Smoke toxicity

Burn pits are a method of open-air waste management that was common during military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other regions in Southwest Asia. Veterans returning from deployment have reported respiratory symptoms, potentially from exposure to burn pit smoke, yet comprehensive assessment of such exposure on pulmonary health is lacking. We have previously shown that exposure to condensates from burn pit smoke emissions causes inflammation and cytotoxicity in mice. In this study, we explored the effects of burn pit smoke condensates on human airway epithelial cells (HAECs) to understand their impact on cellular targets in the human lung...

INTRODUCTION: Human papillomavirus Virus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has increased in incidence in recent decades and represents a heterogeneous disease entity in the context of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC), in terms of disease prognosis. Treatment of locoregionally advanced OSCC is mainly based on concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Given the younger age of patients, if compared with HPV-negative counterparts, and the high cure rates, the acute- and long-term toxicity in survivors represents a field of interest...

Bupropion is an atypical antidepressant prescribed for depression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and to aid in smoking cessation. Bupropion overdose management is largely aimed toward common sequelae, including seizures, tachycardia, and QTc prolongation. In this case report, we identify a rare event of pediatric bupropion overdose with aforementioned common sequela and atypical features, including a delayed presentation of serotonin syndrome and non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema. This case follows a seven-year-old Caucasian female with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who presented in status epilepticus following an accidental bupropion overdose and required multiple anti-seizure medications, endotracheal intubation, and admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU)...

BACKGROUND: Young adults 18-24 years old have the highest prevalence of cigarillo use, exposing young adults to comparable or higher nicotine levels and many of the same toxicants as combustible cigarettes. Identifying individual and product characteristics that increase the potential for persistent use is warranted. We sought to examine the interacting effects of depression symptoms and sweet flavoring on the rewarding and reinforcing value of cigarillo use. METHODS: 86 young adults (18-24 years old, 73...

Inhaled air pollutants (AirP) comprise extraordinarily diverse particles, volatiles, and gases from traffic, wildfire, cigarette smoke, dust, and various other sources. These pollutants contain numerous toxic components which collectively differ in relative levels of components, but broadly share chemical classes. Exposure and health outcomes from AirP are complex, depending on pollutant source, duration of exposure, and socioeconomic status. We discuss examples in the current literature on organ responses to AirP, with a focus on lung, arteries, and brain...

The wide application of flexible polyurethane foam (FPUF) poses a giant challenge to human society in terms of fire prevention and environmental pollution. To solve this problem, the lignocellulose-based P-N flame retardant (LFPN) has been developed using mechanochemical methods. It was found that FPUF treated using LFPN exhibited good flame retardancy, but suffered from high smoke generation and toxicity. The hollow dodecahedral ZIF-67 has been used for smoke suppression catalysis, but the agglomeration phenomenon makes it inefficient...

BACKGROUND: The effects of prenatal element exposure on mothers and fetuses have generated concern. Profiles of trace and toxic elements in biological material are urgently desired, especially for women who reside near e-waste recycling facilities. The aim of this study was to investigate elements concentrations in placenta, cord blood, and maternal blood of women and to evaluate the influencing factors. METHODS: A group of 48 women from an e-waste recycling site and a group of 31 women from a non-e-waste recycling site were recruited...

BACKGROUND: Exposure to toxins during pregnancy is the main modifiable behavior that affects the placenta and, consequently, the fetus. In particular, smoking is a recognized risk factor for negative outcomes. Our study pretended to examine gross and microscopic placental features in women who reported exposure to tobacco, alcohol, or other psychoactive substances. METHODS: In this observational case-control study, we collected 706 placentas to assess precise substance exposure histological-interaction features of in the placenta...

INTRODUCTION: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is an acute infectious disease comprising five stages: fever, hypotension, oliguria, diuresis (polyuria), and convalescence. Increased vascular permeability, coagulopathy, and renal injury are typical clinical features of HFRS, which has a case fatality rate of 1-15%. Despite this, a comprehensive meta-analyses of the clinical characteristics of patients who died from HFRS is lacking. METHODS: Eleven Chinese- and English-language research databases were searched, including the China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Wanfang Database, SinoMed, VIP Database, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Proquest, and Ovid, up to October 5, 2023...

BACKGROUND: Increasingly, people smoke cigarettes outdoors and avoid exposing bystanders to harm. People may not have the same motivation to vape outdoors since e-cigarettes, unlike cigarettes, do not create side stream emissions and exhaled aerosol contains fewer toxicants than secondhand smoke. This study aims to estimate the prevalence and correlates of vaping and smoking indoors among adults in England. METHODS: Data came from the Health Survey for England 2019, a cross-sectional household survey...

BACKGROUND: The antiviral drug Nirmatrelvir was found to be a key drug in controlling the progression of pneumonia during the infectious phase of COVID-19. However, there are very few options for effective treatment for cancer patients who have viral pneumonia. Glucocorticoids is one of the effective means to control pneumonia, but there are many adverse events. EGCG is a natural low toxic compound with anti-inflammatory function. Thus, this study was designed to investigate the safety and efficacy of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) aerosol to control COVID-19 pneumonia in cancer populations...

BACKGROUND: The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors has led to an increase in randomized controlled trials exploring various first-line combination treatment regimens. With the introduction of new PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, there are now more clinical options available. For the first time, the AK105 monoclonal antibody Penpulimab, developed in China, was included. The AK105-302 Phase III trial studied the efficacy and safety of Penpulimab combined with chemotherapy in patients with advanced or metastatic squamous NSCLC...

Heated tobacco products (HTPs) are non-combustible, inhaled tobacco products that generate an aerosol with fewer and lower levels of toxicants, with a potential to reduce risk relative to cigarette smoking. Here, we assessed in vitro toxicological effects of three menthol (glo neo neoCLICK, neo Smooth Menthol and Fresh Menthol) and one non-menthol (neo Smooth Tobacco) variants of glo HTP, along with market comparators for cigarettes and HTPs. Limited chemical characterization of the study products revealed significantly lower levels of acetaldehyde, acrolein, crotanaldehyde and formaldehyde in test samples from HTPs than those from cigarettes...

This study investigates the toxic effect of harmful materials, unfiltered by the placenta, on neonatal umbilical cord (UC) vessels, focusing on stress-induced adaptations in transcriptional and translational processes. It aims to analyze changes in pathways related to mRNA condensate formation, transcriptional regulation, and DNA damage response under maternal smoking-induced stress. UC vessels from neonates born to smoking (Sm) and nonsmoking mothers (Ctr) were examined. Immunofluorescence staining and confocal microscopy assessed the localization of key markers, including Transcription Complex Subunit 1 (CNOT1) and the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II enzyme (RPB1)...

Lithium-ion batteries have found extensive applications due to their high energy density and low self-discharge rates, spanning from compact consumer electronics to large-scale energy storage facilities. Despite their widespread use, challenges such as inherent capacity degradation and the potential for thermal runaway hinder sustainable development. In this study, we introduce a unique approach to synthesize anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, specifically imidazole-intercalated cobalt hydroxide. This innovative material significantly enhances the Li+ desolvation/diffusion reaction and flame-retardant dynamics through complexing and catalytic synergetic effects...

INTRODUCTION: Many smokers who use e-cigarettes (ECs) to quit continue smoking alongside vaping. The impact on health among individuals who simultaneously smoke conventional cigarettes (CCs) and use ECs remains unclear. The varying patterns of dual use present differing levels of overall toxin exposure and relative risks concerning smoking-related diseases. Understanding these complexities is vital to assessing the implications for human health. OBJECTIVE: Herein we describe a protocol designed to analyze the impact of different level of substituting CCs with ECs on exposure to toxicants...

BACKGROUND: Smoking unregulated drugs has increased substantially in British Columbia. Intersecting with the ongoing overdose crisis, drug smoking-related overdose fatalities have correspondingly surged. However, little is known about the experiences of overdose among people who smoke drugs accessing the toxic drug supply. This study explores perceptions and experiences of overdose among people who smoke drugs. METHODS: We conducted interviews with 31 people who smoke drugs...

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the Esteban study was to describe levels of various biomarkers of exposure to several environmental pollutants, including metals and metalloids, among the French population. This paper describes the distribution of concentrations of 28 metals and metalloids in two different populations, and estimates the main determinants of exposure to total arsenic, the sum of inorganic arsenic (iAs) and its two metabolites monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury and nickel...

Cadmium (Cd) is a ubiquitous toxic heavy metal and a potential neurotoxicant due to its wide use in industrial manufacturing processes and commercial products, including fertilizers. The general population is exposed to Cd through food and smoking due to high transfer rates of Cd from contaminated soil. Cd has been shown to mimic calcium ions (Ca2+) and interfere with intracellular Ca2+ levels and Ca2+ signaling in in vitro studies. However, nothing is known about Cd's effects on Ca2+ activity in neurons in live animals...

Beedi is the most common smoking form of tobacco used in India. The rolling of beedis is performed primarily by women in settings that lack occupational safeguards. The aims of this protocol are to establish methods for the study of occupational exposures among women beedi workers and their experiences and challenges working with unburnt tobacco. This protocol employs a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach. Qualitatively, we plan to explore the experiences and challenges faced by women beedi workers using photovoice, a community based participatory method...