Nitrosamine and nicotine exposure after switching from filtered to unfiltered cigarette smoking: a cross-over clinical trial.

Background: The cellulose acetate filter is a plastic attachment on nearly all commercial cigarettes sold worldwide. It is the main component of discarded cigarette butts, and the most prevalent waste item collected during urban and beach cleanups. This waste leaches toxic chemicals, including nicotine, metals and tobacco-specific nitrosamines and contributes to environmental microplastic pollution.

A randomised controlled feasibility trial of an early years language development intervention: results of the 'outcomes of Talking Together evaluation and results' (oTTer) project.

Background: Early language difficulties are associated with poor school readiness and can impact lifelong attainment. The quality of the early home language environment is linked to language outcomes. However, few home-based language interventions have sufficient evidence of effectiveness in improving preschool children's language abilities.

The Association between Fat-Free Mass and Exercise Test Outcomes in People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review.

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) tend to have abnormally low levels of fat-free mass (FFM), which includes skeletal muscle mass as a central component. The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesise available evidence on the association between FFM and exercise test outcomes in COPD. MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched.

CyTOF: An Emerging Technology for Single-Cell Proteomics in the Mouse.

The ability to analyze the proteome of single cells is critical for the advancement of studies of steady-state and pathological processes. Mass cytometry, or CyTOF, combines principles of mass spectrometry and flow cytometry to enable single-cell analysis of protein expression. CyTOF can simultaneously assess DNA content and proteins and has the capacity to measure 40 to 100 parameters in each cell.

Relieving exertional dyspnea during the 3-min constant speed shuttle test in patients with COPD with indacaterol/glycopyrronium tiotropium: the RED trial.

Background: Exertional dyspnea is a cardinal feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a major cause of activity limitation. Although dual bronchodilation is more effective than bronchodilator monotherapy at improving resting pulmonary function, it is unclear to which extent this translates into superior relief of exertional dyspnea.

Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled, double-blind, cross-over trial comparing indacaterol 110 µg/glycopyrronium 50 µg once daily (OD) with tiotropium 50 µg OD in patients with moderate to severe COPD and resting hyperinflation (functional residual capacity >120% of predicted value).

How to know what to know: Information challenges for women in the diagnostic phase of breast cancer.

Objective: To explore how women describe efforts to seek, appraise and interpret information during the diagnostic phase of her breast cancer care.

Methods: Qualitative interviews with 35 women with breast cancer across Canada, using audio/video recording. Thematic analysis was used to identify topics important to participants (original results published: www.

33rd international mammalian genome conference: meeting highlights.

Scientists from 12 countries met at the International Mammalian Genome Conference (IMGC) to share advances in mammalian genetics and genomics research. The event was held in Strasbourg, France and represents the city's second time hosting the IMGC. A diverse attendance of pre-doctoral and post-doctoral trainees, young investigators, established researchers, clinicians, bioinformaticians, and computational biologists enjoyed a rich scientific program of 63 oral presentations, 65 posters, and 5 workshops in the fields of epigenetics, system genetics, developmental biology, cancer, human disease modeling, technical advances, and bioinformatics.

Physiological and perceptual responses to exercise according to locus of symptom limitation in COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disease, with pulmonary and extra-pulmonary factors contributing to exercise intolerance. The primary self-reported exercise-limiting symptom may reflect the primary pathophysiological factor contributing to exercise intolerance. We compared physiological and perceptual responses at the symptom-limited peak of incremental cardiopulmonary cycle exercise testing between people with COPD reporting breathlessness (B, n = 34), leg discomfort (LD, n = 16), or a combination of B and LD (BOTH, n = 42) as their main exercise-limiting symptom(s).

Effects of Pelleting, Irradiation, and Autoclaving of Rodent Feed on MPV and MNV Infectivity.

Murine norovirus (MNV) and mouse parvovirus (MPV) are among the most common adventitial viruses seen in laboratory mice, and infections arise in barrier facilities despite rigorous biosecurity programs. Some authors have implicated nonsterilized feed as a source of MPV in rodent facilities, but none have conclusively documented viral particles in the feed. In this study, we hypothesized that both viruses can resist the pelleting process but not subsequent irradiation or autoclaving, thus revealing a potential source of outbreaks in rodent facilities.

Standardized measurement of breathlessness during exercise.

Purpose Of Review: Exertional breathlessness is common and pervasive across various chronic disease populations. To accurately assess response to intervention and optimize clinical (symptom) management, detailed assessment of exertional breathlessness is imperative. This review provides an update on current approaches to assess exertional breathlessness and presents the need for individualized assessment of breathlessness standardized for the level of exertion.

Off to a Bad Start: Cancer Initiation by Pluripotency Regulator PRDM14.

Despite advances in chemotherapies that improve cancer survival, most patients who relapse succumb to the disease due to the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are highly chemoresistant. The pluripotency factor PR domain 14 (PRDM14) has a key role in initiating many types of cancer. Normally, PRDM14 uses epigenetic mechanisms to establish and maintain the pluripotency of embryonic cells, and its role in cancer is similar.

The Pluripotency Regulator PRDM14 Requires Hematopoietic Regulator CBFA2T3 to Initiate Leukemia in Mice.

PR domain-containing 14 () is a pluripotency regulator central to embryonic stem cell identity and primordial germ cell specification. Genomic regions containing are often amplified leading to misexpression in human cancer. expression in mouse hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) leads to progenitor cell expansion prior to the development of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), consistent with PRDM14's role in cancer initiation.

Meeting report: 32nd international mammalian genome conference.

Over 150 scientists from more than 50 research institutions and eight countries attended the 32nd annual meeting of the International Mammalian Genome Society (IMGS) held in Rio Mar, Puerto Rico. Attendees included predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees, junior investigators, clinicians, industry professionals, and established leaders in mammalian genetics and genomics. From November 11-14, major scientific advances in the fields of systems genetics, developmental biology, cancer, human disease modeling, and bioinformatics were showcased in a series of 66 poster and 54 platform presentations.

Enhancing Social-Emotional Health and Wellbeing in the Early Years (E-SEE): a study protocol of a community-based randomised controlled trial with process and economic evaluations of the incredible years infant and toddler parenting programmes, delivered in a proportionate universal model.

Introduction: Behavioural and mental disorders have become a public health crisis and by 2020 may surpass physical illness as a major cause of disability. Early prevention is key. Two Incredible Years (IY) parent programmes that aim to enhance child well-being and development, IY Infant and IY Toddler, will be delivered and evaluated in a proportionate universal intervention model called Enhancing Social-Emotional Health and Wellbeing in the Early Years (E-SEE) Steps.

Trends in seasonal influenza vaccine uptake during pregnancy in Western Australia: Implications for midwives.

Background: Antenatal influenza vaccination is an important public health intervention for preventing serious illness in mothers and newborns, yet uptake remains low.

Aim: To evaluate trends in seasonal influenza vaccine coverage and identify determinants for vaccination among pregnant women in Western Australia.

Methods: We conducted an annual telephone survey in a random sample of post-partum women who delivered a baby in Western Australia between 2012 and 2014.

PRDM14 promotes RAG-dependent Notch1 driver mutations in mouse T-ALL.

PRDM14 is an epigenetic regulator known for maintaining embryonic stem cell identity and resetting potency in primordial germ cells. However, hematopoietic expression of Prdm14 at supraphysiological levels results in fully penetrant and rapid-onset T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) in the mouse. Here, we show that PRDM14-induced T-ALLs are driven by NOTCH1, a frequently mutated driver of human T-ALL.

A prospective cohort study assessing the reactogenicity of pertussis and influenza vaccines administered during pregnancy.

Background: Pertussis vaccination during pregnancy can prevent 91% of infant infections. In 2015, antenatal pertussis vaccination programs were introduced across Australia.

Methods: To monitor the safety of this program, pregnant women who received trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) and/or diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis vaccine (dTpa) were surveyed by text message seven days post-vaccination about possible adverse events following immunization (AEFI).

Surveillance of antenatal influenza vaccination: validity of current systems and recommendations for improvement.

Background: Although influenza vaccination is recommended during pregnancy as standard of care, limited surveillance data are available for monitoring uptake. Our aim was to evaluate the validity of existing surveillance in Western Australia for measuring antenatal influenza immunisations.

Methods: The self-reported vaccination status of 563 women who delivered between April and October 2013 was compared against three passive data collection sources: a state-wide antenatal influenza vaccination database maintained by the Department of Health, a public maternity hospital database, and a private health service database.

From the hospital to the home--the rise and rise of Clostridium difficile infection.

Background: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has emerged as a serious worldwide public health threat. Although C. difficile has always been a cause of diarrhoeal disease in patients presenting to general practice, the rates of community-associated CDI (CA CDI) have increased.

Post-marketing surveillance of adverse events following immunization with inactivated quadrivalent and trivalent influenza vaccine in health care providers in Western Australia.

In 2015, inactivated quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV) was first introduced into the Australian market. A routine vaccine safety surveillance system in Western Australia was used to conduct post-licensure surveillance of adverse events following immunization with inactivated QIV and trivalent influenza vaccines (TIV) in a sample of 1685 healthcare providers (HCPs). A similar percentage of HCPs who received QIV reported having any reaction seven days post-vaccination as HCPs who received TIV (13.

The impact of parental postpartum pertussis vaccination on infection in infants: A population-based study of cocooning in Western Australia.

During a pertussis epidemic in 2011-2012 the Western Australian (WA) Department of Health implemented a 'cocooning' programme, offering free pertussis-containing vaccine (dTpa) to new parents. We assessed the impact of vaccinating parents with dTpa on the incidence of pertussis infection in newborns. Births in WA during 2011-2012 were linked to a register of parental pertussis vaccinations and to notified reports of laboratory-proven pertussis in children <6 months of age.

Comparison of text-messaging to voice telephone interviews for active surveillance of adverse events following immunisation.

Objectives: In 2013, the Follow-up and Active Surveillance of Trivalent Influenza Vaccine in Mums (FASTMum) program began using short message service (SMS) to collect adverse event information in pregnant women who recently received trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV). This study was designed to compare data collected via SMS and telephone for the purposes of monitoring vaccine safety.

Methods: A number of 344 women who received TIV were randomly assigned to a telephone interview group.

A prospective cohort study comparing the reactogenicity of trivalent influenza vaccine in pregnant and non-pregnant women.

Background: Influenza vaccination during pregnancy can prevent serious illness in expectant mothers and provide protection to newborns; however, historically uptake has been limited due to a number of factors, including safety concerns. Symptomatic complaints are common during pregnancy and may be mistakenly associated with reactions to trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV). To investigate this, we compared post-vaccination events self-reported by pregnant women to events reported by non-pregnant women receiving TIV.

Emergence and spread of predominantly community-onset Clostridium difficile PCR ribotype 244 infection in Australia, 2010 to 2012.

We describe an Australia-wide Clostridium difficile outbreak in 2011 and 2012 involving the previously uncommon ribotype 244. In Western Australia, 14 of 25 cases were community-associated, 11 were detected in patients younger than 65 years, 14 presented to emergency/outpatient departments, and 14 to non-tertiary/community hospitals. Using whole genome sequencing, we confirm ribotype 244 is from the same C.