Differentiating between girls and boys in transition through smoking stages: A sex-specific growth mixture modeling

Background: Smoking is a complex process, and adolescents pass through a number of different stages on the way to become smokers and it is sex-dependent. Methods: In this cohort study, the illustrative samples of 10th-grade students (2241 girls and 2956 boys) were assessed using a multistage sampling in Tabriz, Iran. The main variables of the study were smoking status, intention to start smoking, and smoking during the past week/ month, which were collected using a valid and reliable instrument. Sex-specific GMMs were fitted to assess the transition through smoking stages. Results: GMMs lead in a 2-class optimal model: "Occasional/Intending smokers" and "Non-smokers". GMMs indicated that girls had lower levels of smoking status, intention to start smoking, smoking during the past week/month in both classes (significant and negative intercepts: -8.5 to -0.6). In addition, transitions toward higher levels of smoking status, intention to start smoking, smoking during the past week/month were observed in both classes for boys, but in the second class for girls (significant and positive slopes: 0.2 to 2.7). Conclusion: This study highlighted the importance of stopping the initiation and avoiding transition through smoking stages with special sex-specific planning in the future

Effects of different cooking methods and temperatures on residual nitrite content in sausage

Background: Presence of nitrites in meat products is important because they combine with secondary amines and produce nitrosamine carcinogen. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different cooking methods and temperatures on residual nitrite content in sausage. Methods: This experimental study was conducted in the Food and Drug Laboratory of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences in 2014. Sausage samples containing 90% meat that were produced under identical conditions in a factory in Qazvin were transferred to the laboratory under suitable conditions and their residual nitrite contents were measured. The residual nitrite content was remeasured three times after using different cooking methods (frying, grilling, and cooking in microwave oven) at different temperatures and durations in 39 experiments. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Findings: Before cooking, the residual nitrite content was 33.57 mg/kg in the sausage samples and reached to 26.46 mg/kg after frying at 120º C for 5 minutes. Mean residual nitrite content was significantly different at other temperatures and cooking durations. The mean residual nitrite content reached to 1.42 and 0 after frying at 220º C for 5 and 10 minutes, respectively. Conclusion: With regards to the results, the greater the temperature and the duration of cooking, the more the reduction in residual nitrite content of the final product. Keywords: Nitrites, Meat Products, Temperatur