The impacts of potency,warning messages,and price on preferences for Cannabis flower products

BackgroundRecreational cannabis has been legalized in 11 states and Washington DC in the US. However, little is known about individual preferences for legal cannabis products. This study estimated the impacts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), warning messages, and price on preferences for cannabis flowers.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey with discrete choice experiments was implemented in October 2017. A sample of 2400 adults aged 21 years or older were recruited from 6 US states with recreational cannabis legalization, consisting of 1200 past-year nonusers and 1200 past-year users. Each respondent was randomly assigned to 12 discrete choice scenarios, each asking them to choose from an opt-out option and 3 cannabis flower products with varying levels in THC, CBD, warning messages, and price. The impacts of product attributes on individual choices were analyzed with nested logit regressions.ResultsBoth cannabis nonusers and users preferred higher CBD and lower price. Users also preferred higher THC. The results on warning messages were mixed: graphic warning on drugged driving and text warning message had positive impacts on nonusers’ and users’ preferences for cannabis flowers, respectively, whereas FDA disapproval disclaimer had negative impacts on nonusers’ preferences. Heterogeneities in preferences were revealed among nonusers by former use status and among users by reason of use. Particularly, medical cannabis users were not as responsive to THC as recreational cannabis users or dual users were. Regarding relative importance of the attributes, all respondents but medical cannabis users perceived price as the most important attribute (relative importance 51–64%), whereas medical cannabis users perceived CBD as the most important attribute (relative importance 47%).ConclusionThe findings indicated that product characteristics may have influences on US adults’ choices of legal cannabis flower products and may deserve consideration for cannabis regulatory framework.     

Short message service text messaging was feasible as a tool for data collection in a trial of treatment for irritable bowel syndrome

ObjectivesTo examine the feasibility of collecting data relating to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), symptoms by short message service (SMS) text and explore the data to assess its usefulness.Study Design and SettingIn a randomized parallel group design substudy, 59 consenting participants recruited from primary care to a trial of acupuncture for IBS (ISRCTN 08827905) were randomized to receive a one-question SMS message at either 9:30 am or at 6:30 pm for 7 days: “On a scale of 0–9, with 0 being no symptoms and 9 being the worst symptoms you could have, how would you score your IBS symptoms now? Please text back a single number.”ResultsOf the total messages, 59% (n = 203) were answered within 15 minutes, 73.4% (n = 254) within 1 hour, and 97% (n = 334) within 10 hours. Response rates to evening texts were higher (93.5% vs. 87.6% P = 0.05) and response times shorter though not significantly (median: 0 vs. 5 hours; P = 0.12). There was no difference in mean scores, and morning symptoms varied more. Mean scores correlated significantly with IBS trial primary outcome measure, the IBS symptom severity score, and secondary outcome measures.ConclusionAmong IBS trial participants, data collection by SMS is feasible and acceptable, and there is potential for deriving meaningful data from the scores.     

乙肝Ⅲ号合近红外信息辐照治疗乙型肝炎肝纤维化的临床研究

目的：观察乙肝Ⅲ号合近红外信息辐照治疗乙型肝炎肝纤维化的疗效。方法：选择乙型肝炎肝纤维化住院病人234例,分为乙肝Ⅲ号治疗组(76例)、近红外信息辐照组(73例)和联合治疗组(85例)。在基础治疗(包括甘利欣,复方丹参液等)上采用单纯的中药外敷、肝病治疗仪近红外信息辐照以及两联合治疗等三种不同方法,观察各组患临床症状、体征、肝功能以及相关指标如PGA、肝纤三项(透明质酸(HA)、层黏蛋白(LN)、CⅣ型胶原(CⅣ))、肝血流的变化。结果：3组皆能改善临床症状,但以联合治疗组为;3组肝功能复常比较,差异有显性,但组间比较,差异无显性;在改善PGA、肝纤三项和肝血流量方面,联合治疗组优于乙肝Ⅲ号治疗组和近红外信息辐照组。结论：乙肝Ⅲ号合近红外信息辐照对乙型肝炎肝纤维化有一定的治疗作用,且较单一方法疗效明显。     

The Effects of Text Message and Infographic on Reducing the Number Cigarettes Consumption: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: To test the effect of a text-message and infographic to promote smokers quit smoking. Methods: A randomized control trial was conducted in two provinces of northeast Thailand. Three hundred and ninety-six participants were allocated to either a text-message and infographic group or a control group. We assessed the primary outcome by self-reported 7-day point prevalence smoking abstinence. Multiple logistic regression was used to test the effect of quitting smoking. Results: At 3-month follow-up, lost to follow-up 16 participants, 380 participants were included for analysis. The difference in the rate of quitting smoking between the intervention and control groups was not found a statistical significance (17.8% versus 11.6%). However, we found a statistically significant difference in the number of cigarettes smokes (the difference: -1.74; 95%CI: -2.63, -0.84).Conclusion: No effect of text message and infographic for help smokers to quit smoking. However, the intervention showed a decrease in the number of cigarettes smoked.     

深圳市流行性感冒监测参考线的设计及预警应用

目的 为科学有效地预警流行性感冒(流感)的爆发和流行,制定符合深圳市的流感监测基线币Ⅱ警戒曲线.方法 收集深圳市第一人民医院、深圳市妇幼保健院2003-2006年的流感监测资料,以周为单位,对流感样病例百分比ILI(%)进行统计分析,以确定基线和警戒曲线.结果 深圳市流感监测结果 可靠,基线值为5.95%,警戒曲线具有较好的灵敏度和季节性,能及时发现异常值.结论 深圳市的流感监测参考线具有较好的灵敏性和季节性,能起到一定预警作用.