106 research outputs found
A comparison of the electrical characteristics, liquid composition, and toxicant emissions of JUUL USA and JUUL UK e-cigarettes
No full textIn 2018, JUUL entered the UK market, where EU regulations limit liquid nicotine concentration to 20 mg/mL, approximately one-third the level of JUUL products sold in the USA. We hypothesized that JUUL’s UK product was engineered to deliver greater electrical power and boost liquid vaporization such that the net nicotine delivery rate was similar to the US version. We compared electrical characteristics, liquid composition, and aerosol emissions of JUUL devices procured in the USA and the UK. Study outcomes included electrical power, total and freebase nicotine, propylene glycol/vegetable glycerin ratio, carbonyls, and reactive oxygen species. Liquids and aerosols were analyzed by GCMS, HPLC, and fluorescence. Compared to the US version, JUUL UK had approximately one-third the liquid nicotine concentration in the liquid (5.4 vs. 1.6 wt.%) and aerosol (4.7 and 1.3 wt.%). Other than nicotine concentration and yield, we found no differences in any other study outcome, including electrical power. Currently, JUUL UK emits nicotine at a far lower rate than the US product, offering an opportunity to study how this factor impacts user behavior, JUUL uptake, and other population-level outcomes across the two markets. © 2020, The Author(s)
Characteristics and toxicant emissions of JUUL electronic cigarettes
No full textIntroduction JUUL is an electronic cigarette (ECIG) with a compact form factor. It is prefilled with a liquid that is advertised to contain a high concentration of nicotine salt. JUUL commands 50% of the US ECIG market share, and its wide popularity with underage users has triggered unprecedented actions by the US FDA. Apart from its nicotine salt-containing liquid and compact form, a salient advertised design feature is a control circuit that limits the heating coil temperature, presumably reducing unwanted toxicants. In this study, several tobacco-flavoured JUUL devices were reverse engineered, and their aerosol emissions were studied. Methods Total nicotine and its partitioning (freebase and protonated), propylene glycol/vegetable glycerin (PG/VG) ratio, and carbonyls were quantified by gas chromatography (GC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The temperature control functionality of JUUL was investigated using a temperature-controlled bath in which the coil was submerged. Results The liquid nicotine concentration was found to be 69 mg/mL, and the liquid and aerosol PG/VG ratio was found to be 30/70. In 15 puffs, JUUL emitted 2.05 (0.08) mg of nicotine, overwhelmingly in the protonated form. Carbonyl yields were significantly lower than those reported for combustible cigarettes, but similar to other closed-system ECIG devices. The heating coil resistance was 1.6 (0.66) Ohm, while the maximum power delivered by the JUUL device was 8.1 W. The control circuit limited the peak operating temperature to approximately 215C. Conclusions JUUL emits a high-nicotine concentration aerosol predominantly in the protonated form. JUUL's nicotine-normalised formaldehyde and total aldehyde yields are lower than other previously studied ECIGs and combustible cigarettes. © 2019 Author(s)
The JUUL E-Cigarette Elevates the Risk of Thrombosis and Potentiates Platelet Activation
No full text© The Author(s) 2020. Background: Smoking is the main preventable cause of death in the United States and worldwide and is associated with serious cardiovascular health consequences, including thrombotic diseases. Recently, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and, in particular JUUL, have attained wide popularity among smokers, nonsmokers, pregnant females, and even the youth, which is alarming. Interestingly, there is/are no information/studies regarding the effect of JUUL on cardiovascular diseases, specifically in the context of modulation of platelet activation. Thus, it is important to discern the cardiovascular disease health risks associated with JUUL. Methods and Results: We used a passive e-vape vapor inhalation system where C57BL/6J mice (10-12 weeks old) were exposed to JUUL e-cigarette vape. Menthol flavored JUUL pods containing 5% nicotine by weight were used as the e-liquid. Mice were exposed to a total of 70 puffs daily for 2 weeks; 3-second puff duration, and 25-second puff interval. The effects of JUUL relative to clean air were analyzed, on mouse platelet function in vitro (eg, aggregation) and in vivo (eg, FeCl3-induced carotid artery injury thrombosis model). Our results indicate that short-term exposure to JUUL e-cigarette causes hyperactivation of platelets and shortens the thrombus occlusion as well as hemostasis/bleeding times, relative to clean air (medians of 14 vs. 200 seconds, P \u3c.01 and 35 vs. 295 seconds, P \u3c.001, respectively). Conclusion: Our findings document—for the first time—that short-term exposure to the JUUL e-cigarette increases the risk of thrombotic events, in part by modulating platelet function, such as aggregation and secretion, in mice
Contribution of source code identifiers to GitHub project similarity: Which other GitHub projects are similar to yours?
No full textGitHub is an online platform that hosts millions of projects. Many of these projects have the same topic or share the same goal. Finding similar projects which can be used as role models, inspiration or examples can help developers meet their requirements faster and more efficiently. Previous studies have been successful in finding similar GitHub projects, but they do not share how well their proposed metrics indicate similarity.Our research and analysis seek to find the contribution of source code identifiers to overall project similarity. We define project similarity and define each type of identifier we evaluate. After these steps, we extract the defined types of identifiers from a list of projects. From this list of projects, we use twenty projects as queries for our analysis. We then analyze all identifiers using techniques such as TF-IDF and LSA. Our findings are that combining all types of identifiers results in the highest chance of having the same topic when looking at the most similar project. We also find that splitting each identifier on its casing and combining all split identifiers results in the highest chance that the most similar project found is similar. We therefore see that source code identifiers are reasonably contributing to overall project similarities.CSE3000 Research ProjectComputer Science and Engineerin
A monograph on rubble mound breakwaters
No full textOverview of failure mechanisms of rubble mound breakwaters of various types
Succesfully reusing heritage: How to improve the adaptive reuse process of heritage through success factors
No full textWhile the benefits of adaptive reusing heritage are widely acknowledged by academic and practice, the process's complexity increases. Stakeholders are not willing to consider reuse as a strategy to deal with heritage vacancy. Studies have tried to grasp this complexity by identifying success factors, but till this point, practitioners have not been able to put this to work to improve the process. This research proposes to find out what the success factors are, and when, how, and why they are present, and give them a place and time within the adaptive reuse process. That way, it becomes easier to align resources and attention in future adaptive reuse projects, leading to process improvement. Doing so facilitates the elements to deliver a project successfully. This research will answer the following question: How can success factors improve the process of adaptive reuse of heritage? This research aims to provide insight and recommendations into the complex issue of adaptive reuse projects. Through the literature review and three case study projects, all the key aspects of the main research question were covered on the subjects: adaptive reuse of heritage, the reuse process, success and success factors, process improvements and the actual improvement of the reuse process. This has led to a general adaptive reuse process and a list of the twelve success factors that were perceived as being most important in the case study projects, combined into a process map. The process map describes the adaptive reuse process from idea until delivery where the main activities, complexity, degree of freedom, and success factors indicate how stakeholders can manage the process. This research showed the value and reuse potential of heritage buildings by providing the right tools to increase the chance for successfully delivering a reused building. This research shows that the complex adaptive reuse process can be made simple and insightful by bundling knowledge and experience from practice to ignite the drive to reuse out cultural and historical past. For the process model to impact future adaptive reuse processes, stakeholders have to actively embed the model into their work to learn from it. Next to that, the attractiveness of adaptive reuse projects depends on the collaboration between public and private parties.Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Management in the Built Environmen
Over the Flevopolder: A landscape architectural design research on the implementation of an innovative railroad in the Dutch cultural landscape as a superior alternative to the Lelyline. A case-study between Amsterdam and Zwolle
No full textPromoting sustainable travel involves encouraging train travel as a preferred mode of transportation. However, train travel in the Netherlands faces challenges with delays and slow speeds, including the planned Lelyline. This report explores an innovative high-speed train viaduct inspired by Chinese rail construction techniques as an attractive alternative to the Lelyline. By adopting modularconstruction and straight alignments, this research aims to create an efficient andvisually captivating transportation solution that respects the cultural landscape. The case study focuses on a straight trajectory across the Flevopolder between Amsterdam South and Zwolle. The viaduct integrates with the landscape, enhancing biodiversity through an ecological corridor in its shadow, benefiting agriculture and the nature network. Additionally, it offers panoramic views,recreational value, and serves as a marker of historical significance.This research showcases the potential of a sustainable train landscape that aligns with the Dutch cultural context, providing valuable insights for future transportation projects.Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Landscape Architectur
Modelling of the indirect DME synthesis with methanol produced from the works arising gases of an integrated steel mill
No full textTruncated Early Stopping for Proxy Means Testing
No full textThe assignment of social programmes
to their target population, known as targeting, is key to
effective policy implementation. Proxy means testing is a
widely used targeting approach where means testing is
infeasible due to economic informality. This paper proposes
a novel, practically feasible assessment approach that aims
to reduce average proxy means test data collection costs, or
allow more extensive data collection within a given resource
envelope. Combining variable selection and prediction
intervals, it develops a household-level truncated early
stopping algorithm, which can reduce average interview
length while maintaining predictive accuracy close to a
standard proxy means test baseline. Applying the approach to
Indonesian data, simulation of a 40 percent population
coverage programme shows that targeting questionnaires could
be shortened by 61 percent while maintaining PMT-level
accuracy. A case study of a large health insurance programme
in an urban area suggests that the share of intended
beneficiaries who are among the targeted population can
potentially be increased from 65.6 percent to 78.3 percent
if enumerators conducted more of the shorter surveys that
the truncated early stopping algorithm generates
Repenser la protection sociale dans la région Moyen-Orient et Afrique du Nord
No full textPeople in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and around the word, are hurting. A polycrisis, including COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has had—and is continuing to have—a devasting impact on living standards. But most countries in MENA were already struggling to reduce poverty and vulnerability before this cascade of shocks. This report argues that labor market exclusion is at the root of the problem. Many people cannot find jobs—MENA has the highest youth unemployment rate and the lowest women’s labor force participation rate in the world. And most workers are stuck in low-productivity informal jobs with no social protection. This makes them extremely vulnerable to falling into poverty when a shock hits—as the recent crises have pain- fully shown. Reducing labor market exclusion requires, first and foremost, a dynamic private sector that generates productive jobs. Our companion report on jobs in MENA, “Jobs Undone”, provides options to do that. How can social protection policies help? They can play a crucial role in reducing labor market exclusion, by facilitating access to productive jobs, protecting workers, and providing a safety net for people who are left behind and are at risk of poverty. And they should do so in an efficient manner, by ensuring financial responsibility and avoiding unintended consequences on decisions regarding work, retirement, and hiring.Les habitants de la région Moyen-Orient et Afrique du Nord (MENA) et d’autres parties du monde souffrent. Une polycrise, qui englobe la COVID-19 et l’invasion de l’Ukraine par la Russie, a eu — et continuent d’avoir — des effets dévastateurs sur les niveaux de vie. Mais la plupart des pays de la région MENA peinaient déjà à réduire la pauvreté et la vulnérabilité avant ces chocs en cascade. Le présent rapport fait valoir que l’exclusion du marché du travail est à l’origine de ce problème. De nombreuses personnes ne parviennent pas à trouver un emploi — la région MENA affiche le taux de chômage des jeunes le plus élevé et le taux d’activité des femmes le plus bas au monde. Et la plupart des travailleurs sont cantonnés dans des emplois informels à faible productivité, privés de protection sociale, ce qui les rend extrêmement vulnérables au basculement dans la pauvreté en cas de choc, comme l’ont douloureusement montré les récentes crises. Pour lutter contre l’exclusion du marché du travail, il faut avant tout un secteur privé dynamique qui crée des emplois productifs. Notre rapport sur l’emploi dans la région MENA, intitulé « Jobs Undone », qui va de pair avec le présent rapport, propose des solutions à cet effet. En quoi les politiques de protection sociale peuvent-elles être utiles ? Elles peuvent jouer un rôle crucial dans la lutte contre l’exclusion du marché du travail en facilitant l’accès à des emplois productifs, en protégeant les travailleurs et en fournissant un filet de sécurité aux personnes laissées de côté et exposées au risque de pauvreté. Et ces politiques devraient jouer ce rôle de manière efficace, en garantissant la responsabilité financière et en évitant les incidences négatives non souhaitées sur les décisions relatives au travail, à la retraite et à l’embauche
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