Smoking and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), although the exact components and pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for this association remain unclear. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that form during organic material combustion and are thus found in cigarette smoke, vehicle exhaust particles, and air pollution. We hypothesize that PAHs are key agents responsible for mediating the cigarette smoke effects in the cardiovascular system, including increased oxidative stress, inflammation, and arterial stiffness.<p> Arterial stiffness is a powerful, independent predictor of cardiovascular risk and is regulated, in part, by vasoactive mediators derived from the endothelium. The first objective of this project was to determine whether pulse wave dP/dt collected from radiotelemetry-implanted rats is a reliable indicator of changes in arterial stiffness following administration of vasoactive drugs or acute ETS exposure. Anaesthetized rats were administered a single dose of saline (vehicle control), acetylcholine, norepinephrine, and N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) via the tail vein, allowing a washout period between injections. Acetylcholine decreased and norepinephrine increased dP/dt compared to saline vehicle. Injection of the nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor L-NAME decreased plasma nitrate/nitrite (NOx), but transiently increased dP/dt. For the ETS experiment, rats were exposed for one hour to sham, low dose ETS, or high dose ETS. Exposure to ETS did not significantly alter dP/dt or plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels, but increased plasma NOx levels at the high ETS exposure and increased plasma nitrotyrosine levels in both ETS groups. In conclusion, acute changes in NO production via acetylcholine or L-NAME alter the arterial pulse wave dP/dt consistently with the predicted changes in arterial stiffness. Although acute ETS appears to biologically inactivate NO, a concomitant increase in NO production at the high ETS exposure may explain why ETS did not acutely alter dP/dt.<p> The second objective of this project was to compare the effects of subchronic ETS and BaP exposure on circadian blood pressure patterns, arterial stiffness, and possible sources of oxidative stress in radiotelemetry-implanted rats. Pulse wave dP/dt was used as an indicator of arterial stiffness, and was compared to both structural (wall thickness) and functional (NO production and bioactivity, ET-1 levels) features of the arterial wall. In addition, histology of lung, heart, and liver were examined as well as pulmonary and hepatic detoxifying enzyme activity (cytochrome P450 specifically CYP1A1). Daily ETS exposure for 28 days altered the circadian pattern of heart rate and blood pressure in rats, with a loss in the normal dipping pattern of blood pressure during sleep. Subchronic ETS exposure also increased dP/dt in the absence of any structural modifications in the arterial wall. Although NO production and ET-1 levels were not altered by ETS, there was increased biological inactivation of NO via peroxynitrite production (as indicated by increased plasma nitrotyrosine levels). Thus, vascular stiffness and failure of blood pressure to dip precede structural changes in rats exposed to ETS for 28 days. Exposure to ETS also caused increased number of lung neutrophils as well as increased CYP1A1 activity in lung microsomes.<p> Since ETS-induced increases in arterial stiffness occurred as early as day 7, radiotelemetry-implanted rats were exposed daily to intranasal BaP for 7 days. Similar to ETS, BaP exposure altered circadian blood pressure patterns and reduced blood pressure dipping during sleep. Thus, in support of part of our hypothesis, the PAH component of cigarette smoke may be responsible for the ETS-induced increase in blood pressure and the loss of dipping pattern during sleep. Increased neutrophil recruitment was observed in the lungs of both ETS- and BaP-exposed rats, suggesting that lung inflammatory reactions may be involved in the disruption of circadian blood pressure rhythms. Unlike ETS however, BaP exposure did not significantly alter pulse wave dP/dt, endothelial function, or lung CYP1A1 activity. Thus, contrary to our hypothesis, the reduction in NO bioactivity and increased arterial stiffness caused by ETS cannot be explained by BaP at the dose and length of the exposure in the current study. Production of reactive metabolites in the lung following ETS exposure may be responsible, at least in part, for the increases in oxidative stress in the vasculature, leading to reduced NO bioactivity and increased arterial stiffness. Oxidative stress caused by BaP exposure may have been insufficient to reduce NO bioactivity in the peripheral vasculature. Therefore arterial stiffness was not increased and factors other than NO may be responsible for the increase in blood pressure observed with ETS and BaP exposure.

Smoking and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), although the exact components and pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for this association remain unclear. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that form during organic material combustion and are thus found in cigarette smoke, vehicle exhaust particles, and air pollution. We hypothesize that PAHs are key agents responsible for mediating the cigarette smoke effects in the cardiovascular system, including increased oxidative stress, inflammation, and arterial stiffness.<p> Arterial stiffness is a powerful, independent predictor of cardiovascular risk and is regulated, in part, by vasoactive mediators derived from the endothelium. The first objective of this project was to determine whether pulse wave dP/dt collected from radiotelemetry-implanted rats is a reliable indicator of changes in arterial stiffness following administration of vasoactive drugs or acute ETS exposure. Anaesthetized rats were administered a single dose of saline (vehicle control), acetylcholine, norepinephrine, and N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) via the tail vein, allowing a washout period between injections. Acetylcholine decreased and norepinephrine increased dP/dt compared to saline vehicle. Injection of the nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor L-NAME decreased plasma nitrate/nitrite (NOx), but transiently increased dP/dt. For the ETS experiment, rats were exposed for one hour to sham, low dose ETS, or high dose ETS. Exposure to ETS did not significantly alter dP/dt or plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels, but increased plasma NOx levels at the high ETS exposure and increased plasma nitrotyrosine levels in both ETS groups. In conclusion, acute changes in NO production via acetylcholine or L-NAME alter the arterial pulse wave dP/dt consistently with the predicted changes in arterial stiffness. Although acute ETS appears to biologically inactivate NO, a concomitant increase in NO production at the high ETS exposure may explain why ETS did not acutely alter dP/dt.<p> The second objective of this project was to compare the effects of subchronic ETS and BaP exposure on circadian blood pressure patterns, arterial stiffness, and possible sources of oxidative stress in radiotelemetry-implanted rats. Pulse wave dP/dt was used as an indicator of arterial stiffness, and was compared to both structural (wall thickness) and functional (NO production and bioactivity, ET-1 levels) features of the arterial wall. In addition, histology of lung, heart, and liver were examined as well as pulmonary and hepatic detoxifying enzyme activity (cytochrome P450 specifically CYP1A1). Daily ETS exposure for 28 days altered the circadian pattern of heart rate and blood pressure in rats, with a loss in the normal dipping pattern of blood pressure during sleep. Subchronic ETS exposure also increased dP/dt in the absence of any structural modifications in the arterial wall. Although NO production and ET-1 levels were not altered by ETS, there was increased biological inactivation of NO via peroxynitrite production (as indicated by increased plasma nitrotyrosine levels). Thus, vascular stiffness and failure of blood pressure to dip precede structural changes in rats exposed to ETS for 28 days. Exposure to ETS also caused increased number of lung neutrophils as well as increased CYP1A1 activity in lung microsomes.<p> Since ETS-induced increases in arterial stiffness occurred as early as day 7, radiotelemetry-implanted rats were exposed daily to intranasal BaP for 7 days. Similar to ETS, BaP exposure altered circadian blood pressure patterns and reduced blood pressure dipping during sleep. Thus, in support of part of our hypothesis, the PAH component of cigarette smoke may be responsible for the ETS-induced increase in blood pressure and the loss of dipping pattern during sleep. Increased neutrophil recruitment was observed in the lungs of both ETS- and BaP-exposed rats, suggesting that lung inflammatory reactions may be involved in the disruption of circadian blood pressure rhythms. Unlike ETS however, BaP exposure did not significantly alter pulse wave dP/dt, endothelial function, or lung CYP1A1 activity. Thus, contrary to our hypothesis, the reduction in NO bioactivity and increased arterial stiffness caused by ETS cannot be explained by BaP at the dose and length of the exposure in the current study. Production of reactive metabolites in the lung following ETS exposure may be responsible, at least in part, for the increases in oxidative stress in the vasculature, leading to reduced NO bioactivity and increased arterial stiffness. Oxidative stress caused by BaP exposure may have been insufficient to reduce NO bioactivity in the peripheral vasculature. Therefore arterial stiffness was not increased and factors other than NO may be responsible for the increase in blood pressure observed with ETS and BaP exposure.

Paul Auster¡¦s The Invention of Solitude is not merely an autobiography, but an attempt to render such a genre to challenge writing itself by trying to write what is of no possibility to be written. In addition, Auster further adds elements of photography in The Invention of Solitude, which on the one hand enhance the genre itself (as an autobiography with photos attached as solid evidences to the written words), and on the other hand, by doing so, the author as a matter of fact deconstructs everything he has been trying to construct. By adding photographs and descriptions of the photographs very consciously, he actually, beyond the ostensible purpose of trying to lend credibility to the autobiographical work, tries to challenge the solidity of such work. Lots of researches have been done on Paul Auster, for whom has already recognized world-widely as an important contemporary American writer, most of them focus on his renowned New York Trilogy (1987),The Music of Chance (1990), or The Brooklyn Follys (2005), while little researches have been done to The Invention of Solitude¡V¡Voften referred to as a memoir of Auster. The book is structured with ¡§Portrait of an Invisible Man¡¨ and ¡§The Book of Memory;¡¨ the former is written right after the sudden death of the author¡¦s father Samuel Auster and the latter is Auster¡¦s own account on matters that later have become his re-occurrent themes throughout his works. I study the utilization of involving photographs in fictional autobiography by looking at the two photographs Paul Auster has reproduced in The Invention of Solitude. Namely, how photography and fiction put together to ¡§renew¡¨ each other (Louvel 31). In chapter one I discuss autobiography and photography, the intertextuality between photographs and texts, and the selection of the two photographs in The Invention of Solitude (including different arrangements of the two photographs in various editions). In chapter two, I mainly focus on Walter Benjamin and Roland Barthes¡¦ reading on photographs; I aim to conclude that each of them talks about one particular essence of photography respectively only with different terms¡V¡Vas aura and punctum¡V¡Vthe endeavor is to illustrate and attest to a certain and unique quality of human that can never be portrayed any how and by any means. Auster¡¦s usage of putting together the words and the photos is also a means to pursuit the same untraceable human quality; he testifies the unseen by presenting something to be seen. The Invention of Solitude requires reader to treat it with the way of reading photographs and pictures; a pictorial reading of words is of necessity in tackling the work, just as in Liliane Louvel¡¦s words, to treat ¡§the image as a means to study fiction through the lens of what I call the ¡¥pictorial third¡¦¡¨ (31). In chapter three, I delve into the anxiety and hunger for portrayal, linking which to the act of writing that functions as a healing process for the writer. I then concentrate on the text, demonstrating how this text itself can possibly be decoded with ways analyzing a picture. In its form and way of writing, the composition of The Invention of Solitude is just like the early procedure of long exposure in taking photographs, the distance and aura have both remained through the writing and the given photographs. In addition, the text is far more than simply combination of words, each word has been rendered as if an element of photography; that is, words can be read with multiple layers of meanings that are all linked with photographs. And I would explore this point through the reading of ¡§room¡¨ in the book. Besides, I¡¦ve involved Susan Sontag, Henri Van Lier, John Berger, Edward W. Said and Thierry de Duve in the three chapters, serving to converse with my argument. Chapter four includes the film Smoke as the subject, the film not only contains photographs as a heavy ingredient and one of the major themes; what¡¦s more, the sequence of weighting smoke also best serves as the footnote, penetrating Benjamin, Barthes and Auster.

The existing local fire code ¡§Standard for Installation of Fire Protection Facilities in Classified Areas¡¨ is prescriptive in nature and suitable for buildings, which can be well compartmented. It also described the minimum requirement for specific system designs such as fire and smoke compartmentation, mechanical smoke extraction rate, etc. on item 188. In this reserch, the concourse level encountered large spaces and is the vital part for passengers¡¦ movement, either under normal condition or in emergency cases. Therefore, a performance-based fire engineering design has been exercised which is also allowed in local fire code subject to approval from the authorities having jurisdiction. First, a comparative study of the code compliances should be addressed, with the alternative design options supported by 3D CFD simulation. The FDS (Fire Dynamic Simulation) program was utilized for this reserch for 3D CFD simulation. It is developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of U.S.. FDS is a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of fire-driven fluid flow. The software solves numerically a form of the Navier-Stokes equations appropriate for thermally-driven flow with an emphasis on smoke and heat transport from fires. Secondly, it is decided that a full-scale hot smoke test should be conducted to validate the smoke management system performances under the as-built conditions. It can be summarized that, following the NFPA 92B N-percentage Criteria, both test 1 and test 2 results indicated that the hot smoke tests are successful, in validating that a sufficient smoke clear height can be maintained for safe evacuation should a 5 MW t-squared fast fire occurred at the concourse level. Finally, following the NFPA 130 and NFPA 92B as the design guides, the performance-based fire safety engineering design conducted in concourse level, is successful through 3D CFD simulations and full-scale hot smoke test. A smoke¡Vfree escape route can be maintained for a period of time much longer than needed for the worst case fire scenario which warrants a safe evacuation in case of a 5 MW fire occurred on concourse level.

<p> </p><p>Bakgrund:</p><p>Policybeslutet att införa Rökfri arbetstid i Motala kommun är ett led i kommunernas och de fackliga organisationernas strävan att skapa en hälsofrämjande miljö. Rökfri arbetstid innebär att ingen ska utsättas för tobaksrök på sitt arbete. I Motala kommun trädde detta beslut i kraft 2007-07-01 och mottogs med olika åsikter bland de kommunanställda. Tidigare forskning har visat samband med engagemang och delaktighet i beslut med empowerment hos de anställda. Syfte: Studiens syfte är att undersöka anställdas reaktioner till Rökfri arbetstid i Motala kommun. Metod: En kvantitativ undersökning i form av fler alternativa och öppna frågor i en enkät som delades ut bland rökande personal på olika enheter i Motala kommun. Även Motala kommuns intranät Kanalen användes, där information om enkäten lades ut och de som ville kunde ta del av den. Resultat: Rökfri arbetstid ger resultat i positiv bemärkelse, de anställda som rökte röker i dag 30 % mindre på arbetstid samt 16 % har slutat. För de som var positivt inställda av deltagarna när beslutet togs visar även en minskning i sitt rökande på fritiden. Då beslutet togs 2007-07-01 var 54 % negativa till detta, i dag är siffran på 32,5 %. Resultatet visar också en stor irritation över att; deltagarna inte fått varit med och tyckt till om Rökfri arbetstid, informationen till de anställda har inte varit bra, cheferna ger inga direktiv och verkar inte veta vilka regler som gäller. I dag följs reglerna olika på olika arbetsplatser. Fortfarande finns det många av studiens deltagare som röker på arbetstid även om de har minskat sin konsumtion. Deltagarna själva vill ha klara regler för vad som gäller när någon trotsar rökförbudet. Diskussion: Mer information, mer empowerment till de anställda i Motala kommun hade gett mer positiva resultat än vi ser idag Låt de rökande få vara med och diskutera fram hur regler ska följas på arbetsplatserna samt vilket stöd de förväntar sig få från kommunen. De anställda måste också ta på sig ansvaret att leta efter information.</p><p> </p> / <p> </p><p>Background</p><p>: The policy decision to introduce non smoking environment in the city of Motala is a part of the city and the unions’ efforts to create a healthy environment. Smoke-free working hours means that no one shall be subjected to tobacco smoke at work. The city of Motala took this decision in full force 2007-07-01 and it was received with different opinions from the city’s employees. Previous research has shown the commitment and involvement is greater if the employee feels empowerment at their work place. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the employee´s reaction to the decision to introduce non smoking environment in Motala. Method: A quantitative method was used. Questionnaire which included even open-ended questions was distributed among smoking employees in different work areas in the city of Motala. The questionnaire was also laid out on "kanalen" which is a communication platform within the city of Motala. Here could any employee take part of the survey. Results: Smoke free working environment delivers results in a positive way, people smoke 30% less at work and 16% have stopped smoking completely during working hours. For those who were in favor of the decision when it was taken can also show a reduction in their smoking in their free time. When the decision was made 2007-07-01 was 54% negative to this, today the figure is 32.5%. The results also show that irritation over this decision was; the employees had not been involved when it comes to decision around this subject, information has been lousy, directors did not provide any directive for the smokers and does not seem to know clearly what the rules are. Today the rules are followed differently in different workplaces. Still, there are many participants who smoke during working hours although they may have reduced their consumption. Participants themselves would like to have clear rules on what it is that applies. Discussion: More information, more empowerment to the employees in the city of Motala had gotten more positive results than we see today. Where does the information stops? Is it between local government leaders to the directors at different workplaces or is it the director that does not provide the information to the employees. Let the smokers be involved and discuss how the rules should be followed at the workplace and what support they may expect from the city. Employees must also take responsibility to look for information.</p><p> </p>

This study prospectively examined the timing and predictors of returning to smoking after pregnancy in a group of women who quit smoking cigarettes during pregnancy. We interviewed women during the postpartum hospital stay and at their infants 2-week and 2-month health supervision visits. Urine cotinine levels were measured at each interview. Fifty-three women were interviewed during the postpartum stay, 37 women at the 2-week and 36 women at the 2 month visits. At the 2-week visit, 40.5% had returned to smoking, and at the 2-month visit, 47.2% had returned to smoking. Factors associated with a return to smoking at 2 weeks included a lower level of education (high school graduate/GED vs. some college education; 13/37 vs. 2/37, p=0.02), the presence of someone else in the household who smoked (14/37 vs. 1/37, p=0.001), formula-feeding their infant at the time of interview (14/37 vs. 1/37, p=0.003), having smoking discussed with a doctor or nurse during pregnancy (12/37 vs. 3/27, p=0.009), and being African-American vs. Caucasian or Hispanic (10/37 vs. 5/37, p=0.008). Predictors of a return to smoking at 2 months included the presence of someone else in the household who smoked (17/36 vs. 0/36, p<0.001) and smoking at least 1 cigarette during pregnancy after initially quitting (12/36 vs. 5/36, p=0.02). Women who quit smoking cigarettes during pregnancy are likely to resume in the days immediately after delivery. The presence of household smokers and formula feeding are the strongest predictors of resuming smoking within 2 weeks.

Thesis--University of Oklahoma. / Bibliography: leaves 137-141.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Institute of Paper Chemistry, 1943. / Bibliography: leaf 79.

Waterpipe tobacco smoking has migrated from being a custom of some cultures to becoming a staple around college campuses. The social nature and flavored tobacco encourage initiation in this tobacco naïve age group. The study was a sequential mixed method design, employing primary data collection and analysis of a random sample of university students who live on campus at a single university. The study involved observations (N=6), intercept interviews with smokers and nonsmokers (N=63), three focus groups (N=31), and an online survey (N=288). Findings were centered on the constructs of the Theory of Reasoned Action by Ajzen and Fishbein (1975), who propose there are specific precursors that lead to intention to perform a behavior. The data suggested that attitudes were more positively correlated with intention to smoke waterpipe tobacco than subjective norm. Attitude is influenced by outcome expectancies. The data suggest that positive outcome expectancies are influenced primarily by the social nature of hookah smoking and other perceived positive benefits. Negative health effects and family/culture were also influential, albeit to a lesser extent. Development of interventions focused on an attitudinal shift may help to decrease uptake and continuation of waterpipe tobacco smoking in this population.

Every year, approximately 100 people die in fire related incidents in Sweden. ”Seek” is designed to assist fire fighters to locate people faster in smoke diving procedures. ”Seek” identifies people and possible dangers within the building before the smoke diving procedure begins. This allows the operation to be streamlined and planned, as well as avoiding risks which fire fighters are exposed to today. The early overview created by the ”Seek” smoke detector not only saves time in planning but reduces the time from accident until the people in the burning building can receive skilled care, increasing their chance of survival.