Causal effects of point-of-sale cigarette promotions and subjective social status on cigarette craving: a randomised within-person experiment

BACKGROUND

Cigarette smoking continues to be a leading cause of preventable deaths in the USA, in part because the USA has not adopted the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. One way the tobacco industry counteracts tobacco control policies is by heavily advertising cigarettes at the point of sale in retailers (eg, at the cash register) and by offering discounts on cigarettes.

DESIGN

A within-subject experimental design with adults who smoke cigarettes daily (n=281) investigated whether: (1) exposure to images of cigarette promotions in an online experiment is associated with greater cigarette craving relative to viewing images of non-smoking cues, and (2) if exposure to images of point-of-sale cigarette promotions with a discount (vs without) increases cigarette craving. The study also examined how participants' subjective social status (compared with others in the USA) relates to cigarette craving after exposure to images of cigarette promotions with and without a discount.

RESULTS

In an online experiment, exposure to images of smoking cues, including point-of-sale cigarette promotions, elicited greater craving relative to non-smoking cues (all p<0.001). In addition, images of promotions with a discount elicited higher levels of craving compared with those without a discount (b=0.09, p=0.001). Although participants with a higher (vs lower) subjective social status craved cigarettes less overall (b=-0.12, p=0.012), there was no difference in their craving between images of promotions with and without a discount, while craving was higher for images of promotions with a discount than without for participants with higher subjective social status (b=0.06, p=0.021).

CONCLUSION

Viewing images of point-of-sale cigarette promotions can causally increase cravings to smoke, which may also apply to real-world retail settings that display cigarette promotions. Restricting point-of-sale promotions generally, and discounts specifically, could help reduce cigarette smoking and address tobacco use disparities in the USA.

Neural signals predict information sharing across cultures

Information sharing influences which messages spread and shape beliefs, behavior, and culture. In a preregistered neuroimaging study conducted in the United States and the Netherlands, we demonstrate replicability, predictive validity, and generalizability of a brain-based prediction model of information sharing. Replicating findings in Scholz et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 114, 2881-2886 (2017), self-, social-, and value-related neural signals in a group of individuals tracked the population sharing of US news articles. Preregistered brain-based prediction models trained on Scholz et al. (2017) data proved generalizable to the new data, explaining more variance in population sharing than self-report ratings alone. Neural signals (versus self-reports) more reliably predicted sharing cross-culturally, suggesting that they capture more universal psychological mechanisms underlying sharing behavior. These findings highlight key neurocognitive foundations of sharing, suggest potential target mechanisms for interventions to increase message effectiveness, and advance brain-as-predictor research.

GABA transport and neuroinflammation are coupled in multiple sclerosis: regulation of the GABA transporter-2 by ganaxolone

Interactions between neurotransmitters and the immune system represent new prospects for understanding neuroinflammation and associated neurological disease. GABA is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter but its actions on immune pathways in the brain are unclear. In the present study, we investigated GABAergic transport in conjunction with neuroinflammation in models of multiple sclerosis (MS). Protein and mRNA levels of γ-amino butyric acid transporter 2 (GAT-2) were examined in cerebral white matter from MS and control (Non-MS) patients, in cultured human macrophages, microglia and astrocytes, and in spinal cords from mice with and without experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) using western blotting, immunocytochemistry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). GABA levels were measured by HPLC. The GAT-2's expression was increased in MS patients' (n=6) white matter, particularly in macrophage lineage cells, compared to Non-MS patients (n=6) (p<0.05). Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) stimulation of human macrophage lineage cells induced GAT-2 expression and reduced extracellular GABA levels (p<0.05) but soluble GABA treatment suppressed HLA-DRα, GAT-2 and XBP-1/s expression in stimulated macrophage lineage cells (p<0.05). Similarly, the synthetic allopregnanolone analog, ganaxolone (GNX), repressed GAT-2, JAK-1 and STAT-1 expression in activated macrophage lineage cells (p<0.05). In vivo GNX treatment reduced Gat-2, Cd3ε, MhcII, and Xbp-1/s expression in spinal cords following EAE induction (p<0.05), which was correlated with improved neurobehavioral outcomes and reduced neuroinflammation, demyelination and axonal injury. These findings highlight altered GABAergic transport through GAT-2 induction during neuroinflammation. GABA transport and neuroinflammation are closely coupled but regulated by GNX, pointing to GABAergic pathways as therapeutic targets in neuroinflammatory diseases.

Emergency tracheal intubation without drugs: outcome and one-year survival of medical patients not in cardiac arrest

Non-medicine-assisted tracheal intubation in prehospital trauma is associated with a dismal prognosis. We wished to study the outcome of medical patients who underwent non-medicine-assisted tracheal intubation. This retrospective study of patients attending our university hospital emergency department was conducted over seven years. The tracheal intubation database was analysed to identify medical patients not in cardiac arrest undergoing tracheal intubation without medicines. Intensive care unit, hospital, 12-month mortality and patients' residence at 12 months were recorded. Eighty patients were identified who met inclusion criteria. The most common reason for intubation was definite airway compromise due to decreased conscious level (62.5%), then respiratory failure (26.3%) and finally potentially compromised airway due to a decreased conscious level (11.2%). Eighty-eight percent of patients with a definitely compromised airway were successfully intubated at first attempt compared with 66.7% of patients with a potentially compromised airway or respiratory failure (P= 0.03). Of 75 patients with complete data, 30 (40%) were survivors at 12 months, with all but two (6.7%) living at home. Non-medicine-assisted laryngoscopy leads to an increased first time tracheal intubation failure rate in patients with intact airway reflexes and, therefore, cannot be recommended as best practice.

[Intraorbital wooden foreign body undetected on CT]

We present the case of an orbital fracture and a wooden foreign body found during surgery. The patient had undergone a pre-operative computed tomography scan but the foreign body had not been seen on these images. We discuss the difficulties in demonstrating wooden objects on CT and describe indicators in patient history, examination findings and radiological signs that might suggest the presence of a wooden object. We emphasise the necessity to explore any orbital injury if there are clinical signs suggesting an intraorbital foreign body.

[MALT and the Epithelium of the Middle Ear Mucosa. Morphological Studies]

INTRODUCTION

The mucosa of the middle ear and the Eustachian Tube changes in different ways when faced with recurrent episodes of inflammation. It thereby adapts to these new stimuli and insults from the environment. One of these changes is the development of MALT (mucosa associated lymphoid tissue). Another adaptation is an alteration of the epithelium. It was therefore the purpose of this study to look for a connection between the occurrence of these changes.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

90 sections of temporal bones were examined under the light microscope and the incidence of MALT and nature of the epithelium found were compared.

RESULTS

Particularly in the middle ear, we demonstrated that in cases where MALT was found within the mucosa, columnar epithelium was frequently found in locations where it is typically rare. Squamous epithelium was in many cases replaced by cuboidal epithelium.

DISCUSSION

We demonstrated that the mucosa of the middle ear changed its morphology towards the characteristics typically found in the upper respiratory tract in cases where MALT had developed as subepithelial lymphoid follicles. It can therefore be concluded that both changes represent the mucosa's reaction to recurrent or chronic inflammation.