What is known about tobacco industry efforts to influence tobacco tax? A systematic review of empirical studies.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review studies of tobacco industry efforts to influence tobacco tax policies. METHODS: Searches were conducted between 1 October 2009 and 31 March 2010 in 14 databases/websites, in relevant bibliographies and via experts. Studies were included if they focused on industry efforts to influence tobacco tax policies, drew on empirical evidence, were in English and concerned the period 1985-2010. In total, 36 studies met these criteria. Two reviewers undertook data extraction and critical appraisal. A random selection of 15 studies (42%) was subject to second review. Evidence was assessed thematically to identify distinct tobacco industry aims, arguments and tactics. RESULTS: A total of 34 studies examined industry efforts to influence tax levels. They suggest the tobacco industry works hard to prevent significant increases and particularly dislikes taxes 'earmarked' for tobacco control. Key arguments to counter increases are that tobacco taxes are socially regressive, unfair and lead to increased levels of illicit trade and negative economic impacts. For earmarked taxes, the industry also frequently tries to raise concerns about revenue allocation. Assessing industry arguments against established evidence demonstrates most are unsupported. Key industry tactics include: establishing 'front groups', securing credible allies, direct lobbying and publicity campaigns. Only seven studies examined efforts to influence tax structures. They suggest company preferences vary and tactics centre on direct lobbying. CONCLUSIONS: The tobacco industry has historically tried to keep tobacco taxes low using consistent tactics and misleading arguments. Further research is required to explore efforts to influence tax structures, excise policies beyond the USA and recent policies

Renegotiating father’s identity following stillbirth: what and who am I?

This study examines the experiences of men following stillbirth in particular the challenges they face in claiming their identity as a father of an absent child. Fathers felt diminished when concerns about how they were coping were directed only to the women. Contrary to the notion that father’s experience suggests men suffer less distress, this research shows that men also deal with loss at an emotional level. This investigation into men’s accounts of loss forms part of a larger study in which 28 men and women participated in interviews and focus groups about their experiences of perinatal death. By listening to narrative accounts of loss, the passage to parenthood for bereaved men represents a disruption and re-evaluation of who they are, what they knew about the world as they negotiate the incomprehensibility of the death itself. Narratives by bereaved men also reveal how their sense of self and identity is mediated by the social and cultural milieu to which they belong and are largely disenfranchising experiences when friends, family and others, at times, fail to acknowledge the enormity of their loss. The findings suggest that recognition of the death of baby who is stillborn as well as the impact of the death for father’s is intertwined with personal identity. Men in this study needed to receive recognition as fathers, both at the time of their loss and after. In examining the reproductive and bereavement journey of men, several domains occurred to illuminate the experience of men including; men as support partners; the impact of the death; parenting an absent child [advocate, protector]. The findings from this study will offer insight into the experiences of men that will resonate for others including practitioners who support individuals going through similar experiences. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the University of Bristol Ethics Committee as part of doctoral research. Written informed consent was obtained by all study participants. No formal recruitment was obtained through the National Health Service or Government Institution and was entirely voluntary

Self-assembling Ultrashort NSAID-Peptide Nanosponges: Multifunctional Antimicrobial and Anti-inflammatory Materials

This paper outlines the design, synthesis and characterisation of innovative NSAID-peptide gelators which demonstrate antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties and have potential use as multifunctional materials for biomedical applications.</p

Household environment and behavioral determinants of respiratory tract infection in infants and young children in northern Bangladesh

Objectives: Respiratory tract infections (RTI) are one of the leading causes of under-five mortality in Bangladesh. Solid biomass fuels are the main source of domestic fuel used for cooking across Bangladesh, leading to smoke and pollution exposure in the home. This paper aims to identify risk-factors for RTI among children aged under five years in Bangladesh with a particular focus on the household environment, fuel use and cooking practices. Method: A cross-sectional household-health survey was carried out in 321 households in northern Bangladesh. The survey included care-giver interviews on cooking practices, child health and household behaviors during cooking. Health status of the youngest child (under 5 years) from each household was recorded through maternal interviews, medical diagnosis, and assessment of biomarkers (c-reactive protein (CRP), hemoglobin) from finger-prick blood samples. Anthropometric status (weight, height) was recorded. Results: Children who spent ≥30 minutes/day within five feet of the stove during cooking had a significantly increased risk of moderate/severe RTI compared with children spending <30 minutes/day close to the stove (OR=2.15, 95%CI: 1.20-3.86, p=0.01), independent of socio-economic status (SES), biomass fuel type (wood, dung, plant-derived, compressed risk husks), child age, anthropometric status, CRP and hemoglobin. Conclusions: In environments with a heavy reliance on solid biomass fuels, the amount of time a child spends near the stove during cooking may be an important risk for RTI. These novel findings from Bangladesh warrant further investigation of mother-infant behaviors during cooking in relation to child health, to ascertain whether the association is likely to be causal

Varied effects of algal symbionts on transcription factor NF-κB in a sea anemone and a coral: possible roles in symbiosis and thermotolerance

Many cnidarians, including the reef-building corals, undergo symbiotic mutualisms with photosynthetic dinoflagellate algae of the family Symbiodiniaceae. These partnerships are sensitive to temperature extremes, which cause symbiont loss and increased coral mortality. Previous studies have implicated host immunity and specifically immunity transcription factor NF-κB as having a role in the maintenance of the cnidarian-algal symbiosis. Here we have further investigated a possible role for NF-κB in establishment and loss of symbiosis in various strains of the anemone Exaiptasia (Aiptasia) and in the coral Pocillopora damicornis. Our results show that NF-κB expression is reduced in Aiptasia larvae and adults that host certain algae strains. Treatment of Aiptasia larvae with a known symbiosis-promoting cytokine, transforming growth factor β, also led to decreased NF-κB expression. We also show that aposymbiotic Aiptasia (with high NF-κB expression) have increased survival following infection with the pathogenic bacterium Serratia marcescens as compared to symbiotic Aiptasia (low NF-κB expression). Furthermore, a P. damicornis coral colony hosting Durusdinium spp. (formerly clade D) symbionts had higher basal NF-κB expression and decreased heat-induced bleaching as compared to two individuals hosting Cladocopium spp. (formerly clade C) symbionts. Lastly, genome-wide gene expression profiling and genomic promoter analysis identified putative NF-κB target genes that may be involved in thermal bleaching, symbiont maintenance, and/or immune protection in P. damicornis. Our results provide further support for the hypothesis that modulation of NF-κB and immunity plays a role in some, but perhaps not all, cnidarian-Symbiodiniaceae partnerships as well as in resistance to pathogens and bleaching.Accepted manuscrip

Prenatal exome sequencing in anomalous fetuses: new opportunities and challenges

We investigated the diagnostic and clinical performance of exome sequencing (ES) in fetuses with sonographic abnormalities with normal karyotype, microarray and, in some cases, normal gene specific sequencing

Targeted proteomic quantitation of NRF2 signaling and predictive biomarkers in HNSCC

The NFE2L2 (NRF2) oncogene and transcription factor drives a gene expression program that promotes cancer progression, metabolic reprogramming, immune evasion, and chemoradiation resistance. Patient stratification by NRF2 activity may guide treatment decisions to improve outcome. Here, we developed a mass spectrometry-based targeted proteomics assay based on internal standard-triggered parallel reaction monitoring to quantify 69 NRF2 pathway components and targets, as well as 21 proteins of broad clinical significance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We improved an existing internal standard-triggered parallel reaction monitoring acquisition algorithm, called SureQuant, to increase throughput, sensitivity, and precision. Testing the optimized platform on 27 lung and upper aerodigestive cancer cell models revealed 35 NRF2 responsive proteins. In formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded HNSCCs, NRF2 signaling intensity positively correlated with NRF2-activating mutations and with SOX2 protein expression. Protein markers of T-cell infiltration correlated positively with one another and with human papilloma virus infection status. CDKN2A (p16) protein expression positively correlated with the human papilloma virus oncogenic E7 protein and confirmed the presence of translationally active virus. This work establishes a clinically actionable HNSCC protein biomarker assay capable of quantifying over 600 peptides from frozen or formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded archived tissues in under 90 min

Developmental pathways to autism: a review of prospective studies of infants at risk

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, and the presence of restrictive and repetitive behaviors. Symptoms of ASD likely emerge from a complex interaction between pre-existing neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities and the child's environment, modified by compensatory skills and protective factors. Prospective studies of infants at high familial risk for ASD (who have an older sibling with a diagnosis) are beginning to characterize these developmental pathways to the emergence of clinical symptoms. Here, we review the range of behavioral and neurocognitive markers for later ASD that have been identified in high-risk infants in the first years of life. We discuss theoretical implications of emerging patterns, and identify key directions for future work, including potential resolutions to several methodological challenges for the field. Mapping how ASD unfolds from birth is critical to our understanding of the developmental mechanisms underlying this disorder. A more nuanced understanding of developmental pathways to ASD will help us not only to identify children who need early intervention, but also to improve the range of interventions available to them