Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are purported to deliver nicotine aerosol without any toxic combustion products present in tobacco smoke. In this longitudinal within-subjects observational ...study, we evaluated the effects of e-cigarettes on nicotine delivery and exposure to selected carcinogens and toxicants.
We measured seven nicotine metabolites and 17 tobacco smoke exposure biomarkers in the urine samples of 20 smokers collected before and after switching to pen-style M201 e-cigarettes for 2 weeks. Biomarkers were metabolites of 13 major carcinogens and toxicants in cigarette smoke: one tobacco-specific nitrosamine (NNK), eight volatile organic compounds (1,3-butadiene, crotonaldehyde, acrolein, benzene, acrylamide, acrylonitrile, ethylene oxide, and propylene oxide), and four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, and pyrene). Changes in urine biomarkers concentration were tested using repeated measures analysis of variance.
In total, 45% of participants reported complete abstinence from cigarette smoking at 2 weeks, while 55% reported continued smoking. Levels of total nicotine and some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites did not change after switching from tobacco to e-cigarettes. All other biomarkers significantly decreased after 1 week of using e-cigarettes (p < .05). After 1 week, the greatest percentage reductions in biomarkers levels were observed for metabolites of 1,3-butadiene, benzene, and acrylonitrile. Total NNAL, a metabolite of NNK, declined by 57% and 64% after 1 and 2 weeks, respectively, while 3-hydroxyfluorene levels declined by 46% at week 1, and 34% at week 2.
After switching from tobacco to e-cigarettes, nicotine exposure remains unchanged, while exposure to selected carcinogens and toxicants is substantially reduced.
To our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrates that substituting tobacco cigarettes with an e-cigarette may reduce user exposure to numerous toxicants and carcinogens otherwise present in tobacco cigarettes. Data on reduced exposure to harmful constituents that are present in tobacco cigarettes and e-cigarettes can aid in evaluating e-cigarettes as a potential harm reduction device.
To facilitate inter-tissue communication and the exchange of proteins, lipoproteins, and metabolites with the circulation, hepatocytes have an intricate and efficient intracellular trafficking system ...regulated by small Rab GTPases. Here, we show that Rab30 is induced in the mouse liver by fasting, which is amplified in liver-specific carnitine palmitoyltransferase 2 knockout mice (Cpt2
) lacking the ability to oxidize fatty acids, in a Pparα-dependent manner. Live-cell super-resolution imaging and in vivo proximity labeling demonstrates that Rab30-marked vesicles are highly dynamic and interact with proteins throughout the secretory pathway. Rab30 whole-body, liver-specific, and Rab30; Cpt2 liver-specific double knockout (DKO) mice are viable with intact Golgi ultrastructure, although Rab30 deficiency in DKO mice suppresses the serum dyslipidemia observed in Cpt2
mice. Corresponding with decreased serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels, DKO mice exhibit decreased circulating but not hepatic ApoA4 protein, indicative of a trafficking defect. Together, these data suggest a role for Rab30 in the selective sorting of lipoproteins to influence hepatocyte and circulating triglyceride levels, particularly during times of excessive lipid burden.
Political ideology is one of the most powerful predictors of perceptions about environmental sustainability and related behaviors. The purpose of this study was to investigate how sport fans’ ...sustainability-specific values, perceptions, and norms related to awareness, engagement, and influence of USA collegiate sport sustainability efforts based on political affiliation, accounting for age and gender. Data were collected using an online survey distributed to season ticket holders after the 2019 college football season that featured three sponsored sustainability initiatives at each home game. Multivariate analysis of variance and chi-square difference tests found that self-identified Democrats reported significantly higher pro-environmental values and norms, but sustainability program engagement, sponsored initiatives awareness, and influence of initiatives on behavior were politically neutral. Path analysis found that ascription of responsibility was a significant predictor of sustainability-related engagement and behaviors for both Independents and Republicans. The results and discussion sections highlight how academics and practitioners can account for political affiliation when creating campaign messaging for environmental initiatives.
We report on the synthesis of poly(diethylene oxide-alt-oxymethylene), P(2EO-MO), via cationic ring-opening polymerization of the cyclic ether monomer, 1,3,6-trioxocane. We use a combined ...experimental and computational approach to study ion transport in electrolytes comprising mixtures of P(2EO-MO) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI) salt. Mixtures of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and LiTFSI are used as a baseline. The maximum ionic conductivities, σ, of P(2EO-MO) and PEO electrolytes at 90 °C are 1.1 × 10–3 and 1.5 × 10–3 S/cm, respectively. This difference is attributed to the T g of P(2EO-MO)/LiTFSI (−12 °C), which is significantly higher than that of PEO/LiTFSI (−44 °C) at the same salt concentration. Self-diffusion coefficients measured using pulsed-field gradient NMR (PFG-NMR) show that both Li+ and TFSI– ions diffuse more rapidly in PEO than in P(2EO-MO). However, the NMR-based cation transference number in P(2EO-MO) (0.36) is approximately twice that in PEO (0.19). The transference number measured by the steady-state current technique, t +,ss, in P(2EO-MO) (0.20) is higher than in PEO (0.08) by a similar factor. We find that the product σt +,ss is greater in P(2-EO-MO) electrolytes; thus, P(2EO-MO) is expected to sustain higher steady-state currents under dc polarization, making it a more efficacious electrolyte for battery applications. Molecular-level insight into the factors that govern ion transport in our electrolytes was obtained using MD simulations. These simulations show that the solvation structures around Li+ are similar in both polymers. The same is true for TFSI–. However, the density of Li+ solvation sites in P(2EO-MO) is double that in PEO. We posit that this is responsible for the observed differences in the experimentally determined transport properties of P(2EO-MO) and PEO electrolytes.
The U.S. government has recently spent several hundred million dollars to promote healthy relationships in new parents. The influx of money implies that relationships of new parents are at elevated ...risk for declining satisfaction and dissolution. This meta-analysis aggregates data from 37 studies that track couples from pregnancy to after the birth of the first child and 4 studies that track childless newlywed couples over time and compare couples who do and do not become parents. Results indicate significant, small declines in relationship satisfaction for both men and women from pregnancy to 11 months postbirth; 5 studies that followed couples for 12-14 months found moderate-sized declines. Seven variables moderated the decrease in relationship satisfaction from pregnancy to early parenthood. However, the decrease in satisfaction may not indicate anything unique about the transition to parenthood; the 4 studies following newlyweds indicated that those who do not become parents experience a decrease in relationship satisfaction similar to that of parents across a comparable span of time. Implications for prevention and future directions are discussed.
Objective Type-specific prevalence data of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in penile carcinoma are needed to determine the potential impact of HPV prophylactic vaccines, assuming demonstrated efficacy ...in men. Methods A review was conducted using search terms including HPV and penile cancer. Studies using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for HPV DNA detection in invasive penile carcinoma were included. Results A total of 1,266 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cases contributed data from 30 studies. The number of SCC was similar in Europe (28.2%), North America (27.6%), South America (23.9%) and Asia (20.4%). All SCC were histologically confirmed with biopsies for DNA detection. Most commonly used PCR primers were type-specific (35.2%), and combination PCR (18.2%). HPV prevalence was 47.9%, ranging from 22.4% in verrucous SCC to 66.3% for the basaloid/warty subtypes. HPV16 (30.8%), HPV6 (6.7%) and HPV18 (6.6%) were the most prevalent types. HPV16 and/or HPV 18 prevalence was 36.7%. Conclusions HPV DNA was detected in half of SCC, with HPV16 being the most common type. If proven efficacious in men, prophylactic vaccines targeting carcinogenic types HPV16 and 18 could potentially reduce approximately one-third of incident SCC.
Climate change poses a global health risk through consequences such as sea level rise, wildfires, and increased air pollution. Children born today and in the future may be disproportionately affected ...by climate change. As a result, many young adults are rethinking having children. The impacts of the climate crisis on the decision-making of parents is an understudied area of research. This study aims to be one of the first to explore how climate change impacts the pregnancy intentions of young women in Canada and their perspectives towards childbearing.
We conducted auto-photography and qualitative interviews. Participants were recruited using social media, and were aged 18-25, nulliparous, assigned female at birth, and were either current or previous residents of British Columbia, Canada. We asked participants to take photos that responded to the question, "Show us how climate change impacts your decision to have a family," then complete a virtual, one-on-one interview during which photo-elicitation was employed to guide conversation about participants' decision-making related to childbearing and climate change. We subjected all transcribed interviews to qualitative thematic analysis.
We conducted in-depth interviews with seven participants who discussed a total of 33 photographs. Analysis of participants' interviews and photographs identified themes of eco-anxiety, hesitancy towards having children, sense of loss, and a desire for systemic change. Participants experienced anxiety, grief, and loss when faced with thoughts of change associated with their environments. Climate change impacted all but two participants' childbearing decision making, which was found to be interrelated with social-environmental factors, such as cost of living.
We aimed to identify the ways in which climate change may impact youth decisions to have a family. Further research on this topic is needed to understand the prevalence of this phenomenon, and to build such considerations into climate action policy and family planning tools used among young people.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The performance of battery electrolytes depends on three independent transport properties: ionic conductivity, diffusion coefficient, and transference number. While rigorous experimental techniques ...for measuring conductivity and diffusion coefficients are well-established, popular techniques for measuring the transference number rely on the assumption of ideal solutions. We employ three independent techniques for measuring transference number, t+, in mixtures of polyethylene oxide (PEO) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI) salt. Transference numbers obtained using the steady-state current method pioneered by Bruce and Vincent, t+,SS, and those obtained by pulsed-field gradient NMR, t+,NMR, are compared against a new approach detailed by Newman and coworkers, t+,Ne, for a range of salt concentrations. The latter approach is rigorous and based on concentrated solution theory, while the other two approaches only yield the true transference number in ideal solutions. Not surprisingly, we find that t+,SS and t+,NMR are positive throughout the entire salt concentration range, and decrease monotonically with increasing salt concentration. In contrast, t+,Ne has a non-monotonic dependence on salt concentration and is negative in the highly-concentrated regime. Our work implies that ion transport in PEO/LiTFSI electrolytes at high salt concentrations is dominated by the transport of ionic clusters.
Body fat distribution, particularly centralized obesity, is associated with metabolic risk above and beyond total adiposity. We performed genome-wide association of abdominal adipose depots ...quantified using computed tomography (CT) to uncover novel loci for body fat distribution among participants of European ancestry. Subcutaneous and visceral fat were quantified in 5,560 women and 4,997 men from 4 population-based studies. Genome-wide genotyping was performed using standard arrays and imputed to ~2.5 million Hapmap SNPs. Each study performed a genome-wide association analysis of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), VAT adjusted for body mass index, and VAT/SAT ratio (a metric of the propensity to store fat viscerally as compared to subcutaneously) in the overall sample and in women and men separately. A weighted z-score meta-analysis was conducted. For the VAT/SAT ratio, our most significant p-value was rs11118316 at LYPLAL1 gene (p = 3.1 × 10E-09), previously identified in association with waist-hip ratio. For SAT, the most significant SNP was in the FTO gene (p = 5.9 × 10E-08). Given the known gender differences in body fat distribution, we performed sex-specific analyses. Our most significant finding was for VAT in women, rs1659258 near THNSL2 (p = 1.6 × 10-08), but not men (p = 0.75). Validation of this SNP in the GIANT consortium data demonstrated a similar sex-specific pattern, with observed significance in women (p = 0.006) but not men (p = 0.24) for BMI and waist circumference (p = 0.04 women, p = 0.49 men). Finally, we interrogated our data for the 14 recently published loci for body fat distribution (measured by waist-hip ratio adjusted for BMI); associations were observed at 7 of these loci. In contrast, we observed associations at only 7/32 loci previously identified in association with BMI; the majority of overlap was observed with SAT. Genome-wide association for visceral and subcutaneous fat revealed a SNP for VAT in women. More refined phenotypes for body composition and fat distribution can detect new loci not previously uncovered in large-scale GWAS of anthropometric traits.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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