Nabiximols as an agonist replacement therapy during cannabis withdrawal: a randomized clinical trial.

Importance: There are no medications approved for treating cannabis dependence or withdrawal. The cannabis extract nabiximols (Sativex), developed as a multiple sclerosis treatment, offers a potential agonist medication for cannabis withdrawal.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of nabiximols in treating cannabis withdrawal.

Stooped postures are modified by pretask walking in a simulated weed-pulling task.

Seasonal agricultural workers are hired in some sectors for intermittent manual weed removal, a stoop and grasp harvesting task likely similar to those associated with the high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in agriculture. Evaluation of this task in an experimental situation would be useful for identifying and controlling musculoskeletal injury risks, presuming a valid experimental model of the task can be created. The purpose of the present study was to examine how a relevant work-related task, namely prolonged walking, altered the biomechanics of manual weed removal in a laboratory setting.

Fourth time cardiac retransplantation.

Beginning at age 11 years, our patient has had four heart transplants. Now, 26 years later at age 37, he is fully active. This case is presented to document a unique experience and to consider the difficult decision-making process and ethical issues of multiple cardiac retransplantation.

Identification of low-molecular-weight compounds inhibiting growth of corynebacteria: potential lead compounds for antibiotics.

The bacterial genus Corynebacteria contains several pathogenic species that cause diseases such as diphtheria in humans and "cheesy gland" in goats and sheep. Thus, identifying new therapeutic targets to treat Corynebacteria infections is both medically and economically important. CG2496, a functionally uncharacterized protein from Corynebacterium glutamicum, was evaluated using an NMR ligand-affinity screen.

Slower eating speed lowers energy intake in normal-weight but not overweight/obese subjects.

Background: The effect of eating speed on energy intake by weight status is unclear.

Objective: To examine whether the effect of eating speed on energy intake is the same in normal-weight and overweight/obese subjects.

Design: The effect of slow and fast eating speed on meal energy intake was assessed in a randomized crossover design.

Depression, subthreshold depression and comorbid anxiety symptoms in older Europeans: results from the EURODEP concerted action.

Background: In the epidemiology of late life depression, few insights are available on the co-occurrence of subthreshold depression and comorbid symptoms of anxiety. The current study aims to describe prevalence patterns of comorbid anxiety symptoms across different levels of depression in old age, and to describe the burden of depressive symptoms and functional disability across patterns of comorbidity.

Methods: Respondents were older adults in the community, age 65-104 (N=14,200), from seven European countries, with in total nine study centres, collaborating in the EURODEP concerted action.

Metastasis suppressor microRNA-335 targets the formin family of actin nucleators.

MiRNAs can have pleiotropic effects by targeting multiple genes belonging to diverse signalling networks. Alternatively, miRNAs can enhance the potency of their cellular effects by targeting multiple genes within the same genetic pathway. Previously, we and others have demonstrated that miR-335 is a potent suppressor of tumour cell migration, invasion and metastasis, in part by targeting several genes involved in these cellular processes, including ROCK1, MAPK1, LRG1, SP1 and SOX4.

Smoking mull: a grounded theory model on the dynamics of combined tobacco and cannabis use among adult men.

Issue Addressed: Australians' use of cannabis has been increasing. Over a third of Australians (35.4%) have used cannabis at some time in their lives and 10.

Stability of amorphous silica-alumina in hot liquid water.

Herein, the hydrothermal stability of amorphous silica-alumina (ASA) is investigated under conditions relevant for the catalytic conversion of biomass, namely in liquid water at 200 °C. The hydrothermal stability of ASA is much higher than that of pure silica or alumina. Interestingly, the synthetic procedure used plays a major role in its resultant stability: ASA prepared by cogelation (CG) lost its microporous structure, owing to hydrolysis of the siloxane bonds, but the resulting mesoporous material still had a considerable surface area.

Applying technology to the treatment of cannabis use disorder: comparing telephone versus Internet delivery using data from two completed trials.

Technology-based interventions such as those delivered by telephone or online may assist in removing significant barriers to treatment seeking for cannabis use disorder. Little research, however, has addressed differing technology-based treatments regarding their comparative effectiveness, and how user profiles may affect compliance and treatment satisfaction. This study addressed this issue by examining these factors in online (N=225) versus telephone (N=160) delivered interventions for cannabis use, using data obtained from two previously published randomized controlled trials conducted by the current authors.

Work activities and musculoskeletal discomforts amongst active older Albertans on alternative employment trajectories.

Background: Bridge employment (scheduled paid work after retirement age) may promote successful aging and continued health, as work can be an important component of daily physical activity. Appropriate work demands for older adults are neither well-established nor well-applied, however, and excessive loading or increased perceptions of discomfort may negate the health benefits of work activity.

Objective: This study examined work status and musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD) amongst older Albertans.

Team-based learning in US colleges and schools of pharmacy.

Objective: To characterize the use of team-based learning (TBL) in US colleges and schools of pharmacy, including factors that may affect implementation and perceptions of faculty members regarding the impact of TBL on educational outcomes.

Methods: Respondents identified factors that inhibit or enable TBL use and its impact on student learning. Results were stratified by type of institution (public/private), class size, and TBL experience.

Formin-mediated actin polymerization promotes Salmonella invasion.

Salmonella invade host cells using Type 3 secreted effectors, which modulate host cellular targets to promote actin rearrangements at the cell surface that drive bacterial uptake. The Arp2/3 complex contributes to Salmonella invasion but is not essential, indicating other actin regulatory factors are involved. Here, we show a novel role for FHOD1, a formin family member, in Salmonella invasion.

An exploratory study of cannabis withdrawal among Indigenous Australian prison inmates: study protocol.

Introduction: Cannabis use and dependence is a serious health and criminal justice issue among incarcerated populations internationally. Upon abrupt, enforced cessation of cannabis, prisoners may suffer irritability and anger that can lead to threatening behaviour, intimidation, violence, sleep disturbances and self-harm. Cannabis withdrawal syndrome, proposed for inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 2013, has not been examined in Indigenous populations.

Changes in cannabis use among young people: impact on mental health.

Purpose Of Review: The aim of this review was to examine current trends in cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) among youth, and to investigate recent findings concerning the relationship between cannabis use and mental health concerns, with a focus on how use during adolescence may interact with related mental health disorders.

Recent Findings: Current data indicate that cannabis use among adolescents has shown both marginal increases and decreases, depending on global location; however, the profile of cannabinoids in cannabis may now be biased toward those that promote psychotogenic and memory-impairing effects. CUD has been found most prevalent among youth.

Results with an anticoagulation protocol in 99 SynCardia total artificial heart recipients.

For 15 years, we employed a consistent anticoagulation protocol in 99 consecutive SynCardia Systems total artificial heart (TAH) recipients. Thromboelastography and platelet aggregation studies were used for evaluating and modulating therapy with dipyridamole, pentoxiphylline, aspirin, and heparin. Partial thromboplastin times, international normalized ratios, and platelet counts were also followed.

Synergy to reduce emergency department visits for uncontrolled hyperglycemia.

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of a treatment algorithm and education intervention for the management of patients with type 2 diabetes and hyperglycemia presenting to the emergency department (ED) and stable enough to be discharged home.

Methods: Urban hospital ED patients (n = 86) with BG ≥ 200 mg/dL were enrolled in a 4-week prospective, nonrandomized pilot intervention with historic self-controls. Follow-up visits occurred at 12 to 72 hours, 2 and 4 weeks, and 6 months.

Teaching population health: a competency map approach to education.

A 2012 Institute of Medicine report is the latest in the growing number of calls to incorporate a population health approach in health professionals' training. Over the last decade, Duke University, particularly its Department of Community and Family Medicine, has been heavily involved with community partners in Durham, North Carolina, to improve the local community's health. On the basis of these initiatives, a group of interprofessional faculty began tackling the need to fill the curriculum gap to train future health professionals in public health practice, community engagement, critical thinking, and team skills to improve population health effectively in Durham and elsewhere.

MRI volume of the medial frontal cortex predicts financial capacity in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease.

Persons with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) have significant deficits in financial abilities. This study examined the relationship between brain structure volumes, cognition, and financial capacity in patients with mild AD. Sixteen mild AD patients and 16 older adult comparisons completed the Financial Capacity Instrument (FCI), a psychometric measure of financial abilities, and also underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to obtain volumes of the bilateral hippocampi, angular gyri, precunei, and medial and dorsolateral frontal cortices.

Health outcomes associated with long-term regular cannabis and tobacco smoking.

This study aimed to identify patterns of health concerns associated with long-term use of cannabis and tobacco individually, as well as in combination. We recruited 350 adults aged 40 or over who smoked cannabis but not tobacco (cannabis-only group, n=59), smoked both cannabis and tobacco (cannabis/tobacco group, n=88), smoked tobacco but not cannabis (tobacco-only group, n=80), or used neither substance (control group, n=123). Participants completed a survey addressing substance use, diagnosed medical conditions, health concerns relating to smoking cannabis/tobacco, and general health (measured using the Physical Health Questionnaire and the Short Form 36).

Effectiveness of a self-guided web-based cannabis treatment program: randomized controlled trial.

Background: Self-help strategies offer a promising way to address problems with access to and stigma associated with face-to-face drug and alcohol treatment, and the Internet provides an excellent delivery mode for such strategies. To date, no study has tested the effectiveness of a fully self-guided web-based treatment for cannabis use and related problems.

Objectives: The current study was a two-armed randomized controlled trial aimed at testing the effectiveness of Reduce Your Use, a fully self-guided web-based treatment program for cannabis use disorder consisting of 6 modules based on cognitive, motivational, and behavioral principles.