OBJECTIVE To determine the extent of secondhand smoke exposure in China, and to explore the potential associated factors. METHODS This study was a nationally representative household survey examining secondhand smoke exposure of non-institutionalized men and women aged 15 and older using a global standardized geographically clustered sample design. A total of 13,354 people completed the indiv...

Alcohol use disorders are associated with increased lung infections and exacerbations of chronic lung diseases. Whereas the effects of cigarette smoke are well recognized, the interplay of smoke and alcohol in modulating lung diseases is not clear. Because innate lung defense is mechanically maintained by airway cilia action and protein kinase C (PKC)-activating agents slow ciliary beat frequen...

The mechanism(s) through which smoking influences the progression of atherosclerosis is poorly understood. Recent evidence suggests that oxidants present in the gas phase of cigarette smoke are involved. We exposed human plasma to the filtered gas phase of cigarette smoke to assess its effects on plasma components involved in the antiatherogenic reverse cholesterol transport pathway. In our mod...

This paper presents the initial results of a project initiated by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and AirConditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the National Research Council of Canada to investigate smoke movement resulting from a sprinklered fire in a communicating space into an adjacent large open area such as an atrium or retail mall. Recent research on the interaction of sprinkl...

Abstract Smoke-derived seed germination is an important trait for plants to colonize postfire habitats. The well-characterized smoke-derived chemicals of karrikins germinate seeds species not known occur after fires in nature. Hence, the ecologically relevant cues smoke remain be explored native plants. With fire-chaser, Nicotiana attenuata , we revisit a bioassay-driven fractionation liquid id...

Smoking cessation programmes in Cambodia have found that Buddhist monks are highly motivated to quit smoking. Although over 23.4% of all Buddhist monks smoke, the self reported quit rates average 87%. The Adventist Development Relief Agency’s (ADRA) ‘‘Khmer Quit Now’’ programme has achieved this success through a five day smoking cessation class. ADRA has found that Buddhist monk peer support g...

BACKGROUND An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants was conducted in Ada'a District, Eastern Shewa Zone of Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia. The objective of the study was to identify and document medicinal plants and the associated ethnobotanical/ethnomedicinal knowledge of the local people. METHODS Relevant ethnobotanical data focused on medicinal plants and traditional herbal medicines...

BACKGROUND This paper is based on an ethnobotanical investigation that focused on the traditional medicinal plants used by local Maonan people to treat human diseases in Maonan concentration regions. The Maonan people have relied on traditional medicine since ancient times, especially medicinal plants. The aim of this study is to document medicinal plants used by the Maonans and to report the s...

Cigarette smoke is known to cause acute increases in airway resistance, but the mechanisms behind this effect are unknown. Lung explants were utilized to examine the constrictive effects of acute cigarette smoke exposure on bronchioles from rats in vitro that had or had not been previously exposed to cigarette smoke in vivo. It was found that smoke induced a small but consistent degree of contr...