E-cigarette use has been increasing in recent years, and its ultimate public health impact is still unknown. In order to assess the addictive liability of these products, research is needed to investigate the roles of nicotine and other factors on psychological and physical effects of “vaping.” The goal of the current study was to investigate the role of expectancies, nicotine delivery, and their interactions on the effects of e-cigarette use via a balanced-placebo experiment. In this design, drug dosage (contains nicotine or not) was crossed with instructions (told nicotine or non-nicotine) during ad-lib e-cigarette use sessions by 128 current e-cigarette users. This design allows for parsing of the causal role of expectancies and pharmacology, as well as their interaction. Dependent variables included both psychological outcomes (cravings for cigarettes and e-cigarettes, mood, satisfaction, reward) and physiological variables (hunger, attention, aversion, respiratory tract sensations). Among cigarette smokers (n=52), a significant main effect of instruction emerged on reductions in craving to smoke, although moderation analyses revealed that this effect was limited to males. Overall, significant drug X instruction interactions were found on craving to vape, psychological reward, and enjoyment of respiratory tract sensations, indicating synergistic causal influences of both expectancies and nicotine. Expectancies, smoking status, and gender moderated some of these effects. The results of this study identified effects of e-cigarettes that were driven by either nicotine, cognitive drug expectancies, or both. Results should be considered in the context of methodological and theoretical limitations. This study contributes to the understanding of motivational influences that may affect the initiation and maintenance of e-cigarette use, which may guide the development of public health and clinical interventions.

The subject of this diploma thesis is anti-smoking legislation in the Czech republic. This diploma thesis results from contemporary legislative changes regarding health protection against using the tobacco products. I described history of smoking and smoking bans, actualy activ and prepared legislation regulating using the tobacco product, offenses and misdemeanors, definitions, conections of smoking bans and human rights and liberties, legislation of the European Union and some european states. In the introduction I explain my view on the actual anti-smoking legislation in the Czech republic. I try to delineate, which problems actual legislation brings and which defictis has. The first chapter explains attitude of the society to smoking during the time, we can see, that smoking began being "normal" quite fast, and states did not reduce it at all. The second part compares human liberty and right to health. Next chapters contain actual legislation in the Czech republic - offenses, advertising and especially current change of act editing packaging and warning. I explain terms and definitions, commitmens to the EU and international organisations. One chapter also brings two planed changes of the czech anti-smoking legislations - there are one completely new law and one sectional change of the current...

Background: Alcohol, marijuana and tobacco are the most common recreationally used substances in United States (US). However, unlike alcohol and tobacco, marijuana is an illicit substance. The increasing support for reclassification of marijuana as legal substance necessitates investigating its effect on health. These studies seek to examine the relationship of marijuana and tobacco with metabolic syndrome (a precursor of cardiovascular diseases - the primary cause of morbidities and mortalities). Method: Data from 2011 public-use linked mortality file of the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 2005-2006 & 2011-2012 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was used to estimate the effect of marijuana and tobacco on metabolic syndrome. Odds ratios from logistic regression analyses were determined using four main diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome. Odds ratios were compared using: National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III, World Health Organization, European Group for the study of Insulin Resistance and International Diabetes Federation definitions of metabolic syndrome. Hazard ratios (HRs) for cardiovascular mortality were estimated using cox proportional hazard regression. Results: Each year of marijuana use was associated with increased odds of metabolic syndrome [OR=1.05 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.09)] and hypertension [OR=1.04 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.07)]. Each additional year of cigarette smoking was associated with increased odds of hypertension [OR=1.03 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.06)] and hyperglycemia [OR=1.03 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.05)]. Adjusted HR for hypertension mortality for marijuana users compared to non-marijuana users was 3.42 (95% CI: 1.20, 9.79) and 1.04 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.07) for each year of marijuana use. Conclusion: Prolonged years of marijuana use was associated with increased odds of metabolic syndrome and hypertension irrespective of the criteria used to define metabolic syndrome. Our results also indicate that marijuana use is associated with increased risk for hypertension mortality. The association between prolonged use of marijuana and risk of cardiovascular morbidities and mortalities requires further investigation whilst developing global public health policies regarding legalization of marijuana use.

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate, using a longitudinal design, the possible long-term effects of adolescent family background, school performance and substance use on educational performance, psychiatric disorders and substance use related problems during adulthood. A large, prospectively collected general population birth cohort (n = 11017), the Northern Finland 1966 Birth cohort, was used as study population. The database provided information on features of the primary family. The information on the cohort members' school performance, smoking, alcohol use and other substance use was obtained from a questionnaire mailed to the cohort members in 1980. Also information on school performance in various school subjects was obtained at the end of compulsory schooling at the age of 16. The level of education by the age of 31 was gathered from the national Registry of Educational Statistics in Finland. The relevant data for drunk driving offences were collected from the Ministry of Justice files. The Finnish Hospital Discharge Register was used to identify all hospital-treated psychiatric patients. Parental divorce increased the risk of adult educational underachievement. Other family background factors such as unwanted pregnancy, low maternal education and large family size were also associated with low adult educational performance. A history of drunk driving offences was associated both with impaired school performance in adolescence and with educational underachievement in early adulthood. Adolescent regular alcohol use, smoking and other substance use increased the risk for drunk driving offences and hospital-treated substance use disorders in adulthood. The smoking rate among psychiatric patients was about 1.5 times higher than among control subjects without psychiatric hospital treatment. The proportion of smokers was about 50% among subjects with schizophrenia. The initiation age of regular smoking was closely related to the age of onset of schizophrenia, but not to other mental disorders. Among schizophrenia patients the increased likelihood of smoking was associated with paternal smoking in the family environment, but not with any other background factors. Low overall mean scores and low combined mathematical and natural science scores at the end of compulsory school were associated with adult regular smoking among schizophrenia patients. This study gives new information on risk factors that affect educational attainment, substance use related problems and psychiatric morbidity within the developmental pathway from adolescence to adulthood.

M.A. / Literature indicates that childhood ADHD has received considerable attention and recognition in today’s society and is effectively represented in the DSM. In comparison, there is still much controversy surrounding ADHD in adults (aADHD), despite the fact that almost 50 to 70% of people diagnosed with childhood ADHD continue to manifest symptoms in adulthood. Research indicates that aADHD manifests differently to childhood ADHD, in that the core symptom is inattention and not hyperactivity. Research also indicates that there is a high comorbidity between aADHD and substance dependence, including nicotine dependence. It is hypothesized that these individuals present with hypodopamine, and nicotine acts on a number of neurotransmitter pathways, including the dopaminergic and acetylcholinergic pathways, effectively stimulating the release of dopamine. Whilst there is considerable literature on nicotine and ADHD, there is a complete lack of literature on the relationship between aADHD and Hookah Pipe smoking. This study aimed to rectify this situation. The present study was conducted with two major purposes in mind: (1) to investigate the relationship between Hookah Pipe smoking and its effects on attention and concentration in young adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptomatology, and (2) to demonstrate whether Hookah has a greater effect than cigarettes (as Hookah reportedly has higher concentrations of nicotine than cigarettes). A total sample of 39 participants (14 males, 35 females) aged 18 to 26 years was recruited and divided into the following six groups using the ASRS, the Burke-Austin Self-Report ADHD Questionnaire and a substance abuse questionnaire as screening tools: ADHD (Hookah), ADHD (Nicotine), ADHD (Non-Smoking), Non-ADHD (Hookah), Non-ADHD (Nicotine) and Non-ADHD (Non-Smoking). Furthermore, a quasi-experimental research design was used, whereby the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) ADHD Battery was administered across three test conditions, with a seven minute intervention between the pre- and post-intervention, and a 90 minute waiting period between the immediate and intermediate post-intervention, so as to test the effects of the nicotine as it neared its elimination half-life of two hours.

No description available.

L’athérosclérose est caractérisée par l’accumulation de lipides dans les artères de gros et moyen calibre. Cette accumulation est due à une série de mécanismes complexes aboutissant a une réaction inflammatoire chronique et l’accumulation de cellules spumeuse dans l’espace neointimale de la paroi vasculaire. Les complications liées à cette pathologie peuvent entraîner des événements vasculaires graves, tels que l’infarctus du myocarde ou les accidents vasculaires cérébraux. Nos travaux de recherches s’inscrivent dans le cadre de la Gutenberg Health Study, une étude de population dans la région de Mayence (Mainz) en Allemagne, dont le but est d’identifier de nouveaux marqueurs biologiques et cibles thérapeutiques liées aux maladies cardiovasculaires, avec un accent particulier sur l’athérosclérose. Nos précédents travaux ont démontré que l’expression de certains gènes dans les monocytes circulants était corrélée à la fois au tabagisme et à l’athérosclérose, ouvrant ainsi de nouvelles perspectives pour expliquer les mécanismes par lesquels le tabagisme accélère la formation des plaques d’athérosclérose. Parmi ces gènes, SASH1, un gène suppresseur de tumeur était le plus corrélé au tabagisme, tout en étant également corrélé au nombre de plaques. Un autre gène, SLC39A8, montrait la plus forte corrélation avec le nombre de plaque. Mon travail de thèse a consisté à explorer le rôle de SASH1, un gène suppresseur de tumeur, et SLC39A8, un symporteur HCO3-/ion métallique divalent, in vitro pour tenter de déterminer par quels mécanismes cellulaires et moléculaires ils pouvaient affecter la formation de la plaque d’athérosclérose. L’étude sur SASH1 porte en particulier sur la paroi vasculaire où SASH1 a été détectée dans toutes les cellules présentes (cellules endothéliales, cellules musculaires lisses, monocytes et macrophages). De plus, des mesures en RT-qPCR ont montré que l’expression de SASH1 était plus élevée dans les carotides de fumeurs que dans celles des non-fumeurs et ex-fumeurs, confirmant ainsi les observations déjà faites dans les monocytes circulants humains... / Atherosclerosis is characterized by lipids accumulation in medium and big size arteries, as the result of a complex series of mechanisms leading to chronic inflammation and accumulation of macrophage-derived foam cells in the intimal space of the vessels leading to atherosclerotic plaque formation. Rupture of the plaque can lead to life threatening events, such as myocardial infarction and stroke. Our scientific work is in the frame of the Gutenberg Health Study, a population based study in the region of Mainz in Germany, which goal is to identify new biological markers and therapeutic targets, with a particular focus on atherosclerosis. These previous studies have shown through transcriptomic analyses that a number of gene expression were correlated to both smoking and atherosclerosis, opening new perspective to better characterize mechanisms linking smoking to atherosclerosis. Among those genes SASH1, a tumor suppressor was the most correlated to smoking and was also correlated to plaques. Another gene of interest, SLC39A8 showed the strongest correlation to plaques. This thesis project aimed at exploring the role of the tumor suppressor SASH1 and the metallic ion transporter in vitro to determine the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which they could affect plaque formation during atherosclerosis...

Magister Scientiae (Medical Bioscience) - MSc(MBS) / Several studies conducted in laboratories at the University of the Western Cape has demonstrated an interference with the parenchymal lung tissue of the offspring when exposed to nicotine (smoking cigarettes and/or Nicotine Replacement Therapy [NRT]), maternally i.e. during gestation and lactation. This in turn, decreases the amount of air sacs (alveolar number) resulting in a reduced surface area available for efficient gas exchange in the offspring. Since the foetus and offspring are only exposed to nicotine during gestation and lactation, emphysema- like lesions appear to develop after nicotine withdrawal in the foetus. It has been proposed that during lung development in utero, a change in the "program" that controls the maintenance of lung integrity will occur in the long term due to the initial maternal nicotine exposure. Therefore, animals that were exposed to maternal nicotine resemble lungs that have undergone rapid, premature aging caused by cellular senescence. Furthermore, energy metabolism and structural changes in the glycolytic pathways appear irreversibly slower compared to animals that were not exposed to nicotine via the mother during gestation and lactation, resulting in a reduction in the anti-oxidant capacity of lung development. Previous studies have also shown that strong anti-oxidants supplemented by smoking mothers during gestation and lactation could possibly resist change in the "program" which controls lung development and integrity of the offspring in the long term. Lycopene – as a strong anti-oxidant supplementation have shown to decrease the alveolar volume and increase the alveolar surface area for better gas exchange after the offspring has been exposed to maternal nicotine. In this study I have treated pregnant wistar rats with nicotine, tomato juice (containing lycopene among other phytonutrients), and a combination of nicotine and tomato juice during gestation, to determine various changes in the lung structure and signs of premature aging in the lungs of the offspring. I have also performed various staining techniques such as H&E, connective tissue and β- galactosidase staining which indicated whether maternal nicotine exposure indeed induced premature cellular senescence in the lungs of the offspring. / National Research Foundation

The prevalence of waterpipe smoking exceeds that of cigarettes among adolescents in the Middle East where waterpipe is believed as less harmful, less addictive and can be a safer alternative to cigarettes. This dissertation tested the gateway hypothesis that waterpipe can provide a bridge to initiate cigarette smoking, identified the predictors of cigarette smoking progression, and identified predictors of waterpipe smoking progression among a school-based sample of Jordanian adolescents (mean age ± SD) (12.7 ±0.61) years at baseline. Data for this research have been drawn from Irbid Longitudinal Study of smoking behavior, Jordan (2008-2011). The grouped-time survival analysis showed that waterpipe smoking was associated with a higher risk of cigarette smoking initiation compared to never smokers (P < 0.001) and this association was dose dependent (P < 0.001). Predictors of cigarette smoking progression were peer smoking and attending public schools for boys, siblings’ smoking for girls, and the urge to smoke for both genders. Predictors of waterpipe smoking progression were enrollment in public schools, frequent physical activity, and low refusal self-efficacy for boys, ever smoking cigarettes, friends’ and siblings’ waterpipe smoking for girls. Awareness of harms of waterpipe among boys and seeing warning labels on the tobacco packs by girls were protective against waterpipe smoking progression. In Conclusion, waterpipe can serve as a gateway to cigarette smoking initiation among adolescents. Waterpipe and cigarette smoking progressions among initiators were solely family-related among girls, and mainly peer-related among boys. The unique gender differences for both cigarette and waterpipe smoking among Jordanian adolescents in Irbid call for cultural and gender-specific smoking prevention interventions to prevent the progression of smoking among initiators.

Background: Successful recruitment of participants to mobile health (mHealth) studies presents unique challenges over in-person studies. It is important to identify recruitment strategies that maximize the limited recruitment resources available to researchers. Objective: The objective of this study was to describe a case study of a unique recruitment process used in a recent mHealth software app designed to increase smoking cessation among weight-concerned women smokers. The See Me Smoke-Free app was deployed to the Google Play Store (Alphabet, Inc., Google, LLC), where potential participants could download the app and enroll in the study. Users were invited in-app to participate in the study, with no in-person contact. The recruitment activities relied primarily on earned (free) and social media. Methods: To determine the relationship between recruitment activities and participant enrollment, the researchers explored trends in earned and social media activity in relation to app installations, examined social media messaging in relation to reach or impressions, and described app users' self-reported referral source. The researchers collected and descriptively analyzed data regarding recruitment activities, social media audience, and app use during the 18-week recruitment period (March 30, 2015-July 31, 2015). Data were collected and aggregated from internal staff activity tracking documents and from Web-based data analytics software such as SumAll, Facebook Insights (Facebook, Inc.), and Google Analytics (Alphabet, Inc., Google, LLC). Results: Media coverage was documented across 75 publications and radio or television broadcasts, 35 of which were local, 39 national, and 1 international. The research team made 30 Facebook posts and 49 tweets, yielding 1821 reaches and 6336 impressions, respectively. From March 30, 2015 to July 31, 2015, 289 unique users downloaded the app, and 151 participants enrolled in the study. Conclusions: Research identifying effective online recruitment methods for mHealth studies remains minimal, and findings are inconsistent. We demonstrated how earned media can be leveraged to recruit women to an mHealth smoking cessation trial at low cost. Using earned media and leveraging social media allowed us to enroll 3 times the number of participants that we anticipated enrolling. The cost of earned media resides in the staff time required to manage it, particularly the regular interaction with social media. We recommend communication and cooperation with university public affairs and social media offices, as well as affiliate programs in journalism and communications, so that earned media can be used as a recruitment strategy for mHealth behavior change interventions. However, press releases are not always picked up by the media and should not be considered as a stand-alone method of recruitment. Careful consideration of an intervention's broad appeal and how that translates into potential media interest is needed when including earned media as part of a comprehensive recruitment plan for mHealth research.