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Objective: To investigate the COVID-19 fear and uncertainty intolerance in first-year medical students in the first year of the pandemic. Methods: In the academic year 2020-2021, a cross-sectional study was carried out among students in the first year of medical school. They were asked to complete an online survey which included demographic information and two five-item (1 to 5) Likert scales. The scales were the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCS) and the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12 (IUS-12). Results: Of the 237 students included (participation rate 81.7%), the median age was 19.0 [IQR=1.0] years and 60.3% were female (n=143). The median FCS score was 17.0 [IQR=7.0] and the mean IUS-12 score was 37.4±8.8. A significant positive correlation was found between FCS and IUS-12 scores (r=0.316, P<.001). Elevated FCS scores were significantly associated with female gender, never smokers, and those reporting a need for psychological support (P<.05). High IUS-12 scores were also significantly associated with the need for psychological support, but also with feeling lonely, home stress, and not watching online lectures (P<.05). Conclusion: High levels of COVID-19 fear and uncertainty intolerance were found in first-year medical students. Students' need for psychological support tended to be significantly higher at both higher scaled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative heat- and corrosion-resistant coating approaches, applicable in indirect-food-contact outdoor environments, have been developed. Two systems, a direct-to-metal single-layer, polysiloxane-based, oven-dried system and a bilayer, zinc phosphate active pigment-containing, ambient-cured system were developed to overcome the shortcomings of the traditional bilayer, zinc-rich primer-based heat-resistant surface-protective solutions for outdoor cooking equipment, such as barbecue grills. This case study aims to optimize the application conditions, measure and evaluate the impact of surface preparation and compare thermo-resistant and anticorrosive properties of different coating systems focusing on eco-efficiency. The anticorrosion efficiency of the coatings was characterized using salt-spray chamber corrosion tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The thermo-resistant character of the coatings was tested by cyclic and constant heat treatment, after which the physical integrity of the coatings was evaluated by optical microscopy. In the overall performance of the coatings, the roughening of the steel substrate surface and the thickness of the coatings were also considered as influential parameters. The study revealed that the newly developed coatings have superior anticorrosion performance to the usually applied Zn-rich coating. The Single-layered Coating has excellent corrosion resistance under certain conditions and has the advantage of fast layer application. The Bilayered Coating showed excellent heat- and corrosion-resistance properties even on a surface without sand-blasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Jurnal Farmasi Komunitas is the property of Universitas Airlangga and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Pamukkale Medical Journal is the property of Pamukkale Journal of Medicine and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Médecine is the property of John Libbey Eurotext Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We estimated the association between the age at smoking initiation and cessation and all-cause and causespecific mortality among Japanese men (n = 41,711; age 40–79 years) by analyzing data from the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for the Evaluation of Cancer Risks. From 1988 and 1990 to 2009, 13,429 all-cause deaths (cancers, n = 4999; cardiovascular diseases, n = 3682) occurred in this cohort. Fitted Cox proportional hazard models, with never smokers as the reference group, were created. Former smokers demonstrated a lower risk for all-cause and cause-specific mortality than current smokers, with a dose-dependent reduction in the risk based on smoking-initiation age. Among former smokers who quit smoking aged 50 years or more, the highest hazard ratios were detected for those who started smoking at <20 years of age (all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease mortality, hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] 1.51 [1.29–1.77], 1.68 [1.27–2.23], and 1.48 [1.12–1.96], respectively). Former smokers who quit smoking at <50 years of age had negligible all-cause or cardiovascular disease mortality regardless of the smoking-initiation age, whereas the cancer mortality risk remained significantly high among those who quit smoking at 40–49 years of age. Thus, smoking cessation significantly reduces the all-cause mortality risk; however, early initiation and later cessation do not provide a huge benefit, which earlier cessation does. Therefore, all smokers should be encouraged to quit smoking earlier in life regardless of their age at smoking initiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and aim. Smoking widely affect oral health, including its role in the development of periodontitis. Saliva contains an antioxidant system and various enzymes. The study was designed to evaluate the activity of salivary alpha amylase among individuals who smoke and have periodontitis. Material and methods. A total of 100 participants were included, with 50 cases (cigarette smokers with periodontitis) and the remaining 50 nonsmokers with healthy periodontium as the control group. Saliva samples were collected to measure salivary alpha amylase activity. Results. Smokers with periodontitis had significantly higher levels of salivary alpha amylase compared to the control group (177.96±14.5 vs 94.04±19.6 IU/mL, p<0.001). Additionally, there was a weak negative correlation between the level of alpha amylase and the age of the patients (p=0.01, r=0.376). However, no correlation was found between the level of alpha amylase and the duration of smoking (p=0.584, r=0.079). Conclusion. There is a significant increase in salivary alpha amylase levels among smokers with periodontitis. No correlation was found between age and salivary alpha amylase levels. However, a weak positive correlation was observed between the duration of smoking and salivary alpha amylase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smoke from cooking in the kitchen is one of the world’s leading causes of premature child death, claiming the lives of 500,000 children under five annually. This study analyses the role of outdoor cooking and the prevalence of respiratory diseases among children under five years by means of probit regressions using information from 41 surveys conducted in 30 developing countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America. I find that outdoor cooking reduces respiratory diseases among young children aged 0-4 by around 9 percent, an effect that reaches 13 percent among children aged 0-1. The results suggest that simple behavioral interventions, such as promoting outdoor cooking, can have a substantial impact on health hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Smoke from solid biomass cooking is often stated to reduce household mosquito levels and, therefore, malarial transmission. However, household air pollution (HAP) from solid biomass cooking is estimated to be responsible for 1.67 times more deaths in children aged under 5 years compared to malaria globally. This cross-sectional study investigates the association between malaria and (i) cleaner fuel usage; (ii) wood compared to charcoal fuel; and, (iii) household cooking location, among children aged under 5 years in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods: Population-based data was obtained from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for 85,263 children within 17 malaria-endemic sub-Saharan countries who were who were tested for malaria with a malarial rapid diagnostic test (RDT) or microscopy. To assess the independent association between malarial diagnosis (positive, negative), fuel type and cooking location (outdoor, indoor, attached to house), multivariable logistic regression was used, controlling for individual, household and contextual confounding factors. Results: Household use of solid biomass fuels and kerosene cooking fuels was associated with a 57% increase in the odds ratio of malarial infection after adjusting for confounding factors (RDT adjusted odds ratio (AOR):1.57 [1.30–1.91]; Microscopy AOR: 1.58 [1.23–2.04]) compared to cooking with cleaner fuels. A similar effect was observed when comparing wood to charcoal among solid biomass fuel users (RDT AOR: 1.77 [1.54–2.04]; Microscopy AOR: 1.21 [1.08–1.37]). Cooking in a separate building was associated with a 26% reduction in the odds of malarial infection (RDT AOR: 0.74 [0.66–0.83]; Microscopy AOR: 0.75 [0.67–0.84]) compared to indoor cooking; however no association was observed with outdoor cooking. Similar effects were observed within a sub-analysis of malarial mesoendemic areas only. Conclusion: Cleaner fuels and outdoor cooking practices associated with reduced smoke exposure were not observed to have an adverse effect upon malarial infection among children under 5 years in SSA. Further mixed-methods research will be required to further strengthen the evidence base concerning this risk paradigm and to support appropriate public health messaging in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION We evaluated the tobacco odor intensity of cigarettes based on a large consumer panel and explored the differences of odor intensity perception based on sex, age and smoking habits. METHODS The perceived intensity of tobacco odor of cigarettes was evaluated using a consumer group method. A consumer panel of 240 volunteers (80 smokers, 80 ex-smokers and 80 non-smokers) was asked to smell eleven unlit cigarettes and then report their tobacco odor intensity in a specific questionnaire. RESULTS All volunteers clearly determined the presence of tobacco odor in all cigarettes. There is a general decrease of the perceived odor intensity with age, for both males and females. Moreover, tobacco odor perceived intensity, among all volunteer groups (smokers, non-smokers, ex-smokers), was higher for females than for males. Non-smokers declared the highest perceived tobacco odor intensities, followed by ex-smokers and smokers, who recorded the lowest perceived odor intensity. Perceived odor intensity decreased with age, with a higher rate for females compared to males, but independently of the smoking habits. CONCLUSIONS Regular and untrained consumers confirmed that a tobacco odor of different intensity can be perceived during the smelling of unlit cigarettes. This perceived intensity depends on sex, age and smoking habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Netherlands plans to ban tobacco sales in supermarkets in 2024. In a comprehensive policy evaluation, we aim to examine: 1) the impact of the policy on the number and types of tobacco outlets, 2) the impact on attitudes and behaviors of smoking adults and non-smoking youth, and 3) the influence of the tobacco industry on the policy process and the retail environment. In addition, our study focusses on differential effects in disadvantaged neighborhoods, where both smoking rates and tobacco outlet density are typically highest. This study brings together economic, psychological, and journalistic research methods. We investigate the impact of the new legislation on the number and type of tobacco outlets, and on the number of smokers by using routinely collected population monitoring data. We examine the impact of the legislation on smoking susceptibility of non-smoking youth and on impulse tobacco purchases by smoking adults with yearly quantitative surveys and with qualitative interviews and discussion sessions. We describe whether these impacts differ for disadvantaged versus non-disadvantaged neighborhoods. We investigate what strategies the tobacco industry uses to influence the new legislation, policy processes, and the tobacco retail environment by performing a journalistic investigation, by means of documents obtained by Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, (possibly) leaked documents from insider meetings, and interviews with insiders. The methods of our evaluation can be used as a model for other comprehensive public policy evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To detect pulmonary changes among asymptomatic smokers using an inspiratory and expiratory high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and pulmonary function tests (PFT). Pulmonary changes associated with smoking are now an increasing public health concern. Computed tomography, especially HRCT, is the best choice for visualizing lung morphology. Patients and methods The study was a cohort study conducted at Shebeen Chest Hospital from January 2019 to January 2021. The study was carried out on 120 adult males; 80 of them were asymptomatic smokers and 40 matched healthy nonsmokers served as the control group. All underwent routine chest radiograph, PA view, HRCT (inspiratory, expiratory) film, and PFTs in the form of forced expiratory vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume after 1 s (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, mean forced expiratory flow, and peak expiratory flow. Comparison between the two groups was done according to HRCT and PFT. Result There was significant difference between inspiratory and expiratory HRCT regarding air trapping between cases. Inspiratory air trapping was present in 4% while expiratory air trapping was present in 18%. There was highly significant difference between cases and controls regarding emphysema and bronchial thickening, subpleural line. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding FVC, forced expiratory flow 25–75, and FEV1/FVC, while there was a significant difference between them regarding PFT pattern results (P<0.05). Conclusion HRCT is the most sensitive imaging modality for diagnosing early emphysema in asymptomatic smokers. HRCT of the lung can detect lung abnormalities noninvasively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Healthcare providers play a critical role in facilitating smoking cessation, however, despite evidence supporting the effectiveness of brief advise, most healthcare providers rarely advise and assist their patients in quitting smoking. Our study investigated the proportion of smokers in Zambia who receive smoking cessation advise from their healthcare providers, and estimated the prevalence and factors associated with quit attempts in Zambia. METHODS This cross-sectional study included 475 adult current smokers. Quit status, behavior and psychological factors, and clinical characteristics were assessed. Logistic regression was used to obtain unadjusted (OR) and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between various factors and attempt to quit. RESULTS Of the 475 current smokers who participated in the WHO-STEPS Survey 2017, more than half were aged 18-44 years (63.8%). The majority of the smokers were men (87.2%), had rural residence (70.9%), no to less than primary education level (42.6%). Among the 475 current smokers included in the analysis, 47.6% made quit attempts and among the 387 current smokers who visited a healthcare provider in the past 12 months for any other medical reason, only 18.6% reported receiving smoking advise. In multivariable analysis, advised to quit was associated with increased odds of attempting to quit (OR=2.84; 95% CI: 1.11-7.25). CONCLUSIONS Our findings underscore that few smokers in Zambia are advised to quit smoking during encounters with healthcare providers. The study also found that quit advise offered by healthcare providers was significantly associated with quit attempts by the smoker. There is a need to strengthen smoking cessation policies that encourage routine screening, quit advise, and treatment of smokers to reduce tobacco-related comorbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the impact of household air pollution on household health outcomes using the Uganda National Household Survey (2017) and employ a probit model with selection. Results reveal that exposure to household air pollution is significantly associated with cough and fever incidences among household members, with the young ones being more vulnerable. Also, low education level of household head, cooking indoors in a living house, and poverty significantly increases chances of contracting cough and fever. Also, findings show that having a separate indoor built kitchen, high education, being male, residing in urban areas and staying in the northern and western regions significantly reduce the likelihood of contracting cough and fever. Thus, strategies for behavioural interventions such as promoting outdoor cooking and raising awareness of the health hazards associated with household air pollution, good household planning and adoption of clean fuel could be a promising path for policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Saúde e Pesquisa is the property of Saude e Pesquisa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction and aim. Favre-Racouchot syndrome though mostly reported in Caucasian men (with an estimated prevalence of 6% in adults older than 50 years), cases have been reported in dark-skinned population including Indians, albeit rarely. It is characterized by large open and closed comedones along with epidermal cysts over the nose, cheeks, temples, forehead and periorbital areas. The association of this condition with chronic heavy smoking is what it makes compelling. Description of the case report. We report a case of elderly male, chronic heavy smoker who was diagnosed as a case of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as per standard guidelines. He presented with multiple nodulo-cystic lesions and had undergone a skin biopsy. Histomorphology features were consistent with Favre-Racouchot syndrome. Conclusion. Early identification of this skin condition in mildly symptomatic and asymptomatic smokers may help clinicians to forewarn the patients regarding development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laws have been enacted by the Ministry of Health to protect health against smoking. We aimed to contribute to the literature by examining the opinions of the citizens of the Republic of Turkey, which was presented as a role model by the World Health Organization in the fight against smoking, and of Syrian refugees whose public life was disrupted and migrated due to the war, as well as was examined the effectiveness of the Ministry of Health's practices in this field on pregnant women. The universe of the study consisted of pregnant women who applied to the Harran University Chest Diseases Clinic between December 2019 and April 2021. The sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 208 pregnant women who agreed to participate in the study. In the collection of the data, a participant identification form, which includes socio-demographic and obstetric characteristics, and a questionnaire to define the opinions of pregnant women on the anti-smoking practices of the Ministry of Health were applied to pregnant women. This study group consisted of 54.3% Syrian Refugee pregnant women and 45.7% of Turkish citizen pregnant women. This study was determined that 63% of Syrian refugee pregnant women and 37% of Turkish pregnant women smoked during their last pregnancy. A significant difference was found between the groups according to the age, presence of a smoker in the family, the smoking status of their spouse, and "State of knowledge of health problems caused by smoking" of Syrian Refugee and Turkish citizens pregnant. Our study is the first study that examines the opinions of pregnant regarding the smoking cessation practices of the Ministry of Health in the field and compares Syrian refugee-Turkish citizens pregnant. Active smoking of pregnant and the rate of exposure to passive smoking by their spouse or others living in-house suggest that smoking is still a major threat for pregnant. It has shown that the practices of the Ministry of Health in the field are known and supported by pregnant, but these practices are far from the inspection mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this study were to estimate the frequency and identify reasons for nonadherence to lifestyle modifications among type 2 diabetic patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities-Arabic instrument and the Arabic version of the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test. A convenience sample was collected. The sample included 410 participants. The mean age of the participants was 61 ± 9.70 years. Of the participants, only 95 (23.2%) had a controlled blood glucose level (glycosylated hemoglobin ≤ 7%). The self-management activities from the most practiced to the least practiced (scale range 0-7) were medications (Mean: 6.28 ± 1.64), foot care activities (Mean: 5.04 ± 2.43), diet activities (Mean: 4.44 ± 2.69), exercise activities (Mean: 3.96 ± 1.97), and blood glucose monitoring (Mean: 0.58 ± 1.28). The majority of participants had acceptable knowledge (63.2%, n = 259). Obese, smokers and rural participants were less likely to adhere to the appropriate diet. P values were 0.012, 0.018, and 0.011, respectively. Regarding regular exercise, obese participants and those with uncontrolled blood glucose levels were less engaged in exercise practice (p values were 0.041 and 0.019). The study concluded that lifestyle modifications were found to be accepted in many aspects. However, there is room for improvement. Effective education and counseling strategies are recommended with a focus on the recognized factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé: La combustion de la biomasse lors de la cuisson des repas émet des PM2,5 potentiellement nocives pour la santé. À Ouagadougou, 60 % des ménages utilisent la biomasse pour la cuisson des repas. La présente étude vise à identifier les facteurs de fortes concentrations de PM2,5, ainsi que les effets sur la santé des personnes exposées. L'étude a été réalisée en mai-juin 2017 et a concerné 56 ménages du secteur 15 de Ouagadougou. Les données ont été collectées à l'aide d'une grille et les concentrations de PM2,5 mesurées à l'aide d'un appareil de mesure de polluants « QUEST EVM ». Les variables indépendantes étaient le type de cuisine, le type de foyer, le type de combustible, la température, l'humidité et la durée de cuisson des repas. Les données ont été saisies avec EpiData et analysées avec Stata/SE 12.0. Les intervalles de confiance ont été estimés à 95 %. La comparaison des valeurs moyennes a été réalisée à l'aide du test Anova. Une régression linéaire a permis d'identifier les facteurs liés à la forte concentration de PM2,5. Les concentrations de PM2,5 pour 24 heures étaient au-dessus du seuil préconisé par l'Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) (25 μg/m3) dans les situations suivantes : cuisine à l'air libre, utilisation de la biomasse à l'aide de foyers traditionnels/améliorés. L'analyse bivariée a montré que les concentrations de PM2,5 étaient plus élevées dans les ménages utilisant de la biomasse (p = 0,03). La régression linéaire a montré que les concentrations de PM2,5 étaient significativement plus élevées au niveau des cuisines à l'air libre comparativement aux cuisines externes (p = 0,01) ou internes (p < 0,01), et quand des foyers traditionnels avec du bois étaient utilisés (p = 0,01). Ces fortes concentrations de PM2,5 exposent les habitants à des risques sanitaires importants, allant des infections respiratoires aux cancers. Cela nécessite de prendre de mesures pour l'utilisation de dispositifs de cuisine moins polluants. The use of biomass for cooking meals produces potentially harmful PM2.5 emissions. In Ouagadougou, 60% of households use biomass for this purpose. This study aimed to identify the factors contributing to high PM2.5 concentrations and the effects on the health of the people exposed. It was conducted in May-June 2017 and covered 56 households in sector 15 of Ouagadougou. Data were collected with a grid and PM2.5 concentrations measured with a "QUEST EVM" pollutant monitor. The independent variables were kitchen type, fireplace type, fuel type, temperature, humidity, and meal duration. The data were entered with EpiData and analyzed with Stata/SE 12.0. Confidence intervals were estimated at 95%. Mean values were compared with Anova. A linear regression identified the factors related to high concentrations of PM2.5. The 24-hour concentrations were higher than the WHO recommended value (25 μg/m3) in the following situations: outdoor cooking, and use of biomass with the aid of traditional/improved fireplaces. The bivariate analysis found that PM2.5 concentrations were higher in households using biomass (p = 0.03). The linear regression analysis found that PM2.5 concentrations were significantly higher in open-air kitchens compared with outdoor kitchens (p = 0.01) or indoor kitchens (p < 0.01) and when traditional wood fireplaces were used (p = 0.01). These high concentrations of PM2.5 expose people to serious health risks ranging from respiratory infections to cancers. Measures must be taken to promote the use of less polluting cooking devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent archaeological excavation carried out within the Reales Alcázares of Seville, at a plaza known as Patio de Banderas, uncovered several semi-subterranean structures dated between the 9th and 7th century BCE. The structures, dug in the most recent Upper Pleistocene terrace of the Guadalquivir, contained hearths for preparing meals, suggesting that they were possibly outdoor cooking installations situated in the southern periphery of the settlement and near the port area. The associated pottery remains mostly correspond to pots and other handmade containers, however, some pieces of wheel-thrown pottery from the same period have also been documented. This evidence proves that the founding of Seville was contemporaneous with the construction of the first sanctuary on the opposite bank of the Guadalquivir at Carambolo. Both sites constitute a Phoenician colonization model that is found in other river mouth areas along the southwestern Iberian coast. This same pattern occurs in the estuaries of the Guadiana river, at Huelva, and, likewise, in the Bay of Cadiz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]