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High levels of intra-specific polymorphism and frequent hybridisation make it difficult to define species and correctly apply their scientific names. Populus L. is a challenging genus with plentiful natural and artificial hybrids. This study is a part of the project 'Flora of Pan-Himalaya' and aims to determine the taxonomic identity of P. gonggaensis N. Chao & J.R. He and to find out whether it is of hybrid origin. Whole-genome sequencing data were obtained from 57 samples. The SNP matrix was developed for phylogenetic reconstruction, ABBA-BABA statistics, PCA and ADMIXTURE analysis. The results indicate that P. gonggaensis is a spontaneous hybrid between P. lasiocarpa and P. cathayana. This study points out the importance of SNP data and comprehensive analyses for discovering the potential interspecific hybridisation and clarifies the usage of the name. In addition, the lectotype of P. gonggaensis was designated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood vessels are one of the most essential organs, which nourish all tissues in our body. Once there are intravascular plaques or vascular occlusion, other organs and circulatory systems will not work properly. Therefore, it is necessary to detect abnormal blood vessels by intravascular imaging technologies for subsequent vascular treatment. The emergence of lasers and fiber optics promotes the development of intravascular imaging and treatment. Laser imaging techniques can obtain deep vascular images owing to light scattering and absorption properties. Moreover, photothermal and photomechanical effects of laser make it possible to treat vascular diseases accurately. In this review, we present the research progress and applications of laser techniques in intravascular imaging and treatment. Firstly, we introduce intravascular optical coherent tomography and intravascular photoacoustic imaging, which can obtain various information of plaques. Multimodal intravascular imaging techniques provide more information about intravascular plaques, which have an essential influence on intravascular imaging. Secondly, two laser techniques including laser angioplasty and endovenous laser ablation are discussed for the treatment of arterial and venous diseases, respectively. Finally, the outlook of laser techniques in blood vessels, as well as the integration of laser imaging and treatment are prospected in the section of discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In this study, we used a discrete choice experiment (DCE) conducted August-October 2017 to examine electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) product preferences in a national sample of adult smokers (N = 1154) who were also using ENDS or had not ruled out future use. Methods: The DCE evaluated 5 ENDS attributes: relative harm; effectiveness for helping smokers quit; nicotine strength; flavor; and price. We asked participants to choose among their own cigarettes, 2 ENDS products whose attributes varied across tasks, or none. We analyzed ENDS preferences using multinomial, nested, and mixed logit regressions. Results: Smokers preferred ENDS that are less harmful than cigarettes, are effective in helping smokers quit, are lower priced, and are not menthol-flavored. The marginal willingness to pay for an ENDS product was $8.40 when less harmful than cigarettes, $4.13 when of unknown effectiveness in helping quitting ($13.90 when effective), and $3.37 when ENDS are not menthol-flavored. Furthermore, the overall flavor preference is driven by tobacco smokers, not by menthol cigarette smokers who do prefer menthol-flavored ENDS. Conclusions: Policies that affect perceptions of ENDS effectiveness in promoting cessation and their relative harm may alter smokers' ENDS preferences. Regulating flavors and price also may influence adult smokers' ENDS preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Public health policies are often enacted without adequate consideration of the existing market structure or their impacts on that market structure. This paper provides context for the potential impact of regulations on nicotine vaping products (NVP) use by providing a structural analysis of competition in the US NVP market before FDA regulation. Methods: We conducted a literature review with the aim of providing a framework for analysis that: (1) defines the market; (2) evaluates market concentration; (3) identifies entry barriers; and (4) examines firm conduct. Results: The NVP market includes retail, Internet sellers, and vape shops. Whereas conventional retail became more concentrated after the major cigarette companies entered the NVP market, the vape shop and Internet sectors remain substantially less concentrated, producing an overall low market concentration, with few entry barriers and competitive behavior. Conclusions: The largely unregulated US NVP market has been highly competitive, with a high degree of innovation. However, new FDA deeming regulations as applied to NVPs could make it difficult for smaller companies to remain in the market and could discourage new companies and new product innovations from entering the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Tobacco company conduct has been a central concern in tobacco control. Nevertheless, the public health community has not taken full advantage of the large economics and marketing literature on market competition in the cigarette industry. Methods: We conducted an unstructured narrative review of the economics and marketing literature using an antitrust framework that considers: (1) market; definition, (2) market concentration; (3) entry barriers, and (4) firm conduct. Results: Since the 1960s, US cigarette market concentration has increased primarily due to mergers and growth in the Marlboro brand. Entry barriers have included brand proliferation, slotting allowance contracts with retailers and government regulation. Whereas cigarette sales have declined, established firms have used coordinated price increases, predatory pricing and price discrimination to sustain their market power and profits. Conclusions: Although the major cigarette firms have exercised market power to increase prices and profits, the market could be radically changing, with consumers more likely to use several different types of tobacco products rather than just smoking a single cigarette brand. Better understanding of the interaction between market structure and government regulation can help develop effective policies in this changing tobacco product market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study provides global evidence on the association between cigarette point-ofsale (POS) advertising bans and adult cigarette smoking during 2007-2014. Methods: Data on POS advertising bans, cigarette prices, tobacco control environment, and countries' economic conditions came from the WHO MPOWER datasets and the World Bank database. Data on annual smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption were from Euromonitor International tobacco country reports. Country and year identifiers were used to link the datasets. Fractional logit regression and ordinary least squares methods were used to examine the associations between POS advertising bans and smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption. Analyses controlled for country-level GDP per capita, cigarette prices, percentages of population aged 15-64 and 65 and over, tobacco control environment, year indicators, and country fixed-effects. Results: POS advertising bans were associated with a 0.7 percentage point decrease in adult smoking prevalence and significantly associated with reduced cigarette consumption. Countries with POS advertising bans decreased by 128-154 sticks of cigarettes in per capita consumption per year compared to countries without such bans. Conclusions: Restricting cigarette advertising in the retail environment may reduce adult cigarette smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have numerically investigated the required minimum cavity dispersion (RMCD) for obtaining stable pulses in net normal dispersion, graphene mode-locked, Yb-doped fiber lasers (YDFLs). By solving the modified nonlinear Schrödinger equation, we have found that the value of the RMCD was mainly affected by the nonsaturable absorption losses in the graphene saturable absorber (SA), and when monolayer graphene was used as the SA, this value was less than that obtained using multilayer graphene as the SA. We have also found that monolayer graphene YDFLs were more suitable for generating highpower, narrow-width pulses than were multilayer graphene YDFLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Recent studies have shown that more opportunities exist for tax avoidance when cigarette excise tax structure departs from a uniform specific structure. However, the association between tax structure and cigarette price variability has not been thoroughly studied in the existing literature. Objective To examine how cigarette tax structure is associated with price variability. The variability of self-reported prices is measured using the ratios of differences between higher and lower prices to the median price such as the IQR-to-median ratio. Methods We used survey data taken from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation (ITC) Project in 17 countries to conduct the analysis. Cigarette prices were derived using individual purchase information and aggregated to price variability measures for each surveyed country and wave. The effect of tax structures on price variability was estimated using Generalised Estimating Equations after adjusting for year and country attributes. Findings Our study provides empirical evidence of a relationship between tax structure and cigarette price variability. We find that, compared to the specific uniform tax structure, mixed uniform and tiered (specific, ad valorem or mixed) structures are associated with greater price variability (p≤0.01). Moreover, while a greater share of the specific component in total excise taxes is associated with lower price variability (p≤0.05), a tiered tax structure is associated with greater price variability (p≤0.01). The results suggest that a uniform and specific tax structure is the most effective tax structure for reducing tobacco consumption and prevalence by limiting price variability and decreasing opportunities for tax avoidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Weight concerns are widely documented as one of the major barriers for girls and young adult women to quit smoking. Therefore, it is important to investigate whether smokers who have weight concerns respond to tobacco control policies differently than smokers who do not in terms of quit attempts, and how this difference varies by gender and country. Objective This study aims to investigate, by gender and country, whether smokers who believe that smoking helps control weight are less responsive to tobacco control policies with regards to quit attempts than those who do not. Methods We use longitudinal data from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project in the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia to conduct the analysis. We first constructed a dichotomous indicator for smokers who have the weight control belief and then examined the disparity in policy responsiveness in terms of quit attempts by directly estimating the interaction terms of policies and the weight control belief indicator using generalised estimating equations. Findings We find that weight control belief significantly attenuates the policy impact of tobacco control measures on quit attempts among US female smokers and among UK smokers. This pattern was not found among smokers in Canada and Australia. Conclusions Although our results vary by gender and country, the findings suggest that weight concerns do alter policy responsiveness in quit attempts in certain populations. Policy makers should take this into account and alleviate weight concerns to enhance the effectiveness of existing tobacco control policies on promoting quitting smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Little research has been done to examine whether smokers switch to illegal or roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes in response to a change in their relative price. Objective This paper explores how relative prices between three cigarette forms (manufactured legal, manufactured illegal and RYO cigarettes) are associated with the choice of one form over another after controlling for covariates, including sociodemographic characteristics, smokers' exposure to antismoking messaging, health warning labels and tobacco marketing. Methods Generalised estimating equations were employed to analyse the association between the price ratio of two different cigarette forms and the usage of one form over the other. Findings A 10% increase in the relative price ratio of legal to RYO cigarettes is associated with a 4.6% increase in the probability of consuming RYO cigarettes over manufactured legal cigarettes (p≤0.05). In addition, more exposure to antismoking messaging is associated with a lower odds of choosing RYO cigarettes over manufactured legal cigarettes (p≤0.05). Non-significant associations exist between the manufactured illegal to legal cigarette price ratios and choosing manufactured illegal cigarettes, suggesting that smokers do not switch to manufactured illegal cigarettes as prices of legal ones increase. However, these non-significant findings may be due to lack of variation in the price ratio measures. To improve the effectiveness of increased taxes and prices in reducing smoking, policymakers need to narrow price variability in the tobacco market. Moreover, increasing antismoking messaging reduces tax avoidance in the form of switching to cheaper RYO cigarettes in Uruguay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The valid publication, type and identity of Xylosma fasciculiflora (Salicaceae) are reviewed. "Xylosma fascicuflorum" (the specific epithet should have been spelled fasciculiflora) was effectively but not validly published by Lai in 1994, the author citing two gatherings, Bing-Yun Qiu 50405 and Ming-Gang Li 697 from ZNFC (now CSFI) and IBG (now IBK), as types contrary to Art. 40.2 of the Code. However, based on information from the publication and herbarium sheets, Lai intended to cite Bing-Yun Qiu 53405, "50405" being a typographical error. Specimens of Bing-Yun Qiu 50405 examined at KUN were identified as Liparis sp. (Orchidaceae). Xylosma fasciculiflora was validly published by Jin in 1999, with Qiu's single gathering cited as type but with the collection number again incorrectly cited as "50405"; the institution code was also miscited as ZJFC (not ZNFC as originally cited by Lai). The intended holotype, Bing-Yun Qiu 53405 at CSFI could not be found and has been determined to be lost. Therefore, the isotype at IBK is designated here as the lectotype. The lectotype and isolectotypes do not represent Xylosma, but rather Myrsine semiserrata (Myrsinaceae). Therefore, Xylosma fasciculiflora is treated as a synonym of Myrsine semiserrata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The distribution of cigarette prices has rarely been studied and compared under different tax structures. Descriptive evidence on price distributions by countries can shed light on opportunities for tax avoidance and brand switching under different tobacco tax structures, which could impact the effectiveness of increased taxation in reducing smoking. Objective This paper aims to describe the distribution of cigarette prices by countries and to compare these distributions based on the tobacco tax structure in these countries. Methods We employed data for 16 countries taken from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project to construct survey-derived cigarette prices for each country. Self-reported prices were weighted by cigarette consumption and described using a comprehensive set of statistics. We then compared these statistics for cigarette prices under different tax structures. In particular, countries of similar income levels and countries that impose similar total excise taxes using different tax structures were paired and compared in mean and variance using a two-sample comparison test. Findings Our investigation illustrates that, compared with specific uniform taxation, other tax structures, such as ad valorem uniform taxation, mixed (a tax system using ad valorem and specific taxes) uniform taxation, and tiered tax structures of specific, ad valorem and mixed taxation tend to have price distributions with greater variability. Countries that rely heavily on ad valorem and tiered taxes also tend to have greater price variability around the median. Among mixed taxation systems, countries that rely more heavily on the ad valorem component tend to have greater price variability than countries that rely more heavily on the specific component. In countries with tiered tax systems, cigarette prices are skewed more towards lower prices than are prices under uniform tax systems. The analyses presented here demonstrate that more opportunities exist for tax avoidance and brand switching when the tax structure departs from a uniform specific tax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adjusting Burden distribution is one of the most important and effective operations. In terms of fixed equipment, charging materials and blowing regulation, the inner gas flow utilization could be improved by adjusting the burden distribution to achieve a well-state skull, good blast furnace (BF) performance and long campaign life. The No.1 BF (the effective volume is 3200 m) was equipped with a bell-less top, cast iron cooling staves in the hearth and copper cooling plates from the belly to the lower shaft respectively. Although the satisfied indexes have been reached since blow on, the fluctuation caused by the skull dropping off happened several times. This resulted in the lining temperatures varying greatly, the coke ratio increasing and the product quality deteriorating. It is considered the main reason for the operation regulation not matching the varied conditions with deteriorating materials and continuous lower temperatures of hot metal etc. A type of effective charging mode is introduced in the paper to complete the BF long-term stable running and long operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information regarding proposal to aad a new Recommendation H.5B in Melbourne Code, nomenclature for plants, algae and fungi, under which a hybrid formula should be used instead of publishing a nothospecific name.

The article focuses on a proposal to add an explanatory note to Article 9.1 of International Code of Nomenclature (ICN) (Melbourne Code). It reveals that errors in designation of a holotype in the protologue of the name of a new species or infraspecific taxon have to be rectified. Topics discussed include improper usage of terms and unnecessary publication of names of new taxa.