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Recreational Purposes (recreational + purpose)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	33%
Earth and Environmental Science	33%

Selected Abstracts

Pharmacological and clinical evidences on the potential for abuse and dependence of propofol: a review of the literature

FUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 5 2007
Anne Roussin
Abstract Propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) is an intravenous short-acting anaesthetic widely used for inducing and maintaining anaesthesia. Propofol is also being increasingly used for sedation. Beside medical use, propofol is abused for recreational purpose, mostly in medical professionals who are not informed of the risk of dependence to this compound. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of molecular, animal and clinical pharmacological data of the literature evidencing the potential for abuse and dependence of propofol. [source]

Hepatotoxic cyanobacterial blooms in the lakes of northern Poland

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 5 2005
Joanna Mankiewicz
Abstract The lakes of northern Poland are among the recreational sites most valued by Polish and German holiday makers. Given the socioeconomic importance of these lakes, water quality should be maintained at high levels for such intensive recreational purposes. In 2002 studies of species composition, biomass, and toxin production by phytoplankton and the attendant physicochemical variables were performed in order to assess the risk of cyanobacterial blooms in selected northern lakes: Lakes Jeziorak, Jagodne, Szymoneckie, Szymon, Taltowisko, Siecino, and Trzesiecko. The research showed that total phosphorus (0.1 mg P/L) and total nitrogen (1.5 mg N/L) in the studied lakes almost exceeded the permissible limits for eutrophication of water bodies. Most phytoplankton samples were taken in late summer, when cyanobacteria were expected to reach their highest biomass. At the time of sampling most of the lakes were dominated by oscillatorialean and nostocalean species. Average chlorophyll-a concentration was higher than 10 ,g/L in almost all the lakes studied, which corresponded with an average microcystin concentration in the range of 4,5 ,g/L. The main microcystins in the analyzed samples were dmMC-RR, MC-RR, MC-YR, and MC-LR. The results demonstrated a potential for intensive cyanobacterial blooms to appear during the summer in northern Polish lakes. The levels of cyanobacteria found in the lakes investigated indicated that toxicity had reached the first-alert level according to World Health Organization recommendations. If microcystin-producing cyanobacteria dominate, with a microcystin concentration of 2,4 ,g/L, symptoms of toxicity can appear in the swimmers most sensitive to exposure. Analysis of cyanobacterial assemblages in northern Polish lakes also indicated a significant presence of Aphanizomenon species including a Scandinavian species, A. skujae (Skuja) Kom.-Legn. & Cronb. Future investigations of Polish lakes also should assess neurotoxins and study the biology of their producers. This study was the first attempt to evaluate the potential danger of toxic cyanobacterial blooms in the lakes of northern Poland. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 20: 499,506, 2005. [source]

Changes in the prevalence of alcohol use in rap song lyrics, 1979,97

ADDICTION, Issue 9 2005
Denise Herd
ABSTRACT Aims This paper explores the role of changing images of drinking and alcoholic beverage use in rap music from its beginnings in the United States in the late 1970s to the late 1990s. Design A sample of 341 rap music song lyrics released from 1979 to 1997 were selected using Billboard and Gavin rating charts. Song lyrics were coded for music genres, alcohol beverage types and brand names, drinking behaviors, drinking contexts, intoxication, attitudes towards alcohol and consequences of drinking. Findings From 1979 to 1997, songs with references to alcohol increased fivefold (from 8 to 44%); those exhibiting positive attitudes rose from 43% to 73%; and brand name mentions increased from 46% to 71%. There were also significant increases in songs mentioning champagne and liquor (mainly expensive brand names) when comparing songs released after 1994 with those from previous years. In addition, there were significant increases in references to alcohol to signify glamour and wealth, and using alcohol with drugs and for recreational purposes. The findings also showed that alcohol use in rap music was much more likely to result in positive than negative consequences. Conclusions Many of these findings are consistent with the idea that rap music has been profoundly affected by commercial forces and the marketing of alcoholic beverages. In addition, it is possible that the increase in references to alcoholic beverages in rap music, particularly spirits, is a reflection of a broader advertising culture which increasingly associates African Americans with alcohol use. [source]

Planning for stingray tourism at Hamelin Bay, Western Australia: the importance of stakeholder perspectives

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH, Issue 5 2003
Anna Lewis
Abstract Stingray tourism continues to be developed at various locations around the world with the concept being marketed on television travel programmes, documentaries, internet sites and travel brochures. Food provisioned stingray tourism, for example, now attracts some 100,000 visitors a year to ,tingray city' in the Caymen Islands. At Hamelin Bay in southwest Western Australia, up to 16 large stingrays (Dasyatis brevicaudata and Dasyatis thetidis) and numerous eaglerays (Myliobatis australis) are fed by visitors from the waters edge. This study reports on stakeholder perspectives relating to tourism development and potential management of the Hamelin Bay site. From the results of this study it is clear that there is sufficient interest in stingray tourism (by all the stakeholders surveyed) to develop Hamelin Bay as a permanent feeding site. Visitors on average gave their experience with the rays a satisfaction value of 8.9 out of 10. Twenty-five per cent of visitors surveyed did not want commercialisation, tour groups or excessive visitor numbers. Their main concern was that the health and safety of the rays may deteriorate with an increase of visitors if the situation is not managed correctly. Visitors desire to be educated about the rays, and how to best interact with them safely. Visitors also acknowledged that the site needs management through more signs, information and a management plan. Management for the site is therefore likely to be best implemented through the application of signage, development of guidelines/codes of conduct, protection of the rays and zoning the beach according to specific recreational purposes. Management regimes should also use various indicators to monitor the impacts of stingray tourism at Hamelin Bay. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Development of inland lakes as hubs in an invasion network

JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2005
JIM R. MUIRHEAD
Summary 1The ability to predict spatially explicit dispersal by non-indigenous species is a difficult but increasingly important undertaking as it allows management efforts to be focused around areas identified as susceptible to invasion. Lakes may serve as useful models for these studies because the habitats are well defined, and vectors of spread may be readily identified and quantified. In this study, we examined patterns of spread of the non-indigenous spiny waterflea Bythotrephes longimanus to inland lakes in Ontario, Canada, to identify lakes for which management efforts to reduce traffic would be most effective. 2We surveyed people using lakes for recreational purposes to quantify movements of trailered boats and other risky activities, to model relative vector traffic from invaded lakes to non-invaded and other invaded lakes. Non-linear functions were developed to describe the cumulative number of invaded and non-invaded destination lakes visited by people leaving five important lakes already invaded by the spiny waterflea (Huron, Simcoe, Muskoka, Panache and Kashagawigamog). The relative difference in these functions was used to identify which lakes will develop into future invasion hubs and will therefore be most important to future dispersal of the species. 3In the recent past, Lake Muskoka has been an important hub from which the spiny waterflea has invaded other lakes. It is unlikely to continue to be a source for waterflea invasion as most outbound traffic is to previously invaded lakes. Conversely, most outbound traffic from Lakes Kashagawigamog and Simcoe is to non-invaded lakes and, therefore, these lakes are likely to develop into hubs in the future. 4Synthesis and applications. These data on zooplankton in lake systems and associated mechanisms of transport indicate patterns not only of intrinsic value to lake management, but also of potential importance in understanding invasions more generally. Frequency distributions of the number of outbound connections to both invaded and non-invaded destinations from invaded sources follow a power function, consistent with scale-free networks. These networks indicate that small proportions of sources function as hubs. Management efforts targeted to remove developing hubs from the invasion network, rather than equal effort applied to outbound vector traffic from all sources, may reduce the predicted rate of new invasions. [source]

Superfund cleanup: Designing containment remedies for recreational reuse

REMEDIATION, Issue 2 2000
Joseph D. King
In July, 1999, EPA announced its Superfund Redevelopment Initiative, the Agency's effort to help communities bring Superfund sites back into productive use in a manner that is protective of human health and the environment. As part of the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative, the Agency is developing reuse design guides that provide technical information related to the design of remedies that safely support reuse. The design guides focus on the reuse of containment sites, and address such topics as settlement, gas control, irrigation, drainage, and operation and maintenance. Case studies of redeveloped sites are also presented in the guides. EPA is currently developing design guides that address the reuse of Superfund sites for commercial purposes, wildlife areas, parking lots, recreational sports fields, and golf courses. This article provides information on the first guide in the series-the reuse of Superfund sites for recreational purposes. [source]