Effect on smoking quit rate of telling patients their lung age: the Step2quit randomised controlled trial

Objective To evaluate the impact of telling patients their estimated spirometric lung age as an incentive to quit smoking.Design Randomised controlled trial.Setting Five general practices in Hertfordshire, England.Participants 561 current smokers aged over 35.Intervention All participants were offered spirometric assessment of lung function. Participants in intervention group received their results in terms of "lung age" (the age of the average healthy individual who would perform similar to them on spirometry). Those in the control group received a raw figure for forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1). Both groups were advised to quit and offered referral to local NHS smoking cessation services.Main outcome measures The primary outcome measure was verified cessation of smoking by salivary cotinine testing 12 months after recruitment. Secondary outcomes were reported changes in daily consumption of cigarettes and identification of new diagnoses of chronic obstructive lung disease.Results Follow-up was 89%. Independently verified quit rates at 12 months in the intervention and control groups, respectively, were 13.6% and 6.4% (difference 7.2%, P=0.005, 95% confidence interval 2.2% to 12.1%; number needed to treat 14). People with worse spirometric lung age were no more likely to have quit than those with normal lung age in either group. Cost per successful quitter was estimated at 280 pound ((euro) 365, $556). A new diagnosis of obstructive lung disease was made in 17% in the intervention group and 14% in the control group; a total of 16% (89/561) of participants.Conclusion Telling smokers their lung age significantly improves the likelihood of them quitting smoking, but the mechanism by which this intervention achieves its effect is unclear.Trial registration National Research Register N0096173751

Renormalization effects on neutrino masses and mixing in a string-inspired SU(4) X SU(2)_L X SU(2)_R X U(1)_X model

We discuss renormalization effects on neutrino masses and mixing angles in a supersymmetric string-inspired SU(4) X SU(2)_L X SU(2)_R X U(1)_X model, with matter in fundamental and antisymmetric tensor representations and singlet Higgs fields charged under the anomalous U(1)_X family symmetry. The quark, lepton and neutrino Yukawa matrices are distinguished by different Clebsch-Gordan coefficients. The presence of a second U(1)_X breaking singlet with fractional charge allows a more realistic, hierarchical light neutrino mass spectrum with bi-large mixing. By numerical investigation we find a region in the model parameter space where the neutrino mass-squared differences and mixing angles at low energy are consistent with experimental data.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures; references adde

Involvement of the α/β Isoform of p38 MAP Kinase in Chemotactic Responses of Human Eosinophils to Eotaxin (CCL11) and RANTES (CCL5)

Eosinophils are the principal effector cells for allergic inflammation in a variety of diseases, in which they contribute to tissue damage and remodelling processes via the secretion of cytotoxic granular proteins and cytokines. The intracellular mechanisms that control the activation, recruitment and survival of eosinophils are fundamental in understanding these disease processes. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) has been shown previously to be essential for eosinophil chemotactic responses to some stimuli but not others. Human blood neutrophils have been shown to utilize two antagonistic signalling pathways for chemotaxis: PI3K and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK). In the present study, the role of p38 MAPK in chemotactic responses of an eosinophildifferentiated myeloid leukaemia cell line (EOL-1) and human peripheral blood eosinophils to a range of stimuli - platelet-activating factor (PAF), eotaxin 1 (CCL11), RANTES (CCL5), interleukin 8 (IL8, CXCL8) and IL16 - was explored through the use of the p38 MAPK α/β isoform inhibitor, SB 203580. SB 203580 caused significant inhibition of chemotactic responses of both EOL-1 cells and blood eosinophils to eotaxin 1 and RANTES (≥75% inhibition at 1 µM SB 203580, p<0.01) but had no effect on the migration induced by PAF and IL16 (<25%) and little or no effect on responses to IL8. Responses to PAF - but not eotaxin - have been shown previously to be suppressed by PI3K inhibition. The complementary pattern of inhibition observed in the present study provides evidence that distinct PI3K-dependent and p38 MAPK-dependent chemoattractants may also exist for eosinophils

CO and CI maps of the starburst galaxy M82

The first map of an external galaxy in the 3P₁ - 3P0 fine-structure line of atomic carbon (CI) is presented towards the nucleus of the starbuster M82, and compared with the distinction of the CO J = 4 - 3 molecular emission. The CI traces features that are seen in lower transition CO maps, and shows that CI and the CO are well mixed and have similar spatial distributions. There are small differences between the CO J = 4 - 3 line and lower transition CO data towards the NE part of the molecular ring, where the emission is less prominent. The abundance ratio [CI]/[CO] across M82 is very high, with an average value ~ 0.5 across most of the nucleus, a factor at least 5 times that which is typical of dense molecular cloud cores seen in our own Galaxy. This means that on average, CI is overabundant towards M82. This result can be explained using models which provide enhancements to the CI abundance above normal Interstellar Medium values, a result of a greater cosmic ray flux in M82, or where there is substantial mixing of the gas

Chromatin: Receiver and Quarterback for Cellular Signals

Signal transduction pathways converge upon sequence-specific DNA binding factors to reprogram gene expression. Transcription factors, in turn, team up with chromatin modifying activities. However, chromatin is not simply an endpoint for signaling pathways. Histone modifications relay signals to other proteins to trigger more immediate responses than can be achieved through altered gene transcription, which might be especially important to time-urgent processes such as the execution of cell-cycle check points, chromosome segregation, or exit from mitosis. In addition, histone-modifying enzymes often have multiple nonhistone substrates, and coordination of activity toward different targets might direct signals both to and from chromatin

Biomechanical Similarities And Differences Of A. Agassi's First And Second Serves

The purpose of this study was to perform three-dimensional analysis of the instrumentally recorded elements of Andre Agassi's serving technique during competition. A video based analysis system was used to analyze the data provided by two sVHS (60 Hz) back and right side view camcorders. Four successful first and second serves into the deuce court were selected for the analysis. Spatial kinematic characteristics of the defined points and segments were analyzed. The average speed of the ball for the first serve was 45.8±2.2 m/s and angled close to the sideline. The second serve was hit with pronounced topspin and achieved a ball speed of 37.9±2.4 m/s. Kinematic characteristics of the CG in the preparation phase reflects direction, velocity and rotation of the ball. The first serve's CG maximum speed was 1.89±0.10 m/s. Angle ofthe horizontal velocity at the moment of impact was 17±4 degrees. The characteristics of the second serve were 1.71±0.09 m/sand 1l±5 degrees. However, the vertical component of CG velocity of the second serve was 12% higher than the first which most likely provided additional ball rotation. The ball positioning relative to the CG at the moment of impact for the first serve was 0.13±0.02 m forward and 0.12±0.04 m laterally. The second serve had no significant forward shift between the ball and CG. Lateral shift was 0.36±0.04 m. The impact height was relatively the same. Analysis of body segment movements during the first serve gives the following results: high speed right knee extension, hip and shoulder rotation provides pronounced forward body motion. In the second serve extension of the left knee was dominant with less influence by the hip and shoulder rotation, but with more notable lateral trunk action. No significant differences were found between right arm and racquet's relative movements during the first and the second serves. In both cases maximum angular velocities of the elbow extension and a racquet swing were 1185±110 deg/s and 3240±180 deg/sec respectively with the same structure of the velocity changes. It was found that in order to increase consistency of the second serve, Agassi while keeping the relative motion of his arm consistent from serve to serve, makes changes in his vertical and lateral position, and the forward motion of his body which causes changes in the velocity and rotation of the ball. Since the torso and leg muscles are larger than the arm muscles, they are stronger and more stable, thus providing consistency in changes of motion patterns for the second serve

Uncertainties in water chemistry in disks: An application to TW Hya

Context. This paper discusses the sensitivity of water lines to chemical processes and radiative transfer for the protoplanetary disk around TW Hya. The study focuses on the Herschel spectral range in the context of new line detections with the PACS instrument from the Gas in Protoplanetary Systems project (GASPS). Aims. The paper presents an overview of the chemistry in the main water reservoirs in the disk around TW Hya. It discusses the limitations in the interpretation of observed water line fluxes. Methods. ... (abbreviated) Results. We report new line detections of p-H2O (3_22-2_11) at 89.99 micron and CO J=18-17 at 144.78 micron for the disk around TW Hya. Disk modeling shows that the far-IR fine structure lines ([OI], [CII]) and molecular submm lines are very robust to uncertainties in the chemistry, while the water line fluxes can change by factors of a few. The water lines are optically thick, sub-thermally excited and can couple to the background continuum radiation field. The low-excitation water lines are also sensitive to uncertainties in the collision rates, e.g. with neutral hydrogen. The gas temperature plays an important role for the [OI] fine structure line fluxes, the water line fluxes originating from the inner disk as well as the high excitation CO, CH+ and OH lines. Conclusions. Due to their sensitivity on chemical input data and radiative transfer, water lines have to be used cautiously for understanding details of the disk structure. Water lines covering a wide range of excitation energies provide access to the various gas phase water reservoirs (inside and outside the snow line) in protoplanetary disks and thus provide important information on where gas-phase water is potentially located. Experimental and/or theoretical collision rates for H2O with atomic hydrogen are needed to diminish uncertainties from water line radiative transfer.Comment: accepted for publication in A&