Multi-omics biomarker detection in smoking induced COPD.

Postsurgical immunotherapy for patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains elusive. This study assesses the value and significance of postoperative immunotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced HNSCC. In total, 212 patients with locally advanced HNSCC who underwent radical surgery were stratified into three treatment groups: adjuvant radiotherapy alone, adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT), and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy plus immunotherapy (PD-1 Ab). A comprehensive analysis was conducted to assess survival outcomes and prognostic factors across diverse patient cohorts. Four patients were lost to follow-up, with a follow-up rate of 98.1% and a median follow-up time of 41 months (IQR 24-68). A total of 64/212 individuals died, with cancer being the cause of 62 cases and noncancer causes accounting for the remaining two deaths; 62/212 (29.2%) patients experienced relapse and/or metastasis. The 3-year OS rates for the radiotherapy group, CRT group, and CRT plus PD-1 Ab group were 54.8%, 75.4%, and 82.2%, respectively. However, no statistically significant difference in OS or PFS was observed between the CRT and CRT + PD-1 Ab groups (pall > 0.05), although both were superior to radiotherapy alone (pall < 0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that age, smoking history, TNM stage and treatment method were independent prognostic factors for OS (pall < 0.05). Smoking history and treatment methods were independent prognostic factors for PFS and DMFS (pall < 0.05). PD-1 Ab may contribute less to tumors with better treatment outcomes from concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Smoking Intervention in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease

Racial differences in fracture risk are not fully explained by differences in areal BMD (aBMD) as measured by DXA. Other aspects of bone quality, such as bone material properties, are not captured by DXA, but may contribute to fracture risk. Few studies have investigated racial/ethnic differences in bone material properties, and none have included Hispanic Americans. We assessed differences in bone material strength index (BMSi) measured by impact micro indentation by race/ethnicity. Caribbean Hispanic (CH), non-Hispanic Black (NHB), and non-Hispanic White (NHW) participants from the Washington Heights Inwood Community Aging Project (N = 148), a population-based study of aging in New York City, were included. While there were racial differences in aBMD, BMSi did not differ by race/ethnicity (CH vs NHB vs NHW: 79.3 ± 6.3 vs 78.3 ± 15 vs 77.7 ± 5.2) before (p = .22) or after (p = .47) adjustment for age, sex, BMI, fracture status, diabetes, alcohol consumption, smoking, and osteoporosis treatment. There was no significant interaction between race and diabetes status in relation to BMSi. Stratifying by sex, results were similar. In summary, BMSi was similar among CH, NHB, and NHW participants, suggesting that differences in bone material strength, as captured by BMSi, do not account for established racial/ethnic differences in fracture risk in these groups.

Smoking rates among sexual and gender minority (SGM) adults are generally higher than those in the general population. Tailoring anti-smoking messages for SGM young adults is a promising strategy to reduce health inequalities, but ignoring the difference between gender groups within the SGM community is problematic. We conducted two experiments to examine whether gender expression affected the perceived targetedness (PT) among SGM young adults aged 18 to 30. In the first study, participants were randomly assigned to view 8 out of 80 images using various gender expressions. In the second study, participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions (transgender/nonbinary expressions vs. feminine expressions vs. masculine expressions vs. multiple gender expressions) and viewed 6 anti-smoking campaign messages in each condition. Both studies found that compared to messages with other gender expressions, gender-expansive individuals reported higher PT when viewing messages with transgender/nonbinary expressions. Cisgender sexual minority women reported higher PT when viewing messages with feminine expressions. Cisgender sexual minority men reported higher PT when viewing messages with masculine expressions. There was no significant difference in PT between multiple gender expressions and gender expressions matching individuals' gender identity. Culturally tailored anti-smoking messages using gender expressions matched to gender identity or messages using multiple gender expressions were more effective in achieving PT than messages using unmatched gender expressions. Gender is critical to tailoring anti-smoking campaign messages for SGM young adults. We should not view the SGM community as a monolith in smoking interventions and need to tailor messages to different gender groups within the community. Future research should investigate how sexual expressions affect PT and how gender expressions influence persuasion outcomes beyond PT. Additionally, intersectional analyses of multiple social identities may provide deeper insights into the effects of SGM-tailored anti-smoking messages.

Treating those not ready to quit smoking: Doing harm while trying to help?

Despite the positive role of social relationships in behavior change, dyadic interventions for smoking have not been consistently successful. This owes, in part, to the fact that dual-smoking cohabiting couples share similar routines, environments, and relational dynamics that can undermine quitting efforts. We adopted an exploratory and descriptive approach to identify distinct profiles of smoking abstinence within dyads, how relationship dynamics relate to these patterns, and whether these patterns predict smoking status at follow-up. We utilized preexisting data from a pilot RCT examining the effects of partner-involved financial incentives on dyadic abstinence. Both members of 95 dual-smoking couples (52% female, 73% White, Mage = 42.39, SD = 10.57) recruited between 2021 and 2022 provided baseline information about their relational and motivational dynamics, followed by 10 weeks of daily reports of smoking behavior, and biochemically verified quit status at follow-up. Latent growth mixture models suggested four patterns of dyadic abstinence: Concordant abstainers, Discordant abstainers, Discordant nonabstainers, and Concordant nonabstainers. Treatment arm and motivational and relational dynamics predicted the probability of following specific dyadic patterns of behavior change, and dyadic patterns of change predicted individual and couple quitting status at follow-up. Our findings underscore the importance of considering that treatment will facilitate coordinated dyadic behavior change for some couples but not all and emphasize the need to better understand when and how mechanisms support long-term abstinence. More work is needed to investigate whether these patterns generalize across samples with more diverse sociodemographic and health characteristics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

In prostate cancer (PCa), smoking history is associated with more aggressive clinicopathological features, reduced efficacy of androgen deprivation therapy, and poorer overall survival (OS). However, its impact on survival outcomes in patients receiving taxane chemotherapy, poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitor (PARPi), or immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy for PCa remains unclear. We compared the genetic profiles of smokers and non-smokers with PCa in several public databases to explore the potential influence of smoking on treatment outcomes. We retrospectively collected data on smoking history, tumor characteristics, genomic information, treatment history, and survival outcomes from three public databases to investigate the role of smoking in PCa. Patients were categorized into smokers and non-smokers, and associations between smoking history and clinicopathological features, genetic profiles, and treatment outcomes were analyzed. Independent risk factors for OS were evaluated using multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models. Smokers exhibited significantly higher Gleason score, clinical stage, tumor mutational burden, fraction genome altered, and microsatellite instability scores than non-smokers. The survival analysis revealed that smokers had significantly poorer OS than non-smokers in the overall, hormone therapy, and PARPi therapy cohorts. In contrast, no significant difference in OS was observed between the taxane chemotherapy and ICI therapy cohorts. Furthermore, multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis identified smoking history as an independent risk factor for OS in the overall, hormone therapy, and PARPi therapy cohorts. Oncoplot analysis showed a significantly higher frequency of TP53 mutations and PTEN copy number alterations in smokers than in non-smokers. Smoking history was significantly associated with aggressive clinicopathological features and a poor prognosis in patients with PCa. Our findings suggest that smokers with PCa may receive greater benefit from the early administration of taxane chemotherapy in comparison to other treatment regimens.

320 Background: Outcomes of G/GEJ/EC remain poor despite the recent addition of immunotherapy (IO) to a chemotherapy backbone. The impact of smoking on the efficacy of IO remains unknown. Given the known association between smoking, tumor mutational burden (TMB) and tumor microenvironment, we explored the impact of smoking history on outcomes in patients (pts) with G/GEJ/EC treated with IO. Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective study. Smoking history (never smokers vs. ever smokers), treatment intent (curative vs. palliative) and outcomes were collected. Differences in relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) by smoking status were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves adjusting for age, performance status, body mass index, Charlson Comorbidity Index and stage. Hazard ratios (HR) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards and Fine and Gray regression models. Results: 204 pts were included (median age 61.9 years); 93 (46%) were never smokers and 111 (54%) were ever smokers. Adenocarcinoma was the most common histology in 156 pts (78%). Tumor location included gastric (38%), gastro-esophageal junction (34%), and esophagus (28%). IO was given with curative intent in 31 pts (15%) and palliative intent in 173 pts (85%). Nivolumab was the most common IO used (67%). In the overall cohort, ever smokers had numerically longer median RFS (17.2 vs. 13.6 months; HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.49–1.32, p=0.39) and OS (14.1 vs. 12.4 months; HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.56–1.51, p=0.75) compared to never smokers. In those treated as curative intent, ever smokers had significantly higher risk of relapse (HR 4.07, 95% CI 1.26–13.1, p=0.019) and a non-significant increased risk of death (HR 3.38, 95% CI 0.40–28.41, p=0.26) than never smokers. In the palliative cohort, 52 pts (30%) had recurrent disease and 121 pts (70%) had de novo metastatic disease. Among those with recurrent disease, ever smokers had significantly worse median OS compared to never smokers (9.1 vs. 25.8 months; HR 4.62, 95% CI 1.15–18.56, p=0.031). Among pts with de novo metastatic disease, ever smokers had numerically longer median RFS (15.8 vs. 7.7 months; HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.36–1.18, p=0.16) and OS (15.7 vs. 9.7 months; HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.33–1.20, p=0.16), though not statistically significant. Conclusions: Smoking history was associated with different IO outcomes based on disease and treatment setting. Ever smokers had higher relapse risk in the curative setting and worse survival with recurrent disease. In contrast, ever smokers with de novo metastatic disease showed a trend toward improved outcomes. Future analyses should incorporate biomarkers such as PD-L1 combined positive score (CPS) and TMB to better evaluate the association between smoking and IO outcomes.

Effectiveness of a planned smoking identification and intervention program in rural health centers: a quasi-experimental study in Aragon, Spain (2023-2024)

ANA-12 restores testicular health by local neurochemicals in passive smoking/nicotine-exposed preclinical adult rats.

Retreatment with nicotine replacement therapy: Predictors of re-enrolment in a cohort of people who smoke seeking treatment in ambulatory settings.

&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Background&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health issue in Ethiopia, with a high burden of both pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB cases. The prevalence of TB, including drug-resistant forms, continues to pose challenges, particularly in hospital settings like Dessie Comprehensive Specialized Hospital where both new and relapse cases are reported. This study aimed to determine the five-year prevalence and associated factors of MTB among TB-suspected cases at Dessie Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from 2020–2024. Method: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using medical records of 1,850 TB-suspected cases. Data on socio-demographics, clinical presentation, and laboratory results (Gene-Xpert MTB/RIF) were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: The overall MTB prevalence was 23.4% (433/1,850). Significant risk factors included HIV co-infection (AOR=3.12, 95% CI: 2.34-4.16), malnutrition (AOR=2.45, 95% CI: 1.89-3.18), smoking (AOR=1.89, 95% CI: 1.32-2.71), and previous TB treatment (AOR=2.67, 95% CI: 1.95-3.65). Conclusion: The high MTB prevalence underscores the need for enhanced TB screening, particularly among high-risk groups.

Meat processing technologies play a critical role in ensuring the safety, quality and shelf-life of meat products. Traditional processing methods, including chilling, freezing, curing, smoking and thermal treatments have long been employed to reduce microbial contamination and extend storage life. However, these methods can adversely affect the sensory attributes and nutritional quality of meat. Emerging technologies such as high pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric fields (PEF), ultrasonication, irradiation, cold plasma and ohmic heating, offer innovative approaches that can enhance microbial safety while better preserving meat quality. This review provides a comprehensive comparison of traditional and modern meat processing techniques, evaluating their effects on microbial inactivation, shelf-life extension, sensory characteristics and nutritional retention. Additionally, the review discusses the regulatory frameworks, industrial adoption challenges and future research trends associated with these technologies. By highlighting the strengths and limitations of both traditional and emerging approaches, this review aims to inform researchers, industry professionals and policymakers about optimal strategies for producing safe and high quality meat products.

Anxiety disorders are frequent yet under-recognized comorbidities in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, with potential repercussions on oral health behaviours, inflammatory burden, and access to dental care. Regional data from Eastern Europe are scarce. We conducted a mixed cross-sectional and 12-month prospective cohort study in HCV-positive adults (≥18 years) recruited from infectious disease and hepatology clinics in Galați County. Baseline epidemiological profiling included sociodemographic factors, HCV characteristics (viral load, fibrosis stage, DAA treatment status), medical comorbidities, substance use, and oral-health behaviours. Anxiety was assessed using validated instruments (GAD-7 and HADS-A); incident anxiety at 12 months was defined by new-onset scores meeting cut-offs and/or clinician diagnosis. Dental examinations recorded DMFT, periodontal probing depth, clinical attachment loss, bleeding on probing, Community Periodontal Index, xerostomia inventory, and oral health–related quality of life (OHIP-14). Multivariable models (logistic and Cox regression) estimated associations and adjusted for age, sex, education, smoking, alcohol, diabetes, depression, and HCV treatment response. Sensitivity analyses explored effect modification by DAA cure (SVR) and by socioeconomic status. At baseline, anxiety was common and unevenly distributed across demographic and clinical strata. Over follow-up, a measurable incidence of new anxiety cases was observed. Higher anxiety burden correlated with poorer oral health indicators after adjustment for confounders. Treatment with DAAs and improved oral-health behaviours appeared to attenuate these association. In Galați County, HCV-infected adults face a substantial burden of anxiety with a non-trivial incidence over 12 months, and anxiety is independently linked to worse oral health status. Integrating mental-health screening and targeted dental care into HCV pathways may improve both psychosocial and oral outcomes.

Smoking is one of the most avoidable causes of cancer worldwide and has one of the highest associated mortality rates; consequently, there is considerable focus on trying to encourage smoking cessation. Research has explored experiences of appearance-focussed interventions in regular smokers but not social smokers. Ten women who identify as social smokers (aged 20-23) viewed an appearance-focussed smoking intervention, showing them how their faces might age if they continued smoking. Participants were interviewed after viewing the intervention about the intervention and their smoking behaviours more generally. Data was analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis and three themes were developed; 'not identifying as a smoker',; 'health risks are not personally relatable'; and 'appearance risks more a current, tangible concern'. The findings highlight the complex interplay between smoking and identity and the positive potential that appearance-based intervention offer for health promotion efforts directed at social smokers. Directions for future research and implications are discussed.

Pork sausages are an important source of zoonotic hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in humans. However, little is known how HEV is inactivated during industrial treatments of sausages. We aimed to assess the effect of smoking treatments alone and an industrial warm smoking with additional heat treatment. We smoked medium samples containing either HEV or murine norovirus (MNV) under different conditions. We also treated similar medium samples and self-made sausages containing MNV with an industrial warm-smoking process (60°C pre-heating, 65°C drying, 70°C smoking, 76°C heat treatment, 72°C additional heat treatment). Cell culture with virus titration (TCID 50 /ml) was used to assess the results. We observed a significant reduction in MNV infectivity after 10-min high-intensity smoking in dish samples (3 log 10 reduction, p < 0.001) and after 3 h of mild-intensity smoking in tube samples (1 log 10 reduction, p = 0.013). However, due to cytotoxicity HEV samples in these circumstances could not be analysed. By the end of our warm-smoking process, both viruses were completely inactivated. Inactivation of MNV took longer time in the sausage (68 min, > 3.8 log 10 reduction) than in the medium (54 min, > 5.9 log 10 reduction) (p < 0.001). Low titre HEV was inactivated fastest (43 min, > 1.4 log 10 reduction) but proportionally slower than MNV (p < 0.001). Our results suggest that smoking alone can reduce MNV load in the medium and that the warm-smoking process used in this study can both reduce infectious HEV in the medium and inactivate MNV also in the sausage matrix. • High-intensity smoking for 10 min decreased MNV titre in medium in culture dishes. • Mild-intensity smoking for 3 h decreased MNV titres in medium in sample tubes. • MNV titre decreased slower in sausage matrix than in cell culture medium. • No HEV or MNV were detected at the end of industrial warm smoking/heat treatment.

Background: This study examined negative symptom dimensions and their biological correlates in patients with schizophrenia under routine hospital conditions.Objective: To assess whether demographic, clinical, and inflammatory markers, that is, C-reactive protein (CRP), complement component 4 (C4), and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), contribute to variation across negative symptom domains measured using two complementary instruments.Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Clinics I-II of Psychiatry, Cluj-Napoca, Romania (May-September 2023). Forty-five inpatients with schizophrenia were evaluated using the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Fasting CRP and C4 were measured, and NLR was calculated from differential blood counts. Analyses included descriptive statistics, Shapiro-Wilk testing, parametric/nonparametric comparisons, and Pearson/Spearman correlations. Multiple linear regressions included biomarkers as predictors and were adjusted for sex, age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, chlorpromazine-equivalent dose, and clozapine treatment; models were compared using Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) (ΔAIC ≤ 2). Sensitivity analyses excluded clozapine-treated patients and additionally adjusted for PANSS Positive and General Psychopathology totals.Results: BMI correlated negatively with negative symptoms (PANSS negative: ρ = −.43) and positively with CRP (ρ = .67). Stratified analyses revealed a CRP-Avolition association in non-overweight patients (ρ = .49) and stronger neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)-motivational domain correlations in clozapine-treated patients (Asociality/Motivation and Pleasure (MAP): ρ = .59-.66). In covariate-adjusted, AIC-selected models, NLR remained significant for Asociality, PANSS Emotional Withdrawal, and MAP (adjusted R² = .19-.24; partial R² = .10-.16). CRP was retained only for Avolition with limited explained variance (adjusted R² = .03; partial R² = .09). C4 did not enter any final model.Conclusion: In this inpatient cohort, NLR was the most consistent correlate of motivational negative symptoms, while CRP showed a weak association with Avolition, and C4 showed no clear relationship. Findings are hypothesis-generating and require replication in larger, longitudinal samples.

Frailty carries an increased risk of death in rheumatoid arthritis.

Smoking and COVID-19 have similar effects in the body system, i.e. damaging the airways and lung function. In this work, a mathematical model to study smoking and COVID-19 transmission was studied. The model was proven to have feasible region and it is well-posed mathematically and epidemiologically, the model was further proven to have positive solutions. The basic reproduction number was computed using the next generation method and sensitivity analysis was carried out. The results show that the disease-free equilibrium is locally and globally stable, the most sensitive parameter is the contact rate. The simulation shows that, curtailing rate of contact between exposed, infected individuals and susceptible human population will reduce the spread of the diseases, also giving attention to recovery strategies and controls will reduce to minimum the disease transmission. Therefore, it is recommended that stakeholders should give attention in controlling smoking habits, and prevention and treatment of COVID-19 infected individuals.