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Introduction: Varying public views on cannabis use across countries may explain the variation in the prevalence of use, policies, and research in individual countries, and global regulation of cannabis. This paper aims to describe the current state of cannabis use, policies, and research across sixteen countries.Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for studies published from 2010 to 2020. Searches were conducted using the relevant country of interest as a search term (e.g., "Iran"), as well as relevant predefined keywords such as "cannabis," "marijuana," "hashish," "bhang "dual diagnosis," "use," "addiction," "prevalence," "co-morbidity," "substance use disorder," "legalization" or "policy" (in English and non-English languages). These keywords were used in multiple combinations to create the search string for studies' titles and abstracts. Official websites of respective governments and international organizations were also searched in English and non-English languages (using countries national languages) to identify the current state of cannabis use, policies, and research in each of those countries.Results: The main findings were inconsistent and heterogeneous reporting of cannabis use, variation in policies (e.g., legalization), and variation in intervention strategies across the countries reviewed. European countries dominate the cannabis research output indexed on PubMed, in contrast to Asian countries (Thailand, Malaysia, India, Iran, and Nepal).Conclusions: Although global cannabis regulation is ongoing, the existing heterogeneities across countries in terms of policies and epidemiology can increase the burden of cannabis use disorders disproportionately and unpredictably. There is an urgent need to develop global strategies to address these cross-country barriers to improve early detection, prevention, and interventions for cannabis use and related disorders.

Two Schiff base complexes, [Cu(HL)(2)], 1 and [Ni(HL)(2)], 2 [H2L = 2-((E)-(2-hydroxyethylimino)methyl)-1-naptaphenol] have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR, IR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. In the crystalline architecture of 1 and 2, intermolecular O-HO hydrogen bonds link the molecules which form one-dimensional polymeric chain structure along the c axis. C-HO and C-H intermolecular interaction also connect the molecules in the structures which form to 3D structures of 1 and 2. The ligand and metal complexes 1 and 2 were screened for antibacterial and antifungal activities.

Background Asthma mortality rates have been increasing despite our improved understanding of the pathophysiology of asthma and advanced methods of treatment. Although there are many national studies of asthma mortality rates, few studies have concentrated on subnational regions such as individual states. Objectives We sought to determine the trends in asthma mortality in children and young adults during the last 15 years in Louisiana. Methods Asthma mortality data were acquired from the Louisiana State Center for Health Statistics for the years 1983 through 1997. All asthma deaths coded International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision 493 were included in the data set along with year, sex, and rate characteristics. State population estimates obtained from the United States Bureau of Census for three 5-year periods (1983 to 1987, 1988 to 1992, and 1993 to 1997) were used to calculate crude and adjusted mortality rates. These time periods were compared with one another and with the period 1983 to 1987, which was used as a baseline. Results For all residents, the mortality rate increased from 0.41 deaths per 100,000 persons during the 1983 to 1987 time period to 0.49 and 0.63 deaths per 100,000 persons during 1988 to 1992 and 1993 to 1997 time periods, respectively. Mortality rates have increased in both the white and non-white populations over the 15-year study period, with the most pronounced increases among the non-white population. Conclusion Asthma mortality rates in Louisiana have increased, particularly among the non-white population, over the last 15 years, although the results are not statistically significant. When compared with other states, asthma mortality in Louisiana is lower than in the northeast and central north states.

OBJECTIVE: The role of histocompatibility antigens in pregnancy outcome is controversial. This controversy may be because the initial studies were of small numbers or the patient groups were not homogeneous. The purpose of this study is to clarify these discrepant results by carrying out histocompatibility antigen typing and mixed lymphocyte culture on couples with idiopathic recurrent spontaneous abortion and by comparing results with those of fertile couples. STUDY DESIGN: Sixty couples with at least three spontaneous abortions and 60 normal couples with at least two successful pregnancies were included. Histocompatibility antigen typing and mixed lymphocyte culture were performed by using the standard techniques. The data were analyzed statistically with the Fisher exact test and χ 2 . RESULTS: Our results failed to show any difference between normal and aborting couples with regard to HLA-A, HLA-B, and HLA-DR distribution or sharing or to mixed lymphocyte culture responsiveness. CONCLUSION: Our study, along with other studies, emphasizes that the histocompatibility antigen system does not have an impact on pregnancy outcome.

Soil Pollution and Remediation Problems in Turkey

PROBLEM: To determine the presence or absence of subclinical autoimmunity in healthy women with first trimester recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), the sera of 72 healthy women with a history of three or more consecutive abortions were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to phospholipid and nuclear antigens. METHOD: Lupus anticoagulant was determined, as were antibodies to cardiolipin. An indirect immunofluorescent antinuclear test was performed and specific antinuclear antibodies to double-stranded DNA, ribonucleoprotein, Smith antigen, and Sjogren's syndrome A and B antigens were tested. RESULTS: Nine women (13.2%) had low levels of antinuclear antibodies, none of which were specific. Four women (5.6%) had moderate to high levels of aCL antibodies. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the prevalance of aCLs and antinuclear antibodies in healthy women with first trimester RSA is low. Subclinical autoimmunity is not a common cause of first trimester RSA.

The mechanism of aberrancy of so-called atrioventricular (A-V) Junctional escape beats was investigated in 8 cases, in 5 of which His bundle electrography was performed with both conducted and escape beats recorded. Aberrancy in Junctional beats usually shows features of incomplete or complete right bundle branch block and leftward or rightward shift of the QRS axis in the frontal plane. From the morphologic point of view the aberrancy resembles that seen in conducted beats with the additional feature of bifascicular block. Functional aberrancy based on incomplete recovery of the conduction fibers cannot account for aberrancy in slow Junctional rhythms. Phase 4 depolarization may explain the aberrancy in slow heart rates but cannot readily account for the fusion complexes so frequently seen in these rhythms. His bundle electrography in the present study showed a time relation between His spikes and the onset of the QRS complex which excludes the possibility of antegrade conduction of the aberrant beats along the same pathway used by descending sinus beats as well as true Junctional beats descending through the main His bundle. Specifically, the His spikes were found at or near the onset of the QRS complexes in aberrant escape beats, whereas they were ahead of the QRS complexes by the expected interval of 40 to 50 msec in the conducted beats. This temporal relation favors propagation of escape impulses from their origin bidirectionally, that is, simultaneously toward the ventricular myocardium and retrograde toward the main His bundle. This observation, together with the right bundle branch block and the axis deviation, places the escape focus in 1 of 2 fascicles of the left bundle branch: in the superior division for beats displaying right axis deviation and in the inferior division for beats displaying left axis deviation. With acceptance of a fascicular origin for these beats, a satisfactory explanation becomes readily available for the fusion complexes.

A case of complete left bundle branch block with several episodes of intermittent marked right axis deviation is presented. All possible causes of the intermittent development of additional right axis deviation, such as electrolyte imbalances, lateral wall infarct, intermittent Wolff-Parkinson-White conduction, right bundle branch block, right ventricular hypertrophy and pulmonary embolism, were excluded. We conclude that the explanation for left bundle branch block with intermittent right axis deviation in our patient was the coexistence of left posterior hemiblock and predivisional left bundle branch block.

Antilymphocyte antibodies have been demonstrated in autoimmune diseases, acute viral infections, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) by using either the conventional microlymphocytotoxicity or the double fluorescence technique. In the present study, we used both methods to detect the antilymphocyte antibodies and to characterize further their immunologic significance in patients with AIDS and their sexual partners. The results using the conventional microlymphocytotoxicity method demonstrated that 8 of 10 patients with AIDS and 6 of 10 partners had significant levels of antilymphocyte antibodies which were reactive with B and T cells at cold and warm temperatures. A significant loss in antibody activity following absorption with B, T, and Daudi cells and Staphylococcus aureus, but not platelets or red cells, indicated that these antibodies are not directed to HLA class I antigens but, rather, to antigens that are common to both groups of lymphocytes. There is a close association between antilymphocyte antibodies and lymphopenia in patients but not in partners. Antibodies against lymphocyte subclasses [helper (T4) and suppressor (T8)] were detected by the double fluorescence staining technique, which employs C6-deficient serum as a nonlytic source of complement, and demonstrated the binding of antibodies to target cells, in contrast to lysing of the target cells as in the microlymphocytotoxicity method. The results of this assay showed that antibodies were directed to both populations, and there was no correlation or association between the absolute numbers of peripheral T4 and T8 cells and the percentage of antibody binding. Taken together, there appear to be at least two kinds of antilymphocyte antibodies: lymphocytotoxic antibodies detected by the conventional microlymphocytotoxicity assay and noncytotoxic antibodies detected by the double fluorescence staining technique. The former may be responsible in part for the lymphopenia. The latter may alter lymphocyte function. The patients and partners who had antilymphocyte antibodies also had anti-HTLV-III antibodies, although there was not any close correlation between titers. These findings support the possibility that both types of antibodies occur as part of a generalized immune response, possibly stimulated by the same viral agent.

Implantable transvenous endocardial pacemakers in patients with complete heart block have introduced a host of interesting auscultatory findings into clinical medicine. Some of these, such as variable intensity of first heart sound, were the consequences of the basic conduction abnormality and thus unaffected by pacing, while others, such as “pacemaker heart sounds,” were the result of pacemaker insertion and thus iatrogenic. In either case, physicians who are to take care of an ever-increasing number of patients with intracardiac pacemakers should be familiar with these different auscultatory phenomena.