Smoking Behavior and the Impact on Sleep Quality and Health-Related Quality of Life among Operating Engineers.

The objective of this secondary data analysis of cross-sectional data was to explore smoking behavior among blue collar workers, especially Operating Engineers (heavy equipment operators). With the guidance of the Health Promotion Model, the specific aims were (1) to determine variables associated with smoking behavior among Operating Engineers, (2) to examine smoking as one of the variables related to sleep quality among Operating Engineers, and (3) to examine smoking as one of the variables related to health-related quality of life among Operating Engineers. Working with Michigan Operating Engineers Local 324, data were collected until a quota of 500 participants was reached in 2008. Two surveys were incomplete, leading to the final sample of 498. Data contained demographic information, health conditions (depressive symptoms and medical comorbidities), health behaviors (smoking, alcohol use, diet, physical activity, and sleep), and health-related quality of life. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the data. About 29% of the participants smoked cigarettes and smoking behavior was significantly associated with engaging in other high risk health behaviors (problem drinking, physical inactivity, and a lower BMI). This supported findings from a 2009 NIH meeting on the Science of Behavior Change that risky health behaviors often bundle together. In addition, smokers with nicotine dependence had poorer sleep quality and poor health-related quality of life among Operating Engineers. Considering the bundled health behaviors among smokers, multiple health behavior interventions would be more beneficial for Operating Engineers than single health behavior interventions. When designing multiple health behavior interventions, researchers should consider the pivotal role of smoking behavior in bundled health behaviors and view smoking cessation as a gateway to changing other risky health behaviors. Furthermore, multiple health behavior interventions combined with smoking and other risky health behaviors could improve health-related quality of life among Operating Engineers.Ph.D.NursingUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91494/1/seunghch_1.pd

Smoking behavior and social contexts associated with smoking among dual‐smoker couples

ObjectivesTo examine smoking behavior and social contexts related to smoking among dual‐smoker couples.DesignCross‐sectional online survey study.SampleA convenience sample of 183 dual‐smoker couples.MeasurementsInvestigator‐developed survey on smoking and related social contexts.ResultsParticipants smoked 16.0 cigarettes daily for 14.2 years; 48.4% shared more than half of their smoking time with their spouse. More than half made quit attempts in the past year individually (M = 5.3) and jointly (M = 2.5). Couples sharing more smoking time were more likely to be motivated to quit (p = .002), make quit attempts (p < .0001), and be interested in cessation interventions (p = .002); but less likely to implement home smoking bans (p < .001). Among those who reported quit attempts, 41% quit by themselves and 15.3% sought professional assistance. Most common reasons for relapse were chronic stress and crisis, 63.6%, however, were interested in smoking cessation services, preferably technology‐based interventions.ConclusionsWe found smoking interdependence within dual‐smoker couples. Despite high levels of motivation to quit, most did not utilize professional help, leading to low successful quit rates. Technology‐based smoking cessation interventions incorporating spousal support and addressing stress/crisis may best assist dual‐smoker couples.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154359/1/phn12686.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154359/2/phn12686_am.pd

Carnosol induces apoptotic cell death through ROS-dependent inactivation of STAT3 in human melanoma G361 cells

Melanoma is the leading cause of skin cancer deaths, and the poor prognosis of metastatic melanoma has made needs for a novel pharmacological treatment or efficient intervention. Carnosol, a major polyphenolic compound from Rosmarinus officinalis, has a wide range of biological activities including anti-cancer effect. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of its anti-cancer effect remain poorly understood in malignant human melanoma cells. In the present study, we investigate the apoptotic effect and the underlying anti-cancer mechanisms of carnosol. Our results revealed that carnosol strongly induced apoptosis against human melanoma G361 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and caused dramatical elevation in cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level during apoptosis. In mechanistic studies, carnosol treatment decreased protein level of anti-apoptotic B‑cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and B cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL), however, increased level of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) protein. Moreover, carnosol escalated cellular level of p53, which was accompanied by a decline of mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) level. Also, carnosol inhibited activation of Src and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), therefore down-regulated STAT3-dependent gene expression, such as D-series cyclin and survivin. These changes by carnosol were attenuated by pre-treatment of N-acetyl cysteine, and abolished progression of carnosol-induced apoptosis. In conclusion, carnosol induced apoptosis in human melanoma G361 cells through ROS generation and inhibition of STAT3-mediated pathway. Our results provide molecular bases of carnosol-induced apoptosis, and suggest a novel candidate for human melanoma treatment.This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (2018R1D1A1A02050495, J.-S. Choi) and by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning 2017R1A2B4009831, K.- S. Chun)

Factors associated with risky sun exposure behaviors among operating engineers

Background The objective of this study was to determine the factors associated with sun exposure behaviors among Operating Engineers (heavy equipment operators). Methods Operating Engineers (N = 498) were asked to complete a cross‐sectional survey. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to determine health behavioral, perceptional, and demographic factors associated with sun exposure behavior (sun burns, blistering, use of sunscreen, and interest in sun protection services). Results Almost half reported two or more sunburns/summer and the median times blistering was 2 with a range of 0–100. About one‐third never used sun block, while just over one‐third rarely used sun block. Almost one‐quarter were interested in sun protection guidance. Multivariate analyses showed that perceptions of skin type, alcohol problems, fruit intake, BMI, sleep quality, age, sex, and race were significantly associated with at least one of the outcome variables ( P  < 0.05). Conclusions Operating Engineers are at high risk for skin cancer due to high rates of exposure to ultraviolet light and low rates of sun block use. Subgroups of Operating Engineers are particularly at risk for sun damage. Interventions are needed to decrease sun exposure among Operating Engineers. Am. J. Ind. Med. 55:786–792, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/93541/1/22079_ftp.pd

Short-term effects of Theracurmin dose and exercise type on pain, walking ability, and muscle function in patients with knee osteoarthritis

The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term of Theracurmin dose and exercise type on pain, walking ability, and muscle function in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Twenty-five patients with knee osteoarthritis randomly selected to Theracurmin intake (T) group and Theracurmin in combined with exercise (T+E) group. T group (n= 13) was taken orally a capsule of 700 mg, 3 times per day, (total 2,100 mg, 35 mg/kg-body weight). T+E group (n= 12) performed aerobic training of 30-min walking and weight training for increasing leg muscular strength. After treatment, the number of steps, muscle mass, range of motion of knee, and the muscle strength in flexion and extension significantly increased. The percent body fat, visual analogue scale, The Western Ontario and McMaster score, centers of pressure with closed eye, 10-m walking ability, stair ascending speed were significantly decreased after treatment. Although no difference observed between the T and T+E groups, the 4-week intake of Theracurmin with and without exercise appeared to be effective in reducing the pain and enhancing muscular and balancing function. Therefore, Theracurmin intake for early symptoms and additional exercise as symptoms alleviate might be an effective way of delaying and managing osteoarthritis, and additional studies investigating the effects of Theracurmin and exercise on osteoarthritis could be beneficial

Protective Effects of Gemigliptin, a Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitor, against Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Mice

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors are widely used antihyperglycemic agents for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Recently, the pleiotropic actions of DPP-4 inhibitors have drawn much attention. In the present study, we aimed to examine whether gemigliptin, a recently developed DPP-4 inhibitor, could protect against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. We showed that pretreatment with gemigliptin attenuated cisplatin-induced renal dysfunction, as shown by analysis of plasma creatinine levels and blood urea nitrogen and histological damage. Elevated plasma levels of active glucagon-like peptide-1 were observed in gemigliptin-pretreated mice after cisplatin treatment, compared to that in cisplatin alone-treated mice. Gemigliptin attenuated cisplatin-induced apoptotic cell death, as assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling and Western blot analysis in the kidneys. Gemigliptin also decreased the plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and attenuated nuclear staining of nuclear factor kappa-B p65 in the kidneys. In addition, gemigliptin increased the protein expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) in the kidneys of cisplatin-treated mice. Taken together, these results suggest that pretreatment with gemigliptin protects against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in mice, possibly via inhibition of apoptotic cell death and inflammatory responses through induction of HO-1 and NQO1 expression

Two-Dimensional Dirac Fermions Protected by Space-Time Inversion Symmetry in Black Phosphorus

We report the realization of novel symmetry-protected Dirac fermions in a surface-doped two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor, black phosphorus. The widely tunable band gap of black phosphorus by the surface Stark effect is employed to achieve a surprisingly large band inversion up to ~0.6 eV. High-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectra directly reveal the pair creation of Dirac points and their moving along the axis of the glide-mirror symmetry. Unlike graphene, the Dirac point of black phosphorus is stable, as protected by spacetime inversion symmetry, even in the presence of spin-orbit coupling. Our results establish black phosphorus in the inverted regime as a simple model system of 2D symmetry-protected (topological) Dirac semimetals, offering an unprecedented opportunity for the discovery of 2D Weyl semimetals