Attitudes and knowledge about cannabis and cannabis-based therapies among US neurologists, nurses, and pharmacists.

Use of cannabinoid therapies is on the rise in the United States, but responses of healthcare professionals and their knowledge of these therapies have been mixed. More information is needed about factors associated with healthcare professionals' attitudes and knowledge about medical cannabis. We conducted an online survey of US-based neurologists, nurse practitioners (NPs)/nurses, and pharmacists in August-September of 2018 (n = 451). We constructed perceived knowledge and attitudes scales and a knowledge index from multiple items and assessed state cannabis laws, participant's sociodemographics, workplace type and policies, and patient population. We used ordinary least-squares regression to examine associations among study variables. Over 80% of participants supported use and legalization of medical cannabis, especially cannabidiol (CBD) for epilepsy and when prescribed by a medical provider, but 40-50% (depending on item) felt unfamiliar with cannabinoid pharmacology and clinical applications. A total of 43% favored legal recreational cannabis. Pharmacists scored higher on the knowledge test than neurologists and NPs/nurses, but NPs/nurses had more favorable attitudes than neurologists and higher perceived knowledge than pharmacists. Both knowledge indicators predicted attitudes. State cannabis access and favorable workplace policies were associated with higher knowledge and more favorable attitudes. Healthcare professionals see potential in cannabis therapies but report significant knowledge gaps. Professional cannabinoid education is needed to address growing patient and provider demand for knowledge about cannabinoid therapies.

Inhibition of Escherichia coli biofilm formation by self-assembled monolayers of functional alkanethiols on gold.

Bacterial biofilms cause serious problems, such as antibiotic resistance and medical device-related infections. To further understand bacterium-surface interactions and to develop efficient control strategies, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols presenting different functional groups on gold films were analyzed to determine their resistance to biofilm formation. Escherichia coli was labeled with green florescence protein, and its biofilm formation on SAM-modified surfaces was monitored by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The three-dimensional structures of biofilms were analyzed with the COMSTAT software to obtain information about biofilm thickness and surface coverage. SAMs presenting methyl, L-gulonamide (a sugar alcohol tethered with an amide bond), and tri(ethylene glycol) (TEG) groups were tested. Among these, the TEG-terminated SAM was the most resistant to E. coli biofilm formation; e.g., it repressed biofilm formation by E. coli DH5alpha by 99.5% +/- 0.1% for 1 day compared to the biofilm formation on a bare gold surface. When surfaces were patterned with regions consisting of methyl-terminated SAMs surrounded by TEG-terminated SAMs, E. coli formed biofilms only on methyl-terminated patterns. Addition of TEG as a free molecule to growth medium at concentrations of 0.1 and 1.0% also inhibited biofilm formation, while TEG at concentrations up to 1.5% did not have any noticeable effects on cell growth. The results of this study suggest that the reduction in biofilm formation on surfaces modified with TEG-terminated SAMs is a result of multiple factors, including the solvent structure at the interface, the chemorepellent nature of TEG, and the inhibitory effect of TEG on cell motility.