699 research outputs found
How do Europeans quit using tobacco, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products? A cross-sectional analysis in 28 European countries
Objectives: While smoking tobacco remains a substantial cause of harm in Europe, novel products such as electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes (ECs) and heated tobacco products (HTPs) have entered the market recently. While debate still persists over the role of these novel products, they are now in widespread use. This study aimed to explore the prevalence and methods of attempts to quit EC and HTP. Setting: We analysed the 2020 Eurobarometer survey, which collected data in 28 European countries. Participants: A representative sample of individuals residing in these countries aged ≥15 years. Primary and secondary: outcome measures Multilevel regression analyses were performed to assess differences in quit attempts and cessation methods among tobacco smokers and exclusive EC/HTP users separately. Results: 51.1% of current tobacco smokers and 27.1% of exclusive EC or HTP users reported having ever made a quit attempt. The majority of former and current smokers (75.8%) who made a quit attempt did so unassisted, with 28.8% reporting at least one attempt using a cessation aid. The most popular cessation aids were nicotine replacement therapy or other medication (13.4%) and ECs (11.3%). 58.8% of exclusive EC or HTP users who had made a quit attempt did so unassisted, with 39.5% reporting the use of a cessation aid. Conclusion: Most EC and HTP users in Europe try to quit unassisted, although more of them report the use of a cessation aid compared with tobacco smokers. Cessation support services should take into consideration the increasing numbers of users of EC and HTP who may be trying to quit
Could you have said no ? A mixed-methods investigation of consent to HIV tests in four African countries
Introduction: Although most studies report high frequencies of consent to HIV tests, critics argue that clients are subject to pressure, that acceptors later indicate they could not have refused, and that provider-initiated HIV testing raises serious ethical issues. We examine the meaning of consent and why clients think they could not have refused. Methods: Clients in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Malawi and Uganda were asked about consenting to HIV tests, whether they thought they could have refused and why. Textual responses were analyzed using qualitative and statistical methods. Results: Among 926 respondents, 77% reported they could not have said no, but in fact, 60% actively consented to test, 24% had no objection and only 7% tested without consent. There were few significant associations between categories of consent and their covariates. Conclusions: Retrospectively asking clients if they could have refused to test for HIV overestimates coercion. Triangulating qualitative and quantitative data suggests a considerable degree of agency
Geophysical Exploration of Vesta
Dawn’s year-long stay at Vesta allows
comprehensive mapping of the shape, topography,
geology, mineralogy, elemental abundances, and
gravity field using it’s three instruments and highprecision
spacecraft navigation. In the current Low
Altitude Mapping Orbit (LAMO), tracking data is being
acquired to develop a gravity field expected to be
accurate to degree and order ~20 [1, 2]. Multi-angle
imaging in the Survey and High Altitude Mapping
Orbit (HAMO) has provided adequate stereo coverage
to develop a shape model accurate to ~10 m at 100 m
horizontal spatial resolution. Accurate mass determination
combined with the shape yields a more precise
value of bulk density, albeit with some uncertainty
resulting from the unmeasured seasonally-dark north
polar region. The shape and gravity of Vesta can be
used to infer the interior density structure and investigate
the nature of the crust, informing models for Vesta’s
formation and evolution
Structure and in vitro digestibility of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) flour following transglutaminase treatment
The impact of transglutaminase (TG) modification on microstructure and in vitro protein and starch digestibility of grass pea flour was investigated. Results demonstrated that grass pea flour proteins act as effective substrate of TG. Microstructural results showed that the addition of TG produced a more compact structure likely due to TG-catalyzed heteropolymers. Nutritional properties such as slowly digestible starch and expected glycemic index values followed the order: grass pea flour incubated in the absence of TG>grass pea flour incubated in the presence of TG>raw flour. The TG-catalyzed heteropolymers were easily digested as demonstrated by in vitro oral and gastric digestion carried out under physiological conditions. Therefore, TG-modified grass pea flour can be considered as a new source of starch and proteins suitable for feeding a large spectrum of population
The genetics of drug-related movement disorders, an umbrella review of meta-analyses
This umbrella review investigates which genetic factors are associated with drug-related movement disorders (DRMD), in an attempt to provide a synthesis of published evidence of candidate-gene studies. To identify all relevant meta-analyses, a literature search was performed. Titles and abstracts were screened by two authors and the methodological quality of included meta-analyses was assessed using 'the assessment of multiple systematic reviews' (AMSTAR) critical appraisal checklist. The search yielded 15 meta-analytic studies reporting on genetic variations in 10 genes. DRD3, DRD2, CYP2D6, HTR2A, COMT, HSPG2 and SOD2 genes have variants that may increase the odds of TD. However, these findings do not concur with early genome-wide association studies. Low-power samples are susceptible to 'winner's curse', which was supported by diminishing meta-analytic effects of several genetic variants over time. Furthermore, analyses pertaining to the same genetic variant were difficult to compare due to differences in patient populations, methods used and the choice of studies included in meta-analyses. In conclusion, DRMD is a complex phenotype with multiple genes that impact the probability of onset. More studies with larger samples using other methods than by candidate genes, are essential to developing methods that may predict the probability of DRMD. To achieve this, multiple research groups need to collaborate and a DRMD genetic database needs to be established in order to overcome winner's curse and publication bias, and to allow for stratification by patient characteristics. These endeavours may help the development of a test with clinical value in the prevention and treatment of DRMD
Space-time localization of inner heliospheric plasma turbulence using multiple spacecraft radio links
Radio remote sensing of the heliosphere using spacecraft radio signals has
been used to study the near-sun plasma in and out of the ecliptic, close to the
sun, and on spatial and temporal scales not accessible with other techniques.
Studies of space-time variations in the inner solar wind are particularly
timely because of the desire to understand and predict space weather, which can
disturb satellites and systems at 1AU and affect human space exploration. Here
we demonstrate proof-of-concept of a new radio science application for
spacecraft radio science links. The differing transfer functions of plasma
irregularities to spacecraft radio up- and downlinks can be exploited to
localize plasma scattering along the line of sight. We demonstrate the utility
of this idea using Cassini radio data taken in 2001-2002. Under favorable
circumstances we demonstrate how this technique, unlike other remote sensing
methods, can determine center-of-scattering position to within a few
thousandths of an AU and thickness of scattering region to less than about 0.02
AU. This method, applied to large data sets and used in conjunction with other
solar remote sensing data such as white light data, has space weather
application in studies of inhomogeneity and nonstationarity in the near-sun
solar wind.Comment: 28 Pages including 14 Figures (7 unique figures in both inline format
and full-page format)
Técnica de pré-seleção em diplóides de bananeira submetidas a duplicação cromossômica.
A determinação do nÃvel de ploidia em plantas pode ser realizada por vários métodos diretos e indiretos. Os métodos diretos são: contagem do número cromossômico e determinação do conteúdo de DNA. Já os métodos indiretos englobam a avaliação de caracterÃsticas citoanatômicas e morfológica. Todas as técnicas apresentam vantagens e limitações. A observação de caracterÃsticas da planta, como a espessura da folha para a determinação da ploidia também é pode ser utilizado. Apesar de ser um método simples pode ocasionar uma classificação equivocada de determinados genótipos, uma vez que essas caracterÃsticas podem ser influenciadas pelo ambiente. Porém quando se trata de um número muito grande de plantas, poderá ser utilizado como uma pré-seleção de prováveis poliplóides (Sari et al., 1999; Souza e Queiroz, 2004).pdf 71
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