Tag: study

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UBC study indicates more Canadians are driving high following cannabis legalization

A study from the University of British Columbia (UBC) published in the New England Journal of Medicine (via Complex) indicates that more Canadians are driving after using cannabis than before it was legalized.

Researchers analyzed blood samples from 4,339 moderately injured drivers treated at four B.C. trauma centres between 2013 and 2020. They detected THC in the blood of twice as many injured drivers following legalization. Specifically, 3.8 percent of drivers had blood THC concentrations above the Canadian legal driving limit of 2 nanograms/ml before legalization. After, that percentage rose to 8.6.

Moreover, the proportion of drivers with higher concentrations of THC (above five nanograms/ml) rose from 1.1 percent to 3.5 percent after legalization.

“It’s concerning that we’re seeing such a dramatic increase,” said Dr. Jeffrey Brubacher, associate professor in UBC’s department of emergency medicine and the primary researcher of the study. “There are serious risks associated with driving after cannabis use. Our findings suggest more is needed to deter this dangerous behaviour in light of legalization.”

Interestingly, the study found that the most significant increase was among drivers over the age of 50. Further, the study didn’t find any substantial changes in drivers testing positive for alcohol, either independently or in combination with THC.

Dr. Brubacher said that he hopes policymakers will use the findings to create public information campaigns and enforcement measures to encourage drivers, especially older ones, not to use cannabis and drive.

According to UBC, blood THC levels typically peak at upwards of 100 nanograms/ml within 15 minutes of smoking cannabis. However, those levels can drop to less than two nanograms/ml within four hours after smoking. When ingesting edible forms of THC, levels can drop similarly after eight hours.

With that in mind, Dr. Brubacher cautioned that THC in the blood doesn’t always indicate a collision was caused by impairment. In a previous study, Dr. Brubacher and his team found little evidence showing THC concentrations below five nanograms/ml increase the risk of motor vehicle accidents, while levels above that do increase the risk.

“Detecting cannabis, especially at low concentrations, doesn’t necessarily mean a driver is impaired. But the risk is real with higher THC levels, which is why it’s so important that we continue to assess and respond to the impact that legalization is having on road safety,” Dr. Brubacher said.

Next, Dr. Brubacher’s team will expand research to fifteen trauma centres across Canada to investigate the prevalence of cannabis, alcohol and other impairing substances in injured drivers. The team hopes to shed more light on the issues of impaired driving and help guide national and provincial traffic policy.

Those interested can read the full study here.

Source: New England Journal of Medicine Via: UBC, Complex

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Canadian telecoms need to do more to teach Canadians about 5G: study

A new ConsumerLab report from Ericsson, one of the main providers of 5G network equipment in North America, says Canadian telecom companies need to do more to educate Canadians about 5G.

To start, ConsumerLab gathered data in what it class “the biggest-ever 5G consumer study.” The study represents the opinions of 1.3 billion smartphone users, which includes 22 million smartphone users in Canada and 220 million 5G users globally.

ConsumerLab also set the stage for 5G in Canada, noting that the country is still “early in 5G adoption” with “currently more than 500,000 5G devices already in the hands of Canadians.”

“By the end of 2023, 5G could penetrate the majority of existing coverage, providing an amazing opportunity for Canadians,” says ConsumerLab.

However, ConsumerLab also found that Canadians are confused about 5G, writing that 20 percent of Canadians with a 5G-ready phone still use a 4G subscription. Additionally, 15 percent of people using a 4G smartphone claim they’re connected to a 5G network.

ConsumerLab lays the blame on telecom companies for not doing enough to differentiate 4G and 5G subscriptions. While this sort of makes sense, Bell, Rogers and Telus also say on their respective websites that plans include 5G access. I’d argue the bigger culprit is that 5G effectively doesn’t exist in a meaningful way in Canada, and won’t until carriers start rolling out access to newly acquired 3,500MHz spectrum.

A small personal anecdote here is that my limited testing of Bell’s 5G network in Whitby, Ontario revealed it to be a 4G LTE connection despite using a 5G phone and having the ‘5G’ symbol in the status bar (running the same test again today on my Pixel 6 shows I’m still actually connected to Bell’s 4G network).

ConsumerLab goes on to say that half of 4G users think 5G is “either rarely available or available less than 30 percent of the time.” Increasing the availability of 5G would go a long way to changing that perception.

Finally, ConsumerLab says that a quarter of smartphone users in Canada expect their provider to switch to 5G, or will wait at most six months before moving to a provider that does. ConsumerLab also said half of Canadian smartphone users would be willing to pay at least $10 more per month for 5G services.

I’m not so sure about that last part, however. Canadians already pay incredibly high rates for internet and wireless service, and most people would like to see their bills come down, not increase. Maybe that will change once actual 5G becomes more readily available, but until then, I’d save that extra $10.

Those interested can check out the full ConsumerLab report here.

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Microsoft promises to study impact of right-to-repair, act on findings

Microsoft has agreed to study the impact of making device repair easier and act on those findings by the end of 2022.

As reported by Grist (via The Verge), Microsoft’s small but important step forward in the ongoing battle for the right-to-repair started in June when an investor advocacy nonprofit called As You Sow filed a shareholder resolution urging the company to analyze the “environmental and social benefits” of improving device repairability.

Following months of negotiations, Microsoft agreed to comply as well as act on the findings. The study will look at how increasing access to parts and information needed for repair can reduce the company’s contributions to climate change and electronic waste (often called e-waste).

Grist notes that this is the first time a U.S. manufacturer agreed to change repair policies following investor pressure, but it may not be the last time. Green Century, a mutual fund focused on environmentally responsible investing, filed two similar right-to-repair resolutions with other U.S. companies, Apple and Deere & Co., the company behind the John Deere tractor.

Microsoft confirmed to The Verge that it will use the findings from the study to “guide [its] product design and plans for expanding device repair options.” Unfortunately, the public may never see the full details. Microsoft will need to publish a summary of the study by May 2022, but not the full study (the company cited concerns of trade secrets for this).

It’s also worth noting that Microsoft has lobbied against right-to-repair laws in several states, including Colorado and Washington.

All in all, this is an important step forward, but it is just a step. That Microsoft has publicly committed to investigating the impact of right-to-repair is important, but if the company doesn’t change how it makes products, then the commitment won’t mean much.

Source: Grist Via: The Verge

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Study finds similarities between ovary, breast cancers

(WASHINGTON-AFP) – A new study found marked molecular similarities between breast and ovarian cancer which scientists said could help lead to new treatments for hard-to-treat forms of breast cancer.

The study, which was published online Sunday in the British journal Nature, uncovered pronounced genomic similarities between the basal-like subtype breast cancer and serous ovarian cancer, and as well as similarities in the types and frequency of genetic mutations.

The research found that the two ailments share genomic features that could aid in finding future treatments breast cancer — the leading cause of cancer deaths among women.

"The molecular similarity of one of the principal subtypes of breast cancer to that found in ovarian cancer gives us additional leverage to compare treatments and outcomes across these two cancers," said Harold Varmus, director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) which provided some of the funding for the study.

"This treasure trove of genetic information will need to be examined in great detail to identify how we can use it functionally and clinically," Varmus said.

The research used data generated as part of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), a comprehensive study that catalogued the cancer information from 825 breast cancer patients.

Researchers said findings that the two cancers are of similar molecular origin could help narrow down potential future therapies for related subtypes of breast and ovarian cancers.

"TCGA’s comprehensive characterization… allows researchers an unprecedented look at these breast cancer subgroups," said Francis Collins, director of the US National Institutes of Health, which also supported the study.

Another scientific agency which played a part in study was similarly upbeat about the findings.

"The data generated by the TCGA program comprise a vast resource that investigators will be analyzing for years to come," Eric Green, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).

The resource of information about breast cancer genomes will undoubtedly fuel myriad discoveries by the cancer research community," said Green.

The World Health Organization said there are some 1.3 million new cases of breast cancer each year, as well as about 450,000 deaths annually from the disease, which is the most common cancer among women.

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Ginkgo biloba has ‘zero impact’ on memory, study says

(Relaxnews) – Researchers from the University of Hertfordshire in the UK say they found "zero impact" on cognitive function, regardness of the age of the people, the dose taken, or the length of time taking the supplements.

"Gingko biloba has been widely used for a number of years to reduce the mental decline associated with aging," says lead researcher and professor of psychology Keith Laws. "But more recently it has been marketed as a memory enhancing supplement for healthy individuals — and it is crucial to establish the validity for such claims." In Europe and the US, ginkgo supplements are among the top-selling herbal medicines.

"Our findings show that taking Gingko biloba supplements at any age to boost memory have no impact at all — and may be a waste of time and money."

The paper, published September 24 in the journal Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, involved a meta-analysis of 13 randomized control trials of more than 1,000 healthy individuals across all ages.

In a separate study published earlier this month in The Lancet Neurology, scientists from the University of Toulouse in France tested the effect of ginkgo biloba on more than 2,800 elderly volunteers who took the supplement for over five years and found the herb was unable to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.