Prevalence and determinants of cigarette smoking relapse among US adult smokers: a longitudinal study

Objectives This research project aims at estimating the prevalence of cigarette smoking relapse and determining its predictors among adult former smokers in the USA. Setting This research analysed secondary data retrieved from the Tobacco Use Supplement-Current Population Survey 2010–2011 cohort in the USA. Participants Out of 18 499 participants who responded to the survey in 2010 and 2011, the analysis included a total sample size of 3258 ever smokers, who were living in the USA and reported quitting smoking in 2010. The survey’s respondents who never smoked or reported current smoking in 2010 were excluded from the study sample. Primary and secondary outcome measures Smoking relapse was defined as picking up smoking in 2011 after reporting smoking abstinence in 2010. The prevalence of relapse over the 12-month follow-up period was estimated among different subgroups. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to determine factors associated with relapse. Results A total of 184 former smokers reported smoking relapse by 2011 (weighted prevalence 6.8%; 95% CI 5.7% to 8.1%). Prevalence and odds of relapse were higher among young people compared with elders. Former smokers living in smoke-free homes (SFHs) had 60% lower odds of relapse compared with those living in homes that allowed smoking inside (adjusted OR 0.40; 95% CI 0.25 to 0.64). Regarding race/ethnicity, only Hispanics showed significantly higher odds of relapse compared with Whites (non-Hispanics). Odds of relapse were higher among never married, widowed, divorced and separated individuals, compared with the married group. Continuous smoking cessation for 6 months or more significantly decreased odds of relapse. Conclusions Wider health determinants, such as race and age, but also living in SFHs showed significant associations with smoking relapse, which could inform the development of more targeted programmes to support those smokers who successfully quit, although further longitudinal studies are required to confirm our findings

Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study of Nonconcatenated Ring Polymers in a Melt: I. Statics

Molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to investigate the structural properties of melts of nonconcatenated ring polymers and compared to melts of linear polymers. The longest rings were composed of N=1600 monomers per chain which corresponds to roughly 57 entanglement lengths for comparable linear polymers. For the rings, the radius of gyration squared was found to scale as N to the 4/5 power for an intermediate regime and N to the 2/3 power for the larger rings indicating an overall conformation of a crumpled globule. However, almost all beads of the rings are "surface beads" interacting with beads of other rings, a result also in agreement with a primitive path analysis performed in the following paper (DOI: 10.1063/1.3587138). Details of the internal conformational properties of the ring and linear polymers as well as their packing are analyzed and compared to current theoretical models.Comment: 15 pages, 14 figure

Perceptions and practice of personal protective behaviors to prevent COVID-19 transmission in the G7 nations

Introduction: To combat the transmission of COVID-19, countries have endorsed a series of non-pharmaceutical measures. We evaluated the practice and perceptions of personal protective measures and social distancing across the G7 countries. Methods: Data were collected during 19–21 March 2020, from 7005 of Kantar’s online panelists aged >16 years across the G7 countries: Canada, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States. Data were post-stratified and weighted to match population distributions of the respective countries. Descriptive and multivariable analyses were conducted in late March 2020. Results: Males (vs females) and those less educated (vs college graduates) were less likely to practice personal protective measures and social distancing. Younger adults were also less likely to practice social distancing (vs adults >65 years old). Respondents who expressed concern about the impact of COVID-19 on their health, income or education had higher odds of practicing personal protective measures (AOR=2.81, 1.74, and 1.54, respectively) and social distancing (AOR=3.18, 1.68, and 1.89, respectively) compared to those who did not. Those who perceived precautionary measures as highly effective were also more likely to practice personal protective measures (AOR=2.05) and social distancing (AOR=3.99) compared to those who perceived them as ineffective. Conclusions: Concerns about COVID-19 and perceived effectiveness of precautionary measures strongly predict practice of protective measures, regardless of the types of behaviors. Population-wide interventions should focus on ensuring increased adherence and tailoring communications to groups that are less likely to practice protective behaviors

On the number of limit cycles of the Lienard equation

In this paper, we study a Lienard system of the form dot{x}=y-F(x), dot{y}=-x, where F(x) is an odd polynomial. We introduce a method that gives a sequence of algebraic approximations to the equation of each limit cycle of the system. This sequence seems to converge to the exact equation of each limit cycle. We obtain also a sequence of polynomials R_n(x) whose roots of odd multiplicity are related to the number and location of the limit cycles of the system.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures. Submitted to Physical Review

Long-lived neutral-kaon flux measurement for the KOTO experiment

The KOTO ($K^0$ at Tokai) experiment aims to observe the CP-violating rare decay $K_L \rightarrow \pi^0 \nu \bar{\nu}$ by using a long-lived neutral-kaon beam produced by the 30 GeV proton beam at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex. The $K_L$ flux is an essential parameter for the measurement of the branching fraction. Three $K_L$ neutral decay modes, $K_L \rightarrow 3\pi^0$, $K_L \rightarrow 2\pi^0$, and $K_L \rightarrow 2\gamma$ were used to measure the $K_L$ flux in the beam line in the 2013 KOTO engineering run. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to estimate the detector acceptance for these decays. Agreement was found between the simulation model and the experimental data, and the remaining systematic uncertainty was estimated at the 1.4\% level. The $K_L$ flux was measured as $(4.183 \pm 0.017_{\mathrm{stat.}} \pm 0.059_{\mathrm{sys.}}) \times 10^7$ $K_L$ per $2\times 10^{14}$ protons on a 66-mm-long Au target.Comment: 27 pages, 16 figures. To be appeared in Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physic

Public perspective on the governmental response, communication and trust in the governmental decisions in mitigating COVID-19 early in the pandemic across the G7 countries

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a threat to global health and security inciting governments with the responsibility to respond with measures that ensure the health and safety of their communities. We assessed public attitudes towards governmental actions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in the G7 countries. Data were collected during 19th–21st March 2020, from 7005 Kantar's online panelists aged >16 years across the G7 countries: Canada, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States. Data were post-stratified and weighted to match population distributions of the respective countries. Descriptive and multivariable analyses were conducted. Amongst the G7, Japan had the lowest level of approval of governmental response to the pandemic, rating governmental communication as good, and trusting governmental decisions (35.0%, 33.6%, and 38.0%, respectively), followed by the U.S. (52.9%, 64.6%, and 59.9%, respectively). Understanding of which measures one can personally take to help limit the spread of the coronavirus was significantly associated with approving governmental response (aOR = 2.88), rating government communication as good (aOR = 2.70) and trust in future governmental decisions (aOR = 2.73). Those who reported government/politicians and friends/family as their most trusted information source were more likely to report approval, higher rating, and/or trust toward governmental actions. Public attitudes towards governmental actions against COVID-19 varied substantially across the G7 countries and were associated with the understanding of measures and source of information that respondents most trusted. Timely and accurate communication is essential to enhance public engagement to control the COVID-19 pandemic

Characterization of cDNA clones of the family of trypsin/α-amylase inhibitors (CM-proteins) in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Recombinants encoding members of the trypsin/-amylase inhibitors family (also designated CM-proteins) were selected from a cDNA library prepared from developing barley endosperm. Inserts in two of the clones, pUP-13 and pUP-38, were sequenced and found to encode proteins which clearly belong to this family, as judged from the extensive homology of the deduced sequences with that of the barley trypsin inhibitor CMe, the only member of the group for which a complete amino acid sequence has been obtained by direct protein sequencing. These results, together with previously obtained N-terminal sequences of purified CM-proteins, imply that there are at least six different members of this dispersed gene family in barley. The relationship of this protein family to the B-3 hordein and to reserve prolamins from related species is discussed in terms of their genome structure and evolution