91 research outputs found
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Electronic cigarette use and tobacco cessation in a state-based quitline
Introduction. Evidence is mixed on e-cigarette's effectiveness as a tobacco cessation aid. Research suggests that e-cigarette users face greater barriers to quitting tobacco. Aim. To examine the association between e-cigarette use and tobacco cessation outcomes among quitline callers. Methods. We examined 2,204 callers who enrolled and completed 7-month follow-up surveys between April 2014 and January 2017. We examined the association between any e-cigarette use and tobacco cessation. We also evaluated these relationships by e-cigarette use patterns between enrollment and 7-month follow-up: sustained, adopted, discontinued, and non-use. We used multivariable logistic regression to control for caller characteristics, tobacco history, and program utilization. Results. Overall, 18% of callers reported using e-cigarettes at enrollment, follow-up, or both. Compared to non-users, e-cigarette users were more likely to be younger, non-Hispanic, and report a mental health condition. The adjusted odds of tobacco cessation were not statistically different for callers who used e-cigarettes compared to those who did not (adjusted odds ratios = 1.02, 95% confidence interval 0.79-1.32). Results were similar when examining cessation by patterns of e-cigarette use. Conclusions. E-cigarette use was not associated with tobacco cessation. This suggests that e-cigarette use may neither facilitate nor deter tobacco cessation among quitline callers. Future research should continue exploring how e-cigarette use affects quitting.6 month embargo; published online: 20 March 2019This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]
Book of Abstracts & Success Stories National Conference on Marine Debris COMAD 2018
Marine debris has become a global problem with considerable threats to the habitat and to the
functions of marine ecosystem. One of the first reports of large areas of plastics in the ocean
has been by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1988 about the
Great Pacific Garbage patch or the Pacific trash vortex, where the density of litter is estimated
as four numbers per cubic meter. Globally, this shocking information led to initiation of new
research programs on marine litter and in India, the ICAR-CMFRI started an in house research
program on this theme in 2007.Understanding the significance of this ecological problem
which is purely a direct impact of anthropogenic activity, the Marine Biological Association of
India decided to organise a National Conference on Marine Debris (COMAD 2018 ) with an
aim to bring together researchers, planners, NGOs, entrepreneurs and local governing bodies
working on this theme. Thus, this conference was planned with three main componentsunderstand
the research outputs, get first- hand information on the various activities carried
out by the public to reduce or recycle non degradable waste generated at various levels and
also to have an exhibition of eco-friendly activities and products which would help to reduce
marine debris in the long run.
The response to all the three themes has been very encouraging. We have received about 50
research articles on themes ranging from micro-plastics to ghost nets and the same number
of success stories which are actually details of the diverse activities carried out in different
maritime states of the country to solve the issue of solid waste generated in the country. The
section on success stories includes attempts by eco-clubs, individuals, schools, colleges, local
governing bodies, district administrations, Institutions and NGOs.
Activities by some Panchayats like banning plastics in public functions and mechanisms to
collect sold waste from households are really commendable. Similarly, the efforts put in by
various groups to remove marine debris from the coastal waters is something which should be
appreciated. The message from these success stories is that, this problem of increasing marine
debris can be resolved. We have got success stories from almost all states and these leaders of
clean campaign will be presenting their work in the conference.
It is well known that visuals such as photographs and videos are powerful tools of communication.
In COMAD 2018, we have provided an opportunity for all across the nation to contribute to
this theme through photographs and videos. Am very happy that we have received more than
300 photographs and nearly 25 videos. The MBAI will place these on the web site. It is really
shocking to see the quantity of litter in the fishing ground and in the coastal ecosystem
Present status of exploitation of fish and shellfish resources: Oil sardine
Present status of exploitation of fish and shellfish resources: Oil sardine
Considerable fluctuations coupled with a general decline in the oil sardine landings have been observed along
the southwest coast of India during 1984-85 to 198889. The catch and effort data for oilsardine fishery during the
different seasons have revealed that premonsoon period is the most productive period for the fishery. The decline
in the fishery is attributed to the indiscriminate exploitation of juveniles and potential spawners by purse seiners and
ring seins. T he traditional &or has k e n a diversely affected by the operations of purse seines in recent years in northern
Kerala Exploitation of spawning st& of oilsardine during the b d n g from May to September is of great
consequences far the conservation of the resources. Even though good m o n soon is most likely to have a positive Impact
on the stock size and facilitate spawning and recruitment, the likely advantage is offset by Indiscreminate exploitation.
Regulation of mesh size of boat seines and restricting the operations of purse and ring seine are expecteded to
restore the fishery to its preeminent position and protect the interests of the traditional sector
Role of Alanine Racemase Mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis d-Cycloserine Resistance.
A screening of more than 1,500 drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis revealed evolutionary patterns characteristic of positive selection for three alanine racemase (Alr) mutations. We investigated these mutations using molecular modeling, in vitro MIC testing, as well as direct measurements of enzymatic activity, which demonstrated that these mutations likely confer resistance to d-cycloserine
Universal Plant DNA Barcode Loci May Not Work in Complex Groups: A Case Study with Indian Berberis Species
BACKGROUND: The concept of DNA barcoding for species identification has gained considerable momentum in animals because of fairly successful species identification using cytochrome oxidase I (COI). In plants, matK and rbcL have been proposed as standard barcodes. However, barcoding in complex genera is a challenging task. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We investigated the species discriminatory power of four reportedly most promising plant DNA barcoding loci (one from nuclear genome--ITS, and three from plastid genome--trnH-psbA, rbcL and matK) in species of Indian Berberis L. (Berberidaceae) and two other genera, Ficus L. (Moraceae) and Gossypium L. (Malvaceae). Berberis species were delineated using morphological characters. These characters resulted in a well resolved species tree. Applying both nucleotide distance and nucleotide character-based approaches, we found that none of the loci, either singly or in combinations, could discriminate the species of Berberis. ITS resolved all the tested species of Ficus and Gossypium and trnH-psbA resolved 82% of the tested species in Ficus. The highly regarded matK and rbcL could not resolve all the species. Finally, we employed amplified fragment length polymorphism test in species of Berberis to determine their relationships. Using ten primer pair combinations in AFLP, the data demonstrated incomplete species resolution. Further, AFLP analysis showed that there was a tendency of the Berberis accessions to cluster according to their geographic origin rather than species affiliation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We reconfirm the earlier reports that the concept of universal barcode in plants may not work in a number of genera. Our results also suggest that the matK and rbcL, recommended as universal barcode loci for plants, may not work in all the genera of land plants. Morphological, geographical and molecular data analyses of Indian species of Berberis suggest probable reticulate evolution and thus barcode markers may not work in this case
CURATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE THROUGH LIBRARIES
Libraries, museums and archives hold valuable collections in a variety of media, presenting a vast
body of knowledge rooted in the history of human civilisation. These form the repository of the
wisdom of great works by thinkers of past and the present. The holdings of these institutions are
priceless heritage of the mankind as they preserve documents, ideas, and the oral and written
records. To value the cultural heritage and to care for it as a treasure bequeathed to us by our
ancestors is the major responsibility of libraries. The past records constitute a natural resource
and are indispensable to the present generation as well as to the generations to come. Libraries
preserve the documentary heritage resources for which they are primarily responsible. Any loss of
such materials is simply irreplaceable. Therefore, preserving this intellectual, cultural heritage
becomes not only the academic commitment but also the moral responsibility of the
librarians/information scientists, who are in charge of these repositories.
The high quality of the papers and the discussion represent the thinking and experience of experts
in their particular fields. The contributed papers also relate to the methodology used in libraries
in Asia to provide access to manuscripts and cultural heritage. The volume discusses best practices
in Knowledge preservation and how to collaborate and preserve the culture. The book also deals with
manuscript and archives issues in the digital era.
The approach of this book is concise, comprehensively, covering all major aspects of preservation
and conservation through libraries. The readership of the book is not just limited to library and
information science professionals, but also for those involved in conservation, preservation,
restoration or other related disciplines. The book will be useful for librarians, archivists and
conservators.
We thank the Sunan Kalijaga University, Special Libraries Association- Asian Chapter for their
trust and their constant support, all the contributors for their submissions, the members of the Local
and International Committee for their reviewing effort for making this publication possible
Case Reports1. A Late Presentation of Loeys-Dietz Syndrome: Beware of TGFβ Receptor Mutations in Benign Joint Hypermobility
Background: Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) and dissections are not uncommon causes of sudden death in young adults. Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is a rare, recently described, autosomal dominant, connective tissue disease characterized by aggressive arterial aneurysms, resulting from mutations in the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) receptor genes TGFBR1 and TGFBR2. Mean age at death is 26.1 years, most often due to aortic dissection. We report an unusually late presentation of LDS, diagnosed following elective surgery in a female with a long history of joint hypermobility. Methods: A 51-year-old Caucasian lady complained of chest pain and headache following a dural leak from spinal anaesthesia for an elective ankle arthroscopy. CT scan and echocardiography demonstrated a dilated aortic root and significant aortic regurgitation. MRA demonstrated aortic tortuosity, an infrarenal aortic aneurysm and aneurysms in the left renal and right internal mammary arteries. She underwent aortic root repair and aortic valve replacement. She had a background of long-standing joint pains secondary to hypermobility, easy bruising, unusual fracture susceptibility and mild bronchiectasis. She had one healthy child age 32, after which she suffered a uterine prolapse. Examination revealed mild Marfanoid features. Uvula, skin and ophthalmological examination was normal. Results: Fibrillin-1 testing for Marfan syndrome (MFS) was negative. Detection of a c.1270G > C (p.Gly424Arg) TGFBR2 mutation confirmed the diagnosis of LDS. Losartan was started for vascular protection. Conclusions: LDS is a severe inherited vasculopathy that usually presents in childhood. It is characterized by aortic root dilatation and ascending aneurysms. There is a higher risk of aortic dissection compared with MFS. Clinical features overlap with MFS and Ehlers Danlos syndrome Type IV, but differentiating dysmorphogenic features include ocular hypertelorism, bifid uvula and cleft palate. Echocardiography and MRA or CT scanning from head to pelvis is recommended to establish the extent of vascular involvement. Management involves early surgical intervention, including early valve-sparing aortic root replacement, genetic counselling and close monitoring in pregnancy. Despite being caused by loss of function mutations in either TGFβ receptor, paradoxical activation of TGFβ signalling is seen, suggesting that TGFβ antagonism may confer disease modifying effects similar to those observed in MFS. TGFβ antagonism can be achieved with angiotensin antagonists, such as Losartan, which is able to delay aortic aneurysm development in preclinical models and in patients with MFS. Our case emphasizes the importance of timely recognition of vasculopathy syndromes in patients with hypermobility and the need for early surgical intervention. It also highlights their heterogeneity and the potential for late presentation. Disclosures: The authors have declared no conflicts of interes
31st Annual Meeting and Associated Programs of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC 2016) : part two
Background
The immunological escape of tumors represents one of the main ob- stacles to the treatment of malignancies. The blockade of PD-1 or CTLA-4 receptors represented a milestone in the history of immunotherapy. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors seem to be effective in specific cohorts of patients. It has been proposed that their efficacy relies on the presence of an immunological response. Thus, we hypothesized that disruption of the PD-L1/PD-1 axis would synergize with our oncolytic vaccine platform PeptiCRAd.
Methods
We used murine B16OVA in vivo tumor models and flow cytometry analysis to investigate the immunological background.
Results
First, we found that high-burden B16OVA tumors were refractory to combination immunotherapy. However, with a more aggressive schedule, tumors with a lower burden were more susceptible to the combination of PeptiCRAd and PD-L1 blockade. The therapy signifi- cantly increased the median survival of mice (Fig. 7). Interestingly, the reduced growth of contralaterally injected B16F10 cells sug- gested the presence of a long lasting immunological memory also against non-targeted antigens. Concerning the functional state of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), we found that all the immune therapies would enhance the percentage of activated (PD-1pos TIM- 3neg) T lymphocytes and reduce the amount of exhausted (PD-1pos TIM-3pos) cells compared to placebo. As expected, we found that PeptiCRAd monotherapy could increase the number of antigen spe- cific CD8+ T cells compared to other treatments. However, only the combination with PD-L1 blockade could significantly increase the ra- tio between activated and exhausted pentamer positive cells (p= 0.0058), suggesting that by disrupting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis we could decrease the amount of dysfunctional antigen specific T cells. We ob- served that the anatomical location deeply influenced the state of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. In fact, TIM-3 expression was in- creased by 2 fold on TILs compared to splenic and lymphoid T cells. In the CD8+ compartment, the expression of PD-1 on the surface seemed to be restricted to the tumor micro-environment, while CD4 + T cells had a high expression of PD-1 also in lymphoid organs. Interestingly, we found that the levels of PD-1 were significantly higher on CD8+ T cells than on CD4+ T cells into the tumor micro- environment (p < 0.0001).
Conclusions
In conclusion, we demonstrated that the efficacy of immune check- point inhibitors might be strongly enhanced by their combination with cancer vaccines. PeptiCRAd was able to increase the number of antigen-specific T cells and PD-L1 blockade prevented their exhaus- tion, resulting in long-lasting immunological memory and increased median survival
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Predictors of client retention in a state-based tobacco quitline
Introduction. Quitlines are standard care for smoking cessation; however, retaining clients in services is a problem. Little is known about factors that may predict dropout. Aims. To examine predictors of retention while in-program and at follow-up for clients enrolling in a state quitline. Methods. This was a retrospective analysis of quitline enrolled clients from 2011 to 2017 (N= 49,347). Client retention in-program was categorized as (a) low adherence to treatment (receiving zero coaching calls), moderate (1-2 calls), and high adherence (3+ calls). Dropout at follow-up included participants who were not reached for the 7-month follow-up. Results. More than half the sample dropped out during treatment; 61% were not reached for follow-up. Women (odds ratio (OR) = 1.21; 95% confidence interval (CI) = [1.16, 127]) and those with high levels of nicotine dependence (OR = 1.03; 95% CI = [1.02, 1.04]) were more likely to have moderate adherence to treatment (1-2 coaching calls). Dropout at follow-up was more likely among clients who used nicotine replacement therapy (OR = 1.14; 95% CI = [1.09, 1.19]) and less likely among those who had high treatment adherence (OR = 0.41; 95% CI = [0.39, 0.42]). Conclusion. Given the relapsing nature of tobacco use and the harms related to tobacco use, quitlines can improve their impact by offering tailored services to enhance client engagement and retention in-treatment and at follow-up.6 month embargo; published 9 March 2020This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]
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