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Alcohol consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding cause adverse health outcomes to the mother and child, including Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).Systematic literature review and thematic synthesis. Original studies that contained reasons for alcohol consumption in pregnancy and while breastfeeding were included. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) and the Confidence in the Evidence of Reviews of Qualitative Research (CerQUAL) approach were utilised. The review protocol is available on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42018116998).Forty-two eligible studies comprising women from 16 countries were included. Most commonly reported reasons of alcohol use in pregnancy were societal pressure and the belief that only "strong" alcohol and alcohol in large quantities is harmful. Other reasons were: a lack of awareness of adverse effects on the fetus; coping with adverse life experiences; consumption based on intuitive decision-making and influenced by personal/peer experiences; belief in the beneficial properties of alcohol; advice from medical practitioners; unwanted or unplanned pregnancy; alcohol dependence; and consumption as a cultural/traditional custom. Reasons for alcohol use during breastfeeding included the belief that alcohol stimulates breast milk production, unclear advice from medical practitioners, unawareness of the risks of infant exposure and to improve mood and celebrate events.Understanding the context of reasons for alcohol use in pregnancy is crucial for implementing prenatal health education, and preventing FASD and other adverse maternal and child health outcomes.Individual beliefs, knowledge/advice, culture and personal circumstances influence alcohol use in pregnancy. Data are limited for reasons surrounding alcohol use while breastfeeding.

In this work, we synthesized a series of new 9,10-dihydro-2H,8H-chromeno[8,7e][1,3]oxazine-2-on derivatives which incorporate isobornylcoumarin and 1,3-oxazine moieties. A structure-antioxidant activity relationship was analyzed. A comparative evaluation of their radical scavenging activity, antioxidant and membrane-protective properties was carried out in test with DPPH, as well as on the models of Fe2+ /ascorbate-initiated lipid peroxidation and oxidative hemolysis of mammalian red blood cells. The results suggest that all the obtained coumarin[1,3]oxazine derivatives of 7-hydroxy-6-isobornyl-4-methylcoumarin are capable of exhibiting antioxidant activity in various model systems. Compound 7 with a phenyl fragment, combining high radical scavenging activity and the ability to inhibit Fe2+ /ascorbate-initiated peroxidation of animal lipids in a heterogeneous environment, also proved to be the most effective membrane protector and antioxidant in the model of H2 O2 -induced erythrocyte hemolysis.

Background and aims In 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed to reduce nicotine in cigarettes to minimally or non-addictive levels. This study qualitatively explored perceptions of nicotine and addiction, both independently and in response to messages communicating about nicotine reduction. Design Qualitative study using focus groups. Participants described their perceptions of nicotine and addiction and their responses to messages about the nicotine reduction. Setting Atlanta, GA and San Francisco, CA, USA. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted virtually in Spring 2020. Participants Exclusive smokers (n=27), dual users (of cigarettes and electronic cigarettes) (n=25), former smokers (n=32), and young adult non-smokers (n=31). Measurement Inductive thematic analysis of transcripts was conducted, and results were compared across smoking status groups. Findings Participants across all smoking status groups associated nicotine with tobacco products, but consistently misperceived that nicotine caused disease. Perceptions of addiction were largely negative and varied by smoking status. Experienced smokers (exclusive smokers, former smokers, and dual users) differentiated tobacco use from other addictions and minimized their own experiences of addiction. Perceptions of addiction across experienced smokers included not only the chemical properties of nicotine, but also the behavioral aspects of tobacco use, including oral fixation, having a smoking routine, and response to internal and external cues. In response to messages, many believed that removing the nicotine would not make cigarettes less addictive because of the multi-factorial nature of smoking addiction that includes nonpharmacological cues. Conclusions Perceptions of nicotine and addiction among nonsmokers, former smokers, exclusive smokers and dual users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes vary based on smoking status, but there is a common tendency to believe that nicotine is addictive, that addiction results from more than just nicotine, and that very low nicotine cigarettes will not necessarily reduce the addictiveness of cigarettes.

Derive and confirm factor structure of the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and evaluate how the factors evident at baseline change over 4 weeks of esketamine treatment.Two similarly-designed, short-term TRANSFORM trials randomized adults to esketamine or matching placebo nasal spray, each with a newly-initiated oral antidepressant, for 4 weeks (TRANSFORM-1: N = 342 patients; TRANSFORM-2: N = 223 patients). The factor structure of MADRS item scores at baseline was determined by exploratory factor analysis in TRANSFORM-2 and corroborated by confirmatory factor analysis in TRANSFORM-1. Change in MADRS factor scores from baseline (day 1) to the end of the 28-day double-blind treatment phase of TRANSFORM-2 was analyzed using a mixed-effects model for repeated measures (MMRM).Three factors were identified based on analysis of MADRS items: Factor 1 labeled affective and anhedonic symptoms (apparent sadness, reported sadness, lassitude, inability to feel), Factor 2 labeled anxiety and vegetative symptoms (inner tension, reduced sleep, reduced appetite, concentration difficulties), and Factor 3 labeled hopelessness (pessimistic thoughts, suicidal thoughts). The three-factor structure observed in TRANSFORM-2 was verified in TRANSFORM-1. Treatment benefit at 24 h with esketamine versus placebo was observed on all 3 factors and continued throughout the 4-week double-blind treatment period.A three-factor structure for MADRS appears to generalize to TRD. All three factors improved over 4 weeks of treatment with esketamine nasal spray.

The mechanism of Cu2+ loading into commercially available natural HEU-type and synthetic LTA-type zeolites for their possible use in environmental processes, such as water and air treatment applications, was studied. Elemental analysis, SEM/EDXS, XRD, XAS and XPS analyses revealed 4-fold coordination of Cu2+ cations with oxygen atoms in the pores, a predominant location of copper atoms on the surface of crystallites and retained crystallinity of zeolites throughout the processes. The post-treatment of Cu2+-loaded samples with HCl and/or NaCl solutions confirmed the predominantly reversible sorption of copper on zeolites from aqueous solutions by ion-exchange mechanism and, therefore, excellent regeneration possibilities for both types of zeolites. Furthermore, with the calcination of exhaust metal-loaded zeolites, catalysts for total toluene oxidation reaction, as a model VOC pollutant, were obtained.

We have previously shown that immunization of C57BL/6 mice, prone to spontaneous development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), with three antigens (MOG35‐55, DNA‐histone complex or DNA‐methylated BSA complex), alters the differentiation profiles of bone marrow haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). These are associated with the production of autoantibodies (auto‐Abs) against these antigens and the formation of abzymes hydrolysing DNA, MOG, myelin basic protein (MBP) and histones. Immunization of mice with antigens accelerates the development of EAE. This work is the first to analyse the ratio of auto‐Abs without and with catalytic activities at different stages of EAE development (onset, acute and remission phases) after immunization of mice with the three specific antigens. Prior to immunization and during spontaneous in‐time development of EAE, the concentration of auto‐Abs against MBP, MOG, histones and DNA and activities of IgG antibodies in the hydrolysis of substrates increased in parallel; correlation coefficients = +0.69‐0.94. After immunization with MOG, DNA‐histone complex or DNA‐met‐BSA complex, both positive (from +0.13 to +0.98) and negative correlations (from −0.09 to −0.69) were found between these values. Our study is the first showing that depending on the antigen, the relative amount of harmful auto‐Abs without and abzymes with low or high catalytic activities may be produced only at onset and in acute or remission phases of EAE. The antigen governs the EAE development rate, whereby the ratio of auto‐Abs without catalytic activity and with enzymatic activities of harmful abzymes hydrolysing MBP, MOG, histones and DNA varies strongly between different disease phases.

Urbanization is an important driver of the diversity and abundance of tree-associated insect herbivores, but its consequences for insect herbivory are poorly understood. A likely source of variability among studies is the insufficient consideration of intra-urban variability in forest cover. With the help of citizen scientists, we investigated the independent and interactive effects of local canopy cover and percentage of impervious surface on insect herbivory in the pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) throughout most of its geographic range in Europe. We found that the damage caused by chewing insect herbivores as well as the incidence of leaf-mining and gall-inducing herbivores consistently decreased with increasing impervious surface around focal oaks. Herbivory by chewing herbivores increased with increasing forest cover, regardless of impervious surface. In contrast, an increase in local canopy cover buffered the negative effect of impervious surface on leaf miners and strengthened its effect on gall inducers. These results show that-just like in non-urban areas-plant-herbivore interactions in cities are structured by a complex set of interacting factors. This highlights that local habitat characteristics within cities have the potential to attenuate or modify the effect of impervious surfaces on biotic interactions., Ecology and Evolution, 12 (3), ISSN:2045-7758