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Alcoholism has been linked to problems with male reproductive function. The combined effects of alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco were compared in this study. A total of 35 rats were assigned randomly into seven groups A–G: animals in A were administered distilled water. Animals in B–G were either administered alcohol orally (30 ml 40% alcohol) or exposed to smoke from ignited tobacco (exposure to smoke from 0.7 g tobacco for 5 min) or cannabis (exposure to smoke from 0.7 g tobacco and cannabis for 5 min): B (orally administered alcohol), C (exposed to the smoke from tobacco), D (exposed to smoke from cannabis), E (treated with alcohol and exposed to smoke from tobacco), F (treated with alcohol and exposed to smoke from cannabis), G (treated with alcohol and exposed to smokes from tobacco and cannabis). Assays were carried on the testicular homogenate after a 14-day treatment. There was a significant increase in activity of alkaline phosphatase (P ≤ 0.05), concentrations of cholesterol, glutathione reductase, and malondialdehyde in treated rats by the co-administration of alcohol with cannabis and tobacco compared with the control group. The combined treatment also caused degeneration and morphological distortions of testicular cells. The biochemical and histoarchitectural change was due to oxidative damage attributable to the synergistic effects. The high binding energy of tetrahydrocannabinol ligand to prostate acid phosphatase may be a prediction that the ligand can have an inhibitory effect on the function of enzymes in the prostate.

In addition to the widespread availability of packaged cigarettes, the inhabitants of island nations of the Southwest Pacific frequently smoke commercially available loose tobacco using manufactured rolling papers, as well as locally grown tobacco rolled in manufactured rolling paper or wrapped in leaves, copybook paper, and newspaper. In this study, Vanuatu men who smoked local tobacco rolled in leaves, copybook paper, or newspaper showed significantly lower forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and FEV1/FVC ratios than men who smoked packaged cigarettes, store-bought tobacco rolled in manufactured rolling paper, or who smoked locally grown tobacco rolled in manufactured rolling papers. The addition of toxins from these unusual tobacco-wrapping media produces lung function deficits similar to the pattern noted among tobacco smokers who also inhale smoke from burning biomass. Thus, public health initiatives should consider including strategies addressing the use of wrapping media among smokers in South Pacific island societies.

Context: Recent technological advances allow ventilation holes in (or adjacent to) cigarette filters to be produced using lasers instead of using the mechanical procedures of earlier techniques.Objective: Analytical chemistry can be used to compare the composition of mainstream smoke from experimental cigarettes having filters with mechanically produced ventilation holes to that of cigarettes with ventilation holes that were produced using laser technology.Materials and methods: Established procedures were used to analyze the smoke composition of 38 constituents of mainstream smoke generated using standard conditions.Results: There were no differences between the smoke composition of cigarettes with filter ventilation holes that were produced mechanically or through use of laser technology.Conclusion: The two methods for producing ventilation holes in cigarette filters are equivalent in terms of resulting mainstream smoke chemistry, at two quite different filter ventilation percentages.

In 2005, Human-Smoked (HS) tar and nicotine yields from commercial Canadian cigarettes were determined using a part filter analysis method to obtain estimates representative of human smoking behavior. In 2006, new cigarette designs were introduced to ensure compliance with the Canadian Low Ignition Propensity (LIP) regulations. It was not known how the changes in product design would affect HS yields. To assess the impact of the cigarette design modifications on HS yields, a further group of Canadian smokers was recruited for smoking the modified version of 10 products previously assessed. No differences in estimated HS tar yields were found between products following product modification. The HS nicotine yield was different for one product. In general, HS yields were higher than ISO machine yields while Canadian intense machine yields were more representative of the maximum HS yields. The same product ranking order was obtained for HS yields and the two machine yields but differences between the mean HS yields and ISO yields were smaller as the product ISO yields increased. Higher HS yields were measured when products were smoked by male smokers. The methodology used in this study showed the wide range of HS yields obtained by smokers as well as a good degree of stability in average HS yields just before and after the introduction of LIP regulations.

The effects of the addition of ammonium magnesium phosphate (AMP) to the paper of an electrically heated cigarette (EHC) prototype on smoke composition and toxicity were quantified and the underlying mechanisms investigated. Smoke from EHC prototypes with and without AMP and from conventional cigarettes, i.e. the University of Kentucky Standard Reference Cigarette 1R4F and eight American-blend market cigarettes, was compared. Endpoints for comparison were smoke chemistry, where toxic constituents were measured, cytotoxic activity, as measured in murine fibroblasts embryo cells by the Neutral Red Uptake Assay, and genotoxic activity, as measured in bacteria by the Salmonella Reverse Mutation Assay and in murine lymphoma cells by the TK Assay. The addition of AMP to the EHC led to a reduction of toxic substances and toxicological activity of approximately 30% compared to the EHC without AMP. Compared to the conventional cigarettes, the EHC with AMP showed reductions of 75-90%. Smoke from the EHCs generated in nitrogen atmospheres supplemented with different concentrations of ammonia and oxygen was assayed for its in vitro cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. The results indicate that the ammonia released by AMP at the heating site of the EHC is responsible for the reductions in cytotoxicity and mutagenicity for the EHC with AMP compared with the EHC without AMP. Thus, while the EHC approach distinctly reduces toxic smoke constituents compared to conventional cigarettes, the use of AMP in the paper of an EHC leads to further distinct reductions. In the study presented here, in vitro assays were used as quantitative tools to investigate toxicity-related mechanisms.

A tiered testing strategy has been employed to evaluate the potential of tobacco processes, ingredients, or technological developments to change the biological activity resulting from burning cigarette tobacco. The strategy is based on comparative chemical and biological testing. The introduction of banded cigarette papers in cigarettes to meet New York state "Fire Safety Standards for Cigarettes" constitutes an example of a technological development evaluated utilizing this tiered testing strategy that included a comparison of the chemical and biological effects of cigarettes with and without the banded cigarette paper technologies (BCPT) (representative of current marketed technologies). Specific testing included mainstream cigarette smoke chemistry studies; in vitro studies included genotoxicity (Ames and sister chromatid exchange) and cytotoxicity studies (neutral red); in vivo studies included a 13-week inhalation study in Sprague-Dawley rats and a 30-week dermal tumor promotion study in SENCAR mice. Collectively, data indicated that cigarettes with and without BCPT had a similar toxicological profile in this test battery.

This work describes a fast and simple assay for in situ detection of thiocyanate, i.e., a biomarker of tobacco smoke exposure, in human saliva. The assay is based on the formation of an iron(III)-thiocyanate colored complex in a paper-based sensing platform and subsequent image analysis using a scanner as detection device. Experimental parameters influencing the color intensity of the complex were fully evaluated, including the selection of detection conditions, type of paper substrate, test zone dimensions and composition as well as the stability of the paper-based device. Under optimal conditions, the detection limit was 0.06mM of thiocyanate, and the repeatability, expressed as relative standard deviation, was 3%. The proposed method, characterized by its simplicity, portability and low sample consumption, was applied to the detection of thiocyanate in a series of human saliva samples. Average thiocyanate levels in the ranges 0.28-0.87mM and 0.78-4.28mM were found for non-smokers and smokers, respectively. Recovery studies were carried out at two concentration levels, showing recovery values in the range of 96.1-103.6%.

To comply with state requirements, cigarette manufacturers have added low-permeability bands to the cigarette paper. These bands can extinguish the cigarette when it is no longer being puffed by a smoker.This study was conducted to evaluate the toxicology resulting from the addition of different types of bands to experimental cigarettes.A battery of assays that are typically used in toxicology studies with cigarette smoke, namely smoke chemistry, in vitro mutagenicity and cytotoxicity, and inhalation studies with rats, were used to evaluate different band characteristics added to cigarette paper.Although differences in the amount of band material was associated with an increase in some metals measured in mainstream tobacco smoke, it was not dose responsive to any band design parameter (base paper permeability, band width, band spacing, band chalk amount, or citrate). Occasional, minor differences were produced by the different types of bands; overall, there was no increased toxicity.Although there were increases and decreases in some mainstream smoke constituents, the in vitro and in vivo testing performed demonstrated that low-permeability bands on cigarettes do not modify the toxicity of smoke inhaled by smokers.

Cigarettes often have a small identifying mark (monogram) printed either on the cigarette paper toward the filter end of the cigarette or on the tipping paper.A battery of tests was used to compare the toxicology of mainstream smoke from experimental cigarettes manufactured with different monogram inks. Cigarettes with different concentrations of different pigments were compared with cigarettes without ink, and with a control ink.Smoke from each of the experimental cigarettes was evaluated using analytical chemistry and in vitro bacterial mutagenicity (Salmonella, five strains, ± S9) and cytotoxicity (neutral red uptake) assays.No differences were observed between experimental cigarettes printed with three different pigment loads of iron oxide-based Black pigment and non-printed cigarettes. In general, no dose response was observed. However, increases in certain smoke constituents were found to correlate with Pigment Yellow 14 (also known as benzidine yellow) and Pigment Blue 15 (copper phthalocyanine). Increases in bacterial mutagenicity were observed for high-level print of Pigment Yellow 14 in TA98 and TA1537 and the high-level print of Pigment Blue 15 in TA98. In vitro cytotoxicity of mainstream smoke was unaffected by the presence of monogram ink on cigarettes.Statistically significant dose-responsive constituent changes and an increase in mutagenicity were observed with inclusion of Pigment Yellow 14 and Pigment Blue 15. Other pigments showed minimal toxicological activity.

The numerical simulation of an integrated, liquid-fuelled ramjet engine comprising supersonic air intake, subsonic combustor and a convergent-divergent nozzle has been carried out and the results are discussed in this paper. These results include cold flow studies, heat addition in the combustor and full engine analysis with coupled simulation of supersonic air-intake and combustion chamber along with the nozzle. Overall ramjet operation depends on the performance of the air intake and the combustion chamber. The coupling phenomena are very dominant and performance of air intake is affected vastly by the combustor operation and vice versa. In this paper, a numerical analysis of integrated liquid ramjet engine considering coupling phenomena between various sub-systems viz., air intake, combustor and nozzle has been reported. � 2008, DESIDOC.

The objective of this research was to apply Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and tunable infrared laser differential absorption spectroscopy (TILDAS) for measuring selected gaseous constituents in mainstream (MS) and sidestream (SS) smoke for experimental cigarettes designed to reduce MS CO using iron oxide cigarette papers. These two complimentary analytical techniques are well suited for providing per puff smoke deliveries and intra-puff evolution profiles in cigarette smoke respectively. The quad quantum cascade (QC) laser high resolution infrared spectroscopy system has the necessary temporal and spectral resolution and whole smoke analysis capabilities to provide detailed information for CO and CO 2 as they are being formed in both MS and SS smoke. The QC laser system has an optimal data rate of 20 Hz and a unique puffing system, with a square wave shaped puff, that allows whole smoke to enter an 18 m, 0.3 L multi-pass gas cell in real time (0.1 s cell response time) requiring no syringe or Cambridge filter pad. Another similar multi-pass gas cell with a 36 m pathlength simultaneously monitors the sidestream cigarette smoke. The smoke from experimental cigarettes manufactured with two types of iron oxide papers were compared to the smoke from cigarettes manufactured similarly without iron oxide in the paper using both instrument systems. The delivery per puff determined by the QC laser method agreed with FTIR results. MS CO intra-puff evolution profiles for iron oxide prototype cigarettes demonstrated CO reduction when compared to cigarettes without iron oxide paper. Additionally, both CO and CO 2 intra-puff evolution profiles of the cigarettes with iron oxide paper showed a significant reduction at the initial portion of the 2 s puff not observed in the non-iron oxide prototype cigarettes. This effect also was observed for ammonia and ethylene, suggesting that physical parameters such as paper porosity and burn rate are important. The SS CO and CO 2 deliveries for the experimental cigarettes evaluated remained unaffected. The iron oxide paper technology remains under development and continues to be evaluated.

Mercury in cigarettes of domestic and foreign products was measured by Magon's method, and the sample of a domestic brand was burned by a smoking machine and the smoke was collected for the measurement of mercury. In tobacco leaf and paper, only inorganic mercury was found in both domestic and foreign products. Its amount in tobacco leaf and paper of a piece of cigarette was about 60 ng in domestic products and about 30 ng in foreign products. By burning, the unit length of a cigarette released about 5-7 ng of mercury into smoke.

Laboratory and room-scale experiments were conducted with natural and synthetic polymers: cotton, paper, wood, wool, acetate, acrylic, nylon, and urethane. Smoke and off-gases from single materials were generated in a dual-compartment 110-liter exposure chamber. Multicomponent, composite fuel loads were burned within a 100 m3 facility subdivided into rooms. In chamber experiments, mortality depended on the amount of material burned, i.e., fuel consumption (FC). Conventional dose (FC)/mortality curves were obtained, and the amount of fuel required to produce 50% mortality (FC50) was calculated. With simple flame ignition, cotton was the only material that produced smoke concentrations lethal to rats; FC50 values for cotton ranged from 2 g to 9 g, depending on the configuration of the cotton sample burned. When supplemental conductive heat was added to flame ignition, the following FC50 values were obtained; nylon, 7 g; acrylic, 8 g; newsprint, 9 g; cotton, 10 g; and wood, 11 g. Mortality resulting from any given material depended upon the specific conditions employed for its thermal decomposition. Toxicity of off-gasses from pyrolysis of phosphorus-containing trimethylol propane—polyurethane foams was markedly decreased by addition of a flame ignition source. Further studies are needed to determine the possible relevance of single-material laboratory scale smoke toxicity experiments. Room-scale burns were conducted to assess the relative contributions of single materials to toxicity of smoke produced by a multicomponent self-perpetuating fire. Preliminary results suggest that this approach permits a realistic evaluation of the contribution of single materials to the toxicity of smoke from residential fires. ImagesFIGURE 2.