Rowan College at Gloucester County

The United States continues to be impacted by decades of an opioid misuse epidemic, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic and by the growing prevalence of highly potent synthetic opioids (HPSO) such as fentanyl. In instances of a toxicity event, first-response administration of reversal medications such as naloxone can be insufficient to fully counteract the effects of HPSO, particularly when there is co-occurring substance use. In an effort to characterize and study this multi-faceted problem, the Camden Opioid Research Initiative (CORI) has been formed. The CORI study has collected and analyzed post-mortem toxicology data from 42 cases of decedents who expired from opioid-related toxicity in the South New Jersey region to characterize substance use profiles. Co-occurring substance use, whether by intent or through possible contamination of the illicit opioid supply, is pervasive among deaths due to opioid toxicity, and evidence of medication-assisted treatment is scarce. Nearly all (98%) of the toxicology cases show the presence of the HPSO, fentanyl, and very few (7%) results detected evidence of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, such as buprenorphine or methadone, at the time of death. The opioid toxicity reversal drug, naloxone, was detected in 19% of cases, but 100% of cases expressed one or more stimulants, and sedatives including xylazine were detected in 48% of cases. These results showing complex substance use profiles indicate that efforts at mitigating the opioid misuse epidemic must address the complications presented by co-occurring stimulant and other substance use, and reduce barriers to and stigmas of seeking effective medication-assisted treatments.

Many students find the transition from first-year general chemistry to second-year organic chemistry a daunting task. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is their lack of a solid understanding and appreciation of the importance of some basic concepts and principles from general chemistry that play an extremely critical role in organic chemistry. One such concept is the −log of the acid dissociation constant, pKa. This article reviews eleven key organic chemical outcomes that can be predicted from knowledge of pKa, highlighting its exceptional value as a physical quantity.

This article offers an analysis of feminist revision of myth, language and spirituality in two recent poetry collections by Margaret Atwood, Interlunar and Morning in the Burned House. An examination of theoretical and critical feminist concerns regarding women's writing and matters pertaining to mythology and revision of myth precedes a reading of a selection of poems from the two collections. The article argues that it is crucial for the understanding of Atwood's feminist vision that these concerns be taken into consideration by critics and readers.

Breheny M. J., Green J. and Roberts A. J. (1981) A practical approach to the assessment of hypermarket impact, Reg. Studies 15, 459–474. Given the number of hypermarket and superstore inquiries that have taken place in Britain, it is surprising that no consistent method for assessing the impact of new stores has emerged. This paper puts forward a practical yet rigorous method which may be of interest to local authorities and retailers. The use of the approach in preparing evidence for a hypermarket inquiry in Gloucestershire, England, in 1979 is explained. A review of previous work on impact assessment is followed by a detailed step-by-step description of the Gloucestershire work. Conclusions are drawn concerning both the method and the decisions made in hypermarket inquiries.