1,221 research outputs found

    The Cigarillo Purchase Task: A Qualitative Analysis

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    The cigarillo purchase task is a novel procedure modeled after the cigarette purchase task. This procedure can be used to assess the reinforcing value, or the positive behavioral response, to cigarillo products. Little research has used the cigarillo purchase task and the aim of the current study was to evaluate user’s understanding of and thoughts about a cigarillo purchase task. A convenience sample of young adults ages 21-28 were recruited online to participate in semi-structured interviews about cigarillo and e-cigarette use. The analysis included responses from participants who were current users of cigarillos (n=7) or cigarillos and e-cigarettes (n=8). Audio-recorded interviews conducted remotely were coded by two researchers and thematic analysis was implemented. Emergent themes were related to purchasing price, budget, normal cigarillo usage, cigarillo pack size, and time frame of use. Increased use was mentioned when products were free. When cigarillos were expensive, others introduced strategies to circumvent the 24-hour purchase period of the task. Comments were also made that budget is important and using a calculator during the task is helpful. Finally, some commented that selling in individual units wasn’t realistic and made it more difficult to purchase. Results suggest modifications to the task, including depiction of cigarillo pack size and use of a budget calculator. These enhancements support usability and replicability of results when implementing this purchase task in health behavior and tobacco control research

    Star Formation in a Stellar Mass Selected Sample of Galaxies to z=3 from the GOODS NICMOS Survey (GNS)

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    We present a study of the star-forming properties of a stellar mass-selected sample of galaxies in the GOODS NICMOS Survey (GNS), based on deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the GOODS North and South fields. Using a stellar mass selected sample, combined with HST/ACS and Spitzer data to measure both UV and infrared derived star formation rates (SFR), we investigate the star forming properties of a complete sample of ~1300 galaxies down to log M*=9.5 at redshifts 1.5<z<3. Eight percent of the sample is made up of massive galaxies with M*>10^11 Msun. We derive optical colours, dust extinctions, and ultraviolet and infrared SFR to determine how the star formation rate changes as a function of both stellar mass and time. Our results show that SFR increases at higher stellar mass such that massive galaxies nearly double their stellar mass from star formation alone over the redshift range studied, but the average value of SFR for a given stellar mass remains constant over this 2 Gyr period. Furthermore, we find no strong evolution in the SFR for our sample as a function of mass over our redshift range of interest, in particular we do not find a decline in the SFR among massive galaxies, as is seen at z < 1. The most massive galaxies in our sample (log M*>11) have high average SFRs with values, SFR(UV,corr) = 103+/-75 Msun/yr, yet exhibit red rest-frame (U-B) colours at all redshifts. We conclude that the majority of these red high-redshift massive galaxies are red due to dust extinction. We find that A(2800) increases with stellar mass, and show that between 45% and 85% of massive galaxies harbour dusty star formation. These results show that even just a few Gyr after the first galaxies appear, there are strong relations between the global physical properties of galaxies, driven by stellar mass or another underlying feature of galaxies strongly related to the stellar mass.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

    Extraction of the atmospheric neutrino fluxes from experimental event rate data

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    The precise knowledge of the atmospheric neutrino fluxes is a key ingredient in the interpretation of the results from any atmospheric neutrino experiment. In the standard atmospheric neutrino data analysis, these fluxes are theoretical inputs obtained from sophisticated numerical calculations. In this contribution we present an alternative approach to the determination of the atmospheric neutrino fluxes based on the direct extraction from the experimental data on neutrino event rates. The extraction is achieved by means of a combination of artificial neural networks as interpolants and Monte Carlo methods.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figs, to appear in the proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Quantum Theories and Renormalization Group in Gravity and Cosmology, Barcelona, July 200

    Sodium‑glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i): renal implications

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    Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) is a chronic condition that affects more than 400 million individuals worldwide. In DM2 patients, an appropriate glycemic control slows the onset and delays the progression of all its micro and macrovascular complications. Even though there are several glucose-lowering drugs, only approximately half of patients achieve glycemic control, while undesirable adverse effects (e.g., low serum glucose) normally affect treatment. Therefore, there is a need for new types of treatments. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have just been developed for treating DM2. Renal hyperfiltration as a marker of increased intraglomerular pressure in diabetic patients, and the role of renin–angiotensin– aldosterone system (RAAS) in this phenomenon have been studied. Nevertheless, RAAS blockade does not completely reduce hyperfiltration or diabetic renal damage. In this sense, the contribution of renal tubular factors to the hyperfiltration state, including sodium–glucose cotransporter (SGLT), has been currently studied. SGLT2i reduce proximal tubular sodium reabsorption, therefore increasing distal sodium delivery to the macula densa, causing tubule-glomerular feedback activation, afferent vasoconstriction, and reduced hyperfiltration in animal models. In humans, SGLT2i was recently shown to reduce hyperfiltration in normotensive, normoalbuminuric patients suffering from type 1 diabetes mellitus. In DM2 clinical trials, SGLT2 is associated with significant hyperfiltration and albuminuria reduction. The aim of this article is to compile the information regarding SGLT2i drugs, emphasizing its mechanism of renal repercussion

    Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell-Specific Progerin Expression Provokes Contractile Impairment in a Mouse Model of Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome that Is Ameliorated by Nitrite Treatment

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    Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main cause of death worldwide, and aging is its leading risk factor. Aging is much accelerated in Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), an ultra-rare genetic disorder provoked by the ubiquitous expression of a mutant protein called progerin. HGPS patients die in their teens, primarily due to cardiovascular complications. The primary causes of age-associated CVD are endothelial dysfunction and dysregulated vascular tone; however, their contribution to progerin-induced CVD remains poorly characterized. In the present study, we found that progeroid LmnaG609G/G609G mice with ubiquitous progerin expression show both endothelial dysfunction and severe contractile impairment. To assess the relative contribution of specific vascular cell types to these anomalies, we examined LmnaLCS/LCSTie2Cretg/+ and LmnaLCS/LCSSm22αCretg/+ mice, which express progerin specifically in endothelial cells (ECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), respectively. Whereas vessel contraction was impaired in mice with VSMC-specific progerin expression, we observed no endothelial dysfunction in mice with progerin expression restricted to VSMCs or ECs. Vascular tone regulation in progeroid mice was ameliorated by dietary sodium nitrite supplementation. Our results identify VSMCs as the main cell type causing contractile impairment in a mouse model of HGPS that is ameliorated by nitrite treatment.Work in V.A.’s lab was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e InnovaciĂłn (MCI, grant SAF2016-79490-R), with co-funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF, “Una manera de hacer Europa”). L.d.C. was supported by a Jordi Soler postdoctoral contract from the Red de InvestigaciĂłn Cardiovascular (RETIC Program, Instituto de Salud Carlos III), and A.S.-L. was supported by a predoctoral contract from the MCI (SVP-2014-068334) and by a grant from AsociaciĂłn Apadrina la Ciencia-Ford España-Ford Motor Company Fund. The CNIC is supported by the MCI, the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, and the Pro-CNIC Foundation, and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (grant SEV-2015-0505).S

    Improving traffic-related air pollution estimates by modelling minor road traffic volumes

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    Accurately estimating annual average daily traffic (AADT) on minor roads is essential for assessing traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) exposure, particularly in areas where most people live. Our study assessed the direct and indirect external validity of three methods used to estimate AADT on minor roads in Melbourne, Australia. We estimated the minor road AADT using a fixed-value approach (assuming 600 vehicles/day) and linear and negative binomial (NB) models. The models were generated using road type, road importance index, AADT and distance of the nearest major road, population density, workplace density, and weighted road density. External measurements of traffic counts, as well as black carbon (BC) and ultrafine particles (UFP), were conducted at 201 sites for direct and indirect validation, respectively. Statistical tests included Akaike information criterion (AIC) to compare models’ performance, the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) for direct validation, and Spearman’s correlation coefficient for indirect validation. Results show that 88.5% of the roads in Melbourne are minor, yet only 18.9% have AADT. The performance assessment of minor road models indicated comparable performance for both models (AIC of 1,023,686 vs. 1,058,502). In the direct validation with external traffic measurements, there was no difference between the three methods for overall minor roads. However, for minor roads within residential areas, CCC (95% confidence interval [CI]) values were − 0.001 (− 0.17; 0.18), 0.47 (0.32; 0.60), and 0.29 (0.18; 0.39) for the fixed-value approach, the linear model, and the NB model, respectively. In the indirect validation, we found differences only on UFP where the Spearman’s correlation (95% CI) for both models and fixed-value approach were 0.50 (0.37; 0.62) and 0.34 (0.19; 0.48), respectively. In conclusion, our linear model outperformed the fixed-value approach when compared against traffic and TRAP measurements. The methodology followed in this study is relevant to locations with incomplete minor road AADT data

    Improving traffic-related air pollution estimates by modelling minor road traffic volumes

    Get PDF
    Accurately estimating annual average daily traffic (AADT) on minor roads is essential for assessing traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) exposure, particularly in areas where most people live. Our study assessed the direct and indirect external validity of three methods used to estimate AADT on minor roads in Melbourne, Australia. We estimated the minor road AADT using a fixed-value approach (assuming 600 vehicles/day) and linear and negative binomial (NB) models. The models were generated using road type, road importance index, AADT and distance of the nearest major road, population density, workplace density, and weighted road density. External measurements of traffic counts, as well as black carbon (BC) and ultrafine particles (UFP), were conducted at 201 sites for direct and indirect validation, respectively. Statistical tests included Akaike information criterion (AIC) to compare models' performance, the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) for direct validation, and Spearman's correlation coefficient for indirect validation. Results show that 88.5% of the roads in Melbourne are minor, yet only 18.9% have AADT. The performance assessment of minor road models indicated comparable performance for both models (AIC of 1,023,686 vs. 1,058,502). In the direct validation with external traffic measurements, there was no difference between the three methods for overall minor roads. However, for minor roads within residential areas, CCC (95% confidence interval [CI]) values were -0.001 (-0.17; 0.18), 0.47 (0.32; 0.60), and 0.29 (0.18; 0.39) for the fixed-value approach, the linear model, and the NB model, respectively. In the indirect validation, we found differences only on UFP where the Spearman's correlation (95% CI) for both models and fixed-value approach were 0.50 (0.37; 0.62) and 0.34 (0.19; 0.48), respectively. In conclusion, our linear model outperformed the fixed-value approach when compared against traffic and TRAP measurements. The methodology followed in this study is relevant to locations with incomplete minor road AADT data

    Associations between Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Cognitive Function in Australian Urban Settings: The Moderating Role of Diabetes Status

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    Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is associated with lower cognitive function and diabetes in older adults, but little is known about whether diabetes status moderates the impact of TRAP on older adult cognitive function. We analysed cross-sectional data from 4141 adults who participated in the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) study in 2011–2012. TRAP exposure was estimated using major and minor road density within multiple residential buffers. Cognitive function was assessed with validated psychometric scales, including: California Verbal Learning Test (memory) and Symbol–Digit Modalities Test (processing speed). Diabetes status was measured using oral glucose tolerance tests. We observed positive associations of some total road density measures with memory but not processing speed. Minor road density was not associated with cognitive function, while major road density showed positive associations with memory and processing speed among larger buffers. Within a 300 m buffer, the relationship between TRAP and memory tended to be positive in controls (ÎČ = 0.005; p = 0.062), but negative in people with diabetes (ÎČ = −0.013; p = 0.026) and negatively associated with processing speed in people with diabetes only (ÎČ = −0.047; p = 0.059). Increased TRAP exposure may be positively associated with cognitive function among urban-dwelling people, but this benefit may not extend to those with diabetes

    Understanding Sow Sexual Behavior and the Application of the Boar Pheromone to Stimulate Sow Reproduction

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    In this chapter, we review the sexual behavior of domestic pigs, and the visible or measurable anatomical features of the pig that will contribute to detecting sows in estrus. We also summarize olfactory organs, and the effects of a sexual pheromone on pig’s biology and sow reproductive performance. We discuss the role of a live boar in the heat detection where the female is in breeding crates. However, there is an increasing interest in being able to breed sows without a boar present. Farm workers must be trained on the fine points of estrus detection so that they can work in a safe and productive setting. After a review of olfactory biology of the pig, the chapter explains how new pheromonal technology, such as BOARBETTER¼, aids in the process of heat detection with or without a live boar. To achieve reproductive success, the persons breeding must assimilate all fine points of pig sexual behavior and possess a clear understanding of what they should be looking for in each sow they expect to breed

    Caregiver Use of the Core Components of Technology-Enhanced Helping the Noncompliant Child: A Case Series Analysis of Low-Income Families

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    Children from low-income families are more likely to develop early-onset disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) compared to their higher income counterparts. Low-income families of children with early-onset DBDs, however, are less likely to engage in the standard-of-care treatment, behavioral parent training (BPT), than families from other sociodemographic groups. Preliminary between-group findings suggested technology-enhanced BPT was associated with increased engagement and boosted treatment outcomes for low-income families relative to standard BPT. The current study used a case series design to take this research a step further by examining whether there was variability in use of, and reactions to, the smartphone enhancements within technology-enhanced BPT and the extent to which this variability paralleled treatment outcome. Findings provide a window into the uptake and use of technology-enhanced service delivery methods among low-income families, with implications for the broader field of children’s mental health
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