The Ontario Pharmacy Evidence Network Atlas of Smoking Cessation Services

Introduction Tobacco smoking is a significant public health concern. It is estimated that more than 40,000 deaths and $6.5 billion in direct health care costs are attributable to tobacco smoking in Canada each year. Individuals who smoke tobacco or who are exposed to second-hand smoke are at increased risk of respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer. It is well known that quitting smoking can improve immediate and long-term health, yet nicotine dependence is a significant barrier to smoking cessation. Multimodal approaches that include medication and counselling services promote successful smoking cessation

An approach for particle sinking velocity measurements in the 3–400 μm size range and considerations on the effect of temperature on sinking rates

The flux of organic particles below the mixed layer is one major pathway of carbon from the surface into the deep ocean. The magnitude of this export flux depends on two major processes—remineralization rates and sinking velocities. Here, we present an efficient method to measure sinking velocities of particles in the size range from approximately 3–400 μm by means of video microscopy (FlowCAM®). The method allows rapid measurement and automated analysis of mixed samples and was tested with polystyrene beads, different phytoplankton species, and sediment trap material. Sinking velocities of polystyrene beads were close to theoretical values calculated from Stokes’ Law. Sinking velocities of the investigated phytoplankton species were in reasonable agreement with published literature values and sinking velocities of material collected in sediment trap increased with particle size. Temperature had a strong effect on sinking velocities due to its influence on seawater viscosity and density. An increase in 9 °C led to a measured increase in sinking velocities of ~40 %. According to this temperature effect, an average temperature increase in 2 °C as projected for the sea surface by the end of this century could increase sinking velocities by about 6 % which might have feedbacks on carbon export into the deep ocean

Contemporary determinants of international relatioos

Z wprowadzenia: "Nauka o stosunkach międzynarodowych nie może się obejść bez systematyzowania i porządkowania omawianej przez siebie niezwykle szerokiej materii. Poszukując odpowiedzi na pytania związane z relacjami pomiędzy uczestnikami interakcji międzynarodowych, nie sposób nie dostrzegać czynników, jakie na nie wpływają, czy to w sposób pośredni czy też bezpośredni, zależny lub niezależny od nich. Wielość tych czynników i zmienność wagi przykładanej do poszczególnych, zależnie od epoki, stwarza konieczność gruntownego badania i wskazywania na najważniejsze z nich, decydujące w danym okresie."(...

DNA mismatch repair gene MSH6 implicated in determining age at natural menopause

notes: PMCID: PMC3976329This is a freely-available open access publication. Please cite the published version which is available via the DOI link in this record.The length of female reproductive lifespan is associated with multiple adverse outcomes, including breast cancer, cardiovascular disease and infertility. The biological processes that govern the timing of the beginning and end of reproductive life are not well understood. Genetic variants are known to contribute to ∼50% of the variation in both age at menarche and menopause, but to date the known genes explain <15% of the genetic component. We have used genome-wide association in a bivariate meta-analysis of both traits to identify genes involved in determining reproductive lifespan. We observed significant genetic correlation between the two traits using genome-wide complex trait analysis. However, we found no robust statistical evidence for individual variants with an effect on both traits. A novel association with age at menopause was detected for a variant rs1800932 in the mismatch repair gene MSH6 (P = 1.9 × 10(-9)), which was also associated with altered expression levels of MSH6 mRNA in multiple tissues. This study contributes to the growing evidence that DNA repair processes play a key role in ovarian ageing and could be an important therapeutic target for infertility.UK Medical Research CouncilWellcome Trus