Counter Tobacco: Laying the Groundwork for Tobacco Retailer Licensing in North Carolina

Background: Tobacco use, primarily of cigarettes, is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States (Danaei et al., 2009; Mokdad, Marks, Stroup, & Gerberding, 2004; US Department of Health and Human Services, 2004). In North Carolina, 12,200 of our state's citizens die every year from tobacco use, and the state spends $769 million in tobacco-related Medicaid costs. Additionally, despite widespread prevention efforts, cigarette-smoking rates remain high among youth (Everett et al., 1999). Exposure and access to tobacco is also an area reflective of striking disparities along racial, socio-economic, and age lines. It is therefore imperative that North Carolina take progressive steps to decrease youth cigarette use. One way in which states and localities are reducing tobacco use is by creating tobacco control policies that act at the point-of-sale (POS). POS policies are those that are directed at the location and event of purchase of tobacco products. One POS policy that has been used in the majority of states, but not in North Carolina, is tobacco retailer licensing. Tobacco retailer licensing laws can effectively decrease access and smoking rates, illegal sales of tobacco products and resulting tax revenue losses, and the burden of enforcement costs on the state when fees from licensing fund enforcement efforts. Methods: As a group of Capstone students from the Department of Health Behavior at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, we produced four deliverables to lay the groundwork for tobacco retailer licensing in North Carolina. These deliverables are presented in the following order: 1) Tobacco retailer maps of Chapel Hill and Durham County 2) Policy brief 3) Social marketing materials, and 4) Manuscript. To assess the locations of tobacco retailers in two local communities, team members collected Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data on every tobacco retailer in Chapel Hill and Durham County. From these data, team members created maps of tobacco retailers in Chapel Hill and Durham County and examined spatial patterns based on available data, such as census information on racial composition and income of census blocks. To create a policy brief that advocates of POS policies could use to communicate with policy makers, a review of the scientific, legal, and advocacy materials on licensing tobacco retailers was conducted. To inform and inspire advocacy among potential allies around tobacco retailer licensing, the team created social marketing materials that were message-tested with Durham and Chapel Hill residents as well as community leaders, and revised materials with this input to create final versions. Finally, the team drafted a manuscript to document existing published evidence of POS tobacco marketing, youth tobacco use, and youth purchase of tobacco at tobacco retail outlets near schools. Results: We increased the North Carolina tobacco advocacy community and the general public's knowledge about tobacco retailer licensing. The data collected and materials produced were presented to members of the Orange County Health Department, the North Carolina Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch, the North Carolina Alliance for Health, and community leaders from Durham and Chapel Hill as testimony for the need for tobacco retailer licensing in these areas. Finally, all of the materials will be made available on the Counter Tobacco website for advocates to continue to use. Discussion: Working with the tobacco control advocacy and policy-making communities provided the Capstone team with the opportunity to continually refine the priorities and deliverables of our project. These experiences provided a solid foundation of policy advocacy and social marketing skills for Capstone team members. The Capstone team's activities and materials will advance POS policies in North Carolina and across the country.Master of Public Healt

Прикладна механіка і основи конструювання: навчально-методичний посібник

Розроблено відповідно до навчальної програми і призначено для виконання розрахунково-графічної роботи з дисципліни «Прикладна механіка і основи конструювання» студентам напряму підготовки 6.050202 «Автоматизація та компютерно-ігрегровані технології» денної та заочної форм навчання. Посібник рекомендовано також для самостійної роботи студентів, оскільки він вміщує короткі теоретичні викладки основного матеріалу дисципліни «Прикладна механіка і основи конструювання», умови завдань, приклади їх розв’язування, необхідні довідкові дані

The primary structural photoresponse of phytochrome proteins captured by a femtosecond X-ray laser

Phytochrome proteins control the growth, reproduction, and photosynthesis of plants, fungi, and bacteria. Light is detected by a bilin cofactor, but it remains elusive how this leads to activation of the protein through structural changes. We present serial femtosecond X-ray crystallographic data of the chromophore-binding domains of a bacterial phytochrome at delay times of 1 ps and 10 ps after photoexcitation. The data reveal a twist of the D-ring, which leads to partial detachment of the chromophore from the protein. Unexpectedly, the conserved so-called pyrrole water is photodissociated from the chromophore, concomitant with movement of the A-ring and a key signaling aspartate. The changes are wired together by ultrafast backbone and water movements around the chromophore, channeling them into signal transduction towards the output domains. We suggest that the observed collective changes are important for the phytochrome photoresponse, explaining the earliest steps of how plants, fungi and bacteria sense red light.Peer reviewe

Hyperoxemia and excess oxygen use in early acute respiratory distress syndrome : Insights from the LUNG SAFE study

Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Author(s). Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.Background: Concerns exist regarding the prevalence and impact of unnecessary oxygen use in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We examined this issue in patients with ARDS enrolled in the Large observational study to UNderstand the Global impact of Severe Acute respiratory FailurE (LUNG SAFE) study. Methods: In this secondary analysis of the LUNG SAFE study, we wished to determine the prevalence and the outcomes associated with hyperoxemia on day 1, sustained hyperoxemia, and excessive oxygen use in patients with early ARDS. Patients who fulfilled criteria of ARDS on day 1 and day 2 of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure were categorized based on the presence of hyperoxemia (PaO2 > 100 mmHg) on day 1, sustained (i.e., present on day 1 and day 2) hyperoxemia, or excessive oxygen use (FIO2 ≥ 0.60 during hyperoxemia). Results: Of 2005 patients that met the inclusion criteria, 131 (6.5%) were hypoxemic (PaO2 < 55 mmHg), 607 (30%) had hyperoxemia on day 1, and 250 (12%) had sustained hyperoxemia. Excess FIO2 use occurred in 400 (66%) out of 607 patients with hyperoxemia. Excess FIO2 use decreased from day 1 to day 2 of ARDS, with most hyperoxemic patients on day 2 receiving relatively low FIO2. Multivariate analyses found no independent relationship between day 1 hyperoxemia, sustained hyperoxemia, or excess FIO2 use and adverse clinical outcomes. Mortality was 42% in patients with excess FIO2 use, compared to 39% in a propensity-matched sample of normoxemic (PaO2 55-100 mmHg) patients (P = 0.47). Conclusions: Hyperoxemia and excess oxygen use are both prevalent in early ARDS but are most often non-sustained. No relationship was found between hyperoxemia or excessive oxygen use and patient outcome in this cohort. Trial registration: LUNG-SAFE is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02010073publishersversionPeer reviewe

Vides apstākļu nozīme Hanta vīrusa izplatībā

MedicīnaVeselības aprūpeMedicineHealth CareIevads Hantavīrusi pieder pie nozīmīgiem zoonotiskiem vīrusiem, kuru endēmiskās teritorijas ir visā pasaulē. Ģeogrāfiski tas izraisa hantavīrusu kardiopulmonāro sindromu (HCPS) Amerikā un hemorāģisko drudzi ar nieru sindromu (HFRS) Eirāzijā ar ievērojamu mirstību līdz pat 50 %. Infekcijas gadījumu skaits pieaug arī pašlaik, un ir daudz līdz šim zināmu nepatogēnu vīrusu, kas nākotnē potenciāli varētu kļūt patogēni. Ņemot vērā paredzamās klimata pārmaiņas un zemes pārveidošanas sekas, kas izraisa mežu izciršanu un jaunas lauksaimniecības platības, ir ļoti iespējams, ka šī vīrusa nozīme vēl vairāk pieaugs. Tā kā pagaidām nav izstrādāta vakcinācija un mērķtiecīga ārstēšana, tas var būtiski ietekmēt sabiedrības veselību, pat vairāk nekā pašlaik. Tāpēc ir svarīgi gūt izpratni par hantavīrusa klīnisko nozīmi, hantavīrusa virusoloģijas pamatiem, grauzēju rezervuāru, kurā atrodas vīruss, transmisiju, patoģenēzi, dažādām slimības klīniskām izpausmēm, diagnostiku, terapiju, kā arī ārstēšanu. Metodoloģija Šī ir internetā pieejama literatūras izpēte par rakstiem, kas pieejami pilnteksta režīmā, izmantojot Pubmed un Clinicalkey by Elsevier, tostarp attiecīgus publicētus medicīnas rakstus, žurnālus un grāmatas. Tā kā nesen publicēto materiālu daudzums bija ierobežots, netika izslēgti būtiski raksti pēc laika kritērija. Attiecīgie raksti tika atrasti, izmantojot meklēšanas terminus: "hantavīruss", "epidemioloģija", "ekoloģija", "simptomi", "terapija", "transmisija", "patoģenēze", "patofizioloģija", "epidēmijas", "infekcijas", "laika apstākļi", "ainava", "ārstēšana", "profilakse", "klimata pārmaiņas", "vide", "izplatība", "vīruss", "Nephropathia epidemica" hemorāģiskais drudzis", "hemorāģiskais drudzis ar nieru sindromu", "HFRS", "plaušu sindroms", "kardiopulmonālais sindroms", "HCPS", "HPS", "Puumula", "Dobrava", "sin nombre". Rezultāti Literatūras apskats liecina, ka hantavīrusu infekcijas ir epidēmiskas un koncentrējas noteiktos ģeogrāfiskos reģionos, kuros ir optimāli dzīves apstākļi grauzējiem saimniekiem. Klimata, sezonas un ainavas faktori, kā arī barības bagātība ietekmē hantavīrusu infekciju. Secinājumi Hantavīrusu infekcijas un klimata pārmaiņas var radīt krasas problēmas. Tas ir problemātiski, jo joprojām ir tikai dažas terapijas iespējas, galvenais uzsvars jāliek uz profilaksi. Nepieciešami papildu pētījumi.Background Hantaviruses belong to the important zoonotic viruses with endemic areas all over the world. According to geography it causes hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in the Americas and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Eurasia with substantial mortality of up to 50%. Infection numbers are increasing even now and there are many up to current knowledge non-pathogenic viruses that could potentially turn pathogenic in the future. With the anticipated climate change and consequences of land alterations, resulting in deforestation and new agricultural areas and it is very likely that this virus’s importance will grow even further. As there is no established vaccination and targeted treatment yet, it has to potential to substantially impact public health, even more than it does now. Thus, it is important to get an understanding of clinical significance, basic hantaviral virology, the rodent reservoir harbouring the virus, transmission, pathogenesis, different clinical courses of disease, diagnosis, therapy as well as treatment. Methods This is an internet-based literature research for articles available in full text mode using Pubmed and Clinicalkey by Elsevier, including relevant published medical articles, journals and books. Due to the limited quantity of recently published material, there was no exclusion of articles of relevance by criteria of timeline. Relevant articles were found by using the search terms: “hantavirus” “epidemiology”, “ecology”, “symptoms”, “therapy”, “transmission”, “pathogenesis”, “pathophysiology”, “epidemics”, “infections”, “weather”, “landscape”, “treatment”, “prevention”, “climate change”, “environment”, “distribution”, “virus”, “Nephropathia epidemica” haemorrhagic fever”, “haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome”, “HFRS”, “pulmonary syndrome”, “cardiopulmonary syndrome”, “HCPS”, “HPS”, “Puumula”, “Dobrava”, “sin nombre” Results The literature review showed that hantavirus infections are epidemic and concentrated in certain geographical regions that provide optimised living conditions for the host rodents. Climate, seasonal, and landscape factors as well as food abundance have an impact on hantavirus infection. Conclusion There is the potential for drastic problems with hantavirus infections and climate change. This is problematic because there still are only few options for therapy, the main focus should lie on prophylaxis. More research is needed

Searching for Synergies : Matrix Algebraic Approaches for Efficient Pair Screening

Functionally interacting perturbations, such as synergistic drugs pairs or synthetic lethal gene pairs, are of key interest in both pharmacology and functional genomics. However, to find such pairs by traditional screening methods is both time consuming and costly. We present a novel computational-experimental framework for efficient identification of synergistic target pairs, applicable for screening of systems with sizes on the order of current drug, small RNA or SGA (Synthetic Genetic Array) libraries (&gt;1000 targets). This framework exploits the fact that the response of a drug pair in a given system, or a pair of genes' propensity to interact functionally, can be partly predicted by computational means from (i) a small set of experimentally determined target pairs, and (ii) pre-existing data (e.g. gene ontology, PPI) on the similarities between targets. Predictions are obtained by a novel matrix algebraic technique, based on cyclical projections onto convex sets. We demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method using drug-drug interaction data from seven cancer cell lines and gene-gene interaction data from yeast SGA screens. Our protocol increases the rate of synergism discovery significantly over traditional screening, by up to 7-fold. Our method is easy to implement and could be applied to accelerate pair screening for both animal and microbial systems