Point-of-Sale Marketing in Recreational Marijuana Dispensaries Around California Schools.

PurposeAfter marijuana commercialization, the presence of recreational marijuana dispensaries (RMDs) was rapidly increasing. The point-of-sale marketing poses concerns about children's exposure. This study examined advertising and promotions that potentially appeal to children and access restrictions in RMDs around California schools.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional and observational study conducted from June to September 2018. Trained fieldworkers audited retail environments in 163 RMDs in closest proximity to 333 randomly sampled public schools in California.ResultsAbout 44% of schools had RMDs located within 3 miles. Regarding interior marketing, 74% of RMDs had at least one instance of child-appealing products, packages, paraphernalia, or advertisements. RMDs closer to a school had a higher proportion with interior child-appealing marketing. More than three fourths of RMDs had generic promotional activities; particularly, 28% violated the free-sample ban. Regarding exterior marketing, only 2% of RMDs had those appealing to children. More than 60% of RMDs had exterior signs indicative of marijuana. Approximately, one-third had generic advertisements, and 13% had advertisements bigger than 1,600 square inches. Regarding access restrictions, almost all RMDs complied with age verification, but 84% had no age limit signs, and only 40% had security personnel.ConclusionsDespite minimal point-of-sale marketing practices appealing to children on the exterior of RMDs around California schools, such practices were abundant on the interior. Marketing practices not specifically appealing to children were also common on both the interior and exterior of RMDs. Dispensaries' violation of age verification law, lack of security personnel, and presence of child-appealing marketing should be continuously monitored and prevented

Optical loss compensation in a bulk left-handed metamaterial by the gain in quantum dots

A bulk left-handed metamaterial with fishnet structure is investigated to show the optical loss compensation via surface plasmon amplification, with the assistance of a Gaussian gain in PbS quantum dots. The optical resonance enhancement around 200 THz is confirmed by the retrieval method. By exploring the dependence of propagation loss on the gain coefficient and metamaterial thickness, we verify numerically that the left-handed response can endure a large propagation thickness with ultralow and stable loss under a certain gain coefficient.Comment: 6 pages with 4 figure

Historical Review about Research on “Bonghan System” in China

The meridian-collateral theory is the theoretical basis of acupuncture-moxibustion therapy. Professor Bonghan Kim, a professor of the Pyongyang Medical University of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, claimed that he found the anatomical structure of meridian-collaterals, named Bonghan corpuscles (BHCs) and Bonghan ducts (BHDs) system or primo vascular system (PVS), in 1962. From 1963 to 1965, researchers from our institute conducted a series of comparative anatomical experiments, trying to reproduce the so-called BHC- and BHD-like structures in different strains of animals. In the present paper, the authors introduced their research findings about BHC- and BHD-like structures in the young rabbit’s umbilicus including its external appearance, ectoplasm and endoplasm, and about strip-like and node-like objects in the blood vessels and lymph vessels near the larger abdominal and cervical blood vessels and chromaffin tissue in the back wall of the rabbit’s abdominal cavity and between the bilateral kidneys. In spite of existence of the BHC- and BHD-like structures in the rabbit, there has been no proved evidence for their association with the meridian-collateral system described in acupuncture medicine. In the present historical review, the authors also make a discussion about the significance of those findings

A case of advanced mycosis fungoides with comprehensive skin and visceral organs metastasis: sensitive to chemical and biological therapy

AbstractMycosis fungoides is a common cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, which is usually characterized by chronic, indolence progression, with absence of typical symptoms in early stage, metastasis to lymph nodes, bone marrow and visceral organs in later stage and ultimately progression to systemic lymphoma. It can result in secondary skin infection which is a frequent cause of death. At present, no curative therapy existed. Therapeutic purpose is to induce remission, reduce tumor burden and protect immune function of patients. A case of patient with advanced severe mycosis fungoides receiving CHOP plus interferon α-2a was reported here, with disease-free survival of 7 months and overall survival of over 17.0 months, and current status as well as developments of mycosis fungoides were briefly introduced

硫酸氢氯吡格雷联合西洛他唑治疗糖尿病四肢并发症的临床疗效观察

Objective: To observe efficacy and safety of domestic clopidogrel cilostazol in treatment of diabetic limbs complications. Methods: 120 cases of diabetic patients with limb complications were randomly selected, including 60 cases of lower extremity arterial disease (PAD) and 60 patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) patients. According to the random number list, they were randomly divided into treatment group of 60 patients, DPN and PAD were given mecobalamin 0. 5mg / times , lipoic acid 500mg / d, alprostadil 10ug / d, DPN patients while giving epalrestat 50mg / times. The control group while giving cilostazol 0.1g, 2 times / d, plus clopidogrel treatment groups 150mg / d in the control group, based on continuous treatment for 8 weeks. Clinical evaluation of the two groups was made and conduction velocity of MNCV and SNCV was compared. Results: Analysis of DPN subgroup showed that the treatment group was efficient (73.4% vs 46.7%, P = 0.035), total efficiency (93.3% vs 73.3%, P = 0.038) were significantly higher, PAD subgroup analysis showed the efficiency of the treatment group was (70% vs 43.3%, P = 0.035), total efficiency (93.3% vs 73.3%, P = 0.038) were significantly higher. MNCV CKS nerve (54.3 ± 4.8 vs 50.5 ± 5.1) and the peroneal nerve (34.7 ± 3.2 vs 30.9 ± 3.4) conduction velocity improved more significantly. SNCV CKS nerve (43.4 ± 4.9 vs 38.2 ± 3.8) and the peroneal nerve (35.1 ± 5.6 vs 32.9 ± 5.4) conduction velocity, the treatment group improved significantly than the control group. PAD subgroup analysis, ABI degree of improvement (0.9 ± 0.3 vs 0.8 ± 0.3), dorsal blood flow (35.2±3.6 vs31.5±4.2), popliteal artery blood flow (64.2±5.6 vs 58.4±7.4) were better than the control group. Compared with clopidogrel, cilostazol did not increase in adverse events during treatment process. Conclusion: Clopidogrel cilostazol treatment of diabetic limb complications becomes safe and effective treatment of DPN and PAD, which can be used as a combination therapy.目的  观察国产氯吡格雷联合西洛他唑治疗糖尿病四肢并发症的有效性及安全性。方法  随机入选120例糖尿病四肢并发症患者，其中糖尿病周围神经病变（DPN）患者60例，下肢动脉病变（PAD）60例。按照随机数列表，随机分为治疗组60例，DPN及PAD均给予甲钴胺0. 5mg /次，硫辛酸500mg/d，前列地尔10ug/d，DPN患者同时给予依帕司他50mg /次。对照组同时给予西洛他唑0.1g，2次/d，治疗组在对照组基础上加上氯吡格雷首次600mg，后150mg/d连续7d，后改为75mg/d连续8周。评价两组的临床疗效及MNCV和SNCV传导速度。结果  DPN亚组分析显示，治疗组显效率（73.4% vs 46.7%, P=0.035）、总有效率（93.3% vs 73.3%，P=0.038）显著高于对照组，PAD亚组分析显示，治疗组显效率（70% vs 43.3%, P=0.035）、总有效率（93.3% vs 73.3%，P=0.038）显著高于对照组。MNCV中正中神经（54.3±4.8 vs 50.5±5.1）及腓总神经（34.7±3.2 vs 30.9±3.4）传导速度改善更为明显。SNCV中正中神经（43.4±4.9 vs 38.2±3.8）及腓总神经(35.1±5.6 vs 32.9±5.4)传导速度，治疗组改善亦较对照组更明显。PAD亚组分析显示，ABI改善程度（0.9±0.3 vs 0.8±0.3）、足背动脉血流速度（35.2±3.6 vs31.5±4.2），腘动脉血流量（64.2±5.6 vs 58.4±7.4）改善均优于对照组。治疗过程中氯吡格雷相比于西洛他唑并不增加不良事件。结论  氯吡格雷联合西洛他唑治疗糖尿病四肢并发症变安全、有效，可作为治疗DPN及PAD的联合治疗方案

Cobrotoxin from Naja naja atra

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) becomes a global health problem with high morbidity and mortality. Adriamycin- (ADR-) induced rodent chronic nephropathy is a classic experimental model of human minimal lesion nephrotic syndrome. The present study investigated the effect of cobrotoxin (CTX) on ADR-induced nephropathy. Rats were given 6 mg/kg ADR once through the tail vein to replicate ADR nephropathy model. CTX was administered to rats daily by placing a fast dissolving CTX membrane strip under the tongue starting from 5 days prior to ADR administration until the end of experiment. The results showed that CTX ameliorated the symptoms of ADR nephropathy syndrome with reduced body weight loss, proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, dyslipidemia, serum electrolyte imbalance, oxidative stress, renal function abnormities, and kidney pathological lesions. Anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 expression was elevated after CTX administration in ADR nephropathy model. CTX inhibited the phosphorylation of IκB-α and NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation. Meanwhile, CTX upregulated the protein level of podocyte-specific nephrin and downregulated the level of fibrosis-related TGF-β. These findings suggest that CTX may be a potential drug for chronic kidney diseases