Suchergebnisse

The Fleet Forum, a group of more than 40 aid agencies, is working to slash by 25% the annual $800 million cost of running some 60,000 vehicles. Darfur has shown the need to work together to achieve more cost-efficient & safe humanitarian transport. Adapted from the source document.

This cross-sectional study estimates the association of political party affiliation with physical distancing behaviors among young adults during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco 21 (T21) laws, which raise the minimum legal age of sale of tobacco products to 21, have been proposed and implemented in states and cities across the US. However, limited data are available on the effect of T21 laws on youth tobacco purchasing behaviors and access to tobacco products. METHODS: Participants in a population-based prospective cohort in southern California completed questionnaires before (N=1609, Age=18–19) and after (N=1502, Age=19–20) T21 was implemented in California (June 2016). We examined the prevalence of past 30-day cigarette and e-cigarette use, and among past 30-day users, purchase location of tobacco products before (Pre-) vs. after (Post-) T21. We also examined whether, Post-T21, participants were refused purchase of tobacco products due to their age, and the perceived relative ease of purchasing cigarettes and e-cigarettes (vs. Pre-T21). RESULTS: Negligible changes in cigarette and e-cigarette use were observed Pre-T21 vs. Post-T21. At both time points, the majority of past 30-day users purchased cigarettes from gas stations and e-cigarettes from vape shops. Post-T21, the proportion of participants who reported purchasing cigarettes at gas stations decreased. Post-T21, most past 30-day cigarette or e-cigarette users were not refused purchase of cigarettes (65.4%) or e-cigarettes (82.0%) in the past 30 days, despite being under 21; half of participants felt it was harder to purchase cigarettes (54.3%) and e-cigarettes (43.6%) Post-T21. CONCLUSION: Post-T21, few participants were refused purchase of any tobacco product, despite the illegality of such sales. Better enforcement of T21 is needed to improve the efficacy of T21 legislation.

AbstractMost epidemiologic studies employ a vacuum cleaner used by a trained technician to collect household allergens. This approach is labor intensive, equipment dependent, and impractical if study subjects reside over a wide geographic area. We examined the feasibility of a self-administered dust collection method, using an electrostatic cloth sent by conventional mail, to obtain allergen measurements. Thirty-two nonasthmatic twins from the California Twin Program wiped areas in the family room, kitchen, and bedroom, according to standardized instructions, and returned the cloths by mail. Allergen concentrations for Der-p-1, Der-f-1, Fel-d-1, and Bla-g-2 were determined using ELISA, and intrahouse and room-to-room concentrations were compared. Der-p-1 and Fel-d-1 were found in most homes, with highest concentrations in bedrooms and kitchens, respectively. Der-f-1 and Bla-g-2 were rarely found. Intrahouse Der-p-1 and Fel-d-1 concentrations were highly correlated and statistically significant (for Der-p-1, bedroom vs. kitchen,p= .0003, bedroom vs. family room,p= .0001, and family room vs. kitchen,p= .002; for Fel-d-1, bedroom vs. kitchen,p= .0004, bedroom vs. family room,p< .0001, and family room vs. kitchen,p= .0001). Reported cat ownership was strongly correlated with household Fel-d-1 concentrations (p< .005). In another comparison from different homes of children enrolled in the La Casa atopy prevention study, allergen concentrations measured from dust collected by a single operator from the left and right half of the same room in 21 homes were compared. Levels of Bla-g-2, Der-p-1, and Fel-d-1 concentrations collected from right and left halves of the same room were highly correlated, withr2ranging from .7 to .9, and were highly statistically significant (allpvalues < .01). We conclude that nonintrusive and self-administered dust collection, using commercially available electrostatic dust cloths, sent by conventional mail services, is a promising alternative to technician-collected vacuumed dust for measuring indoor allergens in population-based studies, although further validation of the method is necessary.

Prenatal cadmium exposure has been associated with impaired fetal growth; much less is known about the impact during later childhood on growth and cardiometabolic traits. To elucidate the associations of prenatal cadmium exposure with child growth, adiposity, and cardiometabolic traits in 515 mother-child pairs in the Rhea Mother-Child Study cohort (Heraklion, Greece, 2007-2012), we measured urinary cadmium concentrations during early pregnancy and assessed their associations with repeated weight and height measurements (taken from birth through childhood), waist circumference, skinfold thickness, blood pressure, and serum lipid, leptin, and C-reactive protein levels at age 4 years. Adjusted linear, Poisson, and mixed-effects regression models were used, with interaction terms for child sex and maternal smoking added. Elevated prenatal cadmium levels (third tertile of urinary cadmium concentration (0.571-2.658 μg/L) vs. first (0.058-0.314 μg/L) and second (0.315-0.570 μg/L) tertiles combined) were significantly associated with a slower weight trajectory (per standard deviation score) in all children (β = -0.17, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.32, -0.02) and a slower height trajectory in girls (β = -0.30, 95% CI: -0.52,-0.09; P for interaction = 0.025) and in children born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy (β = -0.48, 95% CI: -0.83, -1.13; P for interaction = 0.027). We concluded that prenatal cadmium exposure was associated with delayed growth in early childhood. Further research is needed to understand cadmium-related sex differences and the role of coexposure to maternal smoking during early pregnancy. ; The Rhea Mother-Child Cohort Study was financially supported by European Union projects (FP6-2003-Food-3-A NewGeneris, Food-CT-2006-036224 Hiwate, FP7/2007- 2011-GA-211250 ESCAPE Project, FP7-2008-226756 Envirogenomarkers, FP7-HEALTH-2009 single-stage 241604 CHICOS, and FP7-ENV.2008.1.2.1.6 proposal 226285 ENRIECO) and the Greek Ministry of Health (Program of Prevention of Obesity and Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Preschool Children, Heraklion District, Crete, Greece, 2011–2014; and "Rhea Plus": Primary Prevention Program of Environmental Risk Factors for Reproductive Health and Child Health, 2012–2015). The present study was also funded by the Karolinska Institutet, the Swedish Research Council Formas (project 210-2013-751), and the Swedish Research Council (project 2015-03655).

ObjectivesElectronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are available in nontraditional flavors (eg, fruit and candy) that are banned in combustible cigarettes in the United States. Whether adolescent use of e-cigarettes in nontraditional flavors prospectively predicts continuation of vaping and progression to more frequent vaping is unknown.MethodsHigh school students in Los Angeles, California, completed 5 semiannual surveys (2014-2017 [10th grade to 12th grade]). Among past-6-month e-cigarette users at survey waves 1 to 4 (N = 478), e-cigarette flavor (or flavors) used was coded into 2 mutually exclusive categories at each wave (use of ≥1 nontraditional flavors [fruit, candy, sweet or dessert, buttery, blends or combinations, and other] versus exclusive use of tobacco, menthol or mint, or flavorless). Flavor used during waves 1 to 4 was modeled as a time-varying, time-lagged regressor of vaping status and frequency outcomes 6 months later at waves 2 to 5.ResultsAcross waves 1 to 4, there were 739 (93.8%) observations of nontraditional-flavor use and 49 (6.2%) observations of exclusive use of tobacco, mint or menthol, or flavorless e-cigarettes. Use of e-cigarettes in nontraditional flavors (versus only tobacco, mint or menthol, or flavorless) was positively associated with vaping continuation (64.3% vs 42.9%; adjusted odds ratio = 3.76 [95% confidence interval 1.20 to 10.31]) and past-30-day number of puffs per nicotine vaping episode (mean: 3.1 [SD 5.5] vs 1.5 [SD 3.8]; adjusted rate ratio = 2.41 [95% confidence interval 1.08 to 5.92]) 6 months later. Flavor used was not associated with the subsequent number of past-30-day vaping days or episodes per day.ConclusionsAdolescents who vaped e-cigarettes in nontraditional flavors, compared with those who exclusively vaped tobacco-flavored, mint- or menthol-flavored, or flavorless e-cigarettes, were more likely to continue vaping and take more puffs per vaping occasion 6 months later.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are available in nontraditional flavors (eg, fruit and candy) that are banned in combustible cigarettes in the United States. Whether adolescent use of e-cigarettes in nontraditional flavors prospectively predicts continuation of vaping and progression to more frequent vaping is unknown. High school students in Los Angeles, California, completed 5 semiannual surveys (2014-2017 [10th grade to 12th grade]). Among past-6-month e-cigarette users at survey waves 1 to 4 (N = 478), e-cigarette flavor (or flavors) used was coded into 2 mutually exclusive categories at each wave (use of ≥1 nontraditional flavors [fruit, candy, sweet or dessert, buttery, blends or combinations, and other] versus exclusive use of tobacco, menthol or mint, or flavorless). Flavor used during waves 1 to 4 was modeled as a time-varying, time-lagged regressor of vaping status and frequency outcomes 6 months later at waves 2 to 5. Across waves 1 to 4, there were 739 (93.8%) observations of nontraditional-flavor use and 49 (6.2%) observations of exclusive use of tobacco, mint or menthol, or flavorless e-cigarettes. Use of e-cigarettes in nontraditional flavors (versus only tobacco, mint or menthol, or flavorless) was positively associated with vaping continuation (64.3% vs 42.9%; adjusted odds ratio = 3.76 [95% confidence interval 1.20 to 10.31]) and past-30-day number of puffs per nicotine vaping episode (mean: 3.1 [SD 5.5] vs 1.5 [SD 3.8]; adjusted rate ratio = 2.41 [95% confidence interval 1.08 to 5.92]) 6 months later. Flavor used was not associated with the subsequent number of past-30-day vaping days or episodes per day. Adolescents who vaped e-cigarettes in nontraditional flavors, compared with those who exclusively vaped tobacco-flavored, mint- or menthol-flavored, or flavorless e-cigarettes, were more likely to continue vaping and take more puffs per vaping occasion 6 months later.