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Designer drugs are synthetic compounds that contain modified molecular structures of illegal or controlled substances. They are produced clandestinely with the intent to elicit effects similar to controlled substances while circumventing existing drug laws. Two classes of designer drugs that have risen to recent prominence are "spice," synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists that mimic the effect of tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in cannabis, and "bath salts," synthetic cathinones, stimulants structurally related to amphetamines that have effects similar to cocaine and methamphetamine. Although these substances have only gained prominence recently, service members of the U.S. armed forces have not been immune to spice and bath salt abuse. These substances are often perceived as safe and are available via the Internet, in head shops and from dealers. Spice and bath salt abuse is increasingly associated with serious medical and psychiatric problems. Military health care providers must be familiar with these important new classes of drugs. This article discusses the background, current civilian and military legal status, clinical effects, pharmacology, and clinical management of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists and synthetic cathinones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides a supplementary material towards sulfur hexaflouride measurement improvement for atmospheric transport and emissions research. It mentions limited tests on the application of the three-column method with a micro electron capture detector (µ-ECD) from Agilent Technologies Inc. which indicated compatibility on both the technique and the sensor. It also notes the measurement of the chemical compound's mole fraction in various locations from 1996 to 2010.

The article presents a study to develop and test a radiosonde calibration technique that 20 reduces the influence of atmospheric variability on the derived lidar calibration constant. It uses lidar measurements to motivate a discussion of lidar correction techniques with application to trend detection. It discusses the wet biases in Raman water vapor measurements. It discusses the implications of wet biases in Raman lidar measurements on trend detection.

The article presents a study which validates data product of the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) during the MOHAVE-2009 campaign measurements 2009 in Pasadena, California. The study used MIPAS observations of temperature, water vapor, and ozone from the ground to the mesosphere. Results show no significant biases in the middle stratosphere but were found to be biased below the tropopause.

The article offers information on the potential impact of stratospheric water vapor's (SWV) variation on stratospheric ozone and surface climate. It mentions that water vapor mixing ratios in the stratosphere's tropical lowermost area were 10% in 2015 suggesting an increase in SWV from November-December. It states that water vapor's seasonal variability in the tropical lower stratosphere was controlled by the annual cycle of cold-point temperatures (CPTs).

Because fossil fuel derived CO2 is the only source of atmospheric CO2 that is devoid of 14C, atmospheric measurements of Δ14CO2 can be used to constrain fossil fuel emission estimates at local and regional scales. However, at the continental scale, uncertainties in atmospheric transport and other sources of variability in Δ14CO2may influence the fossil fuel detection capability. We present a set of Δ14CO2 observations from the train-based TROICA-8 expedition across Eurasia in March-April 2004. Local perturbations in Δ14CO2 are caused by easily identifiable sources from nuclear reactors and localized pollution events. The remaining data show an increase in Δ14CO2 from Western Russia (40° E) to Eastern Siberia (120° E), consistent with depletion in Δ14CO2 caused by fossil fuel CO2 emissions in heavily populated Europe, and gradual dispersion of the fossil fuel plume across Northern Asia. Other trace gas species which may be correlated with fossil fuel CO2 emissions, including carbon monoxide, sulphur hexafluoride, and perchloroethylene, were also measured and the results compared with the Δ14CO2 measurements. The sulphur hexafluoride longitudinal gradient is not significant relative to the measurement uncertainty. Carbon monoxide and perchloroethylene show large-scale trends of enriched values in Western Russia and decreasing values in Eastern Siberia, consistent with fossil fuel emissions, but exhibit significant spatial variability, especially near their primary The clean air Δ14CO2 observations are compared with simulated spatial gradients from the TM5 atmospheric transport model. We show that the change in Δ14CO2 across the TROICA transect is due almost entirely to emissions of fossil fuel CO2, but that the magnitude of this Δ14CO2 gradient is relatively insensitive to modest uncertainties in the fossil fuel flux. In contrast, the Δ14CO2 gradient is more sensitive to the modeled representation of vertical mixing, suggesting that Δ14CO2 may be a useful tracer for training mixing in atmospheric transport models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This is the first study to report the presence of tryptase, a reflection of mast cell activity, in chronic middle ear effusion of patients whose atopic status was characterized.Design and Methods: Mediator activity of mast cells and eosinophils was measured prospectively from effusion of 33 randomly selected patients and 5 control subjects with chronic otitis media with effusion (OME). Atopy was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Middle ear biopsies from a second group of 8 OME patients and 4 controls were fixed in plastic and stained immunohistochemically for mast cells.Results: Sixty-one percent of patients had extensive activation of mast cells in their middle ears. Among those with elevated tryptase in their effusion, 95.6% were atopic and 94.7% also had elevated levels of effusion eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP). Tryptase levels were elevated only in the effusion of atopic patients, as compared with 5 controls (P < .01). Mast cells were present in 6 of 8 OME ears and absent in all 4 normal ears.Conclusion: Mast cells and its mediator tryptase, both indicators of a Th2-driven immune response, are present in a majority of ears that have chronic effusion. These findings support the hypothesis that middle ear mucosa is capable of an allergic response and that the inflammation within the middle ear of most OME patients is allergic in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data are presented on the FEV1 and forced vital capacity (FVC) of elderly people living at home. These were derived from a survey of 418 persons over the age of 70 years and thus provide standards for the assessment of elderly persons. There was a decline in FEV1 and FVC cross sectionally with age and a continued adverse effect of smoking. A history of cough and phlegm was strongly related to impairment of lung function. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Maximum entropy or minumum information distributions have their flexibilities severely curtailed if R or R+ is the domain and α is imposed as a Lebesgue measure. Tremendous flexibility is gained by removing these restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of studies of 15 adults placed on quinidine therapy after their serum digoxin concentrations were stabilized showed significantly increased digoxin concentrations. The average digoxin concentration before quinidine therapy was 0.75 +/- 0.28 ng/mL and after 4 days of quinidine therapy was 1.41 +/- 0.43 ng/mL. During this period, the renal clearance of digoxin decreased from 53.4 +/- 21 mL/min . 1.73 m to 35.3 +/- 12.6 mL/ min . 1.73 m. No significant correlation was found between the individual rise in serum digoxin concentrations and the rise in serum quinidine concentrations. These results suggest that serum digoxin concentration should be monitored closely for at least the first 4 days of quinidine therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groups of pigs were brought to an abattoir by truck and approximately 25 were killed on each of the next 3 days.While the pigs were in lairage they were given water but were not fed. After slaughter the caecal contents of all pigs were cultured to detect Salmonella spp. The organism was isolated from 70% of 145 pigs killed after 1 day in lairage, 49% of 143 pigs that had been in lairage for 2 days and 41% of 135 pigs that had been held for 3 days. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]