296 research outputs found

    Use of cigarettes with flavor-changing capsules among smokers in the United Kingdom: An online survey

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    Introduction Cigarettes with flavour-changing capsules in the filter have experienced phenomenal global growth in the last decade. We explore socio-demographic and smoking-related factors associated with using capsule cigarettes, how frequently users burst the capsule, and reasons for using them. Methods An online survey was conducted in the United Kingdom between April-May 2016 with 6234 factory-made and/or hand-rolled cigarette smokers. This analysis focuses on 3620 factory-made cigarette smokers, aged 18 years and over, who had smoked in the past month. Results Thirteen percent smoked capsule cigarettes, with younger smokers more likely than older smokers to do so. Capsule use was significantly more common among white non-British than white British, and among those planning to quit in the next six months than those not planning to quit. Most capsule users who crushed the capsule did so always (51%) or most of the time (18%), with more frequent crushing of capsules more common among females, younger and middle-aged participants, white-British and those with a lower score on the Heaviness of Smoking Index. The most common reasons for using capsule cigarettes were that they taste better (52%), are smoother (41%), provide a choice of flavours (32%) and the enjoyment of clicking the capsule (25%). Capsule and non-capsule smokers did not differ significantly in their perceptions of the harmfulness of their brand relative to other brands. Conclusions Our study provides an insight into how and why smokers of capsule cigarettes use these products, with the key drivers of use being taste, flavour choice and interactivity

    Outer-Sphere Contributions to the Electronic Structure of Type Zero Copper Proteins

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    Bioinorganic canon states that active-site thiolate coordination promotes rapid electron transfer (ET) to and from type 1 copper proteins. In recent work, we have found that copper ET sites in proteins also can be constructed without thiolate ligation (called “type zero” sites). Here we report multifrequency electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic data together with density functional theory (DFT) and spectroscopy-oriented configuration interaction (SORCI) calculations for type zero Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin variants. Wild-type (type 1) and type zero copper centers experience virtually identical ligand fields. Moreover, O-donor covalency is enhanced in type zero centers relative that in the C112D (type 2) protein. At the same time, N-donor covalency is reduced in a similar fashion to type 1 centers. QM/MM and SORCI calculations show that the electronic structures of type zero and type 2 are intimately linked to the orientation and coordination mode of the carboxylate ligand, which in turn is influenced by outer-sphere hydrogen bonding

    An expanded cavity hexaamine cage for copper(II)

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    The crystal structure of the bicyclic hexaamine complex [Cu(fac-Me-5-tricosane-N-6)](ClO4)(2) center dot H2O (fac-Me-5-tricosane-N-6 = facial-1,5,9,13,20-pentamethyl-3,7,11,15,18,22-hexaazabicyclo[7.7.7] tricosane) at 100 K defines an apparently tetragonally compressed octahedral geometry, which is attributed to a combination of dynamic interconversion and static disorder between two tetragonally elongated structures sharing a common short axis. This structure is fluxional at 60 K and above as shown by EPR spectroscopy. Aqueous cyclic voltammetry reveals that a remarkably stable Cu-I form of the complex is stabilised by the encapsulating nature of the expanded cage ligand

    Nonorographic generation of Arctic polar stratospheric clouds during

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    [1] During December 1999, polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) were observed in the absence of conditions conducive to generation by topographic gravity waves. The possibility is explored that PSCs can be generated by inertia gravity waves (IGW) radiating from breaking synoptic-scale Rossby waves on the polar front jet. The aerosol features on 7 and 12 December are selected for comparison with theory and with simulations using the University of Wisconsin Nonhydrostatic Modeling System (UWNMS). Consistent with Rossby adjustment theory, a common feature in the UWNMS simulations is radiation of IGW from the tropopause polar front jet, especially from sectors which are evolving rapidly in the Rossby wave breaking process. Packets of gravity wave energy radiate upward and poleward into the cold pool, while individual wave crests propagate poleward and downward, causing mesoscale variations in vertical motion and temperature. On 12 December the eastbound DC-8 lidar observations exhibited a fairly uniform field of six waves in aerosol enhancement in the 14-20 km layer, consistent with vertical displacement by a field of IGW propagating antiparallel to the flow, with characteristic horizontal and vertical wavelengths of 300and300 and 10 km. UWNMS simulations show emanation of a field of IGW upward and southwestward from a northward incursion of the polar front jet. The orientation and evolution of the aerosol features on 7 December are consistent with a single PSC induced by an IGW packet propagating from a breaking Rossby wave over western Russia toward the northeast into the coldest part of the base of the polar vortex, with characteristic period 9hours,verticalwavelength9 hours, vertical wavelength 12 km, and horizontal wavelength 1000km.Lineartheoryshowsthatforbothofthesecases,IGWenergypropagatesupwardat1000 km. Linear theory shows that for both of these cases, IGW energy propagates upward at 1 km/hour and horizontally at 100km/hour,withcharacteristictracespeed100 km/hour, with characteristic trace speed 30 m/s. The spatial orientation of the PSC along IGW phase lines is contrasted with the nearly horizontal filamentary structures in the PSC, which are indicative of flow streamlines. It is suggested that vertical displacement is a crucial factor in determining whether a PSC will form and that most PSCs are relatable to specific synoptic and mesoscale motions

    Methods of the ITC Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey, wave 1 (2016)

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    AIM: To describe the methods of the 2016 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Smoking and Vaping (4CV) Survey, conducted in 2016 in Australia (AU), Canada (CA), England (EN) and the United States (US). METHODS: The respondents were cigarette smokers, former smokers (quit within the previous 2 years), and at-least-weekly vapers, aged 18 years and older. Eligible cohort members from the ITC Four Country Survey (4C) were retained. New respondents were sampled by commercial firms from their panels. Where possible, ages 18-24 and vapers were oversampled. Data were collected online, and respondents were remunerated. Survey weights were calibrated to benchmarks from nationally representative surveys. RESULTS: Response rates by country for new recruits once invited ranged from 15.2 to 49.6%. Sample sizes for smokers/former smokers were 1504 in AU, 3006 in CA, 3773 in EN and 2239 in the US. Sample sizes for additional vapers were 727 in CA, 551 in EN and 494 in the US. CONCLUSION: The International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey design and data collection methods allow analyses to examine prospectively the use of cigarettes and nicotine vaping products in jurisdictions with different regulatory policies. The effects on the sampling designs and response quality of recruiting the respondents from commercial panels are mitigated by the use of demographic and geographic quotas in sampling; by quality control measures; and by the construction of survey weights taking into account smoking/vaping status, sex, age, education and geography

    Nonorographic generation of Arctic polar stratospheric clouds during

    Get PDF
    [1] During December 1999, polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) were observed in the absence of conditions conducive to generation by topographic gravity waves. The possibility is explored that PSCs can be generated by inertia gravity waves (IGW) radiating from breaking synoptic-scale Rossby waves on the polar front jet. The aerosol features on 7 and 12 December are selected for comparison with theory and with simulations using the University of Wisconsin Nonhydrostatic Modeling System (UWNMS). Consistent with Rossby adjustment theory, a common feature in the UWNMS simulations is radiation of IGW from the tropopause polar front jet, especially from sectors which are evolving rapidly in the Rossby wave breaking process. Packets of gravity wave energy radiate upward and poleward into the cold pool, while individual wave crests propagate poleward and downward, causing mesoscale variations in vertical motion and temperature. On 12 December the eastbound DC-8 lidar observations exhibited a fairly uniform field of six waves in aerosol enhancement in the 14-20 km layer, consistent with vertical displacement by a field of IGW propagating antiparallel to the flow, with characteristic horizontal and vertical wavelengths of 300and300 and 10 km. UWNMS simulations show emanation of a field of IGW upward and southwestward from a northward incursion of the polar front jet. The orientation and evolution of the aerosol features on 7 December are consistent with a single PSC induced by an IGW packet propagating from a breaking Rossby wave over western Russia toward the northeast into the coldest part of the base of the polar vortex, with characteristic period 9hours,verticalwavelength9 hours, vertical wavelength 12 km, and horizontal wavelength 1000km.Lineartheoryshowsthatforbothofthesecases,IGWenergypropagatesupwardat1000 km. Linear theory shows that for both of these cases, IGW energy propagates upward at 1 km/hour and horizontally at 100km/hour,withcharacteristictracespeed100 km/hour, with characteristic trace speed 30 m/s. The spatial orientation of the PSC along IGW phase lines is contrasted with the nearly horizontal filamentary structures in the PSC, which are indicative of flow streamlines. It is suggested that vertical displacement is a crucial factor in determining whether a PSC will form and that most PSCs are relatable to specific synoptic and mesoscale motions

    What’s in a Relationship: An Ontological Analysis

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    Abstract. In a series of publications, we have proposed a foundational system of ontological categories which has been successfully used to evaluate and im-prove the quality of conceptual modeling grammars and models. In this article, we continue this work by using this foundational ontology to provide real-world semantics and sound modeling guidelines for one of the most fundamental (and yet one of the most problematic) constructs in conceptual modeling, namely, the relationship type. In addition, we systematically compare our approach with a classical ontological treatment of this construct in the literature, provided by the BWW framework.

    Reported patterns of vaping to support long-term abstinence from smoking: a cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of vapers

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    Background: E-cigarettes are the most popular aid to smoking cessation attempts in England and the USA. This research examined associations between e-cigarette device characteristics and patterns of use, tobacco-smoking relapse, and smoking abstinence. Methods: A convenience sample of 371 participants with experience of vaping, and tobacco-smoking abstinence and/or relapse completed an online cross-sectional survey about e-cigarettes. Factors associated with smoking relapse were examined using multiple linear and logistic regression models. Results: Most participants were self-reported long-term abstinent smokers (86.3%) intending to continue vaping. Most initiated e-cigarette use with a vape pen (45.8%) or cig-a-like (38.7%) before moving onto a tank device (89%). Due to missing data, managed through pairwise deletion, only around 70 participants were included in some of the main analyses. Those using a tank or vape pen appeared less likely to relapse than those using a cig-a-like (tank vs. cig-a-like OR = 0.06, 95% CI 0.01-0.64, p = 0.019). There was an inverse association between starting self-reported e-cigarette liquid nicotine concentration and relapse, interacting with device type (OR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.63-0.99, p = 0.047), suggesting that risk of relapse may have been greater if starting with a low e-cigarette liquid nicotine concentration and/or cig-a-like device. Participants reported moving from tobacco-flavored cig-a-likes to fruit/sweet/food flavors with tank devices. Conclusions: Knowledge of how people have successfully maintained tobacco-smoking abstinence using vaping could help other tobacco smokers wishing to quit tobacco smoking through vaping
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