SC laboratory; none was detected in the air in the laboratory or in the offices of the law enforcement agency where the materials were processed after the raid. No policies were in place regarding work practices and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during raids and evidence processing. To protect agents from SC exposures, NIOSH recommended that the agency require agents to wear a minimum level of PPE (e.g., protective gloves

The Quantity and Quality of Illegally Imported Products of Animal Origin in Personal Consignments into the European Union Seized at Two German Airports between 2010 And 2014

PubMed Central

Jansen, Wiebke; Merkle, Majella; Daun, Anna; Flor, Matthias; Grabowski, Nils Th.; Klein, Günter

2016-01-01

The import of products of animal origin (POAO) in travellers’ personal consignments presents a considerable risk of introducing animal diseases and emerging zoonoses into the European Union. The current regulation (EU) 206/2009 implements strict measures for illegally imported POAO, whereupon non-complying products have to be seized and destroyed regardless. Especially airports serve as global bottlenecks for illegally imported POAO where passenger controls of non-European flights are performed by customs and veterinary services in collaboration. Results of these control measures have to be submitted in the form of annual reports to the European Commission. However, few data on qualities and quantities of seizures have been published so far. In this study, POAO seized at two German airports between 2010 and 2014 were analysed in terms of quantities, qualitative categories and region of origin. In most years considered, more than 20 tonnes POAO were seized at each airport. However, reported amounts of seizures seem to be only the tip of the iceberg as an all-passenger control is not feasible and therefore travellers are only spot-checked. The analysis suggests that the organisational structures of both customs and official veterinary services and their different risk perceptions interfere in completing an effective ban on the illegal import of POAO. PMID:26901158

The Quantity and Quality of Illegally Imported Products of Animal Origin in Personal Consignments into the European Union Seized at Two German Airports between 2010 And 2014.

PubMed

Jansen, Wiebke; Merkle, Majella; Daun, Anna; Flor, Matthias; Grabowski, Nils Th; Klein, Günter

2016-01-01

The import of products of animal origin (POAO) in travellers' personal consignments presents a considerable risk of introducing animal diseases and emerging zoonoses into the European Union. The current regulation (EU) 206/2009 implements strict measures for illegally imported POAO, whereupon non-complying products have to be seized and destroyed regardless. Especially airports serve as global bottlenecks for illegally imported POAO where passenger controls of non-European flights are performed by customs and veterinary services in collaboration. Results of these control measures have to be submitted in the form of annual reports to the European Commission. However, few data on qualities and quantities of seizures have been published so far. In this study, POAO seized at two German airports between 2010 and 2014 were analysed in terms of quantities, qualitative categories and region of origin. In most years considered, more than 20 tonnes POAO were seized at each airport. However, reported amounts of seizures seem to be only the tip of the iceberg as an all-passenger control is not feasible and therefore travellers are only spot-checked. The analysis suggests that the organisational structures of both customs and official veterinary services and their different risk perceptions interfere in completing an effective ban on the illegal import of POAO.

Effect of Metals, Metalloids and Metallic Nanoparticles on Microalgae Growth and Industrial Product Biosynthesis: A Review

PubMed Central

Miazek, Krystian; Iwanek, Waldemar; Remacle, Claire; Richel, Aurore; Goffin, Dorothee

2015-01-01

Microalgae are a source of numerous compounds that can be used in many branches of industry. Synthesis of such compounds in microalgal cells can be amplified under stress conditions. Exposure to various metals can be one of methods applied to induce cell stress and synthesis of target products in microalgae cultures. In this review, the potential of producing diverse biocompounds (pigments, lipids, exopolymers, peptides, phytohormones, arsenoorganics, nanoparticles) from microalgae cultures upon exposure to various metals, is evaluated. Additionally, different methods to alter microalgae response towards metals and metal stress are described. Finally, possibilities to sustain high growth rates and productivity of microalgal cultures in the presence of metals are discussed. PMID:26473834

Moving belt metal detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Carl V.; Mendat, Deborah P.; Huynh, Toan B.

2006-05-01

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has developed a prototype metal detection survey system that will increase the search speed of conventional technology while maintaining high sensitivity. Higher search speeds will reduce the time to clear roads of landmines and improvised explosive devices (IED) and to locate unexploded ordnance (UXO) at Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) sites, thus reducing remediation costs. The new survey sensor system is called the moving belt metal detector (MBMD) and operates by both increasing sensor speed over the ground while maintaining adequate sensor dwell time over the target for good signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and reducing motion-induced sensor noise. The MBMD uses an array of metal detection sensors mounted on a flexible belt similar to a tank track. The belt motion is synchronized with the forward survey speed so individual sensor elements remain stationary relative to the ground. A single pulsed transmitter coil is configured to provide a uniform magnetic field along the length of the receivers in ground contact. Individual time-domain electromagnetic induction (EMI) receivers are designed to sense a single time-gate measurement of the total metal content. Each sensor module consists of a receiver coil, amplifier, digitizing electronics and a low power UHF wireless transmitter. This paper presents the survey system design concepts and metal detection data from various targets at several survey speeds. Although the laboratory prototype is designed to demonstrate metal detection survey speeds up to 10 m/s, higher speeds are achievable with a larger sensor array. In addition, the concept can be adapted to work with other sensor technologies not previously considered for moving platforms.

Illegal gold miners in French Guiana: a neglected population with poor health.

PubMed

Douine, Maylis; Mosnier, Emilie; Le Hingrat, Quentin; Charpentier, Charlotte; Corlin, Florine; Hureau, Louise; Adenis, Antoine; Lazrek, Yassamine; Niemetsky, Florence; Aucouturier, Anne-Laure; Demar, Magalie; Musset, Lise; Nacher, Mathieu

2017-07-17

In French Guiana, a French overseas territory in South America, 6 to 10 thousands undocumented persons work illegally in gold mining sites in the Amazonian forest. Precarious life conditions lead to poor health but few data exist on the health status of illegal gold miners in French Guiana. The objective of this article was to describe the sociodemographic and health status of this vulnerable population. A prospective cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2015 on gold mine supply sites at the border between French Guiana and Suriname. Health status was assessed through medical examination, past medical history, haemoglobin concentration, and HIV and malaria testing. A questionnaire was used to collect data about the migration itinerary and life conditions on mining sites. Among the 421 adults included in the study, 93.8% (395/421) were Brazilian, mainly from Maranhão (55.7%, 220/395), the poorest Brazilian state. The sex ratio was 2.4. Overall, 48% of persons never went to school or beyond the primary level. The median time spent in gold mining was quite long (10 years), with a high turn-over. One third of the surveyed population (37.1%, 156/421) had high blood pressure, and only two had a medical follow-up. Most persons had experienced malaria (89.3%, 376/421). They declared frequent arboviroses and digestive disorders. Active leishmaniasis was observed in 8.3% of gold miners. Among women, 28.5% were anemic. Concerning HIV, 36.6% (154/421) of persons, mainly men, never got tested before and 6 were tested positive, which represented an HIV prevalence of 1.43% (95%CI =0.29-2.5). These findings support the hypothesis that mining in remote areas is linked to several specific illnesses. Theoretically, gold miners would be presumed to start their economical migration to French Guiana as a healthy group. However, their strenuous working and living conditions there lead to poor health caused by infectious and non infectious diseases. This description of their health

Methods of selectively incorporating metals onto substrates

DOEpatents

Ernst; Richard D. , Eyring; Edward M. , Turpin; Gregory C. , Dunn; Brian C.

2008-09-30

A method for forming multi-metallic sites on a substrate is disclosed and described. A substrate including active groups such as hydroxyl can be reacted with a pretarget metal complex. The target metal attached to the active group can then be reacted with a secondary metal complex such that an oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction occurs to form a multi-metallic species. The substrate can be a highly porous material such as aerogels, xerogels, zeolites, and similar materials. Additional metal complexes can be reacted to increase catalyst loading or control co-catalyst content. The resulting compounds can be oxidized to form oxides or reduced to form metals in the ground state which are suitable for practical use.

Exploring family and community involvement to protect Thai youths from alcohol and illegal drug abuse.

PubMed

Wongtongkam, Nualnong; Ward, Paul Russell; Day, Andrew; Winefield, Anthony Harold

2015-01-01

Youth substance abuse is widely recognized as a major public health issue in Thailand. This study explores family and community risk and protective factors relevant to alcohol and illegal drug misuse in 1,778 Thai teenagers. Strong family attachment and a family history of antisocial behaviors were strongly associated with nearly all forms of substance abuse, with adjusted odds ratios ranging from 5.05 to 8.45. Community disorganization was strongly associated with self-reported substance use, although involvement in prosocial activities acted as a protective factor. The findings suggest that interventions that promote family cohesion and encourage community involvement may have considerable benefits in reducing substance abuse in Thai adolescents.

Unexpected hazard of illegal immigration: Outbreak of viral myocarditis exacerbated by confinement and deprivation in a shipboard cargo container.

PubMed

Li, Melissa K; Beck, Melinda A; Shi, Qing; Harruff, Richard C

2004-06-01

We present a group of 18 illegal immigrant stowaways who arrived in a shipboard cargo container suffering from gastroenteritis, dehydration, and malnutrition and showing evidence of viral myocarditis in 3 of 4 fatalities. Our investigation included an evaluation of the 2-week ocean voyage, analysis of medical records and laboratory results of the survivors, autopsies on the decedents, and viral studies on their heart tissue. Of 3 stowaways who died shipboard, 2 showed lymphocytic myocarditis and 1 could not be evaluated histologically due to decomposition. A fourth stowaway died 4 months after arrival with dilated cardiomyopathy and lymphocytic myocarditis. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and nucleotide sequencing of viral isolates from the decedents' heart tissues demonstrated Coxsackie virus B3 genome. We believe that these cases represent an outbreak of viral myocarditis, exacerbated by acute dehydration and malnutrition, due to confinement within the shipping container. Our evidence indicates that close confinement promoted the spread of the virus, and nutritional deprivation increased the stowaways' vulnerability. Furthermore, our observations support the conclusion, based on experimental studies, that nutritionally induced oxidative stress increased the virulence of the etiologic viral agent. In summary, these cases represent a potential infectious disease hazard of illegal immigration.

Postsynthetic Tuning of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Targeted Applications.

PubMed

Islamoglu, Timur; Goswami, Subhadip; Li, Zhanyong; Howarth, Ashlee J; Farha, Omar K; Hupp, Joseph T

2017-04-18

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are periodic, hybrid, atomically well-defined porous materials that typically form by self-assembly and consist of inorganic nodes (metal ions or clusters) and multitopic organic linkers. MOFs as a whole offer many intriguing properties, including ultrahigh porosity, tunable chemical functionality, and low density. These properties point to numerous potential applications, including gas storage, chemical separations, catalysis, light harvesting, and chemical sensing, to name a few. Reticular chemistry, or the linking of molecular building blocks into predetermined network structures, has been employed to synthesize thousands of MOFs. Given the vast library of candidate nodes and linkers, the number of potentially synthetically accessible MOFs is enormous. Nevertheless, a powerful complementary approach to obtain specific structures with desired chemical functionality is to modify known MOFs after synthesis. This approach is particularly useful when incorporation of particular chemical functionalities via direct synthesis is challenging or impossible. The challenges may stem from limited stability or solubility of precursors, unwanted secondary reactivity of precursors, or incompatibility of functional groups with the conditions needed for direct synthesis. MOFs can be postsynthetically modified by replacing the metal nodes and/or organic linkers or via functionalization of the metal nodes and/or organic linkers. Here we describe some of our efforts toward the development and application of postsynthetic strategies for imparting desired chemical functionalities in MOFs of known topology. The techniques include methods for functionalizing MOF nodes, i.e., solvent-assisted ligand incorporation (SALI) and atomic layer deposition in MOFs (AIM) as well as a method to replace structural linkers, termed solvent-assisted linker exchange (SALE), also known as postsynthethic exchange (PSE). For each functionalization strategy, we first describe

Metal-on-Metal Total Hip Arthroplasty: Quality of Online Patient Information.

PubMed

Crozier-Shaw, Geoff; Queally, Joseph M; Quinlan, John F

2017-03-01

Metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty (THA) has generated much attention in the media because of early failure of certain implant systems. This study assessed the quality, accuracy, and readability of online information on metal-on-metal THA. The search terms "metal-on-metal hip replacement" and "metal hip replacement" were entered into the 3 most popular search engines. Information quality was assessed with the DISCERN score and a specific metal-on-metal THA content score. Accuracy of information was assessed with a customized score. Readability of the websites was assessed with the Flesch-Kincaid grade level score. A total of 61 unique websites were assessed. For 56% of websites, the target audience was patients. Media or medicolegal sources accounted for 44% of websites. As assessed by DISCERN (range, 16-80) and metal-on-metal THA (range, 0-25) scores, quality of the websites was moderate at best (47.1 and 9.6, respectively). Accuracy (range, 0-8) of the information presented also was moderate, with a mean score of 6.6. Media and medicolegal websites had the lowest scores for both quality and accuracy, despite making up the greatest proportion of sites assessed. Only 1 website (2%) had a Flesch-Kincaid grade level at or less than the recommended level of 8th grade. This study found that online information on metal-on-metal THA was of poor quality, often was inaccurate, and was presented at an inappropriately high reading level, particularly for media and medicolegal websites. Health care providers should counsel patients on the quality of information available and recommend appropriate online resources. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(2):e262-e268.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Forensic veterinary radiology: ballistic-radiological 3D computertomographic reconstruction of an illegal lynx shooting in Switzerland.

PubMed

Thali, Michael J; Kneubuehl, Beat P; Bolliger, Stephan A; Christe, Andreas; Koenigsdorfer, Urs; Ozdoba, Christoph; Spielvogel, Elke; Dirnhofer, Richard

2007-08-24

The lynx, which was reintroduced to Switzerland after being exterminated at the beginning of the 20th century, is protected by Swiss law. However, poaching occurs from time to time, which makes criminal investigations necessary. In the presented case, an illegally shot lynx was examined by conventional plane radiography and three-dimensional multislice computertomography (3D MSCT), of which the latter yielded superior results with respect to documentation and reconstruction of the inflicted gunshot wounds. We believe that 3D MSCT, already described in human forensic-pathological cases, is also a suitable and promising new technique for veterinary pathology.

Scale-up of high specific activity 186gRe production using graphite-encased thick 186W targets and demonstration of an efficient target recycling process

DOE PAGES

Balkin, Ethan R.; Gagnon, Katherine; Dorman, Eric; ...

2017-08-18

Production of high specific activity 186gRe is of interest for development of theranostic radiopharmaceuticals. Previous studies have shown that high specific activity 186gRe can be obtained by cyclotron irradiation of enriched 186W via the 186W(d,2n) 186gRe reaction, but most irradiations were conducted at low beam currents and for short durations. In this paper, enriched 186W metal targets were irradiated at high incident deuteron beam currents to demonstrate production rates and contaminants produced when using thick targets. Full-stopping thick targets, as determined using SRIM, were prepared by uniaxial pressing of powdered natural abundance W metal or 96.86% enriched 186W metal encasedmore » between two layers of graphite flakes for target material stabilization. An assessment of structural integrity was made on each target preparation. To assess the performance of graphite-encased thick 186W metal targets, along with the impact of encasing on the separation chemistry, targets were first irradiated using a 22 MeV deuteron beam for 10 min at 10, 20, and 27 μA, with an estimated nominal deuteron energy of 18.7 MeV on the 186W target material (after energy degradation correction from top graphite layer). Gamma-ray spectrometry was performed post EOB on all targets to assess production yields and radionuclidic byproducts. The investigation also evaluated a method to recover and recycle enriched target material from a column isolation procedure. Material composition analyses of target materials, pass-through/wash solutions and recycling process isolates were conducted with SEM, FTIR, XRD, EDS and ICP-MS spectrometry. Finally, to demonstrate scaled-up production, a graphite-encased 186W target made from recycled 186W was irradiated for ~2 h with 18.7 MeV deuterons at a beam current of 27 μA to provide 0.90 GBq (24.3 mCi) of 186gRe, decay-corrected to the end of bombardment. ICP-MS analysis of the isolated 186gRe solution provided data that indicated the

Scale-up of high specific activity 186gRe production using graphite-encased thick 186W targets and demonstration of an efficient target recycling process

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Balkin, Ethan R.; Gagnon, Katherine; Dorman, Eric

Production of high specific activity 186gRe is of interest for development of theranostic radiopharmaceuticals. Previous studies have shown that high specific activity 186gRe can be obtained by cyclotron irradiation of enriched 186W via the 186W(d,2n) 186gRe reaction, but most irradiations were conducted at low beam currents and for short durations. In this paper, enriched 186W metal targets were irradiated at high incident deuteron beam currents to demonstrate production rates and contaminants produced when using thick targets. Full-stopping thick targets, as determined using SRIM, were prepared by uniaxial pressing of powdered natural abundance W metal or 96.86% enriched 186W metal encasedmore » between two layers of graphite flakes for target material stabilization. An assessment of structural integrity was made on each target preparation. To assess the performance of graphite-encased thick 186W metal targets, along with the impact of encasing on the separation chemistry, targets were first irradiated using a 22 MeV deuteron beam for 10 min at 10, 20, and 27 μA, with an estimated nominal deuteron energy of 18.7 MeV on the 186W target material (after energy degradation correction from top graphite layer). Gamma-ray spectrometry was performed post EOB on all targets to assess production yields and radionuclidic byproducts. The investigation also evaluated a method to recover and recycle enriched target material from a column isolation procedure. Material composition analyses of target materials, pass-through/wash solutions and recycling process isolates were conducted with SEM, FTIR, XRD, EDS and ICP-MS spectrometry. Finally, to demonstrate scaled-up production, a graphite-encased 186W target made from recycled 186W was irradiated for ~2 h with 18.7 MeV deuterons at a beam current of 27 μA to provide 0.90 GBq (24.3 mCi) of 186gRe, decay-corrected to the end of bombardment. ICP-MS analysis of the isolated 186gRe solution provided data that indicated the

An approach to crystallizing proteins by metal-mediated synthetic symmetrization

PubMed Central

Laganowsky, Arthur; Zhao, Minglei; Soriaga, Angela B; Sawaya, Michael R; Cascio, Duilio; Yeates, Todd O

2011-01-01

Combining the concepts of synthetic symmetrization with the approach of engineering metal-binding sites, we have developed a new crystallization methodology termed metal-mediated synthetic symmetrization. In this method, pairs of histidine or cysteine mutations are introduced on the surface of target proteins, generating crystal lattice contacts or oligomeric assemblies upon coordination with metal. Metal-mediated synthetic symmetrization greatly expands the packing and oligomeric assembly possibilities of target proteins, thereby increasing the chances of growing diffraction-quality crystals. To demonstrate this method, we designed various T4 lysozyme (T4L) and maltose-binding protein (MBP) mutants and cocrystallized them with one of three metal ions: copper (Cu2+), nickel (Ni2+), or zinc (Zn2+). The approach resulted in 16 new crystal structures—eight for T4L and eight for MBP—displaying a variety of oligomeric assemblies and packing modes, representing in total 13 new and distinct crystal forms for these proteins. We discuss the potential utility of the method for crystallizing target proteins of unknown structure by engineering in pairs of histidine or cysteine residues. As an alternate strategy, we propose that the varied crystallization-prone forms of T4L or MBP engineered in this work could be used as crystallization chaperones, by fusing them genetically to target proteins of interest. PMID:21898649

Synchronized metal-ion irradiation as a way to control growth of transition-metal nitride alloy films during hybrid HIPIMS/DCMS co-sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greczynski, Grzegorz

2016-09-01

High-power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) is particularly attractive for growth of transition metal (TM) nitride alloys for two reasons: (i) the high ionization degree of the sputtered metal flux, and (ii) the time separation of metal- and gas-ion fluxes incident at the substrate. The former implies that ion fluxes originating from elemental targets operated in HIPIMS are distinctly different from those that are obtained during dc magnetron sputtering (DCMS), which helps to separate the effects of HIPIMS and DCMS metal-ion fluxes on film properties. The latter feature allows one to minimize compressive stress due to gas-ion irradiation, by synchronizing the pulsed substrate bias with the metal-rich-plasma portion of the HIPIMS pulse. Here, we use pseudobinary TM nitride model systems TiAlN, TiSiN, TiTaN, and TiAlTaN to carry out experiments in a hybrid configuration with one target powered by HIPIMS, the other operated in DCMS mode. This allows us to probe the roles of intense and metal-ion fluxes (n = 1 , 2) from HIPIMS-powered targets on film growth kinetics, microstructure, and physical properties over a wide range of M1M2N alloy compositions. TiAlN and TiSiN mechanical properties are shown to be determined by the average metal-ion momentum transfer per deposited atom. Irradiation with lighter metal-ions (M1 =Al+ or Si+ during M1-HIPIMS/Ti-DCMS) yields fully-dense single-phase cubic Ti1-x (M1)x N films. In contrast, with higher-mass film constituent ions such as Ti+, easily exceeds the threshold for precipitation of second phase w-AlN or Si3N4. Based on the above results, a new PVD approach is proposed which relies on the hybrid concept to grow dense, hard, and stress-free thin films with no external heating. The primary targets, Ti and/or Al, operate in DCMS mode providing a continuous flux of sputter-ejected metal atoms to sustain a high deposition rate, while a high-mass target metal, Ta, is driven by HIPIMS to serve as a pulsed source of energetic

Perceptions of fishers to sea turtle bycatch, illegal capture and consumption in the San Ignacio-Navachiste-Macapule lagoon complex, Gulf of California, Mexico.

PubMed

Aguilar-González, Myrna E; Luna-González, Antonio; Aguirre, Alonso; Zavala-Norzagaray, Alan A; Mundo-Ocampo, Manuel; González-Ocampo, Héctor A

2014-01-01

In this study, 10% of all registered fishermen in the coastal towns of Navachiste in Sinaloa, in northwestern Mexico, answered a survey designed to collect data on their perceptions of the following topics: the impact of turtle meat consumption; human health; bycatch; illegal turtle fishing; the illegal sea turtle market; the local economy; pollution; environmental education; the success of protective legislation; and sea turtle-based ecotourism. Perceptions were analyzed using the fuzzy logic method through classification into 5 fuzzy membership sets: VL, very low; L, low; M, moderate; H, high; VH, very high. The 9 topics generated decision areas upon applying fuzzy inference that revealed the membership level of the answers in each fuzzy set. The economic potential of sea turtle-based ecotourism and the economic profitability of the illegal turtle meat market were perceived as VL. Conservation legislation was perceived as H, although inefficiently applied due to corruption. Ecotourism and impacts on sea turtles were perceived as VL, because they were deemed unprofitable activities at the individual and community levels. Environmental education was perceived as L, because it centers on nesting, hatching and releasing turtles and is directed at elementary and middle-school students. While fishers perceive a serious negative impact of fishing activities on sea turtles in the San Ignacio-Navachiste-Macapule area, they do not see themselves individually as part of the problem. Achieving sea turtle conservation in this region requires: suitable ecotourism infrastructure, government investments in promotion, and studies to estimate the minimum number of tourists needed to assure profitability. © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd, ISZS and IOZ/CAS.

The Role of Participant Motivation in the Outcome of a Prevention/Early Intervention Program for Adolescent Substance Use Problems and Illegal Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedman, Alfred S.; Terras, Arlene; Glassman, Kimberly

2004-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to determine, for a court-adjudicated adolescent male sample (N = 160) mandated to a residential program setting, the degree to which their expressed motivation for getting help with their alcohol, illicit drug and illegal behavior problems was found to predict to the outcome of an early intervention treatment…

Iron-Targeting Antitumor Activity of Gallium Compounds and Novel Insights Into Triapine®-Metal Complexes

PubMed Central

Antholine, William E.

2013-01-01

Abstract Significance: Despite advances made in the treatment of cancer, a significant number of patients succumb to this disease every year. Hence, there is a great need to develop new anticancer agents. Recent Advances: Emerging data show that malignant cells have a greater requirement for iron than normal cells do and that proteins involved in iron import, export, and storage may be altered in cancer cells. Therefore, strategies to perturb these iron-dependent steps in malignant cells hold promise for the treatment of cancer. Recent studies show that gallium compounds and metal-thiosemicarbazone complexes inhibit tumor cell growth by targeting iron homeostasis, including iron-dependent ribonucleotide reductase. Chemical similarities of gallium(III) with iron(III) enable the former to mimic the latter and interpose itself in critical iron-dependent steps in cellular proliferation. Newer gallium compounds have emerged with additional mechanisms of action. In clinical trials, the first-generation-compound gallium nitrate has exhibited activity against bladder cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, while the thiosemicarbazone Triapine® has demonstrated activity against other tumors. Critical Issues: Novel gallium compounds with greater cytotoxicity and a broader spectrum of antineoplastic activity than gallium nitrate should continue to be developed. Future Directions: The antineoplastic activity and toxicity of the existing novel gallium compounds and thiosemicarbazone-metal complexes should be tested in animal tumor models and advanced to Phase I and II clinical trials. Future research should identify biologic markers that predict tumor sensitivity to gallium compounds. This will help direct gallium-based therapy to cancer patients who are most likely to benefit from it. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 00, 000–000. PMID:22900955

Pharmacokinetics and Biodistribution of the Illegal Food Colorant Rhodamine B in Rats.

PubMed

Cheng, Yung-Yi; Tsai, Tung-Hu

2017-02-08

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) demonstrated rhodamine B as a potential carcinogen in 1978. Nevertheless, rhodamine B has been illegally used as a colorant in food in many countries. Few pharmacokinetic and toxicological investigations have been performed since the first pharmacokinetic study on rhodamine B in 1961. The aims of this study were to develop a simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography method with fluorescence detection for the quantitative detection of rhodamine B in the plasma and organs of rats and to estimate its pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. The results demonstrated that the oral bioavailabilities of rhodamine B were 28.3 and 9.8% for the low-dose and high-dose exposures, respectively. Furthermore, rhodamine B was highly accumulated in the liver and, to a lesser extent, the kidney, but was undetectable in the brain. These results provide useful information for improving the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of rhodamine B, supporting additional food safety evaluations.

[Application of precursor ion scanning method in rapid screening of illegally added phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors and their unknown derivatives in Chinese traditional patent medicines and health foods].

PubMed

Sun, Jing; Cao, Ling; Feng, Youlong; Tan, Li

2014-11-01

The compounds with similar structure often have similar pharmacological activities. So it is a trend for illegal addition that new derivatives of effective drugs are synthesized to avoid the statutory test. This bring challenges to crack down on illegal addition behavior, however, modified derivatives usually have similar product ions, which allow for precursor ion scanning. In this work, precursor ion scanning mode of a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer was first applied to screen illegally added drugs in complex matrix such as Chinese traditional patent medicines and healthy foods. Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors were used as experimental examples. Through the analysis of the structure and mass spectrum characteristics of the compounds, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors were classified, and their common product ions were screened by full scan of product ions of typical compounds. Then high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method with precursor ion scanning mode was established based on the optimization of MS parameters. The effect of mass parameters and the choice of fragment ions were also studied. The method was applied to determine actual samples and further refined. The results demonstrated that this method can meet the need of rapid screening of unknown derivatives of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors in complex matrix, and prevent unknown derivatives undetected. This method shows advantages in sensitivity, specificity and efficiency, and is worth to be further investigated.