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Cannabis, the most commonly used illicit substance, exerts its primary psychoactive effect via delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ(9) -THC) agonism of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1). Some users develop a cannabis use disorder and physical dependence manifested by withdrawal symptoms during abstinence. Hence, there is growing public health concern about increasing use of a new generation of synthetic cannabinoid (SC) agonists (eg, JWH-018, CP 47,497) marketed as natural herbal incense mixtures under brand names such as "Spice" and "K2." Anecdotal reports suggest overlapping effects with marijuana when the mixtures are smoked, however, systematic evaluation of SC-related psychoactive properties and adverse effects is lacking. We conducted a systematic review of published reports on SC clinical effects in humans. Most highlight potential toxicity such as acute anxiety and psychosis. In addition, we carefully document three cases in which experienced marijuana users meeting criteria for cannabis dependence with physiologic dependence smoked SC products regularly. The SC mixture effects were reportedly similar to marijuana and well tolerated. The individuals all reported that SC product use effectively alleviated cannabis withdrawal. Biopsychosocial factors associated with SC initiation and usage by the cases help to shed light on psychopharmacologic, clinical, and public health aspects of SC product consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: There is evidence that greater body mass index (BMI) protects against depression, schizophrenia and suicide. However, there is a need for prospective studies.MethodWe examined the association of BMI with future hospital admissions for psychoses or depression/anxiety disorders in a large prospective study of 7036 men and 8327 women. Weight and height were measured at baseline (1972-76) when participants were aged 45-64. Follow-up was for a median of 29 years. RESULTS: Greater BMI and obesity were associated with a reduced risk of hospital admission for psychoses and depression/anxiety in both genders, with the magnitude of these associations being the same for males and females. With adjustment for age, sex, smoking and social class, a 1 standard deviation (s.d.) greater BMI at baseline was associated with a rate ratio of 0.91 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.82-1.01] for psychoses and 0.87 (95% CI 0.77-0.98) for depression/anxiety. Further adjustment for baseline psychological distress and total cholesterol did not alter these associations. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings add to the growing body of evidence that suggests that greater BMI is associated with a reduced risk of major psychiatric outcomes. Long-term follow-up of participants in randomized controlled trials of interventions that effectively result in weight loss and the use of genetic variants that are functionally related to obesity as instrumental variables could help to elucidate whether these associations are causal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To examine the long-term cardiovascular consequences of angina in a large epidemiological study. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study conducted between 1972 and 1976 with 20 years of follow-up (the Renfrew-Paisley Study). SETTING: Renfrew and Paisley, West Scotland, UK. PARTICIPANTS: 7048 men and 8354 women aged 45-64 years who underwent comprehensive cardiovascular screening at baseline, including the Rose Angina Questionnaire and electrocardiography (ECG). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All deaths and hospitalisations for cardiovascular reasons occurring over the subsequent 20 years, according to the baseline Rose angina score and baseline ECG. RESULTS: At baseline, 669 (9.5%) men and 799 (9.6%) women had angina on Rose Angina Questionnaire. All-cause mortality for those with Rose angina was 67.7% in men and 43.3% in women at 20 years compared with 45.4% and 30.4%, respectively, in those without angina (p<0.001). Values are expressed as hazards ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval (CI). In a multivariate analysis, men with Rose angina had an increased risk of cardiovascular death or hospitalisation (1.49 (1.33 to 1.66), myocardial infarction (1.63 (1.41 to 1.85)) or heart failure (1.54 (1.13 to 2.10)) compared with men without angina. The corresponding HR (95% CI) for women were 1.38 (1.23 to 1.55), 1.56 (1.31 to 1.85) and 1.92 (1.44 to 2.56). An abnormality on the electrocardiogram (ECG) increased risk further, and both angina and an abnormality on the ECG increased risk most of all compared with those with neither angina nor ischaemic changes on the ECG. Compared with men, women with Rose angina were less likely to have a cardiovascular event (0.54 (0.46 to 0.64)) or myocardial infarction (0.44 (0.35 to 0.56)), although there was no sex difference in the risk of stroke (1.11 (0.75 to 1.65)), atrial fibrillation (0.84 (0.38 to 1.87)) or heart failure (0.79 (0.51 to 1.21)). CONCLUSIONS: Angina in middle age substantially increases the risk of death, myocardial infarction, heart failure and other cardiovascular events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how carboxyhaemoglobin concentration is related to smoking habit and to assess whether carboxyhaemoglobin concentration is related to mortality. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Residents of the towns of Renfrew and Paisley in Scotland. PARTICIPANTS: The whole Renfrew/Paisley study, conducted between 1972 and 1976, consisted of 7048 men and 8354 women aged 45-64 years. This study was based on 3372 men and 4192 women who were screened after the measurement of carboxyhaemoglobin concentration was introduced about halfway through the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Deaths from coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and all causes in 25 years after screening. RESULTS: Carboxyhaemoglobin concentration was related to self reported smoking and for each smoking category was higher in participants who reported inhaling than in those who reported not inhaling. Carboxyhaemoglobin concentration was positively related to all causes of mortality analysed (relative rates associated with a 1 SD (2.93) increase in carboxyhaemoglobin for all causes, CHD, stroke, COPD, and lung cancer were 1.26 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19 to 1.34), 1.19 (95% CI 1.13 to 1.26), 1.19 (95% CI 1.13 to 1.26), 1.64 (95% CI 1.47 to 1.84), and 1.69 (95% CI 1.60 to 1.79), respectively). Adjustment for self reported cigarette smoking attenuated the associations but they remained relatively strong. CONCLUSIONS: Self reported smoking data were validated by the objective measure of carboxyhaemoglobin concentration. Since carboxyhaemoglobin concentration remained associated with mortality after adjustment for smoking, carboxyhaemoglobin seems to capture more of the risk associated with smoking tobacco than does self reported tobacco consumption alone. Analysing mortality by self reported cigarette smoking underestimates the strength of association between smoking and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The primary prevention of cardiovascular disease involves using the Framingham risk score to identify high risk patients and then prescribe preventive treatments.Aim: To examine the performance of the Framingham risk score in different socioeconomic groups in a population with high rates of cardiovascular disease.Design Of Study: A prospective study.Setting: West of Scotland.Method: The observed 10-year cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease mortality rates in 5626 men and 6678 women free from cardiovascular disease from the Renfrew/Paisley Study were compared with predicted rates, stratified by socioeconomic class and by area deprivation score.Results: The ratio of predicted to observed cardiovascular mortality rate in the 12 304 men and women with complete risk factor information was 0.56 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.52 to 0.60), a relative underestimation of 44%. Cardiovascular disease mortality was underestimated by 48% in manual participants (predicted over observed = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.48 to 0.56) compared to 31% in the non-manual participants (predicted over observed = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.60 to 0.81, P = 0.0005). Underestimation was also worse in participants from deprived areas (P = 0.0017). Only 4.8% of individuals had a 10-year cardiovascular risk of >40% (equivalent to >30% 10-year coronary risk), and 81% of deaths occurred in the rest. If the Framingham score had been recalibrated for manual and non-manual members of this population, an additional 3611 individuals mainly from manual social classes would have reached the treatment threshold.Conclusion: Currently recommended risk scoring methods underestimate risk in socioeconomically deprived individuals. The likely consequence is that preventive treatments are less available to the most needy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown that the Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC) concentration in marijuana cigarettes is an important factor for the maintenance of marijuana self-administration. Yet, the impact of oral Delta(9)-THC treatment on marijuana self-administration is unknown. Because other agonist therapies have been demonstrated to be effective for the treatment of substance use disorders, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of oral Delta(9)-THC maintenance on choice to self-administer smoked marijuana. During this 18-day residential study, 12 healthy research volunteers received one of three doses of oral Delta(9)-THC capsules (0, 10, 20 mg q.i.d.) for 3 consecutive days, followed by 3 consecutive days of matching placebo. The order of active Delta(9)-THC administration was counterbalanced. Each morning, except on days 6, 12, and 18, participants smoked the 'sample' marijuana cigarette (1.8% Delta(9)-THC w/w) and received a $2 voucher (redeemable for cash at study's end). Following the sample, volunteers participated in a four-trial choice procedure during which they had the opportunity to self-administer either the dose of marijuana they sampled that morning or to receive the $2 voucher. Relative to placebo Delta(9)-THC maintenance, participants' choice to self-administer marijuana was not significantly altered by either of the two active Delta(9)-THC maintenance conditions. Some 'positive' subjective drug-effect ratings following the sample marijuana cigarette were reduced: by day 3 of active oral Delta(9)-THC maintenance, participants' rating of 'Good Drug Effect' and 'High' were significantly decreased. Smoked marijuana-related total daily caloric intake was not significantly altered under any maintenance conditions. Finally, the effects of smoked marijuana on psychomotor task performance were only minimally affected by oral Delta(9)-THC maintenance. These data indicate that participants' choice to self-administer marijuana was unaltered by the oral Delta(9)-THC dosing regimen used in the present investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is often a precursor to stroke, so identification of people experiencing TIA could assist in stroke prevention by indicating those at high risk of stroke who would benefit most from intervention for other stroke risk factors. The objective of this study was to investigate whether answers to a simple questionnaire for TIA could predict the occurrence of stroke in the following 20 years. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study, conducted between 1972 and 1976, with 20 years of follow up. SETTING: Renfrew and Paisley, Scotland. PARTICIPANTS: 7052 men and 8354 women aged 45-64 years at the time of screening completed a questionnaire and attended a physical examination. The questionnaire asked participants if they had ever, without warning, suddenly lost the power of an arm, suddenly lost the power of a leg, suddenly been unable to speak properly or suddenly lost consciousness. These four questions were taken as indicators of TIA and were related to subsequent stroke mortality or hospital admission. MAIN RESULTS: For women, each question was significantly related to stroke risk, whereas for men only the question on loss of power of arm was significantly related to stroke risk. Men and women answering two or more questions positively had double the relative rate of stroke compared with men and women answering none of the questions positively, even after adjusting for other risk factors for stroke. CONCLUSIONS: A simple questionnaire for TIA could help predict stroke over 20 years of follow up. Targeting men and women who report TIA with early treatment could help to prevent strokes from occurring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated stroke differentials by socioeconomic position in adulthood. METHODS: The relation of risk of stroke to deprivation category and social class was assessed among 6955 men and 7992 women who were aged 45 to 64 years and had been screened in 1972 to 1976. RESULTS: A total of 594 men and 677 women had a hospital admission for stroke or died from stroke. There were large differences in stroke by deprivation category or social class. Adjustment for risk factors (smoking, blood pressure, height, respiratory function, body mass index, cholesterol, diabetes, and preexisting heart disease) attenuated these differences. CONCLUSIONS: Risk factors for stroke can explain some of the socioeconomic differences in stroke risk. Women living in the most deprived areas seem particularly at risk of stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this prospective cohort study was to determine the contribution of changes in social class within and between generations to mortality risk and to socioeconomic differentials in mortality. In 27 workplaces in the west of Scotland. 5567 men aged 35-64 years when screened, provided information on their father's occupation, their own first occupation and their occupation at screening. Mortality risk, from broad causes of death by intergenerational and intragenerational social mobility groups, was measured after 21 years. For all or some of the 3 routes of mobility (childhood to screening, labour market entry to screening and childhood to labour market entry), increasing values were seen across the 4 groups (stable non manual, upwardly mobile, downwardly mobile and stable manual) for diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, current smoking, early school leaving, angina, bronchitis, severe chest pain, and proportion living in deprived areas. Decreasing values were seen for serum cholesterol, height, FEV1, exercise, never and ex-smokers, wine drinkers and car users. For mobility between childhood and screening and between childhood and labour market entry, mortality risk was highest for the stable manual group and lowest for the stable non manual group for all cause, cardiovascular disease and other causes of death. The upwardly and downwardly mobile groups had intermediate risks. For cancer mortality, the stable manual group had the highest risk with the other groups having lower and similar risks. For mobility between labour market entry and screening, the highest risk was for the downwardly mobile group for all cause and cardiovascular mortality. For cancer mortality, the risk was higher for men in manual social classes at all occasions. Adjustment for risk factors attenuated but could not completely explain the differentials in mortality risk. Overall, major differences in mortality risk were seen between the stable non manual and the stable manual groups, to which social mobility does not contribute. With the exception of the small intragenerationally downwardly mobile group there was little evidence that social mobility itself was associated with mortality outcomes different from those expected on the basis of lifetime socioeconomic experience. This is consistent with the suggestion that the main influence of socioeconomic position on mortality risk is an accumulative one, acting across the lifecourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate heart rate (HR) and relative oxygen consumption (VO2) measures during two modes (walking or running stages four) of the Bruce treadmill protocol. PARTICIPANTS: Male volunteers (n = 27), ranging in age from 25 to 56 years (M = 39.1 +/- 10.7 yrs). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: S's performed to volitional fatigue on the two randomly assigned treadmill tests. MEASURES: HR and VO2 were taken each minute and at point of exhaustion. RESULTS: Dependent 't'-tests revealed a significantly (p < or = 0.05) difference between the protocols at 11 minutes (running = 46.7 +/- 3.9 > walking = 44.6 +/- 3.7 ml[kg x min-1]) and at 12 minutes (running = 49.3 +/- 4.1 > walking = 47.6 +/- 3.5 ml[kg x min-1]) on the VO2 values. A significant differences was noted on HR at 11 minutes (running = 158.1 +/- 13.5 > walking = 156.0 +/- 13.0 bpm) and at 12 minutes (running = 160.4 +/- 11.0 > walking = 157.8 +/- 11.4 bpm) between the protocols. The two-way ANOVA technique revealed no significant differences or interactions on VO2 or HR between younger (< 45 yrs) and older (> or = 45 yrs) subjects during either protocol. A one-way ANCOVA indicated no significant differences between taller and shorter subjects on VO2 during the fourth stage of the Bruce protocol. The correlations, between the two protocols, for HR were strong but were weaker and inconsistent for VO2. The repeated measures ANOVA indicated significant within subject variability between test administrations. CONCLUSIONS: When testing endurance trained males, modality, age and height are not factors in differences of VO2 values during the 4th stage of the Bruce treadmill test but learning effect could be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In all 8353 women and 7058 men aged 45-64 took part in the Renfrew/Paisley survey in 1972-1976. They formed a prospective cohort study of a general population in the West of Scotland; an area with high ischaemic heart disease (IHD) mortality rates. The objective of this study was to investigate three indicators of pre-existing IHD and determine how they predicted subsequent IHD mortality in females compared with males.Methods: Pre-existing IHD was ascertained by the Rose Angina questionnaire, a question on severe chest pain indicating evidence of previous IHD and an electrocardiogram at a screening examination. Mortality information for a 15-year follow-up period was available.Results: Pre-existing IHD was higher at older ages and was less common in women than men. The risks of IHD mortality were doubled for those with a single cardiovascular indicator compared to those without, and were increased to fourfold for those with two or more indicators. Indicators of pre-existing IHD had high specificity and low sensitivity for subsequent IHD mortality in both women and men, and the positive predictive values for women in the oldest age group were similar to those for men in the youngest age group.Conclusions: Each indicator of pre-existing IHD was a useful predictor of subsequent IHD mortality in both women and men, even though IHD mortality rates were lower in women. The indicators obtained by questionnaire could be implemented in the primary health care setting to identify quickly those at risk who would benefit from further investigation and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blaxter has hypothesized that harmful behavioral habits like smoking have a greater impact on health in the non-manual than in the manual social classes, possibly because other adverse exposures have a more important role in the manual social classes. However, the outcome measure used was a composite measure of physiological indices of morbidity and the relevance of this to other health problems is uncertain. We have therefore investigated the effect of smoking on mortality, to test whether the risk of death associated with smoking differs between manual and non-manual social classes. Data on 6831 men and 7993 women, aged 45-64 when screened in the Renfrew and Paisley study, a large prospective observational study in the West of Scotland, have been analyzed. All cause mortality rate ratios for smokers compared with never smokers have been calculated within manual and non-manual social classes. Although the age adjusted rate ratios are slightly higher among the non-manual men and women (2.19 [1.83-2.61] versus 1.92 [1.71-2.17] for non-manual and manual men respectively, and 1.75 [1.54-1.99] versus 1.65 [1.50-1.82] for non-manual and manual women), this difference between social classes is not statistically significant (p-values for test of difference 0.26 and 0.47 for men and women respectively). When additionally adjusted for other risk factors, cardiorespiratory symptoms and deprivation, this picture remained the same (p-values for test of difference are 0.41 and 0.50 for men and women respectively). Similar results were found when the cohort was divided by deprivation categories rather than social classes or when smoking related mortality rather than mortality from all causes was used as the outcome measure. We therefore conclude that the health impact of smoking is similar in each socio-economic group. The relative health improvement consequent on smoking cessation is thus similar in different socio-economic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effects of escalating doses of smoked cocaine in non-treatment-seeking cocaine users. Cocaine sessions were conducted twice per day for 3 consecutive days. During each session, one group of participants smoked a 12 mg cocaine dose, followed by a 25 mg dose, followed by four 50 mg doses at 14 min intervals (escalating-dose group); another group of participants smoked six 50 mg cocaine doses at 14 min intervals (fixed-dosing group). Cocaine produced dose-dependent increases in heart rate (HR), blood pressure, ratings of positive drug effect, e.g., "good drug effect", and ratings of cocaine dose, e.g., "liking", in the escalating-dose group. The 50 mg dose also increased these measures in the fixed-dosing group to a level that was not different than that observed following the initial 50 mg dose in the escalating-dose group. The largest effects of 50 mg cocaine were observed following the initial dose, with the latter 50 mg doses maintaining but not increasing these effects in both groups. The effects of cocaine in both groups were consistent for most measures within a day and between days. Resting baseline heart rate, blood pressure and cocaine craving were lower during the first session and higher thereafter. These results demonstrate that increasing the dose of cocaine during a bout, i.e., "binge", of cocaine use can increment the effects of cocaine, but administering the same cocaine dose maintains, but does not increment the effects of cocaine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Limited evidence exists on how temperature increases are associated with hospital visits from alcohol- and substance-related disorders, despite plausible behavioral and physiological pathways., Methods: In the present study, we implemented a case-crossover design, which controls for seasonal patterns, long-term trends, and non- or slowly-varying confounders, with distributed lag non-linear temperature terms (0-6 days) to estimate associations between daily ZIP Code-level temperature and alcohol- and substance-related disorder hospital visit rates in New York State during 1995-2014. We also examined four substance-related disorder sub-causes (cannabis, cocaine, opioid, sedatives)., Results: Here we show that, for alcohol-related disorders, a daily increase in temperature from the daily minimum (-30.1 °C (-22.2 °F)) to the 75th percentile (18.8 °C (65.8 °F)) across 0-6 lag days is associated with a cumulative 24.6% (95%CI,14.6%-34.6%) increase in hospital visit rates, largely driven by increases on the day of and day before hospital visit, with an association larger outside New York City. For substance-related disorders, we find evidence of a positive association at temperatures from the daily minimum (-30.1 °C (-22.2 °F)) to the 50th percentile (10.4 °C (50.7 °F)) (37.7% (95%CI,27.2%-48.2%), but not at higher temperatures. Findings are consistent across age group, sex, and social vulnerability., Conclusions: Our work highlights how hospital visits from alcohol- and substance-related disorders are currently impacted by elevated temperatures and could be further affected by rising temperatures resulting from climate change. Enhanced social infrastructure and health system interventions could mitigate these impacts., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

The relationship between amphetamine use and aggressive or violent behaviour is unclear. This review examined laboratory data collected in humans, who were administered an acute dose of amphetamine or methamphetamine, in order to investigate the link between amphetamines and aggression. It is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019127711). Included in the analysis are data from twenty-eight studies. Behavioural and/or subjective measures of aggression were assessed in one thousand and sixty-nine research participants, with limited amphetamine-use histories, following a single amphetamine dose (0-35 mg). The available published evidence indicates that neither amphetamine nor methamphetamine acutely increased aggression as assessed by traditional laboratory measures. Future research should assess supratherapeutic amphetamine doses as well as include a broader range of multiple aggression measures, facilitating simultaneous assessment of the various components that comprise this complex, multifaceted construct., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest We declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Pathological lying has been discussed in the research literature for more than a century, mostly in case studies. Recent research has supported pathological lying as a diagnostic entity, although it remains absent from nosological systems. The current study aimed to survey practitioners about their experiences working with clients who engage in pathological lying and to examine practitioners' abilities to diagnose pathological lying., Methods: Psychotherapists (N=295) were recruited and asked to report about their experiences with patients who engaged in pathological lying. Participants were also presented with four clinical vignettes and a definition of pathological lying and were asked to determine whether the individuals portrayed in the vignettes met that definition., Results: Most practitioners reported clinical experience with patients exhibiting pathological lying, although such patients made up a small proportion of their caseloads. Clinicians described these patients as lying with great frequency and indicated that lying caused marked distress and impaired functioning in social, occupational, financial, and legal domains. The behavior typically had begun during adolescence and had continued for ≥5 years. Respondents reported usually offering a diagnosis other than pathological lying, such as a personality disorder. By using a published definition of pathological lying, respondents (N=156) were able to reliably identify cases of pathological lying portrayed in clinical vignettes and were able to consistently discriminate between pathological lying and both related and unrelated disorders., Conclusions: The participants largely endorsed the proposition of including pathological lying in nosological systems such as the DSM and ICD , which could allow for accurate diagnosis and effective treatments.

CHESS, chopper spectrometer examining small samples, is a planned direct geometry neutron chopper spectrometer designed to detect and analyze weak signals intrinsic to small cross sections (e.g., small mass, small magnetic moments, or neutron absorbing materials) in powders, liquids, and crystals. CHESS is optimized to enable transformative investigations of quantum materials, spin liquids, thermoelectrics, battery materials, and liquids. The broad dynamic range of the instrument is also well suited to study relaxation processes and excitations in soft and biological matter. The 15 Hz repetition rate of the Second Target Station at the Spallation Neutron Source enables the use of multiple incident energies within a single source pulse, greatly expanding the information gained in a single measurement. Furthermore, the high flux grants an enhanced capability for polarization analysis. This enables the separation of nuclear from magnetic scattering or coherent from incoherent scattering in hydrogenous materials over a large range of energy and momentum transfer. This paper presents optimizations and technical solutions to address the key requirements envisioned in the science case and the anticipated uses of this instrument.

Background: During the last few years, the continuous emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) has become an important public health challenge. The use of NPS has been rising in two different ways: buying and consuming NPS knowingly and the presence of NPS in traditional drugs as adulterants. The rise of NPS use is increasing the number of different substances in the market to an extent impossible to study with current scientific methodologies. This has caused a remarkable absence of necessary information about newer drug effects on people who use drugs, mental health professionals, and policy makers. Current scientific methodologies have failed to provide enough data in the timeframe when critical decisions must be made, being not only too slow but also too square. Last but not least, they dramatically lack the high resolution of phenomenological details., Objective: This study aims to characterize a population of e-psychonauts and the subjective effects of the NPS they used during the study period using a new, internet-based, fast, and inexpensive methodology. This will allow bridging an evidence gap between online surveys, which do not provide substance confirmation, and clinical trials, which are too slow and expensive to keep up with the new substances appearing every week., Methods: To cover this purpose, we designed a highly personalized, observational longitudinal study methodology. Participants will be recruited from online communities of people who use NPS, and they will be followed online by means of a continuous objective and qualitative evaluation lasting for at least 1 year. In addition, participants will send samples of the substances they intend to use during that period, so they can be analyzed and matched with the effects they report on the questionnaires., Results: The research protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Hospital del Mar Research Institute on December 11, 2018. Data collection started in August 2019 and was still ongoing when the protocol was submitted (September 2020). The first data collection period of the study ended in October 2020. Data analysis began in November 2020, and it is still ongoing. The authors expect to submit the first results for publication by the end of 2021. A preliminary analysis was conducted when the manuscript was submitted and was reviewed after it was accepted in February 2021., Conclusions: It is possible to conduct an institutional review board-approved study using this new methodology and collect the expected data. However, the meaning and usefulness of these data are still unknown., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/24433., (©Marc Grifell, Guillem Mir Fuster, Mireia Ventura Vilamala, Liliana Galindo Guarín, Xoán Carbón Mallol, Carl L Hart, Víctor Pérez Sola, Francesc Colom Victoriano. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 02.07.2021.)

Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Historically, laws and policies to criminalize drug use or possession were rooted in explicit racism, and they continue to wreak havoc on certain racialized communities. We are a group of bioethicists, drug experts, legal scholars, criminal justice researchers, sociologists, psychologists, and other allied professionals who have come together in support of a policy proposal that is evidence-based and ethically recommended. We call for the immediate decriminalization of all so-called recreational drugs and, ultimately, for their timely and appropriate legal regulation. We also call for criminal convictions for nonviolent offenses pertaining to the use or possession of small quantities of such drugs to be expunged, and for those currently serving time for these offenses to be released. In effect, we call for an end to the "war on drugs."

Objective: Pathological lying, originally called "pseudologia phantastica," has an established history within clinical practice and literature, although it has not been recognized as a psychological disorder within major nosological systems. With the movement in psychological sciences toward theory-driven, empirically supported diagnoses, the current study sought to empirically test whether pathological lying aligned with nosological definitions and could be defined as a diagnostic entity., Methods: A total of 807 people were recruited (January to October of 2019) from various mental health forums, social media, and a university. Of those recruited, 623 completed the study. Participants responded to a lie frequency prompt, questionnaires about lying behavior, the Lying in Everyday Situations Scale, the Distress Questionnaire-5, and demographic questions., Results: Of the participants, 13% indicated that they self- identified or that others had identified them as pathological liars (telling numerous lies each day for longer than 6 months). People who identified as pathological liars reported greater distress, impaired functioning, and more danger than people not considered pathological liars. Pathological lying seemed to be compulsive, with lies growing from an initial lie, and done for no apparent reason., Conclusions: The evidence supports establishment of pathological lying as a distinct diagnostic entity. A definition of pathological lying, etiological considerations, and recommendations for future research and practice are presented., (© 2020 The Authors. Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of the American Psychiatric Association.)

There is anecdotal and empirical evidence for black cat bias, the phenomenon where cats ( Felis silvestris catus ) with black coats are viewed more negatively, adopted less often, and euthanized more often than lighter colored cats. Despite the anecdotal claims, there is scarce empirical evidence for black cat bias. Using evaluations of cat photos, the researchers examined differences in people's attitudes toward black and non-black cats of various colorations on measures of perceived aggression, perceived friendliness, and willingness to adopt. The researchers also explored whether participants' levels of religiosity, superstitious beliefs, and prejudicial racial attitudes were related to black cat bias. Finally, the researchers explored whether black cat bias was related to difficulties people had in reading the emotions of black cats compared to non-black cats. This study provided evidence of black cat bias in the sample. People exhibiting higher degrees of black cat bias had higher levels of superstition, but not religiosity or racial prejudice. Additionally, people who had difficulty reading the emotions of black cats tended to exhibit a stronger bias against adopting black cats.

Exaggerations of the detrimental impact of recreational drug use on the human brain have bolstered support for draconian drug policies and have been used to justify police brutality against Black people. This situation has led to disproportionately high Black incarceration rates and countless Black deaths. Here, I offer solutions to remedy this multi-century maltreatment of Black people., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite limited data demonstrating pronounced negative effects of prenatal cannabis exposure, popular opinion and public policies still reflect the belief that cannabis is fetotoxic. Methods: This article provides a critical review of results from longitudinal studies examining the impact of prenatal cannabis exposure on multiple domains of cognitive functioning in individuals aged 0 to 22 years. A literature search was conducted through PsycINFO, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Articles were included if they examined the cognitive performance of offspring exposed to cannabis in utero . Results: An examination of the total number of statistical comparisons ( n = 1,001) between groups of participants that were exposed to cannabis prenatally and non-exposed controls revealed that those exposed performed differently on a minority of cognitive outcomes (worse on <3.5 percent and better in <1 percent). The clinical significance of these findings appears to be limited because cognitive performance scores of cannabis-exposed groups overwhelmingly fell within the normal range when compared against normative data adjusted for age and education. Conclusions: The current evidence does not suggest that prenatal cannabis exposure alone is associated with clinically significant cognitive functioning impairments., (Copyright © 2020 Torres, Medina-Kirchner, O'Malley and Hart.)

Objective: Pharmacotherapy and behavioral treatments for alcohol use disorder are limited in their effectiveness, and new treatments with innovative mechanisms would be valuable. In this pilot study, the authors tested whether a single subanesthetic infusion of ketamine administered to adults with alcohol dependence and engaged in motivational enhancement therapy affects drinking outcomes., Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to a 52-minute intravenous administration of ketamine (0.71 mg/kg, N=17) or the active control midazolam (0.025 mg/kg, N=23), provided during the second week of a 5-week outpatient regimen of motivational enhancement therapy. Alcohol use following the infusion was assessed with timeline followback method, with abstinence confirmed by urine ethyl glucuronide testing. A longitudinal logistic mixed-effects model was used to model daily abstinence from alcohol over the 21 days after ketamine infusion., Results: Participants (N=40) were mostly middle-aged (mean age=53 years [SD=9.8]), predominantly white (70.3%), and largely employed (71.8%) and consumed an average of five drinks per day prior to entering the study. Ketamine significantly increased the likelihood of abstinence, delayed the time to relapse, and reduced the likelihood of heavy drinking days compared with midazolam. Infusions were well tolerated, with no participants removed from the study as a result of adverse events., Conclusions: A single ketamine infusion was found to improve measures of drinking in persons with alcohol dependence engaged in motivational enhancement therapy. These preliminary data suggest new directions in integrated pharmacotherapy-behavioral treatments for alcohol use disorder. Further research is needed to replicate these promising results in a larger sample.

Background and Aims: Stimulant drug users have a greater prevalence of risky driving behaviour. This study aimed to assess how far this association remains after adjusting for aggressiveness., Design: Cross-sectional interview study assessing associations between measures of risky driving behaviours as outcomes, measures of stimulant drug use as predictors and a measure of aggressiveness as a covariate., Setting: United States., Participants: Data were drawn from wave 3 (2012-13) of the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC-III) (n = 36 309 aged ≥ 18 years)., Measurements: Stimulant drug use, past-year DSM-5 stimulant use disorder, aggression and measures of risky driving were assessed using face-to-face interviews conducted using the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule (AUDADIS-5) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5)., Findings: Overall, 2714 (8.3%) respondents indicated life-time stimulant use, and 112 (0.3%) met criteria for past-year DSM-5 stimulant use disorder. More than 10% of ongoing stimulant users and one-third of respondents with DSM-5 stimulant use disorder reported stimulant-specific driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) in the past-year (both P < 0.0001). Adjusted for demographics and independent of aggression, life-time stimulant users reported increased likelihood of driving [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 3.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.63-3.42] or speeding under the influence of drugs (aOR = 3.39, 95% CI = 3.01-3.82) and licence revocation (aOR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.87-2.50) (all P < 0.0001). Past-year DSM-5 stimulant use disorder was associated with all outcomes (aOR = 5.48, 95% CI = 2.95-10.18 and aOR = 3.87, 95% CI = 2.23-6.70, respectively, all P < 0.0001), except licence revocation (aOR = 1.72)., Conclusions: Stimulant use appears to be positively associated with risky driving behaviours after adjusting for aggressiveness., (© 2019 Society for the Study of Addiction.)

The allosteric regulation of protein function proves important in many life-sustaining processes. In plant photosynthesis, LHCII, the major antenna complex of Photosystem II, employs a delicate switch between light harvesting and photoprotective modes. The switch is triggered by an enlarged pH gradient (ΔpH) across the thylakoid membranes. Using molecular simulations and quantum calculations, we show that ΔpH can tune the light-harvesting potential of the antenna via allosteric regulation of the excitonic coupling in chlorophyll-carotenoid pairs. To this end, we propose how the LHCII excited state lifetime is coupled to the environmental conditions. In line with experimental findings, our theoretical model provides crucial evidence toward the elucidation of the photoprotective switch of higher plants at an all-atom resolution.

Objective: Research has suggested that subanesthetic doses of ketamine may work to improve cocaine-related vulnerabilities and facilitate efforts at behavioral modification. The purpose of this trial was to test whether a single ketamine infusion improved treatment outcomes in cocaine-dependent adults engaged in mindfulness-based relapse prevention., Methods: Fifty-five cocaine-dependent individuals were randomly assigned to receive a 40-minute intravenous infusion of ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) or midazolam (the control condition) during a 5-day inpatient stay, during which they also initiated a 5-week course of mindfulness-based relapse prevention. Cocaine use was assessed through self-report and urine toxicology. The primary outcomes were end-of-study abstinence and time to relapse (defined as first use or dropout)., Results: Overall, 48.2% of individuals in the ketamine group maintained abstinence over the last 2 weeks of the trial, compared with 10.7% in the midazolam group (intent-to-treat analysis). The ketamine group was 53% less likely (hazard ratio=0.47; 95% CI=0.24, 0.92) to relapse (dropout or use cocaine) compared with the midazolam group, and craving scores were 58.1% lower in the ketamine group throughout the trial (95% CI=18.6, 78.6); both differences were statistically significant. Infusions were well tolerated, and no participants were removed from the study as a result of adverse events., Conclusions: A single ketamine infusion improved a range of important treatment outcomes in cocaine-dependent adults engaged in mindfulness-based behavioral modification, including promoting abstinence, diminishing craving, and reducing risk of relapse. Further research is needed to replicate these promising results in a larger sample.

Objectives: Recently, driven largely by opioid-related deaths, President Donald Trump proclaimed that the opioid problem was now a national emergency. What looks like a radical shift to a more compassionate drug policy-one that favors treatment over incarceration-has encouraged many to hope that there will be far fewer drug-related arrests and deaths than there were in previous decades., Methods and Results: We present evidence showing that large numbers of drug-related arrests persist and that racial discrimination is evident in opioid-related arrests. In addition, conventional strategies implemented to address opioid-related deaths have proven inadequate., Conclusions: We propose solutions grounded in reason and evidence rather than moralism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).