Protecting historically marginalized groups or targeted marketing? A computational analysis of individuals engaging with public and protected cigar-branded tweets.

Introduction: Swisher Sweets, a leading brand of little cigars and cigarillos in the United States, switched its Twitter account to protected status, limiting access to its tweets. This study examines how the protected status of Swisher Sweets tweets influences post engagement, aiming to inform regulatory strategies for branded tobacco promotions on social media.

Method: Using natural language processing, we predicted the demographics of individuals replying to Swisher Sweets' public and protected tweets.

The Dlk1-Dio3 noncoding RNA cluster coordinately regulates mitochondrial respiration and chromatin structure to establish proper cell state for muscle differentiation.

The coordinate regulation of metabolism and epigenetics to establish cell state-specific gene expression patterns during lineage progression is a central aspect of cell differentiation, but the factors that regulate this elaborate interplay are not well-defined. The imprinted Dlk1-Dio3 noncoding RNA (ncRNA) cluster has been associated with metabolism in various progenitor cells, suggesting it functions as a regulator of metabolism and cell state. Here, we directly demonstrate that the Dlk1-Dio3 ncRNA cluster coordinates mitochondrial respiration and chromatin structure to maintain proper cell state.

Effects of Message Frames and Sources in TikTok Videos for Youth Vaping Cessation: Emotions and Perceived Message Effectiveness as Mediating Mechanisms.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of message frames (gain vs. loss) and sources (formal expert: a health-care professional vs. informal expert: an individual who successfully quit vaping) on the persuasiveness of TikTok videos among youth who currently use e-cigarettes.

Beyond MitoCarta-expanding the list of candidate proteins involved in mitochondrial functions using a biological network approach.

Mitochondrial diseases are the result of pathogenic variants in genes involved in the diverse functions of the mitochondrion. A comprehensive list of mitochondrial genes is needed to improve gene prioritization in the diagnosis of mitochondrial diseases and development of therapeutics that modulate mitochondrial function. MitoCarta is an experimentally derived catalog of proteins localized to mitochondria.

Quitting on TikTok: Effects of Message Themes, Frames, and Sources on Engagement with Vaping Cessation Videos.

This study examined how message themes, frames, and sources in vaping cessation videos on TikTok influenced positive (i.e. likes, shares, positive comments regarding quitting vaping) and negative video engagement (i.

Health Messaging Strategies for Vaping Prevention and Cessation Among Youth and Young Adults: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review evaluates health messaging strategies for the prevention and cessation of e-cigarette use among youth and young adults. Health messaging strategies were defined as the strategic process of developing messages with the intent to shape, reinforce, or change recipients' health attitudes and behaviors. McGuire's Communication/Persuasion Model guided the analysis of the messaging strategies, focusing on the model's five communication inputs (i.

Social media use, brand engagement, and tobacco product initiation among youth: Evidence from a prospective cohort study.

Objective: To evaluate whether frequent social media use and liking/following tobacco brand accounts was associated with increased risk of tobacco and polytobacco initiation over approximately 1-year follow-up among youth with no prior tobacco use.

Methods: Associations between measures of social media engagement (daily social media use and liking/following tobacco brands) and tobacco initiation risk were examined using data from Waves 2 and 3 (2014-2015) of the US Population Assessment for Tobacco and Health study. Separate log-binomial models, accounting for missing data via multiple imputation and using propensity score adjustment to address confounding, estimated the adjusted relative risk (aRR) of any tobacco initiation and poly-use (2 + products) initiation at 1-year follow-up.

Patterns of use, perceptions, and cardiopulmonary health risks of cigar products: a systematic review.

Objective: A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the use patterns, health perceptions, and cardiopulmonary health effects of cigars.

Data Sources: PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for peer-reviewed articles published between June 2014 and February 2021. Search keywords included cigars, cigarillos, little cigars, and cardiopulmonary health outcomes.

Teamwork makes the dream work: functional collaborations between families, scientists, and healthcare providers to drive progress in the treatment of Leigh Syndrome.

Background: Leigh syndrome, an inherited neurometabolic disorder, is estimated to be the most common pediatric manifestation of mitochondrial disease. No treatments are currently available for Leigh syndrome due to many hurdles in drug discovery efforts. Leigh syndrome causal variants span over 110 different genes and likely lead to both unique and shared biochemical alterations, often resulting in overlapping phenotypic features.

Cardiopulmonary Impact of Electronic Cigarettes and Vaping Products: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Vaping and electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use have grown exponentially in the past decade, particularly among youth and young adults. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for both cardiovascular and pulmonary disease. Because of their more limited ingredients and the absence of combustion, e-cigarettes and vaping products are often touted as safer alternative and potential tobacco-cessation products.

A Longitudinal Study of Perceptions of the Massachusetts Menthol Ban and Its Impact on Smoking Behaviors among Marginalized Individuals.

Menthol cigarettes have had a profound adverse effect on public health. On 1 June 2020, Massachusetts became the first state to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes. We explored how perceptions of the ban and smoking behaviors changed over time among a group of 27 individuals who smoked menthol cigarettes at our safety-net hospital.

The Mighty NUMT: Mitochondrial DNA Flexing Its Code in the Nuclear Genome.

Nuclear-mitochondrial DNA segments (NUMTs) are mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) fragments that have been inserted into the nuclear genome. Some NUMTs are common within the human population but most NUMTs are rare and specific to individuals. NUMTs range in size from 24 base pairs to encompassing nearly the entire mtDNA and are found throughout the nuclear genome.

Pod-based e-liquids impair human vascular endothelial cell function.

Pod-based electronic (e-) cigarettes more efficiently deliver nicotine using a protonated formulation. The cardiovascular effects associated with these devices are poorly understood. We evaluated whether pod-based e-liquids and their individual components impair endothelial cell function.

The Impact of Influencers on Cigar Promotions: A Content Analysis of Large Cigar and Swisher Sweets Videos on TikTok.

Little is known about the content, promotions, and individuals in cigar-related videos on TikTok. TikTok videos with large cigar and Swisher Sweets-related hashtags between July 2016 and September 2020 were analyzed. Follower count was used to identify influencers.