233 research outputs found
Effects of municipal smoke-free ordinances on secondhand smoke exposure in the Republic of Korea
ObjectiveTo reduce premature deaths due to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure among non-smokers, the Republic of Korea (ROK) adopted changes to the National Health Promotion Act, which allowed local governments to enact municipal ordinances to strengthen their authority to designate smoke-free areas and levy penalty fines. In this study, we examined national trends in SHS exposure after the introduction of these municipal ordinances at the city level in 2010.MethodsWe used interrupted time series analysis to assess whether the trends of SHS exposure in the workplace and at home, and the primary cigarette smoking rate changed following the policy adjustment in the national legislation in ROK. Population-standardized data for selected variables were retrieved from a nationally representative survey dataset and used to study the policy action’s effectiveness.ResultsFollowing the change in the legislation, SHS exposure in the workplace reversed course from an increasing (18% per year) trend prior to the introduction of these smoke-free ordinances to a decreasing (−10% per year) trend after adoption and enforcement of these laws (β2 = 0.18, p-value = 0.07; β3 = −0.10, p-value = 0.02). SHS exposure at home (β2 = 0.10, p-value = 0.09; β3 = −0.03, p-value = 0.14) and the primary cigarette smoking rate (β2 = 0.03, p-value = 0.10; β3 = 0.008, p-value = 0.15) showed no significant changes in the sampled period. Although analyses stratified by sex showed that the allowance of municipal ordinances resulted in reduced SHS exposure in the workplace for both males and females, they did not affect the primary cigarette smoking rate as much, especially among females.ConclusionStrengthening the role of local governments by giving them the authority to enact and enforce penalties on SHS exposure violation helped ROK to reduce SHS exposure in the workplace. However, smoking behaviors and related activities seemed to shift to less restrictive areas such as on the streets and in apartment hallways, negating some of the effects due to these ordinances. Future studies should investigate how smoke-free policies beyond public places can further reduce the SHS exposure in ROK
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Improving Outcome After Cardiac Arrest: New Pharmacological And Electrophysiological Approaches During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
Cardiac arrest (CA) represents a leading cause of death in the western world. CA is a dramatic clinical event that can occur suddenly and often without premonitory signs. This condition is characterized by sudden loss of consciousness caused by the lack of cerebral blood flow, which occurs when the heart ceases to pump. Chest compressions (CCs) and early defibrillation (DF) are the cornerstones of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in CA, while the only definitive treatment for ventricular fibrillation (VF) remains prompt DF. The present thesis includes both experimental and clinical studies directed to evaluate new pharmacological and electrophysiological approaches that have a potential benefit in the outcome of patients affected from CA.
In order to achieve such aims, we performed two separate studies concurrently. The first study was directed to investigate experimentally the role of β1-blockade during CPR, while the second series of study evaluated prospectively the feasibility of a real time VF waveform analysis, in particular Amplitude Spectrum Area (AMSA), to guide interventions during resuscitation and to potentially diagnose underlying cardiac ischemia.
Both the studies therefore concurred to the same goal of identify new tools to improve the outcome of CA and are presented together in this thesis as a single study with an introduction, methods, results, and
discussion section. Nevertheless, in order to help the readers going throughout the work, each section is divided into sub-sections presenting separately the studies
Personalising small-molecule kinase inhibitor treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer
Personalising small-molecule kinase inhibitor treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer
Modelling the Effects of Fine Particulate Matter Air Pollution and Biothermal Stress on Birth Outcomes in Australia and Ghana
High-quality environmental epidemiological methods were employed. We found that ambient fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) and biothermal stress exposures independently and jointly were associated with increased risks of birth outcomes in both high-income (Australia) and low-income (Ghana) countries. The vulnerable subpopulations and critical susceptible exposure periods of early to mid-gestational periods for PM2.5 and mid to late gestational periods for the biothermal stress were identified to inform public health interventions and further investigations
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