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BackgroundTobacco use is the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality. Existing evidence-based treatments are underutilized and have seen little recent innovation. The success of personal biofeedback interventions in other disease states portends a similar opportunity in smoking cessation. The Pivot Breath Sensor is a personal interactive FDA-cleared (over-the-counter) device that measures carbon monoxide (CO) in exhaled breath, enabling users to link their smoking behavior and CO values, and track their progress in reducing or quitting smoking. ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to assess the Pivot Breath Sensor in people who smoke cigarettes, evaluating changes in attitudes toward quitting smoking, changes in smoking behavior, and use experience. MethodsUS adults (18-80 years of age, ≥10 cigarettes per day [CPD]) were recruited online for this remote 12-week study. Participants completed a screening call, informed consent, and baseline questionnaire, and then were mailed their sensor. Participants were asked to submit 4 or more breath samples per day and complete questionnaires at 1-4, 8, and 12 weeks. Outcomes included attitudes toward quitting smoking (Stage of Change, success to quit, and perceived difficulty of quitting), smoking behavior (quit attempts, CPD reduction, and 7-, 30-day point prevalence abstinence [PPA]), and use experience (impact and learning). ResultsParticipants comprised 234 smokers, mean age 39.9 (SD 11.3) years, 52.6% (123/234) female, mean CPD 20.3 (SD 8.0). The 4- and 12-week questionnaires were completed by 92.3% (216/234) and 91.9% (215/234) of participants, respectively. Concerning attitude outcomes, at baseline, 15.4% (36/234) were seriously thinking of quitting in the next 30 days, increasing to 38.9% (84/216) at 4 weeks and 47.9% (103/215) at 12 weeks (both P196/214) indicated the sensor taught them about their CO levels and smoking behavior, and 73.1% (166/227) reported that seeing their CO values made them want to quit smoking. ConclusionsUse of the Pivot Breath Sensor resulted in a significant increase in motivation to quit, a reduction in CPD, and favorable quit attempt rates. These outcomes confer increased likelihood of quitting smoking. Accordingly, the results support a role for biofeedback via personal CO breath sampling in smoking cessation. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04133064; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04133064

The device and integration technology for silicon photonic transmitters are reviewed in this paper. The hybrid silicon platform enables on-chip lasers to be fabricated with silicon photonic circuits and can be integrated in the CMOS back-end flow. Laser arrays from multiple die bonding and quantum well intermixing techniques are demonstrated to extend the spectral bandwidth from the laser array of the transmitter. Two modulator technologies, silicon modulators and hybrid silicon modulators, are also described. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Vitamin D deficiency appears to be more prevalent than previously considered in the adult critically ill population, and specifically burn-injured patients. No definitive regimen has been shown to restore vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels more effectively to therapeutic levels in the burn-injured population. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of either ergocalciferol (D2, 50,000 IU weekly) or cholecalciferol (D3, 6,000 IU daily) in adults with burns ≥ 10% TBSA. This retrospective, observational study (2020-2022) included patients with vitamin D deficiency (< 30 ng/mL) who received replacement and had monitoring with weekly vitamin D levels. Patients on dialysis or those with a hospital length of stay (LOS) less than 2 weeks were excluded. Forty-five patients treated with ergocalciferol and 99 patients with cholecalciferol were included in the study. Patients treated with cholecalciferol were more likely to achieve 25(OH)D levels greater than 30 ng/ml compared to ergocalciferol over a 42-day period (HR 23.56, [95% CI, 12.57-44.16, p<0.0001). A higher proportion of patients in the cholecalciferol group achieved vitamin D greater than 20 ng/ml (HR 6.37, [95% CI, 4.20-9.66, p<0.0001). The adjusted hazard ratios (D3 vs D2) for achieving 25(OH)D levels > 30 ng/ml and > 20 ng/ml were and 23.94 (95% CI 5.09-427.6, p=0.0019) and 7.32 (95% CI 3.83-15.52, p<0.0001) respectively, after controlling for TBSA and initial 25(OH)D. Cholecalciferol appears to be a more effective agent than ergocalciferol for correcting vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in patients with burn injuries., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Burn Association. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)