The effectiveness of Allen Carr's method for smoking cessation: A systematic review.

Introduction: Allen Carr's (AC) method is a pharmacotherapy-free approach to quit smoking that is delivered through seminars, online courses, or in the form of a book. It has gained popularity, but its effectiveness remains controversial due to a lack of scientific evidence. This systematic review aims to provide an updated overview of the current evidence on the effectiveness of the AC method.

Particle Exposure Hazards of Visiting Outdoor Smoking Areas for Patients with Asthma or COPD Even in EU Countries with Comprehensive Smokefree Laws.

Smokefree laws are intended to protect against second-hand smoke (SHS) in outdoor areas. We examined if exposure to PM2.5 particles in outdoor smoking areas changed breathing rates in 60 patients with asthma ( = 30) or with COPD ( = 30), in an open, non-randomised, interventional study model in Czechia, Ireland and Spain.

Smoking cessation Through Optimization of clinical care in Pregnancy: the STOP pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

Background: Smoking cessation improves pregnancy outcomes, yet there is uncertainty around the efficacy of models of antenatal intervention for smoking cessation in pregnancy.

Objective: This study aimed to test the Smoking cessation Through Optimization of clinical care in Pregnancy (STOP) clinic as an antenatal care pathway for smoking cessation in pregnancy. The STOP intervention is a smoking cessation clinic staffed by a dedicated multidisciplinary team of obstetricians, midwives, and smoking cessation practitioners, who provide motivational and psychological support and intensive clinical monitoring of pregnancy.

Secondhand smoke exposure assessment in outdoor hospitality venues across 11 European countries.

Objective: Due to partial or poorly enforced restrictions secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) is still present in outdoor hospitality venues in many European countries. This study aimed to assess SHS concentrations in outdoor hospitality venues across Europe and identify contextual exposure determinants.

Methods: Cross-sectional study.

Particulate matter in aerosols produced by two last generation electronic cigarettes: a comparison in a real-world environment.

The design of e-cigarettes (e-cigs) is constantly evolving and the latest models can aerosolize using high-power sub-ohm resistance and hence may produce specific particle concentrations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the aerosol characteristics generated by two different types of electronic cigarette in real-world conditions, such as a sitting room or a small office, in number of particles (particles/cm). We compared the real time and time-integrated measurements of the aerosol generated by the e-cigarette types Just Fog and JUUL.

Prevalence of illicit tobacco use and tobacco tax avoidance in pregnancy.

Background: Smoking during pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Tobacco tax avoidance and tax evasion undermine the effectiveness of tobacco tax policies, resulting in cheaper prices for smokers and increased tobacco usage.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to explore the purchasing habits of pregnant smokers with regard to tobacco expenditure and use of illicit tobacco.

Secondhand smoke exposure in outdoor children's playgrounds in 11 European countries.

Introduction: Tobacco presence in outdoor children's playgrounds is concerning not only because it leads to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, but also cigarette butt pollution and tobacco normalization.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess SHS exposure in children's playgrounds, according to area-level socioeconomic status (SES), smoke-free regulations, national smoking prevalence, and SHS exposure prevalence in playgrounds (2017-2018).

Methods: We monitored vapor-phase nicotine concentration and tobacco-related variables in 20 different playgrounds in 11 European countries (n = 220 measurements) from March 2017 to April 2018.

Does smoke-free legislation work for teens too? A logistic regression analysis of smoking prevalence and gender among 16 years old in Ireland, using the 1995-2015 ESPAD school surveys.

Objectives: To assess the role of tobacco control legislation (TCL) in youth smoking in Ireland. To examine the effects of smoke-free legislation in youth. To consider whether TCL contributed to the gender equalisation in prevalence in 16 years old seen between 2003 and 2015.

Secondhand smoke exposure and other signs of tobacco consumption at outdoor entrances of primary schools in 11 European countries.

Introduction: Although smoking restrictions at child-related settings are progressively being adopted, school outdoor entrances are neglected in most smoke-free policies across Europe.

Objectives: To describe secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and tobacco-related signs in outdoor entrances of primary schools in Europe according to area-level socioeconomic status (SES), smoke-free policy, national smoking prevalence, and geographical region.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study we monitored vapor-phase nicotine concentrations at 220 school outdoor entrances in 11 European countries (March 2017-October 2018).

Lung function changes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma exposed to secondhand smoke in outdoor areas.

Background: Further evidence is needed on the effects that short- and long-term exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) have on the respiratory health of patients with lung disease. Within the TackSHS project we aimed to assess the acute respiratory effects in lung function that result from short-term SHS exposure among patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: The study design was an intervention trial with measurements before/after exposure to SHS in legal outdoor smoking areas.

Who Smokes in Europe? Data From 12 European Countries in the TackSHS Survey (2017-2018).

Background: Population data on tobacco use and its determinants require continuous monitoring and careful inter-country comparison. We aimed to provide the most up-to-date estimates on tobacco smoking from a large cross-sectional survey, conducted in selected European countries.

Methods: Within the TackSHS Project, a face-to-face survey on smoking was conducted in 2017-2018 in 12 countries: Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain, representing around 80% of the 432 million European Union (EU) adult population.

Smoking cessation Through Optimisation of clinical care in Pregnancy: the STOP randomised controlled trial.

Background: Cigarette smoking negatively impacts on maternal and fetal health. Smoking cessation is one of the few interventions capable of improving pregnancy outcomes. Despite the risks, the most effective antenatal model of care for smokers is still unclear, and specific recommendations for screening for fetal growth restriction are absent.

Smoking cessation support and obstetric outcomes in an Irish maternity hospital.

Objective: Maternal cigarette smoking is a recognised risk factor for maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality and remains a significant problem in the Irish maternity system. Approximately 11% of Irish women will continue to smoke in pregnancy, despite awareness of the negative impact on their pregnancy. Although recommendations exist for the management of pregnant smokers, information on the antenatal care of Irish smokers in pregnancy has not been described.

Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking - A randomised clinical trial.

Objective: To determine if Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking (AC) was superior to Quit.ie in a randomised clinical trial (RCT).

Setting: Single centre, open RCT, general population based.

Decline of adolescent smoking in Ireland 1995-2015: trend analysis and associated factors.

Objectives: The study examines trends in smoking among Irish adolescents aged 15-16 years between 1995 and 2015 and the factors associated with their smoking behaviours between 2007 and 2015.

Methods: Data were obtained from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs Ireland between 1995 and 2015. To examine the gender gap, two-sample proportion tests were used.

Critical Review: Immunomodulation by Seminal Factors and Implications for Male-to-Female HIV-1 Transmission.

The role of semen in heterosexual transmission of the HIV-1 has been marginally viewed as an inert vehicle for the delivery of virus. However, studies from the field of reproductive biology have made it clear that seminal fluid is a complex and dynamic medium containing high concentrations of factors that play key roles in modulating the local immune response in the female reproductive tract during fertilization and embryogenesis. It is therefore strongly implied that the same seminal factors responsible for guiding the immune response in reproduction also play a role in male-to-female transmission of HIV-1.

Second-hand smoke exposure levels and tobacco consumption patterns among a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Ireland.

Objectives: To estimate and identify characteristics of tobacco use, including use of roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes and second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure, among a self-identified lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Ireland.

Study Design: Web-based self-administered questionnaire survey using a cross-sectional study design.

Methods: A convenience sample of 661 self-identified LGBT respondents was recruited through a well-advertised web-based survey tool method between March and May 2012.

Smoking ban and small-for-gestational age births in Ireland.

Background: Ireland introduced a comprehensive workplace smoke-free legislation in March, 2004. Smoking-related adverse birth outcomes have both health care and societal cost implications. The main aim of this study was to determine the impact of the Irish smoke-free legislation on small-for-gestationa- age (SGA) births.

Infection by CXCR4-Tropic Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Is Inhibited by the Cationic Cell-Penetrating Peptide Derived from HIV-1 Tat.

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPP), which are short peptides that are capable of crossing the plasma membrane of a living cell, are under development as delivery vehicles for therapeutic agents that cannot themselves enter the cell. One well-studied CPP is the 10-amino acid peptide derived from the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Tat protein. In experiments to test the hypothesis that multiple cationic amino acids within Tat peptide confer antiviral activity against HIV-1, introduction of Tat peptide resulted in concentration-dependent inhibition of HIV-1 IIIB infection.

Persistent interactions between biguanide-based compound NB325 and CXCR4 result in prolonged inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection.

We previously demonstrated that the biguanide-based compound NB325 inhibits human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection by interacting with the CXCR4 viral coreceptor. This interaction also appeared to be persistent, since HIV-1 infection was inhibited even when the virus was introduced subsequent to the removal of NB325 from the cell culture medium. The present studies were conducted to determine the extent and mechanism of this prolonged antiviral activity.

Smoking profile among the gay and lesbian community in Ireland.

Objective: We hypothesized that smoking rates among the Gay and Lesbian Community (GLC) in Ireland are not significantly different from the general Irish population.

Methods: A convenience sampling of self-identified GLC was recruited using electronic (n = 700) and print (n = 500) media procedures in response to survey call advertisements (December 2006-March 2007). In all, 1,113 had complete smoking data and were analyzed.

An evaluation of the range and availability of intensive smoking cessation services in Ireland.

Background: A review of smoking cessation (SC) services in Ireland is a necessary step in improving service planning and provision.

Aims: To assess the range and availability of intensive SC services in Ireland in 2006.

Methods: A survey of SC service providers in Ireland was conducted.

An evaluation of the range and availability of intensive smoking-cessation services in Ireland.

Background: A review of smoking cessation (SC) services in Ireland is a necessary step in improving service planning and provision.

Aims: To assess the range and availability of intensive SC services in Ireland in 2006.

Methods: A survey of SC service providers in Ireland was conducted.

Second-hand smoke exposure in cars and respiratory health effects in children.

We examined potential associations of ever asthma, and symptoms of wheeze (past 12 months), hay fever, eczema and bronchitis (cough with phlegm) among school children exposed to second-hand smoke (SHS) in cars, using a modified Irish International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) protocol. 2,809 children of 13-14 yrs old and who selected randomly from post-primary schools throughout Ireland completed the 2007 ISAAC self-administered questionnaire. Adjusted OR (adjusted for sex, active smoking status of children interviewed and their SHS exposure at home) were estimated for the associations studied, using multivariable logistic regression techniques.