The effects of oral methadone on respiration, ventilation, pupillary diameter, and plasma concentrations of estrone, estradiol, and progesterone were investigated in healthy nonpregnant women, 21 to 29 yr old. All women were in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. The study design was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Six women received 15 mg methadone . HCl, and six received placebo. Alveolar ventilation and oxygen consumption before treatments correlated with plasma progesterone concentration (r2 = 0.85 and 0.68) but the slope and x-intercept of the ventilatory response to carbon dioxide curve did not. Female sex steroids in plasma were not affected by methadone. Mean elimination half-life of methadone from serum was 19 hr. Methadone-induced respiratory depression and miosis lasted more than 48 hr. The intensity of these changes was a linear function of the logarithm of the serum methadone concentration. Plasma progesterone concentration is an important determinant of resting ventilation and metabolism in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle but endogenous progesterone does not protect women from the respiratory depressant effects of methadone.

Lesson plans were developed to present concepts of medical physics and radiation therapy to a middle school audience. These workshop learning units relied on hands‐on participation and collaboration within student groups to acquaint students with computed tomography simulation and treatment planning processes. These lesson plans were delivered at two different educational outreach programs targeted at student groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The lesson plans are scheduled to be delivered at a third program in the future. The activities were used to introduce occupations in medical physics and radiation therapy as possible career opportunities for students, and to generate enthusiasm for continuing STEM education. Lesson plans are available upon request for educators interested in exploring medical physics educational outreach activities in their communities.

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