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In California, wildfire risk and severity have grown substantially in the last several decades. Research has characterized extensive adverse health impacts from exposure to wildfire-attributable fine particulate matter (PM2.5), but few studies have quantified long-term outcomes, and none have used a wildfire-specific chronic dose-response mortality coefficient. Here, we quantified the mortality burden for PM2.5 exposure from California fires from 2008 to 2018 using Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system wildland fire PM2.5 estimates. We used a concentration-response function for PM2.5, applying ZIP code-level mortality data and an estimated wildfire-specific dose-response coefficient accounting for the likely toxicity of wildfire smoke. We estimate a total of 52,480 to 55,710 premature deaths are attributable to wildland fire PM2.5 over the 11-year period with respect to two exposure scenarios, equating to an economic impact of $432 to $456 billion. These findings extend evidence on climate-related health impacts, suggesting that wildfires account for a greater mortality and economic burden than indicated by earlier studies.

When grapes are exposed to wildfire smoke, certain smoke-related volatile phenols (VPs) can be absorbed into the fruit, where they can be then converted into volatile-phenol (VP) glycosides through glycosylation. These volatile-phenol glycosides can be particularly problematic from a winemaking standpoint as they can be hydrolyzed, releasing volatile phenols, which can contribute to smoke-related off-flavors. Current methods for quantitating these volatile-phenol glycosides present several challenges, including the requirement of expensive capital equipment, limited accuracy due to the molecular complexity of the glycosides, and the utilization of harsh reagents. To address these challenges, we proposed an enzymatic hydrolysis method enabled by a tailored enzyme cocktail of novel glycosidases discovered through genome mining, and the generated VPs from VP glycosides can be quantitated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The enzyme cocktails displayed high activities and a broad substrate scope when using commercially available VP glycosides as the substrates for testing. When evaluated in an industrially relevant matrix of Cabernet Sauvignon wine and grapes, this enzymatic cocktail consistently achieved a comparable efficacy of acid hydrolysis. The proposed method offers a simple, safe, and affordable option for smoke taint analysis.

Air pollution consists of complex mixtures of chemicals with serious deleterious health effects from acute and chronic exposure. To help understand the mechanisms by which adverse effects occur, the present work examines the responses of cultured human epidermal keratinocytes to specific chemicals commonly found in woodsmoke. Our earlier findings with liquid smoke flavoring (aqueous extract of charred wood) revealed that such extracts stimulated the expression of genes associated with oxidative stress and proinflammatory response, activated the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, thereby inducing cytochrome P4501A1 activity, and induced cross-linked envelope formation, a lethal event ordinarily occurring during terminal differentiation. The present results showed that furfural produced transcriptional responses resembling those of liquid smoke, cyclohexanedione activated the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, and several chemicals induced envelope formation. Of these, syringol permeabilized the cells to the egress of lactate dehydrogenase at a concentration close to that yielding envelope formation, while furfural induced envelope formation without permeabilization detectable in this way. Furfural (but not syringol) stimulated the incorporation of amines into cell proteins in extracts in the absence of transglutaminase activity. Nevertheless, both chemicals substantially increased the amount of cellular protein incorporated into envelopes and greatly altered the envelope protein profile. Moreover, the proportion of keratin in the envelopes was dramatically increased. These findings are consistent with the chemically induced protein cross-linking in the cells. Elucidating mechanisms by which this phenomenon occurs may help understand how smoke chemicals interact with proteins to elicit cellular responses, interpret bioassays of complex pollutant mixtures, and suggest additional sensitive ways to monitor exposures.

In study after study, marijuana use has been found to be associated with increased forced vital capacity (FVC). This is puzzling, because marijuana is commonly consumed by inhalation of its smoke, and smoke exposure of any kind is not generally considered a cause of increased FVC. Although this observation was first made decades ago, a satisfactory explanation remains elusive. In this review we survey the evidence supporting the relationship between marijuana use and increased FVC, discuss potential threats to validity when inferring causation, and, presupposing a possible causal relationship, pose two key questions. First, what are possible physiologic or pathophysiologic mechanisms by which marijuana use might increase FVC? Second, why might this effect be consistently observed with marijuana use but not with tobacco use? Explanations for the first question include lung and chest growth and remodeling from strenuous marijuana smoke inhalation and reductions in lung elastic recoil from marijuana smoke exposure. Explanations for the second include differences between marijuana and tobacco in smoke composition and patterns of consumption, such as smoking topography. Finally, the possibility that smoke, whether from marijuana or tobacco, might have nonmonotonic effects on FVC depending on the degree of exposure is explored. In synthesizing a curated breadth of epidemiologic and physiologic science, we leverage a perplexing observation to generate potential insights and avenues for further research into the biological effects of smoke, from marijuana or otherwise, on the respiratory system.

Smoke taint in wine has become a critical issue in the wine industry due to its significant negative impact on wine quality. Data-driven approaches including univariate analysis and predictive modeling are applied to a data set containing concentrations of 20 VOCs in 48 grape samples and 56 corresponding wine samples with a taster-evaluated smoke taint index. The resulting models for predicting the smoke taint index of wines are highly predictive when using as inputs VOC concentrations after log conversion in both grapes and wines (Pearson Correlation Coefficient PCC = 0.82; R2 = 0.68) and less so when only grape VOCs are used (Pearson Correlation Coefficient PCC = 0.76; R2 = 0.56), and the classification models also show the capacity for detecting smoke-tainted wines using both wine and grape VOC concentrations (Recall = 0.76; Precision = 0.92; F1 = 0.82) or using only grape VOC concentrations (Recall = 0.74; Precision = 0.92; F1 = 0.80). The performance of the predictive model shows the possibility of predicting the smoke taint index of the wine and grape samples before fermentation. The corresponding code of data analysis and predictive modeling of smoke taint in wine is available in the Github repository (https://github.com/IBPA/smoke_taint_prediction).

Wildfire smoke fine particles (PM2.5) are a growing public health threat as wildfire events become more common and intense under climate change, especially in the Western United States. Studies assessing the association between wildfire PM2.5 exposure and health typically summarize the effects over the study area. However, health responses to wildfire PM2.5 may vary spatially. We evaluated spatially-varying respiratory acute care utilization risks associated with short-term exposure to wildfire PM2.5 and explored community characteristics possibly driving spatial heterogeneity. Using ensemble-modeled daily wildfire PM2.5, we defined a wildfire smoke day to have wildfire-specific PM2.5 concentration ≥15 μg/m3. We included daily respiratory emergency department visits and unplanned hospitalizations in 1,396 California ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) and 15 census-derived community characteristics. Employing a case-crossover design and conditional logistic regression, we observed increased odds of respiratory acute care utilization on wildfire smoke days at the state level (odds ratio [OR] = 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05, 1.07). Across air basins, ORs ranged from 0.88 to 1.57, with the highest effect estimate in San Diego. A within-community matching design and spatial Bayesian hierarchical model also revealed spatial heterogeneity in ZCTA-level rate differences. For example, communities with a higher percentage of Black or Pacific Islander residents had stronger wildfire PM2.5-outcome relationships, while more air conditioning and tree canopy attenuated associations. We found an important heterogeneity in wildfire smoke-related health impacts across air basins, counties, and ZCTAs, and we identified characteristics of vulnerable communities, providing evidence to guide policy development and resource allocation.

Wildfires are a significant threat to human health, in part through degraded air quality. Prescribed burning can reduce wildfire severity but can also lead to an increase in air pollution. The complexities of fires and atmospheric processes lead to uncertainties when predicting the air quality impacts of fire and make it difficult to fully assess the costs and benefits of an expansion of prescribed fire. By modeling differences in emissions, surface conditions, and meteorology between wildfire and prescribed burns, we present a novel comparison of the air quality impacts of these fire types under specific scenarios. One wildfire and two prescribed burn scenarios were considered, with one prescribed burn scenario optimized for potential smoke exposure. We found that PM2.5 emissions were reduced by 52%, from 0.27 to 0.14 Tg, when fires burned under prescribed burn conditions, considerably reducing PM2.5 concentrations. Excess short-term mortality from PM2.5 exposure was 40 deaths for fires under wildfire conditions and 39 and 15 deaths for fires under the default and optimized prescribed burn scenarios, respectively. Our findings suggest prescribed burns, particularly when planned during conditions that minimize smoke exposure, could be a net benefit for the impacts of wildfires on air quality and health.

Wildfires have become more frequent and intense due to climate change and outdoor wildfire fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations differ from relatively smoothly varying total PM2.5. Thus, we introduced a conceptual model for computing long-term wildfire PM2.5 and assessed disproportionate exposures among marginalized communities. We used monitoring data and statistical techniques to characterize annual wildfire PM2.5 exposure based on intermittent and extreme daily wildfire PM2.5 concentrations in California census tracts (2006 to 2020). Metrics included: 1) weeks with wildfire PM2.5 < 5 μg/m3; 2) days with non-zero wildfire PM2.5; 3) mean wildfire PM2.5 during peak exposure week; 4) smoke waves (≥2 consecutive days with

Smoky rubyspot damselflies (Hetaerina titia Drury, 1773) are one of the most commonly encountered odonates along streams and rivers on both slopes of Central America and the Atlantic drainages in the United States and southern Canada. Owing to their highly variable wing pigmentation, they have become a model system for studying sexual selection and interspecific behavioral interference. Here, we sequence and assemble the genome of a female smoky rubyspot. Of the primary assembly (i.e. the principle pseudohaplotype), 98.8% is made up of 12 chromosomal pseudomolecules (2N = 22A + X). There are 75 scaffolds in total, an N50 of 120 Mb, a contig-N50 of 0.64 Mb, and a high arthropod BUSCO score [C: 97.6% (S: 97.3%, D: 0.3%), F: 0.8%, M: 1.6%]. We then compare our assembly to that of the blue-tailed damselfly genome (Ischnura elegans), the most complete damselfly assembly to date, and a recently published assembly for an American rubyspot damselfly (Hetaerina americana). Collectively, these resources make Hetaerina a genome-enabled genus for further studies of the ecological and evolutionary forces shaping biological diversity.

Extreme heat and wildfire smoke events are increasingly co-occurring in the context of climate change, especially in California. Extreme heat and wildfire smoke may have synergistic effects on population health that vary over space. We leveraged high-resolution satellite and monitoring data to quantify spatially varying compound exposures to extreme heat and wildfire smoke in California (2006-2019) at ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) level. We found synergistic effects between extreme heat and wildfire smoke on daily cardiorespiratory hospitalizations at the state level. We also found spatial heterogeneity in such synergistic effects across ZCTAs. Communities with lower education attainment, lower health insurance coverage, lower income, lower proportion of automobile ownership, lower tree canopy coverage, higher population density, and higher proportions of racial/ethnic minorities experienced higher synergistic effects. This study highlights the need to incorporate compound hazards and environmental justice considerations into evidence-based policy development to protect populations from increasingly prevalent compound hazards.

BACKGROUND: Wildfire smoke exposure has become a growing public health concern, as megafires and fires at the wildland urban interface increase in incidence and severity. Smoke contains many pollutants that negatively impact health and is linked to a number of health complications and chronic diseases. Communicating effectively with the public, especially at-risk populations, to reduce their exposure to this environmental pollutant has become a public health priority. Although wildfire smoke risk communication research has also increased in the past decade, best practice guidance is limited, and most health communications do not adhere to health literacy principles: readability, accessibility, and actionability. This scoping review identifies peer-reviewed studies about wildfire smoke risk communications to identify gaps in research and evaluation of communications and programs that seek to educate the public. METHODS: Four hundred fifty-one articles were identified from Web of Science and PubMed databases. After screening, 21 articles were included in the final sample for the abstraction process and qualitative thematic analysis. Ten articles were based in the US, with the other half in Australia, Canada, Italy, and other countries. Fifteen articles examined communication materials and messaging recommendations. Eight papers described communication delivery strategies. Eleven articles discussed behavior change. Six articles touched on risk communications for vulnerable populations; findings were limited and called for increasing awareness and prioritizing risk communications for at-risk populations. RESULTS: This scoping review found limited studies describing behavior change to reduce wildfire smoke exposure, characteristics of effective communication materials and messaging, and communication delivery strategies. Literature on risk communications, dissemination, and behavior change for vulnerable populations was even more limited. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations include providing risk communications that are easy-to-understand and adapted to specific needs of at-risk groups. Communications should provide a limited number of messages that include specific actions for avoiding smoke exposure. Effective communications should use mixed media formats and a wide variety of dissemination strategies. There is a pressing need for more intervention research and effectiveness evaluation of risk communications about wildfire smoke exposure, and more development and dissemination of risk communications for both the general public and vulnerable populations.

Wildfires are a global natural phenomenon. In North America, wildfires have not only become more frequent, but also more severe and longer in duration, a trend ascribed to climate change combined with large fuel stores left from modern fire suppression. The intensification of wildfire activity has significant implications for planetary health and public health, as exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in wildfire smoke is linked to adverse health effects. This review focuses on respiratory morbidity from wildfire smoke exposure. Inhalation of wildfire PM2.5 causes lung injury via oxidative stress, local and systemic inflammation, airway epithelium compromise, and increased vulnerability to infection. Wildfire PM2.5 exposure results in exacerbations of pre-existing asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with an escalation in healthcare utilization, including emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Wildfire smoke exposure may be associated with asthma onset, long-term impairment of lung function, and increased all-cause mortality. Children, older adults, occupationally-exposed groups, and possibly women are the most at risk from wildfire smoke. Future research is needed to clarify best practices for risk mitigation and wildfire management.

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The main challenges with using biodiesel in CI engines are higher NOx emissions and reduced brake thermal efficiency. These biodiesel-related issues can be handled by concurrently introducing gaseous fuels along with primary fuel into CI engines. This study examines the effects of hydrogen in a dual fuel mode operation with diesel and Calophyllum inophyllum biodiesel blend (B20) at different compression ratios on the engine's performance, combustion, and emission characteristics. A single-cylinder, 4-stroke, variable compression ratio engine operating at 1500 rpm was used for the research. A standard compression ratio (SCR) of 17.5 and a modified compression ratio (MCR) of 15.5 at a constant hydrogen flow rate of 6 L per minute (lpm) were used with diesel and B 20. The addition of hydrogen with diesel and B20 resulted in higher cylinder pressure and heat release rate when compared to pure diesel and B20 operation. This resulted in a shorter delay period (by an average of 9.4 % and 7.1 %) with lower peak pressure than pure diesel and B20 operation. During the dual fuel mode of H 2 with B 20 at a modified compression ratio, the maximum heat release rate was decreased and its occurrence was retarded. NO x , UBHC, and CO emissions of the engine were decreased significantly by an average of 20.8% 43.7, %, and 22 % respectively with 37.7 % increase in smoke opacity. The increase in NOx emission with the use of H 2 with diesel was reduced by operating H 2 with B20 and at a reduced compression ratio. This lower emission was achieved with a compromise of a marginal decrease in engine brake thermal efficiency. • The performance of hydrogen-enriched biodiesel and diesel at varied compression ratios. • Methodology to reduce the increased NOx emission resulting from the operation of hydrogen with diesel and biodiesel. • Reduction in NOx emission with hydrogen during dual fuel operation with biodiesel blend at reduced compression ratio. • B20 blend of Calophyllum inophyllum as promising alternative fuel along with hydrogen in dual fuel mode. • Reduction in UBHC, and CO emissions with hydrogen during dual fuel mode with biodiesel blend at reduced compression ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The goal of the present research was to develop a video collection of simulated fires to investigate how people perceive growing building fires. In fire safety science, a critical factor to occupant responses to building fires is the pre-movement period, determined by how long it takes an individual to initiate taking protective action with an incipient fire. Key to studying the psychological processes that contribute to the duration of the pre-movement period is presenting human subjects with building fires. One approach used in previous research is to present videos of building fires to individuals via scenarios. The numerical simulations used to model fire dynamics can be used to render videos for these scenarios. However, such simulations have predominantly been used in fire protection engineering to design buildings and are relatively inaccessible to social scientists. Method: The present study documents a collection of videos, based on numerical simulations, which can be used by researchers to study human behavior in fire. These videos display developing fires in different types of rooms, growing at different rates, different smoke thickness, among other characteristics. As part of a validation study, participants were presented with subsets of the video clips and were asked to rate the perceived risk posed by the simulated fire. Results and discussion: We observed that ratings varied by the intensity and growth rate of the fires, smoke opacity, type of room, and where the viewpoint was located from the fire. These effects aligned with those observed in previous fire science research, providing evidence that the videos could elicit perceived risk using fire simulations. The present research indicates that future studies can utilize the video library of fire simulations to study human perceptions of developing building fires as situational factors are systematically manipulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issues Approach Key Findings Implications and Conclusion Health policy makers worldwide have adopted evidence‐based legislation, largely directed at consumers, to reduce tobacco‐related harm. It is suggested that limiting supply by decreasing retail availability can also reduce cigarette smoking. To inform policy makers this systematic literature review assesses whether reducing availability is associated with smoking behaviours.Systematic literature searches of five databases were carried out up to January 2023. Included studies had at least one exposure (tobacco retail density, proximity or mixed measures thereof) and outcomes of smoking behaviour. Meta‐analysis of effect estimates were undertaken if there were at least three studies with similar population, exposure and outcome measures.Sixty‐two studies were included, and positive associations were found between tobacco outlet density and cigarette smoking in pregnancy, youth, adults and cessation. Meta‐analyses were undertaken for retail density and ever smoking (odds ratio [OR] 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04, 1.37; I2 = 87.3%), and current youth smoking (OR 1.23; 95% CI 1.08, 1.40; I2 = 0.0%), adult smoking (OR 1.11; 95% CI 1.01, 1.22; I2 = 74.8%); and mixed measures of retail availability near schools and current youth smoking (OR 1.03; 95% CI 1.01, 1.05; I2 = 0.0%).There is evidence higher tobacco retail density is consistently associated with cigarette smoking in pregnant women, young people and adults when ecological studies are included in meta‐analysis. Meanwhile, evidence synthesis reveals restrictive tobacco retail laws based on proximity or mixed measures near home or very near school may not reduce smoking except in men who smoke heavily. Mechanisms to reduce retailer density should be thus considered part of tobacco control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein biomarkers are associated with mortality in cardiovascular disease, but their effect on predicting respiratory and all-cause mortality is not clear. We tested whether a protein risk score (protRS) can improve prediction of all-cause mortality over clinical risk factors in smokers. We utilized smoking-enriched (COPDGene, LSC, SPIROMICS) and general population-based (MESA) cohorts with SomaScan proteomic and mortality data. We split COPDGene into training and testing sets (50:50) and developed a protRS based on respiratory mortality effect size and parsimony. We tested multivariable associations of the protRS with all-cause, respiratory, and cardiovascular mortality, and performed meta-analysis, area-under-the-curve (AUC), and network analyses. We included 2232 participants. In COPDGene, a penalized regression-based protRS was most highly associated with respiratory mortality (OR 9.2) and parsimonious (15 proteins). This protRS was associated with all-cause mortality (random effects HR 1.79 [95% CI 1.31–2.43]). Adding the protRS to clinical covariates improved all-cause mortality prediction in COPDGene (AUC 0.87 vs 0.82) and SPIROMICS (0.74 vs 0.6), but not in LSC and MESA. Protein–protein interaction network analyses implicate cytokine signaling, innate immune responses, and extracellular matrix turnover. A blood-based protein risk score predicts all-cause and respiratory mortality, identifies potential drivers of mortality, and demonstrates heterogeneity in effects amongst cohorts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper introduces a new FireAndSmoke open dataset comprising over 22,000 images and 93,000 distinct instances compiled from 1200 YouTube videos and public Internet resources. The scenes include separate and combined fire and smoke scenarios and a curated set of difficult cases representing real-life circumstances when specific image patches may be erroneously detected as fire/smoke presence. The dataset has been constructed using both static pictures and video sequences, covering day/night, indoor/outdoor, urban/industrial/forest, low/high resolution, and single/multiple instance cases. A rigorous selection, preprocessing, and labeling procedure has been applied, adhering to the findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability specifications described in the literature. The performances of the YOLO-type family of object detectors have been compared in terms of class-wise Precision, Recall, Mean Average Precision (mAP), and speed. Experimental results indicate the recently introduced YOLO10 model as the top performer, with 89% accuracy and a mAP@50 larger than 91%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve crowd evacuation efficiency in large building spaces during fires, a spatial layout optimization method using PyroSim and Pathfinder software was proposed. Disaster-causing factors that hinder safe evacuation - such as smoke spread, fire scene temperature, CO concentration, and visibility - were compared. The arrival time of danger in fire environments was analysed, the time required for crowd evacuation was calculated, structural characteristics of building space affecting evacuation efficiency were identified, and evacuation bottlenecks in large-scale buildings were revealed. Taking the super-large building of Silk Clothing City in Jiangsu Province, China as an example, a spatial layout optimization scheme focused on evacuation efficiency was proposed and its effectiveness was verified. Results show that before spatial layout optimization, the available safe evacuation time is 145 seconds, which is shorter than the required safe evacuation time of 197.8 seconds, indicating high safety risks during evacuation in a fire. After optimizing the layout of smoke exhaust equipment, the available safe evacuation time is increased to 205 seconds, substantially enhancing crowd evacuation safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire is a serious threat to people's lives and property. Be aimed at the low detection accuracy of the current fire detection system, a fire detection system based on one-chip computer is proposed in this work. To achieve fire detection and warning, the system collects these signals such as smoke and temperature from the surrounding environment, and processes them with a one-chip computer. The simulation experiments of the system are conducted with Proteus, and the experimental results indicate that the system can detect accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs a combination of theoretical analysis, Similarity simulation, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to examine the airflow caused by the stack effect under different leakage conditions in high-rise buildings and the transport of fire smoke. Building on previous research, we quantify the leakage area using a formula and classify it into two categories, "tight" and "leaky." Based on the analysis results, we conduct a similarity simulation experiment in a small-scale high-rise building experimental platform with a height of 5.2 m to create a certain size of leakage area at the bottom and record carbon monoxide concentration at different locations and times. The obtained result is then compared with the numerical simulation result, and the similarity simulation results match well with the numerical simulation results. The findings demonstrate that increasing the leakage area accelerates the transport of smoke due to the stack effect, particularly at higher floors. This paper also discusses strategies to impede smoke diffusion, providing valuable references for the safety design of high-rise buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The effects of smoking on lung function among post-9/11 Veterans deployed to environments with high levels of ambient particulate matter are incompletely understood. Materials and Methods We analyzed interim data (04/2018-03/2020) from the Veterans Affairs (VA) Cooperative Studies Program #595, "Service and Health Among Deployed Veterans". Veterans with ≥1 land-based deployments enrolled at 1 of 6 regional Veterans Affairs sites completed questionnaires and spirometry. Multivariable linear regression models assessed associations between cigarette smoking (cumulative, deployment-related and non-deployment-related) with pulmonary function. Results Among 1,836 participants (mean age 40.7 ± 9.6, 88.6% male), 44.8% (n  = 822) were ever-smokers (mean age 39.5 ± 9.5; 91.2% male). Among ever-smokers, 86% (n  = 710) initiated smoking before deployment, while 11% (n  = 90) initiated smoking during deployment(s). Smoking intensity was 50% greater during deployment than other periods (0.75 versus 0.50 packs-per-day; P  < .05), and those with multiple deployments (40.4%) were more likely to smoke during deployment relative to those with single deployments (82% versus 74%). Total cumulative pack-years (median [IQR] = 3.8 [1, 10]) was inversely associated with post-bronchodilator FEV1%-predicted (−0.82; [95% CI] = [−1.25, −0.50] %-predicted per 4 pack-years) and FEV1/FVC%-predicted (−0.54; [95% CI] = [−0.78, −0.43] %-predicted per 4 pack-years). Deployment-related pack-years demonstrated similar point estimates of associations with FEV1%-predicted (−0.61; [95% CI] = [−2.28, 1.09]) and FEV1/FVC%-predicted (−1.09; [95% CI] = [−2.52, 0.50]) as non-deployment-related pack-years (−0.83; [95% CI] = [−1.26, −0.50] for FEV1%-predicted; −0.52; [95% CI] = [−0.73, −0.36] for FEV1/FVC%-predicted). Conclusions Although cumulative pack-years smoking was modest in this cohort, an inverse association with pulmonary function was detectable. Deployment-related pack-years had a similar association with pulmonary function compared to non-deployment-related pack-years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Smoking kills 8 million people a year worldwide. It is the most prevalent cause of death in France by cancer, cardiovascular, or respiratory diseases. Minimal advice consists in asking patients who smoke if they are interested in quitting. It is effective in reducing smoking. The French High Health Authority recommends its systematic use with patients, whatever their reason for seeking treatment. The beneficial effect of spirometry on smoking cessation is controversial. The objective of our study was to measure the consequences of spirometry associated with minimal advice, compared with only minimal advice in soldiers seen during a routine medical examination. Methods Our prospective, longitudinal, open, multicenter, controlled, randomized study was conducted among French military smokers presenting for an occupational medicine visit. Each participant received, depending on their group (intervention or control), either minimal advice associated with an evaluation of lung function by mini-spirometer, or only minimal advice. Follow-up visits were performed at 6 and 12 months. The primary objective was self-reported tobacco use cessation at 6 months. Results A total of 267 participants (126 in the intervention group and 141 for the control arm) were included in 10 centers between June 2019 and June 2020. The response rate was 75.6% at 6 months. The cessation rates were 17% and 18% in the intervention and control groups, respectively, with no significant difference between the two groups (P  = 0.9). The cessation rate in the general population was 13% at 6 months. Conclusions Spirometry does not seem to influence smoke cessation on a military population at 6 months. The overall cessation rate in our study was well in excess of the 3-6% expected from only providing minimal which is underused in general practice and should be encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanide poisoning poses a significant threat to burn patients exposed to smoke in residential or workplace fires, leading to central nervous system dysfunction, hemodynamic instability, cardiovascular collapse, and death. Prompt administration of an effective antidote is critical. Hydroxocobalamin, a form of vitamin B12, is the gold standard treatment for cyanide toxicity, by binding to cyanide molecules and converting them into non-toxic cyanocobalamin that is eliminated by the kidneys. This mechanism is distinct from previous cyanide antidotes, which induce the formation of methemoglobin to bind to cyanide. Recent case studies have reported elevated methemoglobin levels after hydroxocobalamin administration, raising concerns regarding its safety. The current study investigates smoke inhalation patients treated with hydroxocobalamin at a single institution Burn Unit in hopes of enhancing our understanding of the complexities surrounding cyanide antidote therapy. After Institutional Board Approval, a retrospective cohort study was conducted. Our sample comprised burn patients with inhalation injury admitted to a single institution from 2013 to 2023 and treated with hydroxocobalamin for suspected cyanide toxicity. We also analyzed a matched control cohort of similar patients with inhalation injury not treated with hydroxocobalamin. We analyzed changes and peaks in methemoglobin levels, lactate levels, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine, ventilator days, % total body surface area (TBSA), various types of medications and dressings, and mortality. Statistical analyses included t-tests, chi-square, linear and logistic regressions, and correlation analysis. In the study, 36 patients with suspected inhalation injury were treated with hydroxocobalamin at the Los Angeles General (LAG) Burn Unit from 2013 to 2023, who were matched to 32 control patients with inhalation injury who were not treated with hydroxocobalamin. Demographic and baseline characteristics showed no statistically significant differences between the groups, including age, gender, BMI, and %TBSA. No significant differences were found in initial, final, peak, or change in methemoglobin levels. The study also revealed no significant disparities in initial lactate levels, mortality, kidney function tests, ventilator days, surgeries, or use of medications/treatments (e.g., Silvadene dressings, Vitamin C) between the two groups. When controlling for covariates, multiple linear regression analysis (age, gender, and %TBSA) indicated that hydroxocobalamin administration was not significantly associated with changes in methemoglobin or mortality. Increased %TBSA, however, was linked to elevated lactate levels. Our investigation sought to assess the potential risks associated with hydroxocobalamin administration in burn patients with concomitant inhalation injury. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, we found no statistically significant differences in methemoglobinemia, lactate levels, mortality, or kidney function. The influence of other factors, such as methemoglobinemia-inducing drugs or hydroxocobalamin's interference with co-oximetry, adds complexity. Although elevated methemoglobin levels were observed in some cases, their clinical significance was limited. However, this study's limitations, particularly the rarity of inhalation injury cases with concern for cyanide toxicity, warrant consideration. Further research is required to comprehensively elucidate the impact of hydroxocobalamin administration on burn patients' outcomes. • Hydroxocobalamin is a common antidote for suspected inhalation injury in burn patients. • Hydroxocobalamin does not lead to methemoglobinemia or increased mortality. • Hydroxocobalamin does not lead to significant changes in outcomes for burn patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of their great capability and consistent quality, Diesel engines are commonly employed in Industrial regions, Transportation sectors, and Agricultural fields. The main disadvantage of this engine is the excessive amount of smoke and nitrogen oxide emissions. As a result, Mosambi Peel Pyro oil (MPO) was blended in varying quantities with straight diesel. Methanol enrichment was used to test D90MPO10 (10% MPO +90% Diesel), D90MPO10M21 (10% MPO +90% Diesel +21% Methanol), and D90MPO10M22 (10% MPO +90% Diesel +22% Methanol)Oil parameters.The ultimate, proximate, and FTIR analyses, as well as viscosity, density, flash point, and fire point, are estimated. D90MPO10, D90MPO10M21, and D90MPO10M22 are diesel engine fuels, and D90MPO10M22's combustion and emission performance are investigated. It was shown that using D90MPO10 as pilot fuel and methanol as an induction fuel in diesel engines resulted in lower smoke levels (3.5%) and increased thermal efficiency (2.5%) with no significant Performance Degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Youth use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) is rising globally and is associated with health harms. Flavor descriptions on e-liquid packaging may contribute to the appeal of e-cigarettes among youth. This study compared subjective ratings of e-liquid packaging flavor descriptions among nonsmoking and non-vaping UK adolescents. Aims and Methods This was an online observational study in a UK sample of nonsmoking and non-vaping adolescents aged 11–17 years. The primary analyses compared flavored versus unflavored descriptions and the secondary analyses compared sweet flavor versus fruit flavor descriptions. Outcomes were packaging appraisal, packaging receptivity, perceived harm, and perceived audience. Results The survey was completed by 120 participants (74% female). Packaging appraisal ratings were higher for e-liquids with flavored descriptions than unflavored descriptions (mean difference 5.9, 95% CI: 4.2 to 7.6, p  < .001). Similarly, packaging receptivity ratings were higher for e-liquids with flavored descriptions than unflavored descriptions (mean difference 4.2, 95% CI: 2.8 to 5.6, p  < .001). Participants also perceived e-liquids with flavored (vs. unflavored) descriptions as less "grown-up" (mean difference −5.2, 95% CI: −7.3 to −3.1, p  < .001). However, ratings of perceived harm were similar for flavored and unflavored descriptions (mean difference −1.0, 95% CI: −2.6 to.5, p  = .189). Conclusions Although this study found differences in subjective ratings of e-liquids with flavored and unflavored descriptions, nonsmoking and non-vaping UK adolescents generally had low appraisal and receptivity for e-liquids and they perceived them as being "grown-up" and harmful. Implications Youth use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) is increasing globally, leading to concerns about health harms. This study compared adolescents' ratings of e-liquids with flavored versus unflavored descriptions and e-liquids with sweet flavor versus fruit flavor descriptions. This study adds to previous studies that have compared adolescents' ratings of e-liquids with tobacco flavor versus non-tobacco flavor descriptions. Although packaging appraisal and receptivity ratings were higher (more positive) for e-liquids with flavored versus unflavored descriptions, overall, adolescents who do not smoke or vape had low appraisal and receptivity for e-liquids, and they perceived them as being "grown-up" and harmful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The current study sought to examine trends in indicators of dependence for youth vaping and smoking during a period of rapid evolution in the e-cigarette market. Aims and Methods Data are from repeat cross-sectional online surveys conducted between 2017 and 2022 among youth aged 16–19 in Canada, England, and the United States (US). Participants were 23 145 respondents who vaped and/or smoked in the past 30 days. Four dependence indicators were assessed for smoking and vaping (perceived addiction, frequent strong urges, time to first use after waking, days used in past month) and two for vaping only (use events per day, e-cigarette dependence scale). Regression models examined differences by survey wave and country, adjusting for sex, age, race, and exclusive/dual use. Results All six indicators of dependence increased between 2017 and 2022 among youth who vaped in the past 30 days (p  < .001 for all). For example, more youth reported strong urges to vape at least most days in 2022 than in 2017 (Canada: 26.5% to 53.4%; England: 25.5% to 45.4%; US: 31.6% to 50.3%). In 2017, indicators of vaping dependence were substantially lower than for smoking; however, by 2022, youth vaping was associated with a greater number of days used in the past month (Canada, US), shorter time to first use (all countries), and a higher likelihood of frequent strong urges (Canada, US) compared to youth smoking. Conclusions From 2017 to 2022, indicators of vaping dependence increased substantially. By 2022, vaping dependence indices were comparable to those of smoking. Implications Indicators of vaping dependence among youth have increased substantially since 2017 to levels that are comparable to cigarette dependence among youth who smoke. Future research should examine factors underlying the increase in dependence among youth who vape, including changes to the nicotine profile and design of e-cigarette products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Thirdhand smoke (THS) is associated with many public health and disease concerns, such as respiratory illness, cancer, lipidemia, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). We have previously shown that a moderate to long-term exposure to THS increases the risk of thrombosis. However, whether short-term exposure to THS would produce any effects remains to be discovered. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of 1-month THS exposure on platelet function, in vivo and in vitro, and on cytokine response, in a sex-dependent manner. Aims and Methods Secondhand smoke or clean air (CA) exposed upholstery materials for 1 week were kept in cages housed with 5–6 mice, and the procedure was repeated for 4 weeks. These THS-exposed mice were evaluated for thrombogenesis and platelet function assays. In addition, cytokines expression was evaluated from pooled serum. Results Compared to the CA group, THS exposure significantly shortened the tail bleeding time and carotid artery thrombus formation. Moreover, the female mice appeared more sensitive to THS exposure than males. Furthermore, platelet aggregation, dense granule secretion, and P-selectin activation markers were significantly elevated due to THS exposure. In addition, high-throughput screening showed at least 30 cytokines differentially modulated by THS in females relative to 26 in male mice. Conclusions Collectively, these results demonstrate that 1 month of THS exposure represents a high health risk, in part, by triggering a prothrombotic phenotype that appears to be more significant in females, who are at a much higher risk for occlusive CVD. Additionally, changes in cytokine levels mediate some of the THS-induced occlusive effects. Implications This study revealed that THS exposure for 1 month is detrimental to the cardiovascular health of both sexes; however, females could be more aggressively affected than males. In addition, interleukins and chemokines could be critical factors for initiating prothrombotic activity due to THS exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Zimbabwe has a smoking prevalence of 11.7% among the adult population (15 years and older). Thus, in the absence of effective tobacco control measures, the economic burden of tobacco use will be aggravated, especially considering the increasing tobacco industry activity in the country. Increasing cigarette prices is one possible strategy to reduce tobacco consumption. This study seeks to examine the relationship between cigarette prices and smoking experimentation among children in Zimbabwe, thereby expanding the evidence base for the likely impact of excise taxes on cigarette demand in low- and middle-income countries. Aims and Methods A survival analysis using the Zimbabwe 2014 Global Youth Tobacco Survey data. Results A 10% increase in the price of cigarettes reduces the probability of experimenting with smoking by 9%. Also, children are more likely to experiment with smoking if they have a smoking brother or father who smokes, or see teachers who smoke. The likelihood of experimenting with smoking is higher among boys than girls and is positively associated with age. Conclusions There is strong evidence that increasing excise taxes can play an effective role in discouraging children from experimenting with cigarette smoking. Considering the relatively low excise tax burden in Zimbabwe, the government should consider substantially increasing the excise tax burden. Implications With the number of smokers in low- and middle-income countries expected to increase as the industry intensively expands its market by targeting the youth, increasing excise taxes will play a significant role in preventing children from initiating smoking and help those who are already using tobacco to quit. An increase in the excise tax increases the retail price of tobacco products, making them less affordable, and reduces the demand for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Alternative Nicotine Delivery Systems (ANDS) such as e-cigarettes (EC) and oral nicotine pouches (ONP) may facilitate the substitution of smoking for those unwilling to quit. This pilot study assesses the harm-reduction potential of EC and ONP among smokers with low socioeconomic status (SES). Aims and Methods Adults who smoked daily in the past 6 months, had a household income < 250% federal poverty level and had no intention of quitting smoking in the next 30 days were randomized 2:2:1 to 8 weeks of 5% nicotine EC; 4 mg ONP or assessment-only control (CC). The primary outcome was a within-group change in cigarettes per day (CPD) from Baseline to week 8. Results Forty-five individuals were randomized (EC: N  = 18; ONP: N  = 18; CC: N  = 9). Analyses included 33 participants who completed the week 8 visit. The mean age was 50.1 years (SD: 10.7) and the average CPD at baseline was 13.9 (SD: 10.1). For those randomized to EC, the average CPD decreased from 14.7 (95% CI: 10.3 to 19.1) at the Baseline to 2.9 (95% CI:.1 to 5.8) at week 8 (p -value < .001). For those randomized to ONP, average CPD decreased from 15.0 (95% CI: 5.0 to 24.9) to 8.3 (95% CI: 1.3 to 15.2) by week 8 (p -value = .01). In the EC and ONP groups, respectively, 4 (28.6%) and 1 (8.3%) participant fully switched from smoking to the ANDS product by week 8. Conclusions Individuals with low SES who smoke had lower CPD after switching to EC or ONP. These findings show the potential of ANDS in helping smokers switch to less harmful devices. Implications This study provides novel evidence that e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches can be a harm-reduction tool for individuals with lower SES who smoke and are not willing to quit smoking, contributing to reducing tobacco-related disparities in this population. Clinical Trials Identifier: NCT05327439 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The harmful effects of first and secondhand smoking are well-established. Smoke-free laws aim at protecting nonsmokers. This study aimed to assess the impact of the 2013 total ban on indoor smoking in Chile on hospitalizations and deaths of major cardiovascular events. Aims and Methods The logarithm of the monthly hospitalization and death rates, standardized by age for every 100 000 inhabitants, were estimated for ischemic heart disease, acute myocardial infarction, strokes, and a composite outcome of ischemic heart diseases (which includes acute myocardial infarction) and strokes. In addition, interrupted time series with synthetic control groups were used to assess changes in levels and trends after the intervention. Results The total ban on indoor smoking caused significant reductions in death rates for the three diseases studied for age groups above 20 years old. In addition, there were substantial decreases in the post-intervention hospitalization rates for ischemic heart disease: for the 20–44 age group, the decrease was 8.7% compared to the pre-intervention period (p  < .01). In comparison, such a reduction was 4% (p  < .01) for the ≥65 age group. For acute myocardial infarction, the decrease was 11.5% (p  < .01) for the 20–44 age group, while for stroke, it was a 1.2% (p  < .01) decrease for the total population. It is estimated that the smoking ban averted 15.6% of the deaths compared with the synthetic control groups. Conclusions The implementation of total smoke-free environments in Chile contributed to the reduction of mortality for main cardiovascular diseases. This study provides additional evidence of causality linking the policy to health outcomes. Implications The total indoor smoking ban significantly affected age-standardized hospitalization and deaths. The number of deaths averted by this policy is estimated at approximately 4758 and 5256 for IHD and stroke, respectively, during the 2013–2017 period (15.6% fewer deaths than predicted by the synthetic control groups). The study contributes to the body of evidence that supports total indoor smoking bans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research into this topic primarily focuses on low-altitude areas, neglecting the impact of extreme environmental conditions such as low temperature, low oxygen level, and low pressure in high-altitude regions. Based on the smoke diffusion theory, a series of CFD numerical simulations were conducted in order to investigate the characteristics of smoke diffusion in the highway tunnel at high altitude. The results indicated that the increase in altitude would enhance the longitudinal propagation velocity of smoke, leading to a more pronounced impact on temperature, CO concentration, and visibility at characteristic heights. Meanwhile, the altitude intensifies the inhibitory impact of longitudinal ventilation on smoke diffusion upwind of the fire source and augments the acceleration effect on smoke diffusion downwind, thereby impeding personnel evacuation on the downwind side. By taking the hazardous range at a characteristic height under the impact of wind velocity and the deceleration of evacuation velocity due to altitude into consideration, a new recommended reduction factor was deduced to design adits for people passing spacing in highway tunnels at high altitude. The findings can serve as a valuable reference for the personal evacuation in high-altitude highway tunnel fires and the design of spacing between adits for people passing within such tunnels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although deterioration of silicone maxillofacial prostheses is severely accentuated in smoking patients, the phenomenon has not been systematically studied. To address a gap in the literature concerning the stability of maxillofacial prostheses during service, in this contribution, the effect of cigarette smoke on the aspect and physical properties of M511 silicone elastomer was evaluated. The aspect, surface, and overall properties of the silicone material, pigmented or not, were followed by AFM, color measurements, FTIR, water contact angle measurements, TGA‐DTG and DSC, hardness and compression stress–strain measurements. The types of the contaminants adsorbed were assessed by XRF, ESI‐MS, MALDI‐MS, and NMR spectral analyses. Important modifications in color, contact angle, surface roughness, local mechanical properties, and thermal properties were found in the silicone material for maxillofacial prostheses after exposure to cigarettes smoke. The presence of lead, nicotine, and several other organic compounds adsorbed into the silicone material was emphasized. Slight decrease in hardness and increase in Young's modulus was found. The combined data show important impact of cigarette smoke on the silicone physical properties and could indicate chemical transformations by secondary cross‐linking. To our knowledge, this is the first study making use of complementary physical methods to assess the effect of cigarette smoke on the aspect and integrity of silicone materials for maxillofacial prostheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prescribed burns are used to maintain wildland ecosystems and decrease fuel loads and associated wildfire hazard. Prescribed burns may produce enough smoke to cause adverse health outcomes. The aim of this review is to understand what communication materials exist for disseminating health risk information related to prescribed burn smoke and challenges to developing such communication. We examined United States peer-reviewed literature from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases and conducted an environmental scan of grey literature including materials from federal, and several US state and local governments, organisations, and newspapers. While 63% of the included peer-reviewed literature focuses on wildfire health risk communication, the review suggests similar methods and messages can be adapted for prescribed burns. The environmental scan review indicates effective strategies use several communication modes, and reliable and timely messaging. There are state regulations for prescribed burn notification, but these do not require communication or education of health risks associated with smoke exposure. Smoke management guidelines often contain information about prescribed burn health risks, but these do not discuss health risk education. Opportunities to expand effective health risk communication include improving inconsistent messaging and inter-agency collaborations, and increasing public interactions, especially with vulnerable populations. This review identifies current health risk communications for prescribed burn smoke exposure in the United States. While this review highlights several effective communication strategies, further research is needed to better understand prevention and intervention approaches and the efficacy of communication strategies to minimise health risks of prescribed burns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waterborne polyurethane (WPU), which is a novel and environmentally friendly variety of polyurethane, replaces organic solvents with water. It has been extensively utilized in diverse fields encompassing coatings, textile finishing, building decoration, adhesives, plastic chemistry, and others. However, WPU is inherently flammable and releases a significant amount of smoke production during the combustion process. This research presents an original fire‐resistant Waterborne Polyurethane (WPU) with a newly‐integrated flame‐retardant component comprising a triazine phosphoramidate segment derived from 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxo‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐oxide (DOPO) within its primary structure. In comparison to pure WPU, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of flame‐retardant WPU (FRWPU) increased from 19.6% to 29.2%. In UL‐94 testing, the FRWPU film achieved a V‐0 rating with only 6% retarding component. Additionally, in cone calorimetry tests, Total Heat Release (THR), peak Heat Release Rate (pHRR), Total Smoke Production (TSP), Smoke Production Rate (SPR), and peak Carbon Monoxide Production Rate (pCOP) are decreased by 27.7%, 16.2%, 64.6%, 61.3%, and 77.8%, respectively. The greater degree of graphitization observed in the residual carbon substantially impeded heat exchange and the emission of smoke during combustion. Flame‐retardant intermediate segments greatly improved the FRWPUs' ability to suppress smoke and remain flame‐retardant. The creation and formulation of aqueous polyurethanes that are flame‐retardant can benefit greatly from the insights and references offered by this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is difficult to effectively manage the emission of harmful smoke from flame‐retardant modified epoxy resins (EP). In order to solve this difficulty, a highly efficient flame‐resistant PAD containing phosphorus, nitrogen, and sulfur was synthesized using a simply one‐pot method employing 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐oxide (DOPO), 2‐amino‐5‐mercapto‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole (AMT), and terephthalaldehyde for not only enhancing its flame retardant properties but also effectively suppressing the emission of fumes. Results have confirmed that the incorporation of 5 wt% flame retardant into the EP successfully passed the UL‐94 V‐0 rating, besides 24.2% reduction in the peak of smoke produce rate (PSPR), with outstanding fire‐resistant properties and effectively reduce smoke emissions. In addition, incorporating 7.5% of PAD into EP increased its flexural strength and modulus, from 78.4 and 2917.5 to 86.6 and 3162.9 MPa, respectively. Due to the abundance of reactive groups including sulfhydryl and secondary amine in PAD, as well as the nitrogen atoms presented in the thiadiazole and benzene rings of the phosphaphenanthrene structure, which could create hydrogen bonds with the matrix and participated in π‐π interactions, therefore, the mechanical properties of flame retardant epoxy resin (FREP) were greatly enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nanosecond-pulsed laser with a wavelength of 1064 nm was used to irradiate silicon, and the concentration of water mist and smoke was characterized through light transmission. The drift and scattering effects of the laser propagation atmosphere (water mist and smog environment) on the laser and the influence of different ambient atmospheres on the effect of the laser irradiation on silicon were studied. Research has shown that when a laser passes through a water mist environment, as the laser transmission ratio increases, the diameter of the exit spot increases, and the diameter of the damage induced to single-crystal silicon increases approximately linearly. The erosion damage is enhanced, and a mixture of heat and stress damage occurs. Smoke is a simulated haze environment, and the attenuation effect of the aerosol content on the laser in a smoke environment depends on the particle size and concentration. When the laser transmission ratio is the same, the diameter of the particles is small, and the corresponding particulate matter concentration is large. The smaller the particle size, the larger the particle concentration corresponding to a different laser transmission ratio. When the laser energy of the target is the same, the shape and size of the export laser change as the laser passes through fog; furthermore, the damage shape is no longer circular, but it is rather stretched and deformed along a specific direction. This study can provide a reference for laser processing, far-field laser applications, and atmospheric optics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide an extensive review of 14 studies (11 independent and three industryfunded) on emissions generated by Electronic Cigarettes (ECs), specifically focusing on the evaluation of carbonyls present in these emissions and emphasizing a meticulous evaluation of their analytical methods and experimental procedures. Since the presence of carbonyl by-products in EC aerosol is concerning, it is important to evaluate the reliability of emission studies quantifying these compounds by verifying their compliance with the following criteria of experimental quality: authors must 1) supply sufficient information on the devices and experimental procedures to allow for potentially reproducing or replicating the experiments, 2) use of appropriate puffing protocols that approach consumer usage as best as possible, 3) use of appropriate analytical methods and 4) usage of blank samples to avoid false positive detection. Outcomes were classified in terms of the fulfilment of these conditions as reliable in seven studies, partially reliable in five studies, and unreliable in two studies. However, only five studies used blank samples and six studies failed the reproducibility criterion. Carbonyl yields were far below their yields in tobacco smoke in all reproducible studies, even in the partially reliable ones, thus supporting the role of ECs (when properly tested and operated) as harm reduction products. This review highlights the necessity to evaluate the quality of laboratory standards in testing EC emissions to achieve an objective assessment of the risk profile of ECs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated delivery of therapy in virtual reality (VR) has the potential to be used for smoking cessation. Most obviously, it could be used to practise and establish alternative reactions to smoking cues. The first step in treatment development is to show that VR environments can trigger sufficient cravings in smokers. We evaluated a new VR public house outdoor scenario with 100 individuals who smoked daily. Participants were randomly assigned to the VR scenario with smoking cues or a neutral experience in VR. The VR experiences were presented in a standalone VR headset. Before and after VR, we collected self-reported craving scores for cigarettes and alcohol using the Tobacco Craving Questionnaire (TCQ) and visual analogue scales (VAS). Physiological data were also collected. Compared to the neutral condition, exposure to the smoking cues led to a large increase in craving for a cigarette (TCQ β = 11.44, p < 0.0001, Cohen's d = 1.10) and also a moderate increase in craving for alcohol (β = 0.7 , p = 0.017 , d = 0.50) . There were no significant physiological differences between the two conditions. These results provide good evidence that VR experiences can elicit strong craving for cigarettes. The programming can be part of developing a new VR cognitive therapy to help people reduce smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fires not only cause devastating consequences for human life and property, but also lead to soil erosion in forests. Therefore, it is necessary to design a novel algorithm that can quickly monitor smoke from fires. Most existing smoke segmentation methods do not consider the segmentation accuracy of algorithms under limited computational resources. To address this research gap, this paper proposes a lightweight smoke segmentation algorithm based on DeepLabV3+ that achieves fast inference speed and high accuracy for different sizes smoke. To reduce the number of parameters, the feature extraction network of the DeeplabV3+ algorithm is replaced by MobileNetV2, which enhances the extraction ability of the algorithm in segment smoke images. Then, the Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) is added to the encoder part to enhance the perception of the algorithm for small smoke and effectively alleviates smoke mis‐segmentation. Furthermore, a newly designed loss function is used in the network. The experimental results show that the proposed method has improved by 1.27% in Smoke IoU and 1.21% in mPA compared with other methods. The weight size has been reduced to 10.76% of the original DeepLabV3+, and the inference time is only 33.71ms. Therefore, it is a more suitable early fire detection algorithm for resource‐constrained environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic bronchitis is a relatively uncommon illness that has been reported in all age groups. This case report describes a specific manifestation of plastic bronchitis in two pediatric brothers influenced by both smoke inhalation and influenza A virus infection. The therapeutic approach mainly involved symptomatic supportive care, antiviral therapy, repeated bronchoscopic alveolar lavage, and bronchial cast removal. Eventually, both patients went into remission. Bronchoscopy proved to be helpful in diagnosing and treating these cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large amount of toxic smoke and heat generated by the combustion of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) poses a significant threat to human fire escape evacuation. This work aims to use γ -ray to prepare e-MXene@Ag hybrid flame-retardant materials by the method of in-situ reduction, and EVA composites are prepared by melt blending to reduce the smoke and toxic gases produced during combustion significantly. Compared with pure EVA, the total heat release, total smoke release, and the production rate of CO and CO2 produced by the combustion of EVA composite with 1 wt% e-MXene@Ag1.0 decreased by 30.3%, 33.3%, 18.2%, and 20.1% respectively. The fire hazard reduction of EVA composite materials was due to the physical barrier, catalytic carbonization and adsorption of the e-MXene@Ag1.0 hybrid. In addition, e-MXene@Ag1.0 can also further increase the mechanical properties of EVA composites due to its own 'multi-contact point limit structure'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying the variable impacts of wildfire smoke on ozone air quality is challenging. Here we use airborne measurements from the 2018 Western Wildfire Experiment for Cloud Chemistry, Aerosol Absorption, and Nitrogen (WE‐CAN) to parameterize emissions of reactive nitrogen (NOy) from wildfires into peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN; 37%), NO3− (27%), and NO (36%) in a global chemistry‐climate model with 13 km spatial resolution over the contiguous US. The NOy partitioning, compared with emitting all NOy as NO, reduces model ozone bias in near‐fire smoke plumes sampled by the aircraft and enhances ozone downwind by 5–10 ppbv when Canadian smoke plumes travel to Washington, Utah, Colorado, and Texas. Using multi‐platform observations, we identify the smoke‐influenced days with daily maximum 8‐hr average (MDA8) ozone of 70–88 ppbv in Kennewick, Salt Lake City, Denver and Dallas. On these days, wildfire smoke enhanced MDA8 ozone by 5–25 ppbv, through ozone produced remotely during plume transport and locally via interactions of smoke plume with urban emissions. Plain Language Summary: Wildfires have torn across western North America over the last decade. Smoke from wildland fires in Canada can travel thousands of kilometers to US cities and reacts with urban pollution to create harmful ozone, a criteria pollutant regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Accurately quantifying this impact is needed to inform US air quality policy, but is challenging due to complex physical and chemical processes. In this study, we analyze surface and airborne measurements, alongside a new variable‐resolution global chemistry‐climate model, to better understand these processes. We show that the near‐field conversion of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from wildfires to peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) and other more oxidized forms reduces their localized impacts on ozone. PAN is the principal tropospheric reservoir for NOx radicals. When aged smoke plumes descend southward from Canada toward US cities, higher temperatures cause PAN to decompose and thus help production of ozone during smoke transport. On days when the observed ozone levels exceed the air quality limit (70 ppbv for 8‐hr average), wildfire smoke can contribute 5–25 ppbv. Key Points: Sequestration of wildfire NOx emissions in Canada as peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) enhances the downwind impacts on US O3 air qualityPyrogenic volatile organic compounds and PAN decomposition increase the contribution of aged Canadian smoke plumes to O3 in US citiesAccounting for these effects in a high‐resolution chemistry‐climate model improves simulation of smoke‐impacted high‐O3 events in US cities [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In August 2017, a smoke plume from wildfires in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories recirculated and persisted over northern Canada for over two weeks. We compared a full‐factorial set of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies ModelE simulations of the plume to satellite retrievals of aerosol optical depth and carbon monoxide, finding that ModelE performance was dependent on the model configuration, and more so on the choice of injection height approach, aerosol scheme and biomass burning emissions estimates than to the choice of horizontal winds for nudging. In particular, ModelE simulations with free‐tropospheric smoke injection, a mass‐based aerosol scheme and comparatively high fire NOx emissions led to unrealistically high aerosol optical depth. Using paired simulations with and without fire emissions, we estimated that for 16 days over an 850,000 km2 region, the smoke decreased planetary boundary layer heights by between 253 and 547 m, decreased downward shortwave radiation by between 52 and 172 Wm−2, and decreased surface temperature by between 1.5°C and 4.9°C, the latter spanning an independent estimate from operational weather forecasts of a 3.7°C cooling. The strongest surface climate effects were for ModelE configurations with more detailed aerosol microphysics that led to a stronger first indirect effect. Plain Language Summary: Smoke from biomass burning is known to have effects on surface weather. We used the NASA GISS ModelE to estimate these effects for a large 2017 smoke plume over northern Canada that persisted for two weeks. We first found that the height of the smoke release at the source was the most important factor influencing agreement between ModelE and satellite retrievals of aerosols and carbon monoxide, and that specific, plausible configurations of the model led to unrealistically high aerosol amounts. By comparing simulations with and without fire, we estimated a 16‐day cooling over a 850,000 km2 region of between 1.5°C and 4.9°C, depending on the model configuration. Key Points: We captured the overall pattern and magnitude of a large 2017 smoke plume over Canada with the NASA GISS ModelEOf the sixteen plausible model configurations tested under a full‐factorial design, two with higher NOx emissions, free‐tropospheric smoke release and mass‐based aerosols led to unrealistically high aerosol optical depthOver an 850,000 km2 region, we estimated a 16‐day surface cooling of between 1.5°C and 4.9°C [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the environment of smoke and suspended particles, the accurate detection of targets is one of the difficulties for frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) laser fuzes to work properly in harsh conditions. To weaken and eliminate the significant influence caused by the interaction of different systems in the photon transmission process and the smoke particle environment, it is necessary to increase the amplitude of the target echo signal to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which contributes to enhancing the detection performance of the laser fuze for the ground target in the smoke. Under these conditions, the particle transmission of photons in the smoke environment is studied from the perspective of three-dimentional (3D) collisions between photons and smoke particles, and the modeling and Unity3D simulation of FMCW laser echo signal based on 3D particle collision is conducted. On this basis, a laser fuze structure based on multiple channel beam emission is designed for the combined effect of particle features from different systems and its impact on the target characteristics is researched. Simulation results show that the multiple channel laser emission enhances the laser target echo signal amplitude and also improves the anti-interference ability against the combined effects of multiple particle features compared with the single channel. Through the validation based on the laser prototype with four-channel beam emitting, the above conclusions are supported by the experimental results. Therefore, this study not only reveals the laser target properties under the 3D particle collision perspective, but also reflects the reasonableness and effectiveness of utilizing the target characteristics in the 3D particle collision mode to enhance the detection performance of FMCW laser fuze in the smoke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐efficient flame retardants (ZrP‐DDM) were synthesized successfully via ion‐exchange method, using diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM) modified layered zirconium phosphate (α‐ZrP). Trace addition of ZrP‐DDM in epoxy resins (EP) can enhance the flame‐retardant, smoke‐inhibition, mechanical, and thermal stability properties of EP composites. As shown in the results, ZrP‐DDM exhibits a better synergistic effect than α‐ZrP, and the EP composites containing 0.5 wt% ZrP‐DDM (EP/0.5ZrP‐DDM) show excellent flame‐retardant and smoke‐inhibition properties. Especially, EP/0.5ZrP‐DDM possesses a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 33.7% with UL94 V‐1 rating, while the EP composites containing 0.5 wt% ZrP (EP/0.5ZrP) has a LOI of 30.1% and fails to achieve the UL94 rating. Furthermore, the peak heat release rate (PHRR), total heat release rate (THR), and smoke density rating of EP/0.5ZrP‐DDM decrease by 10.2%, 3.7%, and 8.2% compared with EP/0.5ZrP. Based on condensed‐phase product analysis, EP/ZrP‐DDM sample provides a gas source for intumescent char layer, and produces a stable phosphorus‐rich crosslinking structures during combustion, thus decreasing the fire hazard of the composite material. Meanwhile, the introduction of ZrP‐DDM has a less impact on tensile strength of EP composites compared with α‐ZrP, suggesting the addition of ZrP‐DDM effectively enhances the compatibility with the EP matrix, thereby maintaining excellent mechanical properties of the EP matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the role of the atmosphere in the formation of the chemical composition of water in Lake Baikal and its tributaries has been increasing. In this regard, the study of equivalent black carbon (eBC) in the air above the lake and its coast has an important practical application. This paper presents the results of the mass concentration of eBC and submicron aerosol in the air above the water area of Lake Baikal, which were obtained during expeditions onboard research vessels in the summer of 2019 and 2023. We analyzed the data from the coastal monitoring station Listvyanka. To measure eBC, an MDA-02 aethalometer was used in the water area of the lake, and a BAC-10 aethalometer at the Listvyanka station. The background level of the eBC concentration in the air at different areas of the lake ranged between 0.15 and 0.3 µg m−3. The results of the two expeditions revealed the influence of the coastal settlements and the air mass transport along the valleys of the lake's large tributaries on the five- to twentyfold growth of the eBC concentration in the near-water atmosphere. In the diurnal dynamics of eBC near settlements, we recorded high values in the evening and at night. In background areas, the diurnal dynamics were poorly manifested. In the summer of 2019, there were smoke plumes in the water area of Lake Baikal from distant wildfires and a local fire site on the east coast of the lake. The eBC concentration increased to 5–6 µg m−3, which was 10 to 40 times higher than the background. The long-range transport of plumes from coal-fired thermal power plants in large cities of the region made the major contribution to the eBC concentration at «Listvyanka» in winter, which data on aerosol, gas impurities, and meteorological parameters confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]