47 research outputs found
Coaching the drug coach: An invited commentary in response to Gibbs et al. anabolics coaching: Emic harm reduction or a public health concern?
No full textIt is well established that performance and image enhancing drugs (PIEDs), such as anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), are effective in increasing muscle mass and strength. For a variety of reasons there has been an increase in non-medical AAS use in recent decades, and that use has evolved beyond just the small groups where it was previously confined (Dunn et al., 2022; Piatkowski et al., 2021).Full Tex
ICT and Productivity Growth in Transition Economies: Two-Phase Convergence and Structural Reforms
Get PDFThis paper investigates the role of information and communication technology (ICT) as a driver of improved productivity performance of Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries and Russia (CEER) relative to the EU-15 and the U.S. during the 1990s. The paper investigates how, and to what extent, ICT contributed to a narrowing in the productivity gap. Although investment in ICT capital has strongly increased, total factor productivity (TFP) growth has made the largest contribution to convergence during the 1990s. In a few CEER countries, notably the Czech Republic and Hungary, ICT production contributed more to productivity growth than the EU-15 average. Spillovers from a productive use of ICT in both CEER countries and the EU-15 are still considerably lower than in the U.S.. The paper argues that the convergence process between CEER countries and the EU-15 is characterized by two phases. In the first “restructuring” phase, convergence has been driven by enterprise restructuring in manufacturing, which was facilitated by rapid ICT investment in new plants, and by growth in ICT production in particular through FDI. In the second “expansionary” phase the sustained convergence has to rely more on productivity growth in sectors that make intensive use of ICT, in particular the service sector. While the first phase is dependent largely on openness and basic fundamental reforms, the second phase requires deeper structural reforms focused on product and labor market flexibility, business re-organization and investment in human capital and ICT skills.productivity, economic growth, convergence, ICT, Eastern Europe
Online Doping: The Digital Ecosystem and Cyborgification of Drug Cultures (Book review)
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A practical primer on safer use of anabolic steroids & other performance enhancing drugs
No full textAnabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), also known as androgens, encompass testosterone and its synthetic derivatives which require a legal prescription for medical purposes 1'2. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is indicated for organic hypogonadism resulting from pathological disorders affecting the hypothalamo-pituitary testicular axis 3'4 and medical treatment for transgender men 5'6. TRT is justified when irreversible defects in the reproductive system impede androgen-sensitive tissue functions 2'4. The diagnostic process involves clinical assessments, hormonal assays, and a reproductive hormone profile to determine the need for lifelong testosterone replacement 3.
However, androgens are often used for off-label indications, with or without a prescription for a variety of reasons including wellness, aesthetics, and management of libido and depression 7ˉ9. See Table 1 for some of the compounds commonly used in circulation.Full Tex
Influencers and ‘brain building’ smart drugs: A content analysis of services and market activities of nootropic influencers over social media
No full textBackground
Nootropics are a range of substances used to improve memory, learning, cognition, and brain function. Based on their potential as enhancement drugs, nootropics have gained popularity in society and are extensively propagated via social media. However, there is currently no research focusing on the role that social media influencers play within the nootropic market.
Aim
This investigation sought to identify social media influencers who discuss nootropics, explore the services they offer and further investigate how this cohort influences their followers.
Method
Ethnographic observations were conducted of YouTube and Instagram over a period of six months and subjected to an iterative inductive approach. Drawing on the theory of social power, which is the ability of an individual or group to influence another person's psychological or behavioral aspects, we examine how influencers shape follower perceptions related to nootropics.
Results
Nootropic influencers discussed the use of various nootropics and provided a range of services, including discount codes to purchase nootropics, and sold protocols and user guides. To attract followers, gain content views, and generate income, nootropic influencers exert and rely upon informational, expert, reward, and referent power to gain traction online and influence their audience. This is primarily achieved through YouTube video discussions, where nootropic influencers share their insights and shape audience beliefs and behaviors.
Recommendations
Recognizing the health complications associated with nootropics, alongside the power held by nootropic influencers, we argue that harm reduction efforts ought to be developed to combat the increasing use of such substances.No Full Tex
Does ICT Investment Matter for Growth and Labor Productivity in Transition Economies?
Get PDFFollowing up on a previous paper by the same author on the contribution of ICT capital to growth and labor productivity in Poland 1995-2000, this paper extends the study to eight transition economies: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Slovakia and Slovenia. The paper shows that the contribution of investment in IT hardware, software and telecommunication equipment to output growth and labor productivity between 1995 and 2000 in most countries featured in the study was much higher than what might be expected on the basis of the level of their GDP per capita. This may suggest that the transition economies – through the use of ICT - are benefiting from the technological leapfrogging to increase the growth rates in output and labor productivity and hence accelerate the process of catching-up. The relatively large contribution of ICT capital to output growth and labor productivity is due to an extraordinary acceleration in real ICT investments, which were growing between 1995 and 2000 at an average rate of more than 20% a year for almost all countries in the study. Large investments in ICT seem to have been induced by (i) falling prices of ICT products and services, which encouraged companies to substitute ICT for non-ICT capital and (ii) an opportunity for higher-than-normal returns on ICT investments due to a large pent-up demand for ICT infrastructure, a legacy of decapitalization and technological gap existing before 1989.economic growth, post-communist countries, information technology, growth accounting
It is the way you treat yourself, but also the way you allow other people to start treating you as well: perceptions of overdose risk among women who inject drug
Get PDFPurpose
Women who inject drugs face risks of blood-borne virus transmission and violence in heterosexual partnerships. While recognising these harms is vital, focusing solely on victimhood reinforces stereotypes. Building on sociological work that aims to understand relational power not only in harm but also in care, this study aims to examine women’s perceptions of overdose, with attention to how social dynamics such as care and stigma shape perceptions of safety.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors drew on interview data from 19 women who inject drugs and have lived-living experience of overdose in Queensland, Australia. Using semi-structured interviews, the authors explored women’s experiences with drug use, overdose, stigma and interpersonal relationships. Data were analysed through an iterative categorisation approach, involving collaboration between the research team, partly comprised of peer-researchers.
Findings
While harmful, overdose prompts acts of care and solidarity as women navigate avoidance and response. Interpersonal relationships, including intimate partners and the community of women who inject drugs feature as carers and the cared-for, are crucial for safety from overdose. The primary disruptor of safety for women was stigma. Women reported internalising stigma about injecting drugs, leading to secrecy around their drug use and overdose, in turn compromising safety and help-seeking.
Originality/value
Beyond conventional understandings of intimate partners as a source of risk for women who inject drugs, this case study in overdose offers a broader re-conceptualisation of relations among people who inject drugs. While care is not always foregrounded, women’s navigation of safety through social networks underscores the relational enactment of protection and possibilities for harm reduction.Full Tex
Lead Astray? The Hidden Contaminants in Australian Anabolic–Androgenic Steroid Market and Their Potential Health Impact
No full textIntroduction
Unregulated anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS) markets are a global phenomenon with significant variability in product composition and purity. This study aimed to determine the chemical composition of AAS sold in Australia.
Methods
This study analysed anonymously donated AAS samples. Samples were chemically analysed by an independent forensic laboratory using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma analysis to identify active ingredients, contaminants and heavy metals, with results interpreted in the context of harm reduction.
Results
Analysis of 28 AAS samples (16 injectable, 10 oral, 2 raw powders) revealed that 15 samples were mislabelled or mis-sold. When considering the 21 samples with clearly defined expected labelled dosages, 4 of these were within a ±5% deviation of the expected purity. Twelve heavy metals were detected in injectable and oral products, with mean concentrations ranging from 0.07 to 62.54 μg/mL in injectables and 1.94–47,901 μg/g in orals. Seven metals were identified in raw powders (mean 23.0 μg/g, range 0.96–51.73 μg/g).
Discussion and Conclusions
The variability and contamination of AAS products pose significant health risks. Implementing a comprehensive surveillance and testing system is essential. This approach would track trends, identify contaminants and provide consumers with real-time, accurate information to support informed decision-making and harm reduction.Full Tex
Verification of the friction coefficients determining method for Froude pendulum self-excited vibrations
No full textAnalysis of corrugated cardboard influence on the protective properties of complex packaging system
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