Tobacco Quitline Callers Who Use Cannabis and Their Likelihood of Quitting Cigarette Smoking.

INTRODUCTION: Cigarette smoking continues to decline in the U.S., but cannabis use is increasing. Many people who smoke cigarettes also use cannabis. This study examines the characteristics of persons who co-use and those who do not co-use and the likelihood of quitting cigarettes for callers to Kick It California, a large state tobacco quitline. METHODS: Data were examined from Kick It California callers from January 2020 through December 2023 (N=45,151), including those from a subgroup randomly sampled and reached for evaluation at 7 months after quitline enrollment (n=3,545). The rate of cigarette smoking cessation at 7 months after enrollment for people who co-use cannabis was compared with that for people who do not. Analyses started in 2023 and concluded in January 2024. RESULTS: More than a quarter (27.2%) of Kick It California callers co-used cannabis. They were more likely to be male, to be younger, and to have a mental health condition than those who did not. Those who co-use cannabis and those who do not have similar rates of receiving quitline counseling or using Food and Drug Administration-approved cessation aids. Controlled for effects of personal characteristics and use of smoking-cessation services, people who co-use cannabis were less likely to quit cigarette smoking 7 months after enrollment (23.2% vs 28.9%; p<0.001). Among those who co-use, 42.9% intended to quit using cannabis in the next 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial percentage of tobacco quitline callers use cannabis. Those who do co-use quit cigarette smoking at a lower rate than those who do not. Over 40% of people who co-use reported intention to quit cannabis, making tobacco quitlines a rich environment to learn about people who co-use and develop strategies for intervention.

LGBTQ Utilization of a Statewide Tobacco Quitline: Engagement and Quitting Behavior, 2010-2022.

INTRODUCTION: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) individuals use tobacco at disproportionately high rates but are as likely as straight tobacco users to want to quit and to use quitlines. Little is known about the demographics and geographic distribution of LGBTQ quitline participants, their engagement with services, or their long-term outcomes. AIMS AND METHODS: Californians (N = 333 429) who enrolled in a statewide quitline 2010-2022 were asked about their sexual and gender minority (SGM) status and other baseline characteristics. All were offered telephone counseling. A subset (n = 19 431) was followed up at seven months. Data were analyzed in 2023 by SGM status (LGBTQ vs. straight) and county type (rural vs. urban). RESULTS: Overall, 7.0% of participants were LGBTQ, including 7.4% and 5.4% of urban and rural participants, respectively. LGBTQ participants were younger than straight participants but had similar cigarette consumption. Fewer LGBTQ participants reported a physical health condition (42.1% vs. 48.4%) but more reported a behavioral health condition (71.1% vs. 54.5%; both p's < .001). Among both LGBTQ and straight participants, nearly 9 in 10 chose counseling and both groups completed nearly three sessions on average. The groups had equivalent 30-day abstinence rates (24.5% vs. 23.2%; p = .263). Similar patterns were seen in urban and rural subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: LGBTQ tobacco users engaged with and appeared to benefit from a statewide quitline even though it was not LGBTQ community-based. A quitline with staff trained in LGBTQ cultural competence can help address the high prevalence of tobacco use in the LGBTQ community and reach members wherever they live. IMPLICATIONS: This study describes how participants of a statewide tobacco quitline broke down by sexual orientation and gender. It compares participants both by SGM status and by type of county to provide a more complete picture of quitline participation both in urban areas where LGBTQ community-based cessation programs may exist and in rural areas where they generally do not. To our knowledge, it is the first study to compare LGBTQ and straight participants on their use of quitline services and quitting aids, satisfaction with services received, and rates of attempting quitting and achieving prolonged abstinence from smoking.

Enhanced axon outgrowth of spinal motor neurons in co-culturing with dorsal root ganglions antagonizes the growth inhibitory environment.

Introduction: Forming a bridge made of functional axons to span the lesion is essential to reconstruct the motor circuitry following spinal cord injury (SCI). Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) axons are robust in axon growth and have been proved to facilitate the growth of cortical neurons in a process of axon-facilitated axon regeneration. However, whether DRG transplantation affects the axon outgrowth of spinal motor neurons (SMNs) that play crucial roles in motor circuitry remains unclear. Methods: We investigated the axonal growth patterns of co-cultured DRGs and SMN aggregates (SMNAs) taking advantage of a well-designed 3D-printed in vitro system. Chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans (CSPG) induced inhibitory matrix was introduced to imitate the inhibitory environment following SCI. Axonal lengths of DRG, SMNA or DRG & SMNA cultured on the permissive or CSPG induced inhibitory matrix were measured and compared. Results: Our results indicated that under the guidance of full axonal connection generated from two opposing populations of DRGs, SMNA axons were growth-enhanced and elongated along the DRG axon bridge to distances that they could not otherwise reach. Quantitatively, the co-culture increased the SMNA axonal length by 32.1 %. Moreover, the CSPG matrix reduced the axonal length of DRGs and SMNAs by 46.2 % and 17.7 %, respectively. This inhibitory effect was antagonized by the co-culture of DRGs and SMNAs. Especially for SMNAs, they extended the axons across the CSPG-coating matrix, reached the lengths close to those of SMNAs cultured on the permissive matrix alone. Conclusions: This study deepens our understanding of axon-facilitated reconstruction of the motor circuitry. Moreover, the results support SCI treatment utilizing the enhanced outgrowth of axons to restore functional connectivity in SCI patients.

Research on the Regulatory Mechanism of Ginseng on the Tumor Microenvironment of Colorectal Cancer based on Network Pharmacology and Bioinformatics Validation.

BACKGROUND: A network pharmacology study on the biological action of ginseng in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) by regulating the tumor microenvironment (TME). OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential mechanism of action of ginseng in the treatment of CRC by regulating TME. METHOD: This research employed network pharmacology, molecular docking techniques, and bioinformatics validation. Firstly, the active ingredients and the corresponding targets of ginseng were retrieved using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), the Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Database (TCMID), and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Database@Taiwan (TCM Database@Taiwan). Secondly, the targets related to CRC were retrieved using Genecards, Therapeutic Target Database (TTD), and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM). Tertiary, the targets related to TME were derived from screening the GeneCards and National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)-Gene. Then the common targets of ginseng, CRC, and TME were obtained by Venn diagram. Afterward, the Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed in the STRING 11.5 database, intersecting targets identified by PPI analysis were introduced into Cytoscape 3.8.2 software cytoHubba plugin, and the final determination of core targets was based on degree value. The OmicShare Tools platform was used to analyze the Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of the core targets. Autodock and PyMOL were used for molecular docking verification and visual data analysis of docking results. Finally, we verified the core targets by Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) databases in bioinformatics. RESULTS: A total of 22 active ingredients and 202 targets were identified to be closely related to the TME of CRC. PPI network mapping identified SRC, STAT3, PIK3R1, HSP90AA1, and AKT1 as possible core targets. Go enrichment analysis showed that it was mainly involved in T cell co-stimulation, lymphocyte co-stimulation, growth hormone response, protein input, and other biological processes; KEGG pathway analysis found 123 related signal pathways, including EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance, chemokine signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway, ErbB signaling pathway, PD-L1 expression and PD-1 checkpoint pathway in cancer, etc. The molecular docking results showed that the main chemical components of ginseng have a stable binding activity to the core targets. The results of the GEPIA database showed that the mRNA levels of PIK3R1 were significantly lowly expressed and HSP90AA1 was significantly highly expressed in CRC tissues. Analysis of the relationship between core target mRNA levels and the pathological stage of CRC showed that the levels of SRC changed significantly with the pathological stage. The HPA database results showed that the expression levels of SRC were increased in CRC tissues, while the expression of STAT3, PIK3R1, HSP90AA1, and AKT1 were decreased in CRC tissues. CONCLUSION: Ginseng may act on SRC, STAT3, PIK3R1, HSP90AA1, and AKT1 to regulate T cell costimulation, lymphocyte costimulation, growth hormone response, protein input as a molecular mechanism regulating TME for CRC. It reflects the multi-target and multi-pathway role of ginseng in modulating TME for CRC, which provides new ideas to further reveal its pharmacological basis, mechanism of action and new drug design and development.

Biomass to Aromatic Amine Module: Alkali Catalytic Conversion of N-Acetylglucosamine into Unsubstituted 3-Acetamidofuran by Retro-Aldol Condensation.

Aminofurans are widely used in drug synthesis as aromatic modules analogous to aniline. However, unsubstituted aminofuran compounds are difficult to prepare. In this study, a process for the selective conversion of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (NAG) into unsubstituted 3-acetamidofuran (3AF) is developed. The yield of 3AF from NAG catalyzed by a ternary Ba(OH)2 -H3 BO3 -NaCl catalytic system in N-methylpyrrolidone at 180 °C for 20 min can reach 73.9 %. Mechanistic studies reveal that the pathway to 3AF starts with a base-promoted retro-aldol condensation of the ring-opened NAG, affording the key intermediate N-acetylerythrosamine. Judicious selection of the catalyst system and conditions enables the selective conversion of biomass-derived NAG into 3AF or 3-acetamido-5-acetylfuran.

An anatomical study of the tibial nerve branches innervating the posterior tibial artery.

The arteries of the lower limbs are innervated by vascular branches (VBs) originating from the lumbar sympathetic trunk and branches of the spinal nerve. Although lumbar sympathectomy is used to treat nonreconstructive critical lower limb ischemia (CLLI), it has limited long-term effects. In addition, the anatomical structure of tibial nerve (TN) VBs remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to clarify their anatomy and better inform the surgical approach for nonreconstructive CLLI. Thirty-six adult cadavers were dissected under surgical microscopy to observe the patterns and origin points of VBs under direct vision. The calves were anatomically divided into five equal segments, and the number of VB origin points found in each was expressed as a proportion of the total found in the whole calf. Immunofluorescence staining was used to identify the sympathetic nerve fibers of the VBs. Our results showed that the TN gave off 3-4 VBs to innervate the posterior tibial artery (PTA), and the distances between VBs origin points and the medial tibial condyle were: 24.7 ± 16.3 mm, 91.7 ± 66.1 mm, 199.6 ± 52.0 mm, 231.7 ± 38.5 mm, respectively. They were mainly located in the first (40.46%) and fourth (31.68%) calf segments, and immunofluorescence staining showed that they contained tyrosine hydroxylase-positive sympathetic nerve fibers. These findings indicate that the TN gives off VBs to innervate the PTA and that these contain sympathetic nerve fibers. Therefore, these VBs may need to be cut to surgically treat nonreconstructable CLLI.

Systemic Therapy Combined with Locoregional Therapy Improved Survival in Oligometastatic Breast Cancer: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study.

The optimal therapeutic options, adding locoregional therapy (LRT) to systemic therapy (ST) or not, for patients with oligometastatic breast cancer (OMBC) have not been fully elucidated. Hence, we designed a retrospective observational study which enrolled patients with measurable extracranial OMBC having less than 5 metastatic lesions not necessarily in the same organ. We retrospectively reviewed a total of 199 patients diagnosed with extracranial OMBC, including 28 receiving ST followed by LRT (ST to LRT group), 44 receiving LRT followed by ST (LRT to ST group), and 127 receiving ST alone (ST alone group). After a median follow-up of 28.7 months, patients receiving both ST and LRT had a significantly better prognosis than those receiving ST alone: the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 16.3, 14.0, and 9.3 months (P < 0.001) and the median overall survival (OS) was 39.8, 70.5, and 26.7 months (P < 0.001) in the ST to LRT, LRT to ST, and ST alone groups, respectively. Sequence of ST and LRT had no significant impact on survival among patients receiving both. Further exploratory analysis identified ST plus LRT as an independent predictor for longer PFS. In conclusion, we demonstrated that adding LRT to ST was associated with survival benefits for patients with OMBC, and further prospective studies were warranted.

Empirical Analysis of the Dynamics of the COVID-19 Epidemic in Urban Embedded Social Networks.

Background: Due to the continual recurrence of COVID-19 in urban areas, it is important to know more about the evolution of the epidemic within this setting to mitigate the risk of the situation getting worse. As the virus spreads through human society, the social networks of confirmed cases can provide us with crucial new insights on this question. Methods: Based on the epidemiological reports of 235 COVID-19 cases in Nanjing, we constructed a social contact network for the epidemic. By analyzing the structure of this network, we explored the transmission characteristics of the epidemic, to provide evidence-based explanations for its transmission. Results: In our constructed transmission network, more than half (95/165, 57.58%) of patients were found not to have transmitted the infection, with only 15 (9.10%) source patients accounting for more than a third of the contagion (60, 36.36%), suggesting that the transmission of COVID-19 varies per individuals. Patients in the 31 to 50 age group were the main source of infectious clusters, with females playing a more active role in passing on the infection. Network component analysis identified nine components with disproportionate concentrations of influential patients, accounting for 49.09% (81) of the patients and 59.09% (78) of epidemiological network contacts. Family aggregation may favor disease transmission, and parenthood is the relationship with the highest infection risk within the family cluster. In addition, some specific public places, such as chess and card parlors, were found to be notable hotspots for community infection. Conclusion: This study presents the evolution of the urban epidemic from the perspective of individual-level and socially interactive processes. This real-world evidence can help to increase public awareness of the epidemic, formulate countermeasures, and allocate limited public health resources for urban management.

Animal Model Contributions to Primary Congenital Glaucoma.

Primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) is an ocular disease characterized by congenital anterior segmental maldevelopment with progressive optic nerve degeneration. Certain genes, such as cytochrome P450 family 1 subfamily B member 1 and latent TGF-ß-binding protein 2, are involved in the pathogenesis of PCG, but the exact pathogenic mechanism has not yet been fully elucidated. There is an urgent need to determine the etiology and pathophysiology of PCG and develop new therapeutic methods to stop disease progression. Animal models can simulate PCG and are essential to study the pathogenesis and treatment of PCG. Various animal species have been used in the study of PCG, including rabbits, rats, mice, cats, zebrafish, and quails. These models are formed spontaneously or by combining with genetic engineering technology. The focus of the present study is to review the characteristics and potential applications of animal models in PCG and provide new approaches to understand the mechanism and develop new treatment strategies for patients with PCG.

Coumarin protects Cherax quadricarinatus (red claw crayfish) against white spot syndrome virus infection.

Coumarin is a natural compound from plants with the molecular formula C9H6O2. Cherax quadricarinatus (red claw crayfish) is an aquaculture species exhibiting high economic efficiency and quality that is mainly distributed and cultivated in the southeast provinces in China. In order to identify an effective herbal immunopotentiator against white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection, this study examined the effect of coumarin as a feed additive in protecting C. quadricarinatus against WSSV infection. The expression of immune-related genes and WSSV copies were analyzed by Q-PCR. Challenge experiments were conducted to analyze the survival rate and determine the optimal concentration of coumarin. The Phenoloxidase activity (PO), Acid phosphatase (ACP) and superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) activity and lysozyme activity were also analyzed. Total hemocyte count (THC) and apoptosis rate were determined by flow cytometry. The WSSV challenge results showed that 40 mg/kg coumarin reduced the mortality of C. quadricarinatus and delayed the WSSV infection process. Further investigation showed that coumarin treatment had a positive effect on the important immunity-related parameters THC, ACP activity, SOD activity, LZM and PO activity. Coumarin up-regulated the expression of proPO, JAK, STAT, ALF, Hsp70 and down-regulated the expression of caspase at the mRNA level. After WSSV infection, the hemocyte apoptosis rate was lower in the 40 mg/kg coumarin + WSSV group compared with the WSSV only group. These data illustrate that coumarin enhances innate immunity in C. quadricarinatus and exhibits a protective effect against WSSV infection by reducing the number of WSSV copies and slowing the process of infection, which provides a potential theoretical basis for studies of coumarin as a new aquatic feed additive in crustacean aquaculture.

A narrative review of the role of the Notch signaling pathway in rheumatoid arthritis.

Background and Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease affected by genetics and the environment factors. Its early diagnosis and treatment are difficult, and the infection risk is serious. The treatment effects for most patients were not significant, which has become a difficult challenge to overcome. Cell signals play an important role in regulating basic cellular activities such as immunity. Notch signaling is a near secretory signal that can affects many processes of cell normal morphogenesis, including the differentiation of pluripotent progenitor cells, apoptosis, cell proliferation and the formation of cell boundary. In addition, the expression and activation of Notch signaling are increased in the synovial cells and vascular endothelial cells of RA patients. The purpose of this review was to elucidate the related mechanisms of Notch signaling in RA progression, as well as the potential therapeutic value of Notch signaling in a variety of autoimmune diseases. Methods: Literatures about Notch signaling and RA were extensively reviewed to analyze and discuss. Key Content and Findings: This article briefly reviews the role of Notch signaling in RA. It also summarizes the functional role of Notch signaling in the treatment of RA, with the goal to provide a new treatment option for RA patients. Conclusions: In this review, the approach we discussed focuses on Notch signaling as a potential therapeutic target against RA, enriching therapeutic strategies for inflammatory diseases including RA.

Early adoption of heated tobacco products resembles that of e-cigarettes.

BACKGROUND: Heated tobacco products (HTP) generate nicotine-containing aerosol by heating tobacco rather than burning it. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently authorised the sale of one HTP brand, iQOS, in the USA. This study examined the awareness, use and risk perceptions of HTP in the USA following FDA authorisation. METHODS: A national probability sample of 20 449 US adults completed an online survey between November 2019 and February 2020. In addition to assessing awareness and use of HTP, two ratios were calculated: the ratio of those who experimented with HTP given that they had heard about it (E/H) and the ratio of those who currently used HTP given experimentation (C/E). These ratios for HTP were compared against those for e-cigarettes from a similar national survey in 2012. RESULTS: Overall, 8.1% of respondents had heard of HTP. Only 0.55% had tried and 0.10% were current users. The rate of experimentation among those who heard about HTP and the rate of current use among experimenters were, however, similar to those for e-cigarettes in 2012: E/H and C/E for HTP were 6.8% and 18.2%, respectively; and 10.7% and 17.8%, respectively for e-cigarettes. The majority of respondents considered HTP either less harmful than (11.6%), or equally harmful as e-cigarettes (42.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Only a small fraction of US population in 2020 have tried any HTP. However, the similarity in early adoption rates following awareness, suggests that future adoption for HTP may be similar to that for e-cigarettes, if HTP are marketed more aggressively.

Comparison of tracheal intubation between sitting position and standing position in COVID-19 patients: A manikin study.

ABSTRACT: It is recommended to use visual laryngoscope for tracheal intubation in a Corona Virus Disease 2019 patient to keep the operator farther from the patient. How the position of the operator affects the distance in this setting is not ascertained. This manikin study compares the distances between the operator and the model and the intubation conditions when the operator is in sitting position and standing position, respectively.Thirty one anesthesiologists with minimum 3-years' work experiences participated in the study. The participant's posture was photographed when he performed tracheal intubation using UE visual laryngoscope in standing and sitting position, respectively. The shortest distance between the model's upper central incisor and operator's face screen (UF), the horizontal distance between the model's upper central incisor and the operator's face screen, the angle between the UF line and the vertical line of the model's upper central incisor were measured. The success rate of intubation, the duration of intubation procedure, the first-attempt success rate, the Cormack-Lehane grade, and operator comfort score were also recorded.When the operator performed the procedure in sitting position, the horizontal distance between the model's upper central incisor and the operator's face screen distance was significantly longer (9.5 [0.0-17.2] vs 24.3 [10.3-33.0], P ≤ .001) and the angle between the UF line and the vertical line of the model's upper central incisor angle was significantly larger (45.2 [16.3-75.5] vs 17.7 [0.0-38.9], P ≤ .001). There was no significant difference in UF distance when the operator changed the position. Cormack-Lehane grade was significantly improved when it was assessed using visual laryngoscope. Cormack-Lehane grade was not significantly different when the operator assessed it in sitting and standing position, respectively. No significant differences were found in the success rate, duration for intubation, first-attempt success rate, and operator comfort score.The operator is kept farther from the patient when he performs intubation procedure in sitting position. Meanwhile, it does not make the procedure more difficult or uncomfortable for the operator, though all the participants prefer to standing position.

Mechanism of WeChat's Impact on Public Risk Perception During COVID-19.

PURPOSE: Taking COVID-19 as an example, this paper explores the mechanism of WeChat's impact on risk information transmission in social media and builds a model of WeChat's impact on public risk perception based on risk communication. METHODS: Research primarily utilised the questionnaire survey method to collect and analyse public attitudes towards COVID-19 to achieve the research goals. We checked the adequacy of measurements and tested the hypotheses with regression analysis based on 801 participants in China. RESULTS: The results indicated that the levels of the public WeChat COVID-19 risk information attention and trust had a significant positive impact on the public's risk perception and willingness of pandemic prevention. The improved public risk perception of COVID-19 as a mediator enhanced the public pandemic prevention ability, which allowed WeChat to play a more effective role in major disaster emergency.

A Rapid Screening Method for Sibutramine Hydrochloride in Natural Herbal Medicines and Dietary Supplements.

Herbal weight loss drugs are becoming more widely used in the fight against obesity, but ineffective regulation of these products have resulted in harmful additives. These products may contain adulterants such as sibutramine hydrochloride that may result in serious adverse health events including death. This work established a color precipitation reaction-based rapid screening method for illegal adulteration of sibutramine hydrochloride in natural herbal medicines (NHM) and dietary supplements (DS). While a variety of chromatography- and electrophoresis-based systems have been reported to measure this analyte, they generally suffer from high costs, complicated sample preparation, and a costly analytical infrastructure. In contrast, we present a simple, handheld kit to assay for sibutramine. The performance metrics of this tool include an average detection time of approximately 3 minutes, which is markedly shorter than conventional methods (HPLC or HPLC-MS, etc.), a detection limit of 0.1 mg per aliquot, and an accuracy of 99.02% (n = 820). More strikingly, the sensitivity is 100% (n = 278), and the specificity is 98.52% (n = 542). The rapid test kit developed from this screening method was evaluated by FDA. In summary, this screening method is a rapid, simple, and low-cost tool for the detection of sibutramine in NHM and DS with superior selectivity and sensitivity. For these reasons, this method is especially suitable for underdeveloped settings because it can be employed onsite without any instrumentation. In addition, this approach could rapidly exclude most of the negative samples to boost efficiency in large-scale samples assay. If necessary, positive samples can undergo further alternate testing methods to confirm the positive results of sibutramine hydrochloride content.

The Molecular Genetics of Marfan Syndrome.

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a complex connective tissue disease that is primarily characterized by cardiovascular, ocular and skeletal systems disorders. Despite its rarity, MFS severely impacts the quality of life of the patients. It has been shown that molecular genetic factors serve critical roles in the pathogenesis of MFS. FBN1 is associated with MFS and the other genes such as FBN2, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) receptors (TGFBR1 and TGFBR2), latent TGF-ß-binding protein 2 (LTBP2) and SKI, amongst others also have their associated syndromes, however high overlap may exist between these syndromes and MFS. Abnormalities in the TGF-ß signaling pathway also contribute to the development of aneurysms in patients with MFS, although the detailed molecular mechanism remains unclear. Mutant FBN1 protein may cause unstableness in elastic structures, thereby perturbing the TGF-ß signaling pathway, which regulates several processes in cells. Additionally, DNA methylation of FBN1 and histone acetylation in an MFS mouse model demonstrated that epigenetic factors play a regulatory role in MFS. The purpose of the present review is to provide an up-to-date understanding of MFS-related genes and relevant assessment technologies, with the aim of laying a foundation for the early diagnosis, consultation and treatment of MFS.

Slim cigarette smoking in Urban China: Who are the early adopters and why?

Sales data in China indicate that slim cigarette consumption has increased dramatically over the last few years. This study examined who smoked slim cigarettes and the reasons for adopting these new products. A survey of an online panel from 19 Chinese cities was conducted from October 2018 to April 2019 with 20,055 members aged 16 and older. Among the 31.7% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 30.1-33.4] of panel members who reported currently smoking, 37.7% (95% CI = 34.8-40.5) smoked slim cigarettes. Among smokers, women were significantly more likely to smoke slim cigarettes than men [56.5% (95% CI = 50.8-62.2) vs. 35.5% (95% CI = 32.8-38.1)]. Smokers with a bachelor's degree were more likely to smoke slim cigarettes than those without [41.3% (95% CI = 38.1-44.4) vs. 33.1% (95% CI = 30.0-36.1)]. Most slim cigarette smokers were dual smokers [77.7% (95% CI = 75.3-80.1)], smoking both regular and slim cigarettes. Among dual smokers, 97.5% (95% CI = 96.7-98.3) started smoking regular cigarettes before slim cigarettes. Of the many reasons given for smoking slim cigarettes, 37.0% (95% CI = 34.3-39.7) directly related to harm reduction with another 10.1% (95% CI = 8.4-11.7) reporting their reason as wanting "to reduce consumption of regular cigarettes," a plausible indication of harm reduction. These findings suggest strong interest in harm reduction among the current Chinese smoking population and that the popularity of slim cigarettes is likely to increase, with the more educated as the early adopters. Given the absence of any evidence that these products actually reduce harm, it is urgent that the public health community be on high alert in order to avoid repeating the sad history of low-tar cigarettes, when a supposed harm-reduction product misled the field of tobacco control.

Adolescent Use of and Susceptibility to Heated Tobacco Products.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A leading brand of heated tobacco products (HTPs), IQOS, was authorized to be sold in the United States in 2019. Researchers have examined the awareness and use of HTPs among US adults. In this study, we examined high school students' awareness, use, and susceptibility pertaining to HTPs. METHODS: A large, cross-sectional population survey of randomly sampled 10th- and 12th-graders in California (N = 150 516) was conducted online during school hours from September 2019 to March 2020. RESULTS: Overall, 8.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.7%-9.1%) of California high school students had heard of HTPs. Approximately 0.67% (95% CI, 0.61%-0.73%) had ever tried HTPs, and 0.20% (95% CI, 0.17%-0.23%) were current users (ie, ∼30% of ever users continued to use HTPs at the time of survey). Among those who never tried HTPs, 18.3% (95% CI, 17.9%-18.8%) were susceptible to future use. The susceptibility to HTP use was greater among users of cigarettes or e-cigarettes than among nonusers. CONCLUSIONS: The awareness of HTPs among adolescents was remarkable given the low availability of products at the time of survey. Only a small percentage of adolescents experimented with HTPs. However, almost a third of those who had experimented with HTPs continued to use them. This high ratio and the fact that almost 1 out of 5 never users were susceptible to future HTP use should put the public health community on high alert as more HTP products are coming into the market, with promotion of these products likely to increase.

A narrative review of positive regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: This paper briefly reviews the pathological characteristics and regulatory mechanism of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and summarizes the relationship between it and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as a means to improve its therapeutic potential and clinical application. BACKGROUND: RA is a systemic inflammatory disease with a high incidence rate. The early diagnosis and treatment of the disease is difficult, and the current treatment effect of most patients is not significant and accompanied by serious infection risk. Inflammation is an immune protective mechanism in the body. Inflammasome is an intracellular multi-body protein that stimulates the inflammatory response [inducing the release of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-18] and promotes the death of thermophiles. The NLRP3 inflammatory bodies are assembled from NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC), and pro-caspase-1. Previous studies have enriched our understanding of the activation mechanism of NLRP3 inflammasome, and animal model data suggests that it plays an important role in autoimmune diseases, including RA. METHODS: Literatures about inflammation and RA were extensively reviewed to analyze and discuss. CONCLUSIONS: Especially, we focused on the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in the pathogenesis of RA and the potential of NLRP3 inflammasome or their derivatives in the treatment of RA, which enriched the treatment strategies of inflammatory diseases.

PRKCH polymorphism is associated with rheumatoid arthritis in a Chinese population.

Genetic factors have been widely considered to have a substantial effect on the susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the four newly discovered polymorphisms in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis confer susceptibility to RA in a Chinese Han population. We conducted a case-control study involving 359 RA cases and 873 age-and gender-matched controls and performed genotyping of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs227163, rs726288, rs3783782 and rs2469434, using the dye terminator-based SNaPshot method. Consequently, we detected significant differences of genotype distribution of rs3783782 in PRKCH between RA and controls. The minor allele frequencies (MAFs) of rs3783782 were significantly higher in RA patients compared to control subjects. Moreover, the rs227163 in TNFRSF9 had higher MAFs in male RA compared with male controls. In addition, the polymorphism of rs3783782 in PRKCH was significantly associated with RA susceptibility (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.32-2.11, p = 1.32 × 10-5). After stratification by gender, the minor (A) allele was strongly associated with increased risk for RA in males (OR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.34-2.60; p = 1.62 × 10-4) and in females (OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.08-2.10; p = 0.014). For rs227163, the minor (C) allele was found to be associated with RA risk only in males (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.02-1.75; p = 0.036). These findings for the first time confirmed that rs3783782 in PRKCH was associated with RA susceptibility in a Chinese population, and rs227163 in TNFRSF9 was associated with RA risk in Chinese males; these SNPs may serve as genetic markers for RA.