Search

Purpose The present study examined the longitudinal associations between exposure to tobacco advertisements in magazines popular among young adults and changes in the number of tobacco products used by young adults. Methods Participants were 4,824 students from 24 Texas colleges participating in a longitudinal study. Tobacco advertisements in 11 magazines, collected from 2015 to 2017, were objectively assessed and young adults self-reported the frequency of reading each magazine on five biannual surveys from 2015 to 2017. The objective and self-reported measures were multiplied to create a tobacco advertisement exposure score. Growth curve models were used to determine if exposure to tobacco advertisements in magazines predicted changes in the number of tobacco products used across the 2-year period, controlling for sociodemographic factors, ever tobacco use, recall of tobacco advertisements on the internet, and personality characteristics. Results Young adults with more exposure to tobacco advertisements reported a slower decline in the number of tobacco products they used across time. Conclusions Tobacco advertising in magazines contributes to the continuation of single-product and polyproduct use among young adults. Findings highlight the need for additional federal regulations limiting advertisements for all types of tobacco products in magazines, particularly those popular among young adults, the youngest legal targets of the tobacco industry.

Use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) increased significantly after 2017. The increase is attributed to a surge in popularity of vape pods containing nicotine salts, which are high nicotine concentration ENDS that may heighten risk for dependence. However, little is known about changes in ENDS dependence before and after the 2017 surge. We examined the trajectory of ENDS dependence among young adults from 2014 to 2019.Participants were 1700 18-25-year-olds (57.6 % female) from 24 Texas colleges who reported past 30-day ENDS use in at least one of eight study waves. ENDS dependence was assessed at all waves with one item, use of ENDS within 30 min of waking. A discontinuous growth curve model was fit to test the hypothesis that the ENDS dependence trajectory would increase only after 2017, from 2018 to 2019. The model included socio-demographic and cigarette dependence covariates RESULTS: The proportion of young adults reporting ENDS dependence ranged from 2.3 % in 2014 to 8.2 % in 2019. Results from the discontinuous growth curve model indicated that the ENDS dependence trajectory was flat from fall 2014 to spring 2017. However, the post-2017 trajectory, from spring 2018 to spring 2019, was positive and significant indicating that the proportion of young adults reporting ENDS dependence increased after 2017.The increase in ENDS dependence after 2017 likely resulted from the surge in popularity of vape pods containing nicotine salts. These vape pods are a disruptive technology that may result in more young adults developing nicotine dependence symptoms than do earlier generation devices.

E-cigarette marketing tactics to reach and appeal to youth are rapidly changing. This study examined to what extent youth e-cigarette marketing exposure was associated with e-cigarette use behavior change one year later, during a time when youth e-cigarette use was starting to surge in the U.S. Using nationally representative longitudinal public-use data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, we examined associations between recalled e-cigarette marketing exposure (2016-2018) at Wave (W) 4 and e-cigarette use harm perception and behavior change (ever, current, and regular use) one year later (W4.5; 2017-2018) among W4 never tobacco users (n = 9405). Recall of exposure to e-cigarette marketing through different channels was also examined in multivariable models controlling for socio-demographic factors and established e-cigarette use risk factors. Results show that the most frequently recalled channels of e-cigarette marketing exposure were retail stores (50.3%), television (22.2%), and websites/social media (20.2%). Over one year, 21.2%, 7.8%, 3.4%, and 1.2% of respondents reported reduced harm perceptions, and ever, current, and regular use of e-cigarettes, respectively, at follow-up. Recalled exposure to e-cigarette marketing was associated with reduced e-cigarette harm perception (AOR = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.05-1.37) and ever (AOR = 1.26; 95% CI = 1.01-1.56) and current use (AOR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.02-1.92) at follow-up. E-cigarette marketing exposure through websites/social media was associated with reduced harm perceptions and all stages of e-cigarette use change, including regular use. Identifying marketing techniques and channels that change youth e-cigarette harm perceptions and influence e-cigarette use progression is essential to inform e-cigarette regulatory policies and prevention campaigns.

Background Factors associated with marijuana use in electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are largely unknown. ENDS advertising, through subtle normative cues as well as explicit and implicit messages suggesting ENDS products are socially condoned and healthier alternatives, may influence the use of marijuana in ENDS. The aim of our study was to examine the association between exposure to ENDS advertising and subsequent use of ENDS with marijuana among college students. Methods Data for this study were from waves 2 and 4 of the Marketing and Promotions across Colleges in Texas (M-PACT) study. Participants included 3720 college students (mean age = 21.4, SD = 2.3; 35.78% white; 35.7% male) across 24 colleges in Texas who completed online tobacco behavior surveys one year apart. Multilevel logistic regression was conducted to examine the association between ENDS advertising exposure at wave 2 (spring 2015) and use of marijuana in ENDS one year later at wave 4 (spring 2016), controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and wave 2 sensation-seeking, impulsivity, current tobacco use, current marijuana use, and ever use of ENDS with marijuana. Use of ENDS to consume marijuana in the past six months was the outcome variable and ENDS advertising exposure was the independent variable. Results Nearly half of participants reported ever ENDS use at waves 2 and 4, and 10% used marijuana in ENDS in the past 6-months at wave 4. Multilevel logistic regression analyses indicated that for every unit increase in ENDS advertising exposure, the odds of subsequently using ENDS with marijuana one year later were 1.08 times (95% CI = 1.01–1.14) greater. Conclusions ENDS advertising uniquely contributed to the subsequent use of marijuana in an ENDS, over and above the effects of other risk factors.

Introduction Few studies examine the impact of objective exposure to point-of-sale (POS) marketing for cigars including little cigars and cigarillos (LCCs) on tobacco use. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between exposure to LCC marketing at the POS and current and future use of LCCs and cigarettes among young adult college students. Method Data on LCC and cigarette use from 4201 young adult students (mean age = 22.8 [SD = 2.3]; 35.9% non-Hispanic whites) attending 24 Texas colleges was linked to objective assessments of POS marketing at 220 tobacco retail outlets within one mile of the colleges. Multilevel logistic regression analyses examined the impact of LCC marketing at the POS on use of LCCs and cigarettes currently and 6-months later. Results Participants were, on average, exposed to 43 LCC marketing materials per week. Results from cross-sectional analyses indicated that exposure to LCC POS marketing was associated with higher odds of current use of LCCs (AOR = 1.003, 95% CI = 1.0002, 1.0053) and cigarettes (AOR = 1.006, 95% CI = 1.0050, 1.0075). The relationship between LCC POS marketing exposure and LCC use was not significant in longitudinal models; however, exposure to LCC POS marketing at baseline did predict current cigarette use at 6-month follow-up (AOR = 1.004, 95% CI = 1.0021, 1.0052). Conclusion Findings suggest a substantial influence of LCC marketing exposure at the POS. Regulations on LCC marketing at the POS, especially around college campuses, should be considered.

Purpose E-cigarettes are currently the most commonly used tobacco product among US youth. However, unlike conventional cigarettes, e-cigarettes are not subject to marketing restrictions. This study investigates the association between exposure to e-cigarette marketing and susceptibility and use of e-cigarettes in youth. Methods Data were obtained from the 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Participants were 22,007 US middle and high school students. Multivariate logistic regression models assessed the relationship between e-cigarette marketing (internet, print, retail, and TV/movies) and current and ever use as well as susceptibility to use e-cigarettes among never e-cigarette users. Results Exposure to each type of e-cigarette marketing was significantly associated with increased likelihood of ever and current use of e-cigarettes among middle and high school students. Exposure was also associated with susceptibility to use of e-cigarettes among current nonusers. In multivariate models, as the number of channels of e-cigarette marketing exposure increased, the likelihood of use and susceptibility also increased. Conclusions Findings highlight the significant associations between e-cigarette marketing and e-cigarette use among youth and the need for longitudinal research on these relationships.

To determine whether alcohol use behaviors and alcohol-related consequences differed among students attending two-year versus four-year colleges.Participants (N=13,700) from 7 two-year and 11 four-year colleges completed the 2010 College Student Health Survey. Alcohol use behaviors included past year alcohol use, past month alcohol use, and binge drinking over the past two weeks. Alcohol-related factors included average calculated blood alcohol level and average number of alcohol-related consequences. Cross-sectional mixed-effects regression analyses were conducted to determine if the prevalence of alcohol-related behaviors and consequences differed among two-year and four-year students.Students attending four-year colleges, particularly males, were more likely to report past year alcohol use, past month alcohol use, and binge drinking, as well as a higher average blood alcohol content and a greater number of alcohol-related consequences than their two-year counterparts (p0.05). Among female students there were fewer differences between two-year and four-year college students. Many differences remained after adjusting for socio-demographic factors (e.g., age, race/ethnicity), however, with the addition of living situation as a covariate, several of the differences among males were no longer significant.Significant differences in alcohol-related behaviors and consequences exist among students attending two-year versus four-year colleges. While the prevalence of alcohol-related behaviors and consequences was lower among two-year college students, they are not a population to be over-looked. The prevalence of alcohol use remains high among both two-year and four-year college students, making it important for researchers to design appropriate interventions for all students regardless of the type of institution being attended.

The aim of the Thomson scattering system is the measurement of electron temperature and density profiles with high time and spatial resolution. The whole Thomson scattering optical system is optimized to minimize losses of scattered light with wavelengths from 700 nm up to 1064 nm. A five-channel polychromator serves as spectral analyzer of the scattered light. The light is carried to the polychromator input via fiber bundles of 3 mm diameter. High performance dielectric interference filters will be used for spectral analyzing. Their transmission curves will be chosen according to the range of electron temperature that is supposed during W7-X operation (from 10 eV up to 10 keV). The design of the polychromator must be optimized for a high throughput and size compactness. The article describes three possible polychromator setups. The main difference between these designs is the usage of relay and field lenses. The optical properties of the designs will be derived both by measurements and by simulations. Limitations considering high Numerical Aperture (N.A.) and fiber bundle size are discussed.

Despite the need for effective obesity prevention strategies, little research is currently available to assess adolescents’ knowledge around basic concepts of energy intake, expenditure and balance. Using data from 349 adolescent-caregiver pairs (recruited from Minneapolis/St. Paul metro region, MN, 2006-2007), cross-sectional linear regression was used to assess adolescent and parental knowledge related to energy intake and expenditure as a predictor of adolescent weight-related behaviors and outcomes. Findings indicated that knowledge related to energy intake and expenditure was highly variable, with a substantial proportion of participants (particularly adolescents) lacking knowledge on a range of concepts. Adolescent knowledge was positively associated with moderate physical activity and negatively associated with television viewing (P< 0.05), but it was not associated with sweetened beverage consumption, fast food intake, weight status, and/or body composition. While overall parental knowledge was a significant predictor of adolescent knowledge (p

To examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between weight status and measures of risk and protective factors in youth.Participants included 3010 students (72.1% white, 27.9% nonwhite), with a baseline mean age of 12.7 years from the Teens Eating for Energy and Nutrition at School (TEENS) study. Surveys were administered in grades 7 and 8. Cross-sectional and longitudinal mixed-effects regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between body mass index z-score percentiles (BMI) and risk and protective factors (including substance use, depression, fighting, optimism, and spirituality).Only depression was associated with BMI at the beginning of grade 7. However, by the end of grade 8, binge drinking, alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use, fighting, and depression were all cross-sectionally associated with BMI. Longitudinally, BMI in grade 7 did not predict risk and protective factors in grade 8. However, ATOD use, fighting, depression, and optimism in grade 7 predicted BMI in grade 8.This study suggests there is a notable co-occurrence of unhealthy factors (including weight status, ATOD use, depression) which appears to develop during the critical transition period through early adolescence. Specifically, earlier ATOD use, depression, increased fighting, and decreased optimism may lead to unhealthy increases in weight status, whereas early indicators of increased weight status do not appear to predict increases in these factors. This work yields important insights into the causal mechanisms underlying adolescent behavior patterning and the progression with which these unhealthy risk factor profiles are adopted during this critical age.

Within this paper it is established that the total plasma energy W for Wendelstein 7-AS plasmas is uniquely related to the density near the separatrix nes, for an extremely wide range of conditions, in the fashion W = 5.47 n es 0.7 [ kJ, 10 19 m - 3 ] . This expression holds for peaked core density profiles (Normal Confinement, NC) as well as those with an edge transport barrier (High Density H-mode, HDH). It encompasses absorbed powers P = 0.26–2.4 MW over a line-averaged density range n ¯ e = 1 – 40 × 10 19 m - 3 (Pecrh = 0.26–1.5 MW: n ¯ e = 1 – 10 × 10 19 m - 3 ; Pnbi = 0.7–2.4 MW: n ¯ e = 7 – 40 × 10 19 m - 3 ), including even attached/detached conditions at the target plates. A consequence of this scaling for a boundary-island divertor – which is an inherent feature of the Wendelstein stellarator line, requiring a large nes to effect detachment – is that detachment on W7-AS can be expected and is only found for high-confinement situations, i.e. the HDH-mode.

The research on divertors for stellarators is at the beginning. Extensive studies are being prepared on large helical device (LHD) and W7-X. W7-AS is now being operated with an open island divertor (ID) which serves as a test bed for the W7-X diverter. The divertor enables access to a new NBI-heated, high-density operating regime with improved confinement properties. This regime-the high-density H-mode (HDH)-displays no evident mode activity, is extant above a threshold density and characterized by flat density profiles. high-energy- and low-impurity-confinement times and edge-localized radiation. Impurity accumulation, normally associated with ELM-free H-modes, is avoided. Quasi-steady-state discharges with n e up to 4 x 10 20 m -3 , edge radiation levels up to 90% and plasma partial detachment at the divertor targets can be simultaneously realized. The accessibility to other improved confinement modes in W7-AS (conventional H-mode anti OC-mode) is not restricted by the divertor. The results provide a promising basis for future experiments, in particular on W7-X, and recommend the ID as a serious candidate for solving the plasma exhaust problem in stellarators.

Objective To identify the most important social and personal characteristics related to early sexual debut among troubled teenagers. Method One hundred ninety‐eight youths aged 12‐19 years were recruited from outpatient mental health clinics and completed self‐reports and interviews about their age of sexual debut; family, peer, and partner relationships (e.g., parental hostile control, negative peer influence, need for intimacy); and personal characteristics (e.g., achievement motivation, externalizing problems). Broad‐band (externalizing, internalizing) and narrow‐band (depression/anxiety, delinquency) psychopathology was assessed with the Youth Self‐Report and Child Behavior Checklist. Results Optimal Data Analysis was used to generate a classification tree model to identify variables associated with whether or not youths initiated oral, vaginal, and/or anal sexual activity before or after age 14. Three social context variables (parental hostile control, negative and positive peer influence) and one personal characteristic (externalizing problems) correctly classified 87.4% of teenagers as initiating sexual activity at ≥14 or >14 years of age. Conclusions Parental behavior and peer influence were the most important variables associated with the timing of sexual debut. Results support a social‐personal framework for understanding sexual risk‐taking among adolescents in psychiatric care, and the data offer relatively strong evidence that specific factors could be used to identify troubled teens at risk for early sexual debut. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry , 2003, 42(5):594‐608.

A promisingnew operational reg ime on the Wendelstein stellarator W7-AS has been discovered, fulfillingthe conditions of optimal core behavior in combination with edge parameters suitable for successful divertor scenarios. This regime, the high density H-mode (HDH), displays no systematically evident mode activity, and is edge localized mode (ELM)-free. It is extant above a power-dependent threshold density and characterized by flat density profiles, high energy- and low impurity-confinement times and edge-localized radiation. Impurity accumulation, normally as

The background of the present investigation is to enhance the overall adherence of vapor grown carbon fibers (VGCF) to the surrounding polymer matrix in different applications by forming polar groups at their surfaces and by modifying the surface morphology. This has been done by plasma treatments using a low-pressure plasma with different gases, flow rates, pressures and powers. Two different types of carbon fibers were investigated: carbon microfibers and carbon nanofibers. The characterization of fiber surfaces was achieved by photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle measurements and titration. These investigations were accompanied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The oxygen plasma treatment of the fibers changes the surfaces by forming a layer with a thickness of the order of one nanometer mainly consisting of functional groups like hydroxyl, carbonyl and carboxyl. After functionalization of the complete surface, a further plasma treatment does not enhance the superficial oxygen content but changes slightly the portions of the functional groups. A comparison of the methods applied provides a largely consistent image of the effect of plasma treatment.

The sputtering of hydrogenated or deuterated amorphous carbon layers (a-C:H) by argon ions (500–1700 eV) has been investigated by means of laser-induced fluorescence, which was used to detect atomic carbon, hydrogen and deuterium in front of the target. In order to keep the total amount of sputtered particles low, the ion source has been pulsed with 30–100 /is duration and 4 Hz repetition rate. A comparison between a-C : H layers and graphite showed that the sputtering yield and the velocity distribution of the C-atoms are equal within the experimental errors (± 15%). During the bombardment of an a-C : H layer, atomic hydrogen was also detected. A Thompson distribution with a surface energy of about 1 eV could be fitted to the velocity profiles of both atomic hydrogen and deuterium. For the D-atoms a strong transient effect of the sputtering yield was observed. For H-atoms this effect was reduced, probably by absorption of residual water vapour.