Mental illness linked to heavy cannabis use

Apr. 2, 2013 ? People with mental illnesses are more than seven times more likely to use cannabis weekly compared to people without a mental illness, according to researchers from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) who studied U.S. data.

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance globally, with an estimated 203 million people reporting use. Although research has found links between cannabis use and mental illness, exact numbers and prevalence of problem cannabis use had not been investigated.

"We know that people with mental illness consume more cannabis, perhaps partially as a way to self- medicate psychiatric symptoms, but this data showed us the degree of the correlation between cannabis use, misuse, and mental illness," said Dr. Shaul Lev-ran, Adjunct Scientist at CAMH and Head of Addiction Medicine at the Sheba Medical Center, Israel.

"Based on the number of individuals reporting weekly use, we see that people with mental illness use cannabis at high rates. This can be of concern because it could worsen the symptoms of their mental illness," said Lev-ran, who conducted the research as a post-doctoral fellow with the Social Aetiology of Mental Illness (SAMI) Training Program at CAMH.

Researchers also found that individuals with mental illness were 10 times more likely to have a cannabis use disorder.

In this new study, published in the journal Comprehensive Psychiatry, CAMH researchers analyzed data from face-to-face interviews with over 43,000 respondents over the age of 18 from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Using structured questionnaires, the researchers assessed cannabis use as well as various mental illnesses including depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol use disorders and personality disorders, based on criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).

Among those will mental illness reporting at least weekly cannabis use, rates of use were particularly elevated for those with bipolar disorder, personality disorders and other substance use disorders.

In total, 4.4 per cent of individuals with a mental illness in the past 12 months reported using cannabis weekly, compared to 0.6 per cent among individuals without any mental illness. Cannabis use disorders occurred among 4 per cent of those with mental illness versus 0.4 per cent among those without.

Researchers also noted that, although cannabis use is generally higher among younger people, the association between mental illness and cannabis use was pervasive across most age groups.

They emphasize the importance of screening for frequent and problem cannabis use among those with mental illness, so that targeted prevention and intervention may be employed.

This study was funded through the SAMI Training Program of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Shaul Lev-Ran, Bernard Le Foll, Kwame McKenzie, Tony P. George, J?rgen Rehm. Cannabis use and cannabis use disorders among individuals with mental illness. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2012.12.021

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/mind_brain/mental_health/~3/TeT7pmvWqsE/130402124817.htm

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Etisalat pioneers internet address revolution | Etisalat | AMEinfo.com

TLDs are the letters after the final dot of a domain name.

The approval could pave the way for Etisalat to use 'etisalat' in Arabic letters as its domain extension.

"As one of the most innovative companies in the Middle East, it makes sense for Etisalat to progress toward getting a Top-Level Domain before virtually anyone else," said Ahmed Bin Ali, Group Senior Vice-President, Corporate Communications, Etisalat Group.

"Being a pioneer of the telecoms industry has been essential to our success and we plan to continue to be a leader in building an online brand," he added.

In the past, Top-Level Domains have been restricted to generic strings, such as 'com' and 'net', and country codes, such as 'ae' for the UAE and 'uk' for the United Kingdom. Changes to the rules have enabled businesses, governments and communities to apply for new domain names, using letters from languages including Arabic, Korean and Chinese.

"These changes are a natural step in the internet's evolution and they will promote the diversity of language and culture and give billions of people a more convenient way to access the web in their native tongues," Mr Bin Ali said.

"Giving more Arabic speakers access to our web sites will help us build relations with communities in some of our operating countries," he added.

Since earlier this month, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the global regulator of web addresses, has released the initial evaluations of around 60 applicants. Etisalat passed its first application for the Top-Level Domain 'etisalat' in Arabic letters on Friday.

The UAE telecoms operator also applied for the TLD 'etisalat' in English. The initial evaluation of this application will be released later this year.

Etisalat can expect to see more companies and government organisations all over the world follow its lead to secure dedicated Top-Level Domains as they become the mark of entities that are serious about their futures.

The evaluation process includes a rigorous due diligence review of the applicant's technology, financial resources, management and directors, and its business plans for the Top-Level Domain.

"This new programme is the result of many years of policy development and implementation work aimed at increasing diversity, competition and innovation to the Domain Name System, and applicants such as Etisalat have spent countless hours to prepare," said Fadi Chehade, ICANN's President.

"The release of the first initial evaluations is an important moment in our programme and marks a milestone in the evolution of the Internet," he added.

Ben Crawford, CEO of global registry operator CentralNic, added, "We have worked with companies trying to obtain TLDs in four continents, and Etisalat stands out with the magnitude and quality of resources they dedicated to the task. Using their own TLD integrates with Etisalat's global strategy to use online technology for the benefit of its customers."

Around 2,000 organisations have applied for Top-Level Domains. ICANN has prioritised applications and announced the results of around 30 initial evaluations each week for the past two weeks. The company will continue to release another 30 results each Friday until June when it will expand this figure to 100.

Source: http://www.ameinfo.com/etisalat-pioneers-internet-address-revolution-335789

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Senate group resolves key issues on immigration reform: lawmakers (reuters)

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Finally Home, a Veteran Enjoys a Special Easter | WNEP.com

Posted on: 6:17 pm, March 31, 2013, by Suzanne Goldklang, updated on: 08:16pm, March 31, 2013

MAYFIELD? For 2-year-old Anabelle Brummett and her 6-year-old sister Makayla, 2013 may be the best Easter ever

Their aunt Jenn Woznick is home after being away for 8 years in the army, and supper is at her place.

Woznick says ?My family, they were so excited when they knew I was coming home for good. It?s really nice. I feel very loved.?

It was a big day of firsts.

The first Easter together as a family, and Jenn?s first time hosting the holiday. Typically, sister Lisa Brady is the family?s ?top chef.?

?She is doin good pickin out the food. We?ll see how everybody likes it,? Brady says with a wink and a laugh.

This season of new beginnings has been a long time coming. Jenn?s military career started when she went to basic training as a high school junior. She travelled the world with stops in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Woznick recalls, ?In Iraq we decorated our office. I was sad because I wasn?t home with my family.?

She wasn?t the only one who felt like something was missing

Little Makayla says,?I really missed her.?

By noon on Sunday the ham was baking in the oven, the marshmellows on the sweet potatoes were ready to melt, but most of all Jenn was finally having Easter at home with her family.

Source: http://wnep.com/2013/03/31/finally-home-a-veteran-enjoys-a-special-easter/

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Special Olympics Equestrian Events | Westchase Sports ...

Friday, April 5, 2013, 5:00 pm

11510 Whisper Lake Trl, Tampa, FL | Get?Directions??
FREE

Join the excitement and support the riders at the local Special Olympics Equestrian Events Friday, April 5 from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, April 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bakas Equestrian Center, 11510 Whisper Lake Trail, Tampa.

Participants will compete in Equitation, Trails, Showmanship, Dressage, Drill Team, Barrel Racing and Pole Bending. The top riders will advance to the State Special Olympics in May.

For additional information, contact Beth Harre-Orr, Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department at 813-264-3890.

28.080389

-82.609419

primary

/events/special-olympics-equestrian-events

/locations/9135888

Source: http://westchase.patch.com/events/special-olympics-equestrian-events

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Phil Ramone, Grammy-winning producer, dead at 72

NEW YORK (AP) ? Phil Ramone, the Grammy Award-winning engineer and producer whose platinum touch included recordings with Ray Charles, Billy Joel and Paul Simon, has died at 72.

Ramone's son, Matt Ramone, confirmed the death. The family did not immediately release details of the death, but Matt Ramone says his father was "very loving and will be missed."

Few in the recording industry enjoyed a more spectacular and diverse career. Ramone won 14 competitive Grammy Awards and one for lifetime achievement. He was at ease with rock, jazz, swing and pop, working with Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, Elton John and Tony Bennett.

He produced three records that went on to win Grammys for album of the year ? Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years," Joel's "52nd Street" and Charles' "Genius Loves Company."

"I always thought of Phil Ramone as the most talented guy in my band," Joel said in a statement. "So much of my music was shaped by him and brought to fruition by him. I have lost a dear friend ? and my greatest mentor."

Ramone was a pioneer of digital recording who produced what is regarded as the first major commercial release on compact disc, "52nd Street," which came out on CD in 1982. He was also part of political history, advising presidential administrations on how to properly record a news conference and helping to arrange the storied 1962 party for John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden that featured Marilyn Monroe crooning "Happy Birthday."

He thrived on producing music for television, film and the stage. He won an Emmy for a TV special about Duke Ellington, a Grammy for the soundtrack to the Broadway musical "Promises, Promises" and a Grammy for the soundtrack to "Flashdance."

Ramone made an art out of the "Duets" concept, pairing Sinatra with Bono, Luther Vandross and other younger artists, Bennett with McCartney and Barbra Streisand, and Charles with Bonnie Raitt and Van Morrison. In Ramone's memoir, "Making Records," he recalled persuading a hesitant Sinatra to re-record some of his signature songs.

"I reminded Frank that while Laurence Olivier had performed Shakespeare in his 20s, the readings he did when he was in his 60s gave them new meaning," Ramone wrote. "I spoke with conviction. 'Don't my children ? and your grandchildren ? deserve to hear the way you're interpreting your classic songs now?'"

A native of South Africa, he seemed born to make music. He had learned violin by age 3 and was trained at The Juilliard School in New York. Before age 20, he had opened his own recording studio, A&R Recording, where he served as engineer for such visiting artists as Count Basie and Sarah Vaughan. He had known Quincy Jones since he was a teenager and in his 20s became close to Streisand. By the end of the 1960s, he had worked on "Midnight Cowboy" and other movie soundtracks and would credit composer John Barry with helping him become a producer.

His credits as a producer, engineer and arranger make it hard to believe they belong to just one person: Joel's "The Stranger," Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years," the Bob Dylan/The Band concert album "Before the Flood," such popular singles as Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant," Streisand's "Evergreen," Judy Collins' "Send in the Clowns" and Stan Getz's and Astrud Gilberto's "The Girl from Ipanema."

The bearded, self-effacing Ramone was among the most famous and welcome faces within the business, yet he could walk down virtually any street unnoticed. He was not a high-strung visionary in the tradition of Phil Spector, but rather a highly accomplished craftsman and diplomat who prided himself on his low-key style, on being an "objective filter" for the artist, on not being "a screamer."

"The record producer is the music world's equivalent of a film director," he wrote in his memoir. "But, unlike a director (who is visible, and often a celebrity in his own right), the record producer toils in anonymity. We ply our craft deep into the night, behind locked doors."

In a statement Saturday, Bennett said it was a joy to work with Ramone.

"Phil Ramone was a lovely person and a very gifted musician and producer," Bennett said. "He had a wonderful sense of humor and a deep love of music."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/phil-ramone-grammy-winning-producer-dead-72-171128987.html

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Kenya Supreme Court upholds election result

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) ? Kenya's Supreme Court on Saturday upheld the election of Uhuru Kenyatta as the country's next president, ending an election season that riveted the nation amid fears of a repeat of the 2007-08 postelection violence.

Outside the Supreme Court, police fired tear gas at Odinga supporters, the second time that has happened in this post-election period.

Outbreaks of violence by angry Odinga supporters were reported in some Nairobi slums and truckloads of police were called in to quell the demonstrations, according to reports on a police radio heard by an Associated Press reporter.

But jubilant Kenyatta supporters flooded the streets of downtown Nairobi, honking horns, blowing the noisy plastic horns known as a vuvuzelas and chanting.

Saturday's verdict ? following a drawn-out court case that raised tensions across the nation ? means that Kenyatta will be sworn in as president on April 9. He will become the second sitting president in Africa to face charges at the International Criminal Court. Kenyatta and Deputy President-elect William Ruto both face charges that they helped orchestrate the 2007-08 postelection violence in which more than 1,000 people died. Both deny the charges. Ruto's trial is set to begin in late May; Kenyatta's is to start in July. Kenyatta has promised to report to The Hague.

Lawyers for challenger Raila Odinga, who finished second, had argued before the Supreme Court that the election was marred by irregularities and that Kenyatta did not win enough votes to avoid a runoff election.

According to official results, Kenyatta won 50.07 percent of the vote, narrowly avoiding a runoff election against Odinga, who said his case before the Supreme Court would put Kenya's democracy on trial.

But the Supreme Court's unanimous verdict, read out by Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, said the election was "conducted in compliance with the constitution and the law" and that Kenyatta and Ruto were legally elected.

"It is the decision of the court that (Kenyatta and Ruto) were validly elected," the ruling said. The reasons behind the judges' decision were not given Saturday. The chief justice said a detailed judgment would be delivered within two weeks.

Unlike after the 2007 election, which degenerated into tribe-on-tribe violence that killed more than 1000 people, this time Odinga said he had faith in the judiciary's ability to give him a fair hearing. Odinga, who said he would respect the court's decision whether it favored him or not, was set to address reporters in Nairobi later on Saturday. As Kenyatta's supporters celebrated outside the court premises, police fired tear gas to break up a crowd of Odinga supporters.

The court's ruling ends days of anxiety since March 9, when Kenyatta was declared the winner of the March 4 vote that many described as the most complex in Kenya's history. More than 12 million Kenyans participated in the election. Some observers had expected a low registration of voters because of apathy following the 2007-08 violence, but hyped up campaigns by Kenyatta, Odinga and other presidential candidates led to the highest registration in the country ever. Kenya's electoral commission registered 14.3 million people.

Election day, though, did not go as planned. An electronic voter ID system intended to prevent fraud failed for reasons yet to be explained by the electoral commission. Vote officials instead used manual voter rolls.

After the polls closed, results were to be sent electronically to Nairobi, where officials would quickly tabulate a preliminary vote count in order to maximize transparency after rigging accusations following the 2007 vote. But that system failed, too. Election officials have indicated that computer servers overloaded but have yet to fully explain the problem.

As the early count system was still being used, election results showed more than 330,000 rejected ballots, an unusually high number. But after the count resumed with the arrival in Nairobi of manual tallies, the number of rejected ballots was greatly reduced, and the election commission said the computer was mistakenly multiplying the number of rejected ballots by a factor of eight.

Odinga's lawyers told the Supreme Court this week that the switch from electronic voter identification to manual voter roll was stage managed to allow inflation of Kenyatta's votes to take him past the 50 percent threshold. That accusation was vehemently denied by the electoral commission and Kenyatta's legal team.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-30-Kenya-Election/id-330cb187161f4b54acc3e8be566ec0a6

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