Predictors of smoking craving during virtual reality exposure

Cue exposure treatment (CET) consists of controlled and repeated exposure to drugrelated stimuli in order to reduce cue-reactivity. Virtual reality (VR) has proved to be a promising tool for exposition. However, identifying the variables that can modulate the efficacy of this technique is essential for selecting the most appropriate exposure modality. The aim of this study was to determine the relation between several individual variables and self-reported craving in smokers exposed to VR environments. Fortysix smokers were exposed to seven complex virtual environments that reproduce typical situations in which people smoke. Self-reported craving was selected as the criterion variable and three types of variables were selected as the predictor variables: related to nicotine dependence, related to anxiety and impulsivity, and related to the sense of presence in the virtual environments. Sense of presence was the only predictor of self-reported craving in all the experimental virtual environments. Nicotine dependence variables added predictive power to the model only in the virtual breakfast at home. No relation was found between anxiety or impulsivity and self-reported craving. Virtual reality technology can be very helpful for improving CET for substance use disorders. However, the use of virtual environments would make sense only insofar as the sense of presence was high. Otherwise, the effectiveness of exposure might be affected. © 2012 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Risk perception and stages of smoking acquisition = Percepción de riesgo y etapas de iniciación en el consumo de tabaco

The purpose of this descriptive survey was to investigate the risk perceptions of smoking in a sample of 1,510 Spanish adolescents(49.1% males; mean age = 14.03; SD = 1.28). In addition, the present research categorised adolescents into one of the fourstages of smoking acquisition, as described by the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TMC): Precontemplation (notthinking about trying smoking in the next 6 months), Contemplation (thinking about trying smoking in the next 6 months), Preparation (thinking about starting smoking in the next 30 days) and Action (smokers), by gender and age. The results showed that age and risk perceptions are important variables in the progression through the stages of change towards regular tobacco consumption (Action stage). These results clearly demonstrate the importance of starting antismoking campaigns at an early age to prevent smoking acquisition or the thought of starting in the near future. These findings also highlight the need to continuously remind adolescents about the negative consequences of smoking

Anxious adults vs cool children: children's view on smoking and addiction

Tobacco addiction represents a major public health problem, and most addicted smokers take up the habit during adolescence. We need to know why. With the aim of gaining a better understanding of the meanings smoking and tobacco addiction hold for young people, 85 focused interviews were conducted with adolescent children from economically deprived areas of Northern Ireland. Through adopting a qualitative approach within the community rather than the school context, the adolescent children were given the opportunity to freely express their views in confidence. Children seem to differentiate conceptually between child smoking and adult smoking. Whereas adults smoke to cope with life and are thus perceived by children as lacking control over their consumption, child smoking is motivated by attempts to achieve the status of cool and hard, and to gain group membership. Adults have personal reasons for smoking, while child smoking is profoundly social. Adults are perceived as dependent on nicotine, and addiction is at the core of the children's understanding of adult smoking. Child smoking, on the other hand, is seen as oriented around social relations so that addiction is less relevant. These ideas leave young people vulnerable to nicotine addiction. It is clearly important that health promotion efforts seek to understand and take into account the actions of children within the context of their own world-view to secure their health

Association between palmoplantar pustulosis and cigarette smoking in Brazil: a case-control study

BackgroundPalmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) discloses some differences compared to vulgar psoriasis (PV) in terms of age of onset, female predominance and low occurrence of psoriasis lesions elsewhere. Cigarette smoking has been associated to PPP in international studies; nevertheless, these studies were never performed among Brazilian.ObjectivesTo compare prevalence of smoking among PPP, PV and other dermatologic patients (NPD).MethodsCase-control study involving 25 PPP patients from a reference psoriasis centre. Two control groups were matched according to gender and age: 50 patients with PV and 50 NPD. Confounders were adjusted by conditional multiple logistic regression.ResultsAmong cases, 84.0% were female and PPP age of disease onset (41.4 years) was greater than PV (34.5 years). Prevalence of ever smoking was higher among cases (92.0%) than PV (52.0%) and NPD (30.0%). Adjusted odds ratio of PPP ever smoking compared to PV and NPD was 9.5 and 36.2, respectively. All smokers reported the onset of their habit before the development of PPP.ConclusionsThere was significant association between PPP and smoking. However, the impact of giving it up in the clinical course of the disease remains to be established.

Nat2, Xrcc1 And Hogg1 Polymorphisms, Cigarette Smoking, Alcohol Consumption And Risk Of Upper Aerodigestive Tract Cancer.

To evaluate associations between polymorphisms of the N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2), human 8-oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) and X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 1 (XRCC1) genes and risk of upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancer. A case-control study involving 117 cases and 224 controls was undertaken. The NAT2 gene polymorphisms were genotyped by automated sequencing and XRCC1 Arg399Gln and hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphisms were determined by Polymerase Chain Reaction followed by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods. Slow metabolization phenotype was significantly associated as a risk factor for the development of UADT cancer (p=0.038). Furthermore, haplotype of slow metabolization was also associated with UADT cancer (p=0.014). The hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism (CG or GG vs. CC genotypes) was shown as a protective factor against UADT cancer in moderate smokers (p=0.031). The XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism (GA or AA vs. GG genotypes), in turn, was a protective factor against UADT cancer only among never-drinkers (p=0.048). Interactions involving NAT2, XRCC1 Arg399Gln and hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphisms may modulate the risk of UADT cancer in this population.

Semi-determinate Growth Habit Adjusts The Vegetative-to-reproductive Balance And Increases Productivity And Water-use Efficiency In Tomato (solanum Lycopersicum).

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) shows three growth habits: determinate, indeterminate and semi-determinate. These are controlled mainly by allelic variation in the SELF-PRUNING (SP) gene family, which also includes the florigen gene SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS (SFT). Determinate cultivars have synchronized flower and fruit production, which allows mechanical harvesting in the tomato processing industry, whereas indeterminate ones have more vegetative growth with continuous flower and fruit formation, being thus preferred for fresh market tomato production. The semi-determinate growth habit is poorly understood, although there are indications that it combines advantages of determinate and indeterminate growth. Here, we used near-isogenic lines (NILs) in the cultivar Micro-Tom (MT) with different growth habit to characterize semi-determinate growth and to determine its impact on developmental and productivity traits. We show that semi-determinate genotypes are equivalent to determinate ones with extended vegetative growth, which in turn impacts shoot height, number of leaves and either stem diameter or internode length. Semi-determinate plants also tend to increase the highly relevant agronomic parameter Brix×ripe yield (BRY). Water-use efficiency (WUE), evaluated either directly as dry mass produced per amount of water transpired or indirectly through C isotope discrimination, was higher in semi-determinate genotypes. We also provide evidence that the increases in BRY in semi-determinate genotypes are a consequence of an improved balance between vegetative and reproductive growth, a mechanism analogous to the conversion of the overly vegetative tall cereal varieties into well-balanced semi-dwarf ones used in the Green Revolution.

Malpighiaceae: correlations between habit, fruit type and basic chromosome number

The family Malpighiaceae presents species with different habits, fruit types and cytological characters. Climbers are considered the most derived habit, followed, respectively, by the shrubby and arboreal ones. The present study examines the relationship between basic chromosome numbers and the derivation of climbing habit and fruit types in Malpighiaceae. A comparison of all the chromosome number reports for Malpighiaceae showed a predominance of chromosome numbers based on x=5 or 10 in the genera of sub-family Malpighioideae, mainly represented by climbers with winged fruits, whereas non-climbing species with non-winged fruits, which predominate in sub-family Byrsonimoideae, had counts based on x=6, which is considered the less derived basic number for the family. Based on such data, confirmed by statistic assays, and on the monophyletic origin of this family, we admit the hypothesis that morphological derivation of habit and fruit is correlated with chromosome basic number variation in the family Malpighiaceae.

Culex nigripalpus Theobald (Diptera, Culicidae) feeding habit at the Parque Ecológico do Tietê, São Paulo, Brazil

The blood feeding of a population of Cx. nigripalpus from Parque Ecológico do Tietê (PET) was investigated using an indirect ELISA protocol. Mosquitoes were captured outside houses. Five hundred sixteen engorged females collected in a reforested area and 25 in an open area were tested. Rodents and dogs were the most common blood sources, accounting for approximately 65.3% of blood meals. Human blood was detected in 10.9%, dog blood in 26.1%, chicken blood in 2.4%, and rodent blood in 39.2% of the 541 insects tested. ELISA failed in identifying the blood sources of 233 engorged females, indicating that the mosquitoes may have fed on a host which was not tested. One hundred six individuals were positive for more than one host. The unweighted human blood index was 0.14 and the rodent/human, human/chicken, and dog/rodent feeding index values were 2.70, 1.51, and 1.33, respectively. Furthermore, rodents are defensive hosts for this haematophagous insect which looks for another host to complete blood-feeding. Considering that rodents are potential reservoirs for Mucambo virus and Saint Louis encephalitis virus and that Cx. nigripalpus feed on the blood of those mammals, we hypothesize that mosquito population in PET could participate in the transmission cycle of those arboviruses. Additionally, this species might be involved in the transmission of Dirofilaria immitis to dogs at this area.

Vigilância de Fatores de Risco para Doenças Crônicas por Inquérito Telefônico nas capitais dos 26 estados brasileiros e no Distrito Federal (2006)

OBJETIVO: Descrever métodos e resultados iniciais do Sistema de Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e Proteção para Doenças Crônicas não Transmissíveis por Inquérito Telefônico - VIGITEL implantado no Brasil em 2006. MÉTODOS: O VIGITEL estudou amostras probabilísticas da população com 18 ou mais anos de idade residente em domicílios conectados à rede de telefonia fixa de cada uma das capitais dos 26 Estados brasileiros e do Distrito Federal (54.369 indivíduos no total, sendo pelo menos 2.000 por cidade). A amostragem foi realizada a partir de cadastros eletrônicos completos das linhas residenciais fixas de cada cidade, envolvendo sorteio de linhas (domicílios) e sorteio de um morador por linha para ser entrevistado. O questionário aplicado investigou características demográficas e socioeconômicas, padrão de alimentação e de atividade física, consumo de cigarros e de bebidas alcoólicas, e peso e altura recordados, entre outros quesitos. Estimativas sobre a freqüência de fatores de risco selecionados, estratificadas por sexo e acompanhadas de Intervalo de Confiança de 95%, foram calculadas para a população adulta de cada cidade empregando-se fatores de ponderação que igualam a composição sociodemográfica da amostra em cada cidade àquela observada no Censo Demográfico de 2000. Estimativas para o conjunto das cidades empregam fator de ponderação adicional que leva em conta a população de adultos de cada cidade. RESULTADOS: Os cinco fatores de risco selecionados (tabagismo, consumo abusivo de bebidas alcoólicas, excesso de peso, consumo de carnes com excesso de gordura e sedentarismo) tenderam a ser mais freqüentes em homens do que em mulheres. Dentre os fatores de proteção, o consumo regular de frutas e hortaliças foi mais freqüente em mulheres do que em homens, observando-se situação inversa no caso da atividade física de lazer. Diferenças substanciais na freqüência dos fatores de risco e proteção foram observadas entre as cidades, com padrões de distribuição regional diferenciados por fator. DISCUSSÃO: O desempenho do sistema, avaliado a partir da qualidade dos cadastros telefônicos e de taxas de resposta e de recusas, mostrou-se adequado e, de modo geral, superior ao encontrado em sistemas equivalentes existentes em países desenvolvidos. O custo do sistema de R$ 31,15 por entrevista realizada, foi a metade do custo observado no sistema americano de vigilância de fatores de risco para doenças crônicas por inquérito telefônico e um quinto do custo estimado em inquérito domiciliar tradicional realizado recentemente no Brasil.

Vigilância de fatores de risco para doenças crônicas por inquérito telefônico nas capitais dos 26 estados brasileiros e no Distrito Federal (2006)

Objetivo: Descrever métodos e resultados iniciais do Sistema de Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e Proteção para Doenças Crônicas ão Transmissíveis por Inquérito Telefônico - VIGITEL implantado no Brasil em 2006. Métodos: O VIGITEL estudou amostras probabilísticas da população com 18 ou mais anos de idade residente em domicílios conectados à rede de telefonia fixa de cada uma das capitais dos 26 Estados brasileiros e do Distrito Federal (54.369 indivíduos no total, sendo pelo menos 2.000 por cidade). A amostragem foi realizada a partir de cadastros eletrônicos completos das linhas residenciais fixas de cada cidade, envolvendo sorteio de linhas (domicílios) e sorteio de um morador por linha para ser entrevistado. O questionário aplicado investigou características demográficas e socioeconômicas, padrão de alimentação e de atividade física, consumo de cigarros e de bebidas alcoólicas, e peso e altura recordados, entre outros quesitos. Estimativas sobre a freqüência de fatores de risco selecionados, estratificadas por sexo e acompanhadas de Intervalo de Confiança de 95%, foram calculadas para a população adulta de cada cidade empregando-se fatores de ponderação que igualam a composição sociodemográfica da amostra em cada cidade àquela observada no Censo Demográfico de 2000. Estimativas para o conjunto das cidades empregam fator de ponderação adicional que leva em conta a população de adultos de cada cidade. Resultados: Os cinco fatores de risco selecionados (tabagismo, consumo abusivo de bebidas alcoólicas, excesso de peso, consumo de carnes com excesso de gordura e sedentarismo) tenderam a ser mais freqüentes em homens do que em mulheres. Dentre os fatores de proteção, o consumo regular de frutas e hortaliças foi mais freqüente em mulheres do que em homens, observando-se situação inversa no caso da atividade física de lazer. ) Diferenças substanciais na freqüência dos fatores de risco e proteção foram observadas entre as cidades, com padrões de distribuição regional diferenciados por fator.Discussão: O desempenho do sistema, avaliado a partir da qualidade dos cadastros telefônicos e de taxas de resposta e de recusas, mostrou-se adequado e, de modo geral, superior ao encontrado em sistemas equivalentes existentes em países desenvolvidos. O custo do sistema de R$ 31,15 por entrevista realizada, foi a metade do custo observado no sistema americano de vigilância de fatores de risco para doenças crônicas por inquérito telefônico e um quinto do custo estimado em inquérito domiciliar tradicional realizado recentemente no Brasil

Body Mass Index, Cigarette Smoking, and Alcohol Consumption and Cancers of the Oral Cavity, Pharynx, and Larynx: Modeling Odds Ratios in Pooled Case-Control Data

study-specific results, their findings should be interpreted with caution

How much do smoking and alcohol consumption explain socioeconomic inequalities in head and neck cancer risk?

Background A higher burden of head and neck cancer has been reported to affect deprived populations. This study assessed the association between socioeconomic status and head and neck cancer, aiming to explore how this association is related to differences of tobacco and alcohol consumption across socioeconomic strata. Methods We conducted a case-control study in Sao Paulo, Brazil (1998-2006), including 1017 incident cases of oral, pharyngeal and laryngeal cancer, and 951 sex- and age-matched controls. Education and occupation were distal determinants in the hierarchical approach; cumulative exposure to tobacco and alcohol were proximal risk factors. Outcomes of the hierarchical model were compared with fully adjusted ORs. Results Individuals with lower education (OR 2.27; 95% CI 1.61 to 3.19) and those performing manual labour (OR 1.55; 95% CI 1.26 to 1.92) had a higher risk of disease. However, 54% of the association with lower education and 45% of the association with manual labour were explained by proximal lifestyle exposures, and socioeconomic status remained significantly associated with disease when adjusted for smoking and alcohol consumption. Conclusions Socioeconomic differences in head and neck cancer are partially attributable to the distribution of tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption across socioeconomic strata. Additional mediating factors may explain the remaining variation of socioeconomic status on head and neck cancer.

Inheritance of growth habit detected by genetic linkage analysis using microsatellites in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

The genetic linkage map for the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a valuable tool for breeding programs. Breeders provide new cultivars that meet the requirements of farmers and consumers, such as seed color, seed size, maturity, and growth habit. A genetic study was conducted to examine the genetics behind certain qualitative traits. Growth habit is usually described as a recessive trait inherited by a single gene, and there is no consensus about the position of the locus. The aim of this study was to develop a new genetic linkage map using genic and genomic microsatellite markers and three morphological traits: growth habit, flower color, and pod tip shape. A mapping population consisting of 380 recombinant F10 lines was generated from IAC-UNA x CAL143. A total of 871 microsatellites were screened for polymorphisms among the parents, and a linkage map was obtained with 198 mapped microsatellites. The total map length was 1865.9 cM, and the average distance between markers was 9.4 cM. Flower color and pod tip shape were mapped and segregated at Mendelian ratios, as expected. The segregation ratio and linkage data analyses indicated that the determinacy growth habit was inherited as two independent and dominant genes, and a genetic model is proposed for this trait.

The prospects for immunotherapy in smoking cessation

Context Smoking is a major preventable cause of death and disability that is maintained by dependence on nicotine. Smoking cessation reduces mortality and morbidity. Although existing pharmacological aids to smoking cessation and relapse prevention (nicotine replacement therapy and bupropion) improve on unassisted quitting and behavioural methods, they are only modestly effective. More effective pharmacological methods are required that improve compliance, reduce side-effects, and can be used in combination with existing cessation methods. Starting point A nicotine vaccine is a promising immunotherapeutic approach to smoking cessation and relapse prevention. Such a vaccine would induce the immune system to form specific antibodies to nicotine to prevent it from crossing the blood-brain barrier to act on receptor sites in the central nervous system. Recent studies in rats provide proof of principle by showing that nicotine-specific antibodies can prevent the reinstatement of nicotine self-administration (N Lindblom et al, Respiration 2002; 69: 254–60) and block dopamine release in the shell of the nucleus accumbens (Sde Villiers et al, Respiration 2002; 69: 247–53). A phase 1 trial of a human cocaine vaccine has also recently been successfully completed (T Kosten et al, Vaccine 2002; 20: 1196–204). A safe and effective human nicotine vaccine would potentially have fewer side-effects and better compliance than existing smoking-cessation pharmacotherapies. It could also be used in combination with some of them (eg, bupropion). Where next? The most promising clinical application of a human nicotine vaccine is likely to be in relapse prevention in abstinent smokers. A vaccine may also have a role in preparing smokers to quit. Clinical trials of safety and efficacy in human smokers and ex-smokers are warranted. If a nicotine vaccine proves to be safe and effective, the health-care system will need to ensure that it is registered for clinical use and that the poorer members of the community (among whom smoking prevalence is now highest in developed countries) have access to the vaccine. The community will need to be appropriately informed about the role of a nicotine vaccine to ensure that it is not prematurely used for preventive purposes in children and adolescents.

Passive smoking and Parkinson disease

This is the first report of an inverse relationship between passive smoking exposure and Parkinson's disease.