Historical and Current Perspectives of Synthetic Marijuana: Critical Review.

Synthetic marijuana use has increased significantly since 2008 among young adults in the United States, as have adverse reactions to it, leading to a dramatic increase in emergency department visits. However, much of the research conducted on it has been case studies, which report detrimental symptoms on an individual basis. Only a limited number of studies aim to better understand the larger parameters of this epidemic to assist health care providers and policy makers, including early detection, intervention, and adequate treatment. In addition, there has been limited critical review of this substance to help health care professionals educate the public about the negative health effects of using this drug. This article explores the critical reviews of synthetic marijuana, also commonly known as "K2" and "Spice," synthesizing information from literature reviews, case studies, media information, and government websites. Findings were organized by synthetic marijuana's history, description, adverse reactions including withdrawal symptoms and death incidents, detection screening, treatment, and legislative issues. Health care providers need to understand the detrimental effects of this illicit and harmful substance to both the body and mind and sometimes irreversible damage caused to individuals who consume it. Policy makers, the public, and affected individuals and their family members need to be educated as well.

Pathfinders in oncology from the end of the 19th century to the first description of Ewing sarcoma.

During the period 1884 to 1922, the only option in cases of operable cancers was radical surgery, and only a minority of patients were cured. Sporadic attempts were made to treat inoperable cancer patients with bacterial toxins; however, with the discovery of x-ray and radium, the era of radiation treatment as an alternative to surgery began. The discovery of transmissible cancers and experimental growth of cancer cells offered new information and not only led to a better understanding of the cellular composition of cancers but also yielded important information that ultimately paved the way to chemotherapy. These efforts also advanced the understanding of the pathogenesis of tumors and induced new clinical and pathologic classifications and subspecializations. It is important to emphasize that many of the initiatives and discoveries made in Europe in the second half of the 19th century were first put into clinical practice in the United States during the first 2 decades of the 20th century, including the use of x-ray and radium for irradiation and as diagnostic tools. All things considered, the progress made between 1884 and 1922 came about through the hard work of many eminent individuals; however, there were 7 foresighted pathfinders (3 surgeons, 2 pathologists, 1 internist, and 1 physicist) who-despite their widely diverse backgrounds, personalities, and expertise-made remarkable contributions to oncology to an extent that is still felt today.

Ocitocina sintética e a aceleração do parto: reflexões sobre a síntese e o início do uso da ocitocina em obstetrícia no Brasil / Synthetic oxytocin and hastening labor: reflections on the synthesis and early use of oxytocin in Brazilian obstetrics

Resumo O artigo reflete sobre o processo de medicalização do parto, tendo como foco específico o desenvolvimento da ocitocina sintética em 1953. Investiga a vida social da ocitocina, isto é, sua sintetização, estabilização e uso em obstetrícia para acelerar o trabalho de parto. Por meio do levantamento em dois periódicos brasileiros de obstetrícia da época, é analisado o início do uso da ocitocina sintética no Brasil, a partir do final da década de 1950, e os argumentos dos obstetras acerca da recomendação ou não desse uso. É observada, nesse período, a centralidade cada vez maior do obstetra no parto, bem como a recomendação do uso encadeado de diferentes intervenções - com destaque para a ocitocina - visando menor tempo de trabalho de parto.

Abstract This article reflects on the medicalization of childbirth, focusing on the development of synthetic oxytocin in 1953. Specifically addressed is the social life of oxytocin; in other words, its synthesis, stabilization, and use in obstetrics to hasten labor. Two Brazilian obstetrics journals of this era were surveyed to analyze the early use of synthetic oxytocin in Brazil in the late 1950s, along with obstetric arguments for or against its use. Notable in this period is the increasingly central role of the obstetrician in childbirth, as well as the recommendation to use different interventions linked together (particularly oxytocin) to shorten labor.

The DARK Side of Total Synthesis: Strategies and Tactics in Psychoactive Drug Production.

Humankind has used and abused psychoactive drugs for millennia. Formally, a psychoactive drug is any agent that alters cognition and mood. The term "psychotropic drug" is neutral and describes the entire class of substrates, licit and illicit, of interest to governmental drug policy. While these drugs are prescribed for issues ranging from pain management to anxiety, they are also used recreationally. In fact, the current opioid epidemic is the deadliest drug crisis in American history. While the topic is highly politicized with racial, gender, and socioeconomic elements, there is no denying the toll drug mis- and overuse is taking on this country. Overdose, fueled by opioids, is the leading cause of death for Americans under 50 years of age, killing ca. 64,000 people in 2016. From a chemistry standpoint, the question is in what ways, if any, did organic chemists contribute to this problem? In this targeted review, we provide brief historical accounts of the main classes of psychoactive drugs and discuss several foundational total syntheses that ultimately provide the groundwork for producing these molecules in academic, industrial, and clandestine settings.

Synthetic oxytocin and hastening labor: reflections on the synthesis and early use of oxytocin in Brazilian obstetrics. / Ocitocina sintética e a aceleração do parto: reflexões sobre a síntese e o início do uso da ocitocina em obstetrícia no Brasil.

This article reflects on the medicalization of childbirth, focusing on the development of synthetic oxytocin in 1953. Specifically addressed is the social life of oxytocin; in other words, its synthesis, stabilization, and use in obstetrics to hasten labor. Two Brazilian obstetrics journals of this era were surveyed to analyze the early use of synthetic oxytocin in Brazil in the late 1950s, along with obstetric arguments for or against its use. Notable in this period is the increasingly central role of the obstetrician in childbirth, as well as the recommendation to use different interventions linked together (particularly oxytocin) to shorten labor.

O artigo reflete sobre o processo de medicalização do parto, tendo como foco específico o desenvolvimento da ocitocina sintética em 1953. Investiga a vida social da ocitocina, isto é, sua sintetização, estabilização e uso em obstetrícia para acelerar o trabalho de parto. Por meio do levantamento em dois periódicos brasileiros de obstetrícia da época, é analisado o início do uso da ocitocina sintética no Brasil, a partir do final da década de 1950, e os argumentos dos obstetras acerca da recomendação ou não desse uso. É observada, nesse período, a centralidade cada vez maior do obstetra no parto, bem como a recomendação do uso encadeado de diferentes intervenções ­ com destaque para a ocitocina ­ visando menor tempo de trabalho de parto.