http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification 720 https://escholarship.org/uc/trdrp_rw/rss Recent eScholarship items from Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program Funded Publications Fri, 15 May 2026 05:55:36 +0000 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8jk2j49r Preliminary Evidence that Combination Oral Contraceptive Use in Young Adult Women Is Associated with the Endocrine Stress Response to High-Dose Alcohol https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8jk2j49r Fri, 8 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Anthenelli, Robert M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6612-1126 Momper, Jeremiah Pharm.D Suhandynata, Raymond Henrickson, Cassandra A McKenna, Benjamin S https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5607-6376 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1377z8n0 The legalization of cannabis is exposing more people to secondhand smoke (SHS) generated during cannabis use. Given the serious health effects caused by tobacco SHS, there is a need to assess the potential health effects of exposure to cannabis SHS. As a step toward this, we measured the concentrations of cannabinoids, nicotine and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in air samples collected in public places where cannabis was being consumed. These were compared with concentrations in exhaled aerosols from cannabis smoking and vaping, and in tobacco SHS. Tetrahydrocannabinol concentrations were 22 to 255 µg/m3 in field samples, below the threshold for psychoactive effects. Nicotine concentrations in field samples did not exceed 1 µg/m3. The total PAH concentrations in field samples were from 3.2 to 80.5 ng/m3, depending on location type. By contrast, PAH levels averaged 72 ng/m3 in tobacco SHS and 220 ng/m3 in the more concentrated, exhaled cannabis aerosols. A total of 22... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1377z8n0 Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Tang, Xiaochen https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4168-9871 Huang, Abel S Russell, Marion L https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7723-6746 St. Helen, Gideon Jacob, Peyton Destaillats, Hugo Schick, Suzaynn F https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7101-3077 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8543b5m8 The rapid rise of e-cigarette (vape) use over the past decade has raised significant public health and environmental concerns. While marketed as safer alternatives to combustible cigarettes, e-cigarettes generate complex aerosols that expose both users and nonusers to potentially harmful compounds. Vaping produces aerosols containing active ingredients (such as nicotine or cannabinoids), flavoring agents, metals, carbonyls, reactive oxygen species, and ultrafine particles that can deposit throughout the respiratory tract. Beyond direct inhalation, nonusers are also subject to secondhand and thirdhand exposure through inhalation of exhaled aerosols and contact with surface-deposited residues. These aerosols undergo dynamic physicochemical transformations, including gas-particle partitioning, oxidation, and aging processes, that may enhance their toxicity by increasing the abundance of reactive and oxygenated species. Emerging evidence suggests that passive exposure may pose disproportionate... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8543b5m8 Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Woo, Wonsik Tran, Lillian N Tian, Linhui https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2147-1518 Canchola, Alexa https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8285-4795 Lin, Ying-Hsuan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8904-1287 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7f34g16q Recent work has shown that the atmospheric aging of vaping emissions in indoor environments produces organic hydroperoxides via the ozonolysis of terpene flavoring chemicals. These peroxide species decompose to form radicals upon aqueous dissolution. While the mechanism responsible for producing these radicals has yet to be fully elucidated, one prevailing hypothesis to support this phenomenon is Fenton-like reactions between redox-active metals and peroxides. Vaping emits various redox-active metals, which may play an important role in mediating these types of aqueous reactions. Here, we observed that the production of radicals resulting from the aqueous decomposition of aged e-cigarette aerosols was found to be highly dependent on the presence of redox-active metals, indicating the reliance of Fenton-like reactions on mediating the formation of radicals. Additionally, we observed that peroxides and metals are enriched within the ultrafine particles (UFPs) of aged vaping emissions,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7f34g16q Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Woo, Wonsik Tian, Linhui https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2147-1518 Diamond, Charles Lum, Michael Lyons, Timothy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8674-6775 Lin, Ying-Hsuan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8904-1287 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6gk6f7js Thirdhand smoke (THS) is linked to adverse health effects, but the effect of genetic variations on behavioral outcomes is poorly understood. To investigate this, we assessed anxiety- and memory-related behaviors in 820 mice from 21 strains of the genetically diverse Collaborative Cross (CC) mouse that were exposed to THS from 4 through 10 weeks of age. Anxiety was evaluated with a light/dark box assay with a previously established risk score system. Females were generally more sensitive: THS reduced anxiety risk in strains CC013, CC019, and CC051, but increased risk in CC036 and CC061, while males showed no significant effects. Memory was tested using passive avoidance: impairments were observed in both sexes in CC016 and CC019, with sex-dependent effects in CC002 and CC051. A genome-wide association study identified 2,347 SNPs associated with anxiety and 1,568 SNPs with memory, with 32 and 85 SNPs, respectively, interacting with THS exposure. Enrichment analyses revealed distinct... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6gk6f7js Mon, 6 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Yao, Yiyan Wang, Dawei Wang, Pin Ton, Ethan Schick, Suzaynn F https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7101-3077 Jacob, Peyton Tang, Xiaochen https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4168-9871 Destaillats, Hugo Hang, Bo Snijders, Antoine M Mao, Jian-Hua https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9320-6021 Inman, Jamie L Chang, Hang https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7w3830d2 INTRODUCTION: Prior research indicates that social class is strongly associated with academic outcomes such as GPA. However, little work explores the role that social discrimination plays in this relation. This study examined the link between social class discrimination and academic outcomes among high school students. METHOD: Participants were 956 working class adolescents (ages 13-18; 55% boys, 65% Latine) in the western United States. Using latent profile analysis, we identified four patterns of discrimination from five sources (teachers, classmates, friends, other teenagers, and community members). We also assessed socio-emotional academic outcomes (school isolation, impulsivity) and academic self-reported achievement outcomes (GPA, grades). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Two profiles showed high discrimination from either in-school or out-of-school sources, one showed frequent discrimination from all sources, and one reported low levels overall. Adolescents in profiles experiencing... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7w3830d2 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Starr, Christine R Veenendall, Anna P Mello, Zena R https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8218-9801 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4gn4n6rn Despite research consistently showing that social class is associated with academic achievement, there has been limited attention to adolescents’ experiences with social class discrimination and its links to academic achievement. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a cross-sectional study with 1558 adolescents (40.18% cisgender girls; aged 13–18 years, Mage = 16.17). Two measures of social class discrimination were included: an adapted scale and a measure that addressed multiple sources of social class discrimination. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that both measures of social class discrimination were negatively associated with academic achievement, even after controlling for social class. Multiple sources of social class discrimination, including teachers, classmates, teenagers, friends, and community members were associated with academic achievement. Teacher-based social class discrimination had the largest effect. Age and gender moderated these associations... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4gn4n6rn Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Mello, Zena R https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8218-9801 Kakar, Vani Hennigan, Sean M Suri, Adam Abundis-Morales, Manuel Dogru, Busra Espinoza, Jay Michael Garcia, Christopher https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1jk8n94h Adolescents who are disadvantaged in social class are twice as likely to use tobacco than their counterparts. Despite extensive research showing how social class is associated with using tobacco products, there is limited knowledge about the association between the discrimination that adolescents experience because they are disadvantaged in social class and their use of tobacco products. To provide new knowledge, this cross-sectional study examined the association between social class discrimination and tobacco use among 1,678 adolescents at two public high schools in California. Social class discrimination was measured by assessing adolescents' experiences based on their social class. Tobacco use was measured with lifetime and past month use of combustible tobacco and nicotine vaping products, categorized into groups: no use, combustible tobacco use only, nicotine vaping use only, and dual use of combustible tobacco and nicotine vaping products. Multinomial logistic regression... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1jk8n94h Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Mello, Zena R https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8218-9801 Kakar, Vani Jaramillo, Jamie https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1895t0qb Despite widespread research on tobacco use and social class, there have been limited studies examining how social class discrimination relates to tobacco use. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a cross-sectional study with 956 adolescents. Participants were disadvantaged in social class. Tobacco use included lifetime and past month use of combustible tobacco and nicotine vaping. Social class discrimination included multiple sources, such as teachers, classmates, teenagers, friends, and community members. Latent profile analyses revealed four subgroups of adolescents with experiences of social class discrimination: Frequent, Infrequent, Out-of-School, and In-School. Adolescents in the Frequent and Out-of-School subgroups used the most tobacco products, whereas adolescents in the In-School and Infrequent subgroups used the least tobacco products. Race/ethnicity and gender were associated with subgroup membership. Findings highlight the need for social class discrimination... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1895t0qb Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Mello, Zena R https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8218-9801 Starr, Christine R Kakar, Vani Suri, Adam Abundis-Morales, Manuel Dogru, Busra https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0q30c34d Abstract This article introduces a new conceptual model for examining classism among adolescents and families. Classism refers to the discrimination that individuals experience because of their social class. For adolescents, social class refers to their family's social class and includes income, education, occupation, and position in society. Despite extensive research that has shown how social class is associated with adolescent development, there remains a gap in the knowledge about how classism might explain this association. To advance scholarship about classism among adolescents and families, I present a new model. This model integrates theories on (a) classism among adults, (b) discrimination among adolescents, (c) family science, (d) social class, and (e) intersectionality. I include hypotheses about the associations between classism and adolescent developmental outcomes and conclude with directions for future research. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0q30c34d Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Mello, Zena R https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8218-9801 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0fk8t0pf Economic inequality impacts development across the lifespan, influencing access to resources, suitable housing, and quality schooling. However, we lack an understanding of how differences in income shape interpersonal interactions, such as social class discrimination. Adolescence is a key developmental period to examine this construct, given identity formation and cognitive advances. We conducted semi-structured interviews with adolescents ( n = 33; 18 cisgender girls and 15 cisgender boys) and adults ( n = 8; five teachers and three parents; seven cisgender women and one trans-male). Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis, incorporating both structured and reflexive coding. Findings indicated three themes. First, Social Class Discrimination Occurs in a Variety of Ways captured experiences ranging from overt acts to subtle biases. Targets included the adolescent (direct) and via other individuals (indirect). Sources of discrimination were teachers, adolescents, adults... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0fk8t0pf Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Mello, Zena R https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8218-9801 Kakar, Vani Suri, Adam Abundis-Morales, Manuel Dogru, Busra https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3cw3w35x OBJECTIVE: To compare head and neck cancer (HNC) stage at diagnosis and survival outcomes between South Asian, Other Asian, and non-Hispanic white individuals in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective population-based cohort study. SETTING: Data from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Research Plus 17 database. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with squamous HNC from 2006 to 2020 were categorized as South Asian, Other Asian, and non-Hispanic white. Logistic regression assessed the association between race/ethnicity and advanced-stage disease (stage III/IV vs I/II). Overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) outcomes were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression models, respectively. RESULTS: Among 92,664 patients (1066 South Asian, 3260 Other Asian, and 88,338 non-Hispanic white individuals), adjusted logistic regression showed South Asian individuals had a higher risk of advanced stage at diagnosis (odds ratio [OR]... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3cw3w35x Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Huynh, Jeffrey D Halagur, Akash S Polkampally, Srinidhi Moon, Peter K Ma, Yifei Megwalu, Uchechukwu C https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5132-8864 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6cw238ts Background/Objectives: Effective screening for oral cancer (OC) remains challenging. Inaccuracies contribute to delayed diagnosis and poor outcomes. Tobacco-related changes in oral mucosa may compromise the accuracy of oral screening approaches, and, in emerging “smart” screening modalities, they may overshadow the influence of other predictive variables. The objective of this study was to evaluate the screening accuracy of an imaging- and risk factor-based OC screening platform in individuals practicing different types of tobacco usage. Methods: 318 subjects who had previously screened positive for increased OC risk were recruited and sorted into “tobacco smoker”, “tobacco vaper”, “tobacco chewer”, “hookah user”, “multiple tobacco usage”, or “tobacco non-user” groups. Next, demographic information, risk factors, outcome of clinical examination, as well as AFI and pWLI were recorded using a prototype OC screening platform. The OC risk assessment outcome from the OC screening platform... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6cw238ts Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Kanagandram, Elyse Alp, Aksel Takesh, Thair Wink, Cherie Yang, Susan Davis, Amber Hurlbutt, Michelle Block, Jerica Wilder-Smith, Petra https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7580-2409 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/09b6d85w Oral non-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions have similar clinical manifestations, increasing the risk of inaccurate screening decisions that adversely affect oral cancer (OC) outcomes. Tobacco-use-related changes in the oral soft tissues may affect the accuracy of “smart” oral screening modalities. Because smoking is such a strong predictor of OC risk, it may overwhelm the impact of other variables on algorithm performance. The objective was to evaluate the screening accuracy in tobacco users vs. non-users of a previously developed prototype smartphone and machine-learning algorithm-based oral health screening modality. 318 subjects with healthy mucosa or oral lesions were allocated into either a “tobacco smoker” group or a “tobacco non-smoker” group. Next, intraoral autofluorescence (AFI) and polarized white light images (pWLI), risk factors as well as clinical signs and symptoms were recorded using the prototype screening platform. OC risk status as determined by the algorithm... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/09b6d85w Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Yang, Susan Meishan Song, Bofan Wink, Cherie Abouakl, Mary Takesh, Thair Hurlbutt, Michelle Dinica, Dana Davis, Amber Liang, Rongguang Wilder-Smith, Petra https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7580-2409 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7mq7538c INTRODUCTION: Tobacco control policies aim to limit access, reduce initiation, and mitigate tobacco-related harms, particularly among youth. However, the effectiveness of these policies relies on consistent enforcement to ensure widespread compliance and achieve their intended public health impacts. Socioeconomic vulnerability and neighborhood characteristics have been shown to influence retailer compliance, although existing studies often primarily focus on compliance violations instead of inspections. This study uses Los Angeles (LA) County, California to explore the associations between compliance inspections, violations, and neighborhood social vulnerability. METHODS: We identified inspection and violation data from the FDA Tobacco Compliance Check Outcomes database for Los Angeles County, CA (January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023) and linked these data to census tract level data from the 2022 CDC Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). All analyses were conducted at the census-tract... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7mq7538c Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Herrera, Ana L Payán, Denise D https://escholarship.org/uc/item/08k7x5np INTRODUCTION: State and local jurisdictions in the United States (U.S.) are increasingly adopting flavored tobacco sales restrictions (FTSRs) to mitigate tobacco initiation and use. Policy implementation is highly understudied yet can impact policy effectiveness. This review examines existing literature on state and local FTSR policy design and implementation in the U.S. METHODS: We systematically searched for PubMed articles published by 12/31/2024 which were: original research articles in English focused on a U.S. state or local FTSR that reported at least one policy implementation outcome measure. We excluded articles that were systematic reviews or reported on federal or non-FTSR policy. Guided by policy and implementation science frameworks, we developed a data extraction template to report: policy design elements, study characteristics, and implementation measures (i.e., inputs, activities, outcomes). RESULTS: Of 1,595 articles identified, 30 were retained for review. Most... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/08k7x5np Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Payán, Denise D Herrera, Ana L Chan-Golston, Alec M Yacoub, Hannah L Song, Anna V Timberlake, David S https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4450-0862 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7452d8j1 Technological advances over the last decade are changing the face of behavioral neuroscience research. Here we review recent work on the use of one such transformative tool in behavioral neuroscience research, chemogenetics (or Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs, DREADDS). As transformative technologies such as DREADDs are introduced, applied, and refined, their utility in addressing complex questions about behavior and cognition becomes clear and exciting. In the behavioral neuroscience field, remarkable new findings now regularly appear as a result of the ability to monitor and intervene in neural processes with high anatomical precision as animals behave in complex task environments. As these new tools are applied to behavioral questions, individualized procedures for their use find their way into diverse labs. Thus, "tips of the trade" become important for wide dissemination not only for laboratories that are using the tools but also for those who are... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7452d8j1 Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Smith, Kyle S Bucci, David J Luikart, Bryan W Mahler, Stephen V https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8698-0905 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5b2328xc Background and objectivesAdolescent receptivity to tobacco advertising has been linked to increased tobacco initiation in longitudinal studies. However, not all ever users progress to daily use. We examined whether receptivity to tobacco advertising among adolescents was associated with product-specific use, including daily use, as an adult, and whether receptivity to one product had a cross-over effect and predicted use of a different product at follow-up.MethodsIn the US Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, 74.6% of adolescent never-tobacco-users at baseline (2013-14) reported receptivity to tobacco advertising (for cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco) and were surveyed on current tobacco use (every day, some days in past 30 days) an median of 7 years later (n = 7506). Multivariable logistic regression analyses included 8 common covariates.ResultsAt follow-up, 20.1% were current tobacco users (15.4% e-cigarettes) and 8.4% were daily users... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5b2328xc Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Trinidad, Dennis R https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1608-6005 Pierce, John P https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0075-7471 Dang, Brian Strong, David R https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5383-9032 Stone, Matthew D McMenamin, Sara B Khin, Thet Nwe Myo Messer, Karen https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9sb2g751 BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption is associated with numerous negative social and health outcomes. These associations may be direct consequences of drinking, or they may reflect common genetic factors that influence both alcohol consumption and other outcomes. METHODS: We performed exploratory phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS) of three of the best studied protective single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes encoding ethanol metabolising enzymes (ADH1B: rs1229984-T, rs2066702-A; ADH1C: rs698-T) using up to 1109 health outcomes across 28 phenotypic categories (e.g., substance-use, mental health, sleep, immune, cardiovascular, metabolic) from a diverse 23andMe cohort, including European (N&nbsp;≤&nbsp;2,619,939), Latin American (N&nbsp;≤&nbsp;446,646) and African American (N&nbsp;≤&nbsp;146,776) populations to uncover new and perhaps unexpected associations. These SNPs have been consistently implicated by both candidate gene studies and genome-wide association studies... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9sb2g751 Tue, 6 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Jennings, Mariela V Martínez-Magaña, José Jaime Courchesne-Krak, Natasia S Cupertino, Renata B Vilar-Ribó, Laura Bianchi, Sevim B Hatoum, Alexander S Atkinson, Elizabeth G Giusti-Rodriguez, Paola Montalvo-Ortiz, Janitza L Gelernter, Joel Artigas, María Soler 23andMe, Inc Research Team Aslibekyan, Stella Auton, Adam Babalola, Elizabeth Bell, Robert K Bielenberg, Jessica Bryc, Katarzyna Bullis, Emily Coker, Daniella Partida, Gabriel Cuellar Dhamija, Devika Das, Sayantan Elson, Sarah L Eriksson, Nicholas Filshtein, Teresa Fitch, Alison Fletez-Brant, Kipper Fontanillas, Pierre Freyman, Will Granka, Julie M Heilbron, Karl Hernandez, Alejandro Hicks, Barry Hinds, David A Jewett, Ethan M Jiang, Yunxuan Kukar, Katelyn Kwong, Alan Lin, Keng-Han Llamas, Bianca A Lowe, Maya McCreight, Jey C McIntyre, Matthew H Micheletti, Steven J Moreno, Meghan E Nandakumar, Priyanka Nguyen, Dominique T Noblin, Elizabeth S O'Connell, Jared Petrakovitz, Aaron A Poznik, G David Reynoso, Alexandra Schumacher, Morgan Shastri, Anjali J Shelton, Janie F Shi, Jingchunzi Shringarpure, Suyash Su, Qiaojuan Jane Tat, Susana A Tchakouté, Christophe Toukam Tran, Vinh Tung, Joyce Y Wang, Xin Wang, Wei Weldon, Catherine H Wilton, Peter Wong, Corinna D Elson, Sarah L Edenberg, Howard J Fontanillas, Pierre Palmer, Abraham A Sanchez-Roige, Sandra https://escholarship.org/uc/item/20v9s33w Background Sex differences in alcohol use-related behaviors are well established: males typically engage in heavier drinking and exhibit externalizing behaviors, while females transition more rapidly to dependence and present more internalizing symptoms. However, the underlying biological mechanisms that underpin these differences remain relatively unknown. Methods We investigated the sex-specific genetic architecture across a spectrum of alcohol use phenotypes by leveraging published sex-stratified genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for 10 alcohol use behaviors from UK Biobank, problematic alcohol use (PAU), and a new sex-stratified GWAS of Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) total (N = 40,335 - 613,148). We calculated genetic correlations (rg) with 120 alcohol-related traits (e.g., externalizing, internalizing and socioeconomic traits), and estimated polygenic scores (PGS) associations with ∼1,817 medical comorbidities via phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS)... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/20v9s33w Tue, 6 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Ribó, Laura Vilar Jennings, Mariela Sallah, Aisha Jinwala, Zeal Thorpe, Hayley HA Courchesne-Krak, Natasia Hatoum, Alexander Niarchou, Maria Davis, Lea Zhou, Hang Mallard, Travis Palmer, Abraham Savage, Jeanne Kember, Rachel Sanchez-Roige, Sandra https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0qw0z03r Background Adolescent nicotine and cannabis use pose major public health risks, increasing vulnerability to long-term mental and physical health issues, including substance use disorders (SUD). Externalizing (EXT) refers to heritable traits and disorders characterized by impulsivity and behavioral disinhibition, including SUD. This study tests whether polygenic scores (PGS) for EXT predict early onset and increased likelihood of smoking behaviors during adolescence across diverse ancestry groups. Methods We analyzed youth- and parent-reported data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (Release 5.1; N=10,977). Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models assessed associations between EXT PGS and the onset of nicotine and cannabis use from ages 9–10 (baseline) through 14–15 years (year 3 follow-up; N=9,574). Models adjusted for key sociodemographic and prenatal confounders. Analyses were stratified by genetic ancestry: European (EUR;... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0qw0z03r Tue, 6 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Courchesne-Krak, Natasia Johnson, Kate Meredith, John Williams, Camille Poore, Holly Choi, Maia Aliev, Fazil Brislin, Sarah Barr, Peter Linnér, Richard Karlsson Harden, K Paige Palmer, Abraham Dick, Danielle Mallard, Travis Sanchez-Roige, Sandra https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7149410d Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) are carcinogenic compounds that can form during chemical aging of thirdhand smoke (THS) on indoor surfaces, increasing health risks over time for smokers and nonsmokers. This study presents a sensitive and effective method for detecting and quantifying nicotine and TSNAs from THS on various indoor surfaces using protonated ethanol-based thermal desorption chemical ionization mass spectrometry (TD-CIMS). This analytical method demonstrates a detection limit on the order of 10 pg for nicotine and TSNAs. Three common TSNAs in textile samples from laboratory chamber experiments and smokers’ homes are successfully identified and quantified, including N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), and 4-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-4-(3-pyridyl)­butanal (NNA). The results show that textile indoor surfaces can retain up to 58 mg m–2 nicotine and 11.7 mg m–2 TSNAs long after tobacco use has ceased. We also report that... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7149410d Sat, 3 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Zhang, Wen Tang, Xiaochen https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4168-9871 Liu, Xiaoyang Leong, Timothy Destaillats, Hugo Zhang, Haofei https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7936-4493 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6x49c6mh INTRODUCTION: Smoking-concordant, same-sex couples face multilevel contextual challenges in their cessation attempts. Cross-sectional studies have documented positive association between perceived discrimination (PD) and smoking to explain the differences between heterosexual/cisgender and LGBTQ&nbsp;+&nbsp;groups. However, acute effects of PD or intersectional PD on cessation outcomes are rarely studied, especially in the context of romantic couples who share concordant smoking status. In this study, we focused on cessation-related outcomes among same-sex/same-gender, smoking concordant couples during an unaided quit attempt and examined the acute and vicarious effects of PD and intersectional PD captured via 4-week daily assessments. METHODS: In 2021-2023, same-sex/same-gender couples (N&nbsp;=&nbsp;103 dyads, aged 21-68, 48.5&nbsp;% female couples) responded to daily assessments on smartphone at the end of the day during a 4-week smoking quit attempt. Participants reported... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6x49c6mh Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Huh, Jimi Schuler, Lucy Lee, Ryan Pang, Raina D Kirkpatrick, Matthew https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5gx8p7kc Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed cancer therapy; however, their efficacy remains limited in certain tumor subtypes, including those deficient in methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP). MTAP-deficient cancers are characterized by immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments (TMEs) and poor T cell infiltration, as suggested by large-scale transcriptomic analyses. Yet, the underlying mechanisms and therapeutic vulnerabilities remain poorly defined. Methods: We employed murine tumor models and transcriptomic profiling to investigate the immunosuppressive features of MTAP-deficient tumors. To identify actionable vulnerabilities, we conducted a high-throughput screen using the LOPAC1280 compound library. Functional assays were performed to evaluate the effects of candidate compounds on tumor growth and immune signaling. Results: MTAP-deficient tumors exhibited significantly reduced CD45+ immune cell infiltration and resistance to ICI therapy. Transcriptomic... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5gx8p7kc Fri, 5 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Chang, Wen-Hsin Zhang, Jun Hong, Qi-Sheng Chen, Ching-Hsien https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4211-9988 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7x83x8vx Somatic genome editing in mouse models has increased our understanding of the in vivo effects of genetic alterations. However, existing models have a limited ability to create multiple targeted edits, hindering our understanding of complex genetic interactions. Here we generate transgenic mice with Cre-regulated and constitutive expression of enhanced Acidaminococcus sp. Cas12a (enAsCas12a), which robustly generates compound genotypes, including diverse cancers driven by inactivation of trios of tumour suppressor genes or an oncogenic translocation. We integrate these modular CRISPR RNA (crRNA) arrays with clonal barcoding to quantify the size and number of tumours with each array, as well as the impact of varying the guide number and position within a four-guide array. Finally, we generate tumours with inactivation of all combinations of nine tumour suppressor genes and find that the fitness of triple-knockout genotypes is largely explainable by one- and two-gene effects. These... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7x83x8vx Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Hebert, Jess D https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8778-5941 Xu, Haiqing https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9124-3192 Tang, Yuning J Ruiz, Paloma A Detrick, Colin R Wang, Jing Hughes, Nicholas W Donosa, Oscar Siah, Vicky P Andrejka, Laura Karmakar, Saswati Aboiralor, Irenosen Tang, Rui Sotillo, Rocio Sage, Julien https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8928-9968 Cong, Le Petrov, Dmitri A Winslow, Monte M https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6fh708bw Epigenomic dysregulation is widespread in cancer. However, the specific epigenomic regulators and the processes they control to drive cancer phenotypes are poorly understood. We used a novel high-throughput in vivo method to perform iterative functional screens of &gt;250 epigenomic regulators within autochthonous oncogenic Kras-driven lung tumors. We identified many previously unappreciated epigenomic tumor suppressor and tumor dependency genes. We show that a specific HBO1 complex and MLL1 complex are robust tumor suppressors in lung adenocarcinoma. Histone modifications generated by the HBO1 complex are frequently reduced in human lung adenocarcinomas and are associated with worse clinical features. HBO1 and MLL1 complexes co-occupy shared genomic regions, affect chromatin accessibility, and control the expression of canonical tumor suppressor genes and lineage fidelity. The HBO1 complex is epistatic with the MLL1 complex and other tumor suppressor genes in lung adenocarcinoma... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6fh708bw Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Tang, Yuning J Xu, Haiqing https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9124-3192 Hughes, Nicholas W Ruiz, Paloma Kim, Samuel H Shuldiner, Emily G https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5018-0500 Lopez, Steven S Hebert, Jess D https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8778-5941 Karmakar, Saswati Andrejka, Laura Dolcen, Deniz Nesli Boross, Gabor Chu, Pauline Kunder, Christian A Detrick, Colin Pierce, Sarah E Ashkin, Emily L Greenleaf, William J Voss, Anne K Thomas, Tim van de Rijn, Matt Petrov, Dmitri A Winslow, Monte M https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5279r7j9 Most cancers are diagnosed in people over 60 years of age, but little is known about how age impacts tumorigenesis. While aging is accompanied by mutation accumulation (widely understood to contribute to cancer risk) it is associated with numerous other cellular and molecular changes likely to impact tumorigenesis. Moreover, cancer incidence decreases in the oldest part of the population, suggesting that very old age may reduce carcinogenesis. Here we show that aging represses oncogenic KRAS-driven tumor initiation and growth in genetically engineered mouse models of human lung cancer. Moreover, aging dampens the impact of inactivating many tumor suppressor genes with the impact of inactivating PTEN, a negative regulator of the PI3K–AKT pathway, weakened disproportionately. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis revealed that neoplastic cells in aged mice retain age-related transcriptomic changes, showing that the impact of age persists through oncogenic transformation. Furthermore,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5279r7j9 Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Shuldiner, Emily G Karmakar, Saswati Tsai, Min K Hebert, Jess D https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8778-5941 Tang, Yuning J Andrejka, Laura Robertson, Maggie R Wang, Minwei Detrick, Colin R Cai, Hongchen Tang, Rui Kunder, Christian A Feldser, David M Petrov, Dmitri A https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3664-9130 Winslow, Monte M https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1z53c1hw BACKGROUND: Children may be involuntarily exposed to chemical residue from thirdhand tobacco smoke (THS) in environments where tobacco has previously been used. Factors contributing to this exposure among children of nonsmokers with no known secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure are currently unknown. OBJECTIVE: To understand the contribution of THS residue to the overall tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) among children of nonsmokers and smokers. METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational cohort study of parents and their children (≤11 years; N=1013) at a children's hospital in the US. Hand nicotine (HN) and saliva cotinine (SC) were markers of THS pollution and TSE, respectively. Children were considered protected from tobacco smoke if there were no household smokers or vapers, strict household smoking bans, and no SHS exposure during the past week. Cluster-adjusted regression models were used to test hypotheses about HN and SC levels. RESULTS: Overall, 94.5% and 98.9% of protected... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1z53c1hw Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Mahabee-Gittens, E Melinda Merianos, Ashley L Lopez-Galvez, Nicolas Quintana, Penelope JE https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0318-3714 Hoh, Eunha Dodder, Nathan G Stone, Lara Wullenweber, Chase A Matt, Georg E https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5604-4609 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1wk6m02r The treatment of non-small cell lung cancer has made major strides with the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors; however, there remains a significant need for therapies that can overcome immunotherapy resistance. Dendritic cell (DC) vaccines have been proposed as a therapy that can potentially enhance the antitumor immune response. We have embarked on a phase I clinical trial of a vaccine consisting of monocyte-derived DCs (moDC) modified to express the chemokine C-C motif chemokine ligand 21 (CCL21-DC) given in combination with pembrolizumab. In this study, we report a comprehensive characterization of this CCL21-DC vaccine and interrogate the effects of multiple factors in the manufacturing process. We show that the cellular makeup of the CCL21-DC vaccine is heterogeneous because of the presence of passenger lymphocytes at a proportion that is highly variable among patients. Single-cell RNA sequencing of vaccines revealed further heterogeneity within the moDC compartment, with... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1wk6m02r Sun, 9 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Oh, Michael S Dumitras, Camelia Salehi-Rad, Ramin Tran, Linh M Krysan, Kostyantyn https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0250-1346 Lim, Raymond J Jing, Zhe Tappuni, Shahed Lisberg, Aaron Garon, Edward B Dubinett, Steven M Liu, Bin https://escholarship.org/uc/item/39s2d1w5 <b>Introduction:</b> Smoking is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for excess morbidity and mortality in adults with serious mental illness (SMI). Many smokers with SMI are reportedly motivated to quit, however success rates among these smokers remain low and evidence-based treatment targeting this vulnerable group is limited. The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a qualitative inquiry of participants. <b>Methods:</b> We conducted a pilot two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) targeting adults with SMI. Our smoking cessation intervention included: (a) group-based physical activity (PA) game intervention (50&nbsp;minutes, 3X/week for 12&nbsp;weeks), (b) pharmacotherapy (bupropion or nicotine replacement therapy), and (c) smoking cessation counseling. Upon completion of the program, participants in the active and control groups completed a qualitative semi-structured interview in order to determine how the program impacted their smoking cessation.... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/39s2d1w5 Fri, 7 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Leutwyler, Heather https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2823-1823 Hubbard, Erin Humfleet, Gary Souza, Richard Balestra, Dennys Wallhagen, Margaret https://escholarship.org/uc/item/73s0b51w Metformin administration has recently emerged as a candidate strategy for the prevention of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, the intricate relationship between genetic alterations in HNSCC and metformin sensitivity is still poorly understood, which prevents the stratification of patients, harboring oral premalignant lesions that may benefit from the chemopreventive activity of metformin. In this study, we investigate the impact of prevalent mutations in HNSCC on response to metformin. Notably, we found that the expression of oncogenic HRAS mutants confers resistance to metformin in isogenic HNSCC cell systems, and that HNSCC cells harboring endogenous HRAS mutations display limited sensitivity to metformin. Remarkably, we found that metformin fails to reduce activation of the mTOR pathway in HRAS oncogene-expressing HNSCC cells in vitro and in vivo, correlating with reduced tumor suppressive activity. Mechanistically, we found that this process depends on... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/73s0b51w Mon, 3 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Wu, Xingyu Adame-Garcia, Sendi Rafael Koshizuka, Keiichi Vo, Pham Thuy Tien Hoang, Thomas S Sato, Kuniaki https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6014-1911 Izumi, Hiroki Goto, Yusuke Allevato, Michael M Wood, Kris C Lippman, Scott M Gutkind, Jorge Silvio https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5150-4482 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/33j9m098 INTRODUCTION: Cigarettes and cannabis are commonly co-used, but little research has examined how cannabis use relates to cigarette price responsiveness. This study compares the price elasticity of cigarette demand between U.S. adults who currently use cannabis and those who do not. METHODS: We analyzed cross-sectional data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2004-2019; annual mean unweighted n = 50 000 adults aged 18+). A two-part econometric model of cigarette demand was estimated separately for adults who currently use cannabis and those who do not, including a multivariable logistic regression for smoking participation and a multivariable linear regression for smoking intensity. RESULTS: From 2004 to 2019, smoking prevalence declined from 24.5% to 16.6%, while cannabis use increased from 5.8% to 11.6%, and co-use rose from 3.6% to 4.5%. Among cannabis users, price elasticity was statistically significant at -0.20 for smoking participation, -0.27 for smoking intensity,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/33j9m098 Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Yao, Tingting Sung, Hai-Yen https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5563-7477 Chu, Lela Spetz, Joanne https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3112-5511 Max, Wendy https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9mt638hs BACKGROUND: Adolescent tobacco and nicotine use is a major public health concern, with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ+) adolescents showing disproportionately high use compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Research suggests factors such as socialization, stress, mood, and craving exacerbate tobacco and nicotine use. However, there is a dearth of knowledge of how these factors influence tobacco, nicotine, and cannabis use among LGBTQ+ adolescents in general and particularly on a momentary basis. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to use ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to assess real-time predictors of tobacco, nicotine, and cannabis product use among LGBTQ+ adolescents. METHODS: The Puff Break protocol was adapted from existing EMA protocols, key informant recommendations, LGBTQ+ adolescent perspectives, and insights from community members. Recruitment occurred through multiple channels, with high recruitment... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9mt638hs Tue, 28 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Salgin, Linda Kellogg, Daniel Helm, Jonathan Blashill, Aaron J Myers, Mark https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4044-2914 Jun, Hee-Jin Lim, Andy C Calzo, Jerel P https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4vw80369 Little is known about how various housing situations among adolescents may be associated with differential patterns of smoking and vaping-information with practical relevance for tobacco prevention and control efforts. We analyzed disparities by housing status in past 30-day smoking, vaping, and dual use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes/vape products among adolescents participating in the population-based California Healthy Kids Survey (N&nbsp;=&nbsp;931,355; 2017-2019). Generalized linear mixed models for a categorical outcome quantified differences in prevalence and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of smoking only, vaping only, and dual use among adolescents in various housing situations relative to their peers living in a home with one or more parents/guardians or other relatives. Our findings suggest adolescents living in a friend's home; adolescents living in a hotel, motel, shelter, car, campground, or other transitional or temporary housing; and adolescents living in a foster... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4vw80369 Tue, 28 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Felner, Jennifer K https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9915-4637 Calzo, Jerel P https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9v23835d Motivation: Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) released by dying cells from damaged or diseased tissues can lead to elevated tissue-specific DNA, which is traceable and quantifiable through unique DNA methylation patterns. Therefore, tracing cfDNA origins by analyzing its methylation profiles holds great potential for detecting and monitoring a range of diseases, including cancers. However, deconvolving tissue-specific cfDNA remains challenging for broader applications and research due to the scarcity of specialized, user-friendly bioinformatics tools. Results: To address this, we developed cfTools, an R package that streamlines cfDNA tissue-of-origin analysis for disease detection and monitoring. Integrating advanced cfDNA tissue deconvolution algorithms with R/Bioconductor compatibility, cfTools offers data preparation and analysis functions with flexible parameters for user-friendliness. By identifying abnormal cfDNA compositions, cfTools can infer the presence of underlying pathological... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9v23835d Mon, 27 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Hu, Ran Li, Shuo Stackpole, Mary L Li, Qingjiao Zhou, Xianghong Jasmine Li, Wenyuan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9gz4q08t Contact with dense collagen I (Col1) can induce collective invasion of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and transcriptional signatures linked to poor patient prognosis. However, this response is heterogeneous and not well understood. Using phenotype-guided sequencing analysis of invasive vs. noninvasive subpopulations, we show that these two phenotypes represent opposite sides of the iron response protein 1 (IRP1)-mediated response to cytoplasmic labile iron pool (cLIP) levels. Invasive cells upregulate iron uptake and utilization machinery characteristic of a low cLIP response, which includes contractility regulating genes that drive migration. Non-invasive cells upregulate iron sequestration machinery characteristic of a high cLIP response, which is accompanied by upregulation of actin sequestration genes. These divergent IRP1 responses result from Col1-induced transient expression of heme oxygenase I (HO-1), which cleaves heme and releases iron. These findings lend... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9gz4q08t Fri, 24 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Leineweber, William D Rowell, Maya Z Ranamukhaarachchi, Sural K Walker, Alyssa Li, Yajuan Villazon, Jorge Mestre-Farrera, Aida Hu, Zhimin Yang, Jing Shi, Lingyan Fraley, Stephanie I https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0f72p8rw The protein kinase C (PKC) family of serine and threonine kinases, consisting of three distinctly regulated subfamilies, has been established as critical for various cellular functions. However, how PKC enzymes are regulated at different subcellular locations, particularly at emerging signaling hubs, is unclear. Here we present a sensitive excitation ratiometric C kinase activity reporter (ExRai-CKAR2) that enables the detection of minute changes (equivalent to 0.2% of maximum stimulation) in subcellular PKC activity. Using ExRai-CKAR2 with an enhanced diacylglycerol (DAG) biosensor, we uncover that G-protein-coupled receptor stimulation triggers sustained PKC activity at the endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomes, differentially mediated by Ca2+-sensitive conventional PKC and DAG-sensitive novel PKC, respectively. The high sensitivity of ExRai-CKAR2, targeted to either the cytosol or partitioning defective complexes, further enabled us to detect previously inaccessible endogenous... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0f72p8rw Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Su, Qi Zhang, Jing Lin, Wei Zhang, Jin-Fan Newton, Alexandra C Mehta, Sohum https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4764-8579 Yang, Jing Zhang, Jin https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8737x5zf Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted by cells under various conditions and can contribute to the disease progression in tissues. Here, we present a protocol to separate small and large EVs from mouse hearts and cardiac tissues collected from patients. We describe steps for utilizing enzymatic digestion for release of EVs from interstitial space followed by differential centrifugation and immunoaffinity purification. The isolated EVs can be used for various experiments to gain insight into their in&nbsp;vivo functions. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Liang et&nbsp;al. (2023).¹. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8737x5zf Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Liang, Wenjing Najor, Rita H Gustafsson, Åsa B https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1676z83d Mitochondria are multifunctional organelles that are important for many different cellular processes, including energy production and biosynthesis of fatty acids, haem and iron–sulfur clusters. Mitochondrial dysfunction leads to a disruption in these processes, the generation of excessive reactive oxygen species, and the activation of inflammatory and cell death pathways. The consequences of mitochondrial dysfunction are particularly harmful in energy-demanding organs such as the heart. Loss of terminally differentiated cardiomyocytes leads to cardiac remodelling and a reduced ability to sustain contraction. Therefore, cardiomyocytes rely on multilayered mitochondrial quality control mechanisms to maintain a healthy population of mitochondria. Mitochondrial chaperones protect against protein misfolding and aggregation, and resident proteases eliminate damaged proteins through proteolysis. Irreparably damaged mitochondria can also be degraded through mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy)... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1676z83d Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Ravindran, Rishith Gustafsson, Åsa B https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9hq7420c Sugars are naturally present in tobacco plants and are introduced as additives during the manufacturing of various tobacco- and nicotine-containing products. Product palatability and appeal are the primary reasons for manufacturers’ attention to the sugar content in tobacco and nicotine products. However, because of the complex chemistry of sugars and their thermal decomposition, these versatile constituents are also contributing to the toxicity profile of tobacco and nicotine products. Using published empirical data, this non-systematic review summarizes the state of knowledge on the toxicologically relevant chemical transformations of sugars and artificial sweeteners in tobacco and nicotine products, including waterpipe tobacco, combustible and electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and smokeless tobacco, and available research on the associated health effects of sugar-derived toxicants. Implications of sugar and sweetener content for abuse liability of various tobacco... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9hq7420c Thu, 25 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Stepanov, Irina Berman, Micah Brinkman, Marielle C. Carll, Alex Exil, Vernat Hansen, Eleanore G. El Hellani, Ahmad Jabba, Sairam V. Kassem, Nada F. Rezk-Hanna, Mary Talhout, Reinskje Stroup, Andrea M. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6jg6w4cp AbstractWaterpipe tobacco (WPT) smoking is a public health concern, particularly among youth and young adults. The global spread of WPT use has surged because the introduction of pre-packaged flavored and sweetened WPT, which is widely marketed as a safer tobacco alternative. Besides flavorants and sugars, WPT additives include humectants, which enhance the moisture and sweetness of WPT, act as solvents for flavors, and impart smoothness to the smoke, thus increasing appeal to users. In the United States, unlike cigarette tobacco flavoring (with the exception of menthol), there is no FDA product standard or policy in place prohibiting sales of flavored WPT. Research has shown that the numerous fruit, candy, and alcohol flavors added to WPT entice individuals to experience those flavors, putting them at an increased risk of exposure to WPT smoke-related toxicants. Additionally, burning charcoal briquettes—used as a heating source for WPT—contributes to the harmful health effects... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6jg6w4cp Thu, 25 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Kassem, Nada F Strongin, Robert M Stroup, Andrea M Brinkman, Marielle C El-Hellani, Ahmad Erythropel, Hanno C Etemadi, Arash Goniewicz, Maciej L Hansen, Eleanore G Kassem, Noura O Li, Dongmei Liles, Sandy Noël, Alexandra Rezk-Hanna, Mary Wang, Qixin Rahman, Irfan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/39x0v3hs AbstractSome firms and marketers of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes; a type of electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS)) and refill liquids (e-liquids) have made claims about the safety of ingredients used in their products based on the term “GRAS or Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS). However, GRAS is a provision within the definition of a food additive under section 201(s) (21 U.S.C. 321(s)) of the U.S. Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&amp;C Act). Food additives and GRAS substances are by the FD&amp;C Act definition intended for use in food, thus safety is based on oral consumption; the term GRAS cannot serve as an indicator of the toxicity of e-cigarette ingredients when aerosolized and inhaled (ie, vaped). There is no legal or scientific support for labeling e-cigarette product ingredients as “GRAS.” This review discusses our concerns with the GRAS provision being applied to e-cigarette products and provides examples of chemical compounds that have been used... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/39x0v3hs Thu, 25 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Kassem, Nada F Strongin, Robert M Stroup, Andrea M Brinkman, Marielle C El-Hellani, Ahmad Erythropel, Hanno C Etemadi, Arash Exil, Vernat Goniewicz, Maciej L Kassem, Noura O Klupinski, Theodore P Liles, Sandy Muthumalage, Thivanka Noël, Alexandra Peyton, David H Wang, Qixin Rahman, Irfan Valerio, Luis G https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0j74v98t Repurposing flavopiridol as an inhaled therapeutic for pulmonary fibrosis https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0j74v98t Thu, 25 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Chen, Ching-Hsien https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4211-9988 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/05g7x9hj BACKGROUND: Smoking is a well-established risk factor for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). However, the molecular pathways underlying this relationship remain poorly understood. This study aimed to identify circulating protein mediators that may explain the association between smoking and AAA. METHODS: We conducted a network Mendelian randomization study using summary-level data from the largest available genome-wide association studies. Our primary smoking exposure was the lifetime smoking index, with smoking initiation and cigarettes per day included as supplementary traits. The AAA data set comprised 39 221 cases and 1 086 107 controls. Protein data were sourced from 2 large cohorts: UKB-PPP (the UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project), where proteins were measured using the Olink platform in 54 219 individuals, and deCODE, where proteins were measured using the SomaScan platform in 35 559 individuals. Two-sample Mendelian randomization was used to estimate the association between... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/05g7x9hj Thu, 25 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Yuan, Shuai Khodursky, Samuel Geng, Jiawei Sharma, Pranav Spin, Joshua M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4256-9161 Tsao, Philip S Levin, Michael G Damrauer, Scott M https://escholarship.org/uc/item/70x528xg OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and quantify the mediation effects of neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES), insurance status, and quality of care on racial disparities in HNC survival. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of data from the California Cancer Registry dataset linked with discharge records and hospital characteristics from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information. The study cohort included adult patients with HNC diagnosed between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2019. Mediators included insurance status, SES, hospital quality, and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline-compliant care. RESULTS: Black patients (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.05-1.24) had worse OS compared with White patients after adjusting for demographic, clinical, and treatment factors. SES accounted for 49.0% (95% CI 13.1%-84.8%) of the disparity. Health insurance (commercial: 21.9% (95% CI 12.3%-38.4%), Medicaid: 19.7% (95% CI 10.1%-45.4%)), hospital quality (high-quality:... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/70x528xg Wed, 17 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Megwalu, Uchechukwu C https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5132-8864 Ma, Yifei Divi, Vasu Tian, Lu https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4tc6k14c INTRODUCTION: High prevalence of commercial tobacco product (CTP) use among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth is a public health crisis. A multi-level Tribal-community-based participatory research project under Tribal public health authority implemented a retailer-focused intervention to reduce AI/AN youth CTP use. AIMS AND METHODS: We sought resolutions in support of a retailer-focused CTP intervention from Tribal Nations organized by a Tribally directed research program. We identified tobacco retail outlets operating on and within five miles of nine Tribal reservations, and CTP products sold at these outlets. We conducted a four-wave Reward and Reminder intervention with apparent minor buyers. Clerks who complied with the law received a modest reward and commendation in social media posts to the local Tribal communities, while clerks who sold without age verification were reminded of the laws. RESULTS: Of 18 retail outlets selling CTP, eight sold e-cigarettes,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4tc6k14c Tue, 26 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Kornacki, Chase Rodriguez, Joseph Rodriguez, Justin Calac, Alec J Calac, Daniel Lee, Juliet P Moore, Roland S https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1072-2755 Brucks, Lisa Jacques, Isabella Yang, Maxine Almodovar, Veronica Berber, Samantha-Starr https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4pd3d55h American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth have the highest commercial tobacco smoking rate of any group in the United States. Unified by the aim to reduce AI/AN youth commercial tobacco use, six separately funded tobacco prevention programs serving Southern California tribes formed the Southern California Tribal Tobacco Coalition (SCTTC). Since joining forces, the SCTTC has hosted various activities and events that encourage community involvement, youth leadership, and commitment to tradition. The SCTTC's pinnacle event, the annual Inter-Tribal Tobacco Prevention Youth Summit, is an inspiring example of the organization's collaborative efforts, as it features youth- and elder-led activities and presentations by local tribal members. These community events have grown in participation from year to year and are widely supported by the surrounding AI/AN communities. This paper includes narratives from several coalition members, including youth activity organizers, that showcase... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4pd3d55h Tue, 26 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Kornacki, Chase Rodriguez, Justin Rodriguez, Joseph Hurtado, Anthony Lee, Juliet P Moore, Roland S https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1072-2755 Brucks, Lisa Geisler, Jennifer Boyle, Valerie Martinez, Diana Admire, Ami Hanson, Monah Reif, Rachel Nielson, Michelle Henry-Walford, Camille Calac, Daniel J https://escholarship.org/uc/item/81g337g1 BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: California's Central Valley has high rates of tobacco product use and low rates of access to primary care providers. In 2016, California sought to increase access to cessation treatment by allowing pharmacists to prescribe nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). We sought to identify the extent to which this prescribing authority has been integrated into practice. METHODS: From December 2023 to May 2024, we surveyed adult California participants (n = 271) who smoke about their smoking patterns, perceptions towards NRT, experiences with receiving tobacco cessation resources in pharmacies. Participants were recruited via email and in person. We analyzed participants' smoking and quitting history, perceptions of NRT, and experiences with tobacco cessation, comparing residents of California's Central Valley (n = 52) to other regions of the state (n = 219). RESULTS: Smoking rates were comparable for respondents in the Central Valley and those residing in other... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/81g337g1 Tue, 19 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Schneider, Sara Durazo, Arturo Rodriguez, Sarina https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9981-7768 Chan-Golston, Alec M Wakefield, Tanner Halliday, Deanna M Tracy, Darrin Song, Anna V https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1874-3326 Apollonio, Dorie E https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4694-0826 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/58v6t02h Clearing the Air: Conflicts of Interest and the Tobacco Industry’s Impact on Indigenous Peoples https://escholarship.org/uc/item/58v6t02h Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Maddox, Raglan Kennedy, Michelle Waa, Andrew Drummond, Ali Hardy, Billie-Jo Soto, Claradina Tautolo, El-Shadan Colonna, Emily Gifford, Heather Clark, Hershel Lee, Juliet P Henderson, Patricia Nez Upton, Penney Bradbrook, Shane Kawenata Wells, Shavaun Martinez, Sydney A Calma, Tom https://escholarship.org/uc/item/42k3h4rp Ethical publishing practices are vital to tobacco control research practice, particularly research involving Indigenous (<i>Indigenous peoples</i>: For the purposes of this Special Communication, we use the term Indigenous people(s) to include self-identified individuals and communities who frequently have historical continuity with precolonial/presettler societies; are strongly linked to the land on which they or their societies reside; and often maintain their own distinct language(s), belief and social-political systems, economies and sciences. The authors humbly acknowledge, respect and value that Indigenous peoples are diverse and constitute many nations, cultures and language groups. Many Indigenous peoples also exist as governments in treaty relations with settler-colonial societies, and all Indigenous peoples have inherent rights under international law. The language and terminology used should reflect the local context(s) and could include, but are not limited to, terms... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/42k3h4rp Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Maddox, Raglan Drummond, Ali Kennedy, Michelle Martinez, Sydney A Waa, Andrew Henderson, Patricia Nez Clark, Hershel Upton, Penney Lee, Juliet P Hardy, Billie-Jo Tautolo, El-Shadan Bradbrook, Shane Calma, Tom Whop, Lisa J https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3v7979km Arab Americans are at risk for disproportionately high use of commercial tobacco products, including among women, for whom waterpipe (shisha) smoking is increasingly normative. Culturally- and gender-responsive interventions, however, are scarce. We developed and tested Commit to Quit (CtQ), a novel community-driven tobacco intervention designed for Arab American women in Northern California. The program mobilized Arab American community women to support tobacco cessation and prevention within their community. Immigrant Arab American women participated in biweekly virtual sessions conducted in Arabicto learn about tobacco risks, cultural smoking norms, and prevention and cessation strategies and then support friends and relatives to quit through a peer-to-peer brief intervention. Pre- and post-program assessments measured changes in tobacco use behaviors, self-efficacy, and community engagement. Compared to a comparison group (n = 190), CtQ participants (n = 28) were significantly... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3v7979km Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Salam, Lina Lee, Juliet Abdelhalim, Gamila Paschall, Mallie J Inoue-Terris, Vera Mohrez, Hanan Alnahari, Sarah https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2993445f Over the last 75 years, we have learned that commercial tobacco use causes widespread disease and death. However, the commercial Tobacco and Nicotine Industry continues to promote, market, and sell tobacco and nicotine products to protect and expand profit. This reflects their legal obligation to act in shareholders' best interests. While the Tobacco and Nicotine Industry heavily promotes alternative products such as electronic cigarettes and nicotine pouches, for now, these represent a relatively small share of profits compared with combustible cigarette sales. The continued reliance on and expansion of these markets generates addiction, dependence, and a range of harms. These actions represent a modern manifestation of colonization-reproducing control and exploitation that affects people at all levels, particularly Indigenous peoples, whose lands, knowledges, and well-being have long been commodified and targeted. The Tobacco and Nicotine Industry and their collaborators employ... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2993445f Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Maddox, Raglan Heris, Christina Waa, Andrew Teddy, Lani Upton, Penney Henderson, Patricia Nez Kornacki, Chase Rodriguez, Joseph Lee, Juliet Tautolo, El-Shadan Martinez, Sydney A Bradbrook, Shane Kawenata Kennedy, Michelle https://escholarship.org/uc/item/30g0n932 Emissions from cannabis vaping degrade indoor air quality and expose non-users to secondhand pollutants. We investigated how the vaping mixture composition affects indoor aerosol characteristics and exposures. Simulated cannabis vaping aerosol was produced by flash evaporation in a 20 m³ chamber of mixtures containing terpenoids, cannabinoids, cannabis extract constituents, and the adulterant vitamin E acetate (VEA). Aerosol time- and size-resolved concentrations (8 nm-2.5 μm at 1 Hz) were measured, and a dosimetry model was used to evaluate the intake of secondhand aerosols. The results showed peak particle number (PN) concentrations between 0.7 × 10⁶ and 13 × 10⁶ cm^-3 and peak mass concentration (PM_1.0) between 65 and 1191 μg m^-3 at <i>t</i> = 5 min after emission. Concentrations decreased to 21-57% of peak PN and 33-69% of peak PM_1.0 at <i>t</i> = 60 min. The PM_1.0 yield was 0.06 for a terpenoid-only... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/30g0n932 Mon, 28 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Tang, Xiaochen https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4168-9871 Rapp, Vi H Chen, Sharon Russell, Marion L https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7723-6746 Destaillats, Hugo https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7t30h3wr Purpose of ReviewNicotine addiction is the result of repeated tobacco use and subsequently promotes continued consumption, potentially acting as both cause and consequence of tobacco use. This scoping review aims to describe the literature and catalogue existing measures regarding perceptions of nicotine addiction with special attention to scales that recognize its multidimensionality.Recent FindingsFollowing a comprehensive review of 923 empirical articles, we found 252 articles that assessed perceptions of nicotine addiction, five of which utilized a validated measure. Single item assessments were categorized into affective concern, knowledge that tobacco is addictive, personal perceptions of addiction, other people’s addiction, and comparative addictiveness. Scaled measures of perceptions of nicotine addiction largely assessed perceived susceptibility and severity.SummaryDespite decades of research demonstrating the importance of perceptions of risk and expectancies in risk-behavior... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7t30h3wr Fri, 18 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Temourian, Allison A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3994-6648 Halliday, Deanna M Song, Anna V https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1874-3326 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/58z3c6m0 Background: Concurrent use of cigarettes with e-cigarette or cannabis (co-use) is common. It is unclear whether people who want to quit smoking cigarettes would also be interested in quitting using e-cigarettes/cannabis (co-cessation). Methods: In a survey of 391 Californian adults, participants reported past 30-day use of and intentions to quit cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and cannabis, and reasons for using e-cigarettes and/or cannabis. Using cross-tabulation tables, we examined the relationship between cigarette, e-cigarette, and cannabis cessation intentions. We subsequently examined how the reasons for using e-cigarettes and cannabis related to e-cigarette and cannabis use frequency, while controlling for cigarette use and demographic characteristics. Results: Of those who used both cigarettes and e-cigarettes and planned to quit smoking within the next 30&nbsp;days, 68.9&nbsp;% also planned to quit using e-cigarettes. Of those who used both cigarettes and cannabis and intended... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/58z3c6m0 Thu, 17 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Halliday, Deanna M Song, Anna V https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1874-3326 Nguyen, Nhung https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8661-9597 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9dc3049b We examined the association between gender discrimination and tobacco use among 725 adolescent girls in the United States. Gender discrimination referred to the interpersonal prejudice individuals experienced because of their gender and included multiple forms (overt, subtle) and sources (teenagers, school personnel, and other important adults). Gender discrimination was measured with five subscales: overt gender discrimination from teenagers, overt gender discrimination from school personnel, overt gender discrimination from other important adults, subtle denial of gender discrimination, and subtle negative treatment. Tobacco use included four groups: no use, combustible tobacco use only, nicotine vaping use only, and dual use of these products. Multinomial logistic regression showed that overt and subtle forms of gender discrimination were positively associated with lifetime dual use compared to non-tobacco use. Overt discrimination from school personnel was positively associated... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9dc3049b Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Mello, Zena R https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8218-9801 Kakar, Vani Eytcheson, Kara https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2rd634qt INTRODUCTION: Economic inequality is rising around the globe. Social class includes income, education, and occupation, and is strongly tied to academic achievement. However, we do not yet know how the discrimination that adolescents experience because of their social class is associated with academic achievement. To address this knowledge gap, we examined the association between social class discrimination and academic achievement among adolescents. METHODS: Social class discrimination was measured with an adapted scale that was validated. The scale addressed overt and subtle forms and multiple sources, such as peers, school personnel, and store clerks. Data were collected in 2022. Participants included 1678 adolescents (42.61% cisgender girls) aged 13-18 years (M_age = 15.97) in the United States. Social class was measured with maternal education, a common indicator for adolescents. The sample included 49.2% whose mothers had earned less than a college degree. RESULTS:... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2rd634qt Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Mello, Zena R https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8218-9801 Kakar, Vani Hennigan, Sean M Dogru, Busra Suri, Adam Abundis‐Morales, Manuel https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7614f6fd <b>Background/Objectives</b>: The low-resource, minority and underserved populations (LRMU) that carry the highest risk of oral cancer (OC) experience many barriers to early detection and treatment, resulting in disproportionately poor outcomes. One major barrier to better outcomes is poor compliance with specialist referral for diagnosis and treatment. The goal of this prospective study was to compare specialist referral compliance for Telehealth vs. in-person visits in LRMU individuals screening positive for increased OC risk. <b>Methods</b>: Forty subjects who had screened positive for oral potentially malignant lesions (OPMLs) were recruited from community clinics. The subjects indicated whether they would prefer an in-person or Telehealth specialist visit. They were offered assistance with all aspects of the visit, and then tracked over 3 months for referral compliance. A novel, very low-cost, simple Telehealth platform located within the community clinic was used for the... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7614f6fd Mon, 16 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Alp, Aksel Doud, Winston Doud, Christian Takesh, Thair Wink, Cherie Miranda-Hoover, Annachristine Foote, Joseph Liang, Rongguang Messadi, Diana V Le, Anh Wilder-Smith, Petra https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7580-2409 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/69x577nf Background: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use is increasingly prevalent among youth and young adults, particularly college and university students. This is a population for whom e-cigarette use is not recommended due to potential health risks, including nicotine addiction and long-term respiratory effects. Social networks play a crucial role in shaping attitudes toward e-cigarettes and influencing use behaviors. However, the relative influence of different social ties-parents, siblings, and friends-on e-cigarette attitudes and use remains unclear. Objective: This study utilizes data from the SMOKES study to compare the influence of e-cigarette use within different social network sections-parents, friends, and siblings-on personal e-cigarette attitudes and use among college and university students. Methods: Using a cross-sectional survey of college and university students, we examined the associations between e-cigarette use within different social networks and individual... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/69x577nf Thu, 12 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Assari, Shervin https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5054-6250 Mohammadi, Mohammad Pashmchi, Mohammad Aghaeimeybodi, Fatemeh Pallera, John Ashley https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5qj7f3wt Background: The hippocampus plays a critical role in memory and decision-making processes, with its resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) linked to various behavioral outcomes. This study investigates whether baseline brain-wide rsFC of the hippocampus mediates the relationship between impulsivity and subsequent substance use, specifically tobacco and marijuana use, in adolescents. Methods: Data were drawn from the baseline wave of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Resting-state fMRI data were used to evaluate the functional connectivity of the hippocampus with key brain networks, including the cingulo-parietal network, visual network, sensory-motor network, and default mode network (DMN). Impulsivity was assessed using validated self-report measures, and substance use (tobacco and marijuana) was evaluated at follow-up. Mediation models were conducted to examine the extent to which hippocampal rsFC explains the association between impulsivity and... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5qj7f3wt Thu, 12 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Assari, Shervin https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5054-6250 Donovan, Alexandra Najand, Babak Akhlaghipour, Golnoush Mendez, Mario F https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2ns8b6qh Background: Nicotine pouches, gummies, and candies have emerged as popular alternatives to traditional tobacco products among U.S. adolescents. While parental educational attainment is generally associated with youth substance use, marginalization-related diminished returns (MDRs) suggest that this effect may be weaker in marginalized populations, including non-Latino White communities. In particular, place-based marginalization-such as neighborhood economic disadvantage and school-level poverty-may attenuate the benefits of parental education. This study examines MDRs in the relationship between parental educational attainment and nicotine pouch/gummy/candy use among non-Latino White 12th graders in the 2024 Monitoring the Future (MTF) study. Methods: This study analyzed nationally representative data from the 2024 MTF study, focusing on non-Latino White 12th graders who reported parental education levels and adolescents' use of nicotine pouch/gummy/candy. Structural equation... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2ns8b6qh Thu, 12 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Assari, Shervin https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5054-6250 Assari, Gandom Zare, Hossein https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8xx9740x Coronary artery vasospasm (CAV) is characterized by transient constriction of epicardial coronary arteries leading to angina. Its disease mechanisms are multifactorial but has centered mostly on endothelial dysfunction and smooth muscle hyperreactivity. To facilitate the investigation of these mechanisms in cell culture, we generated and characterized three induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from patients with CAV. These lines demonstrated normal morphology and karyotypes, robust expression of pluripotency markers, and ability for tri-lineage differentiation. Further differentiation of these cell lines into endothelial and smooth muscle cells will allow mechanistic investigation of their relative contributions to CAV in cell culture. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8xx9740x Fri, 6 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Tacco, Ines Ross Olshausen, Joseph Chan, Tse Yuan Turbes, Naima Hung, Ming-Yow Yeh, Chi-Tai Nguyen, Patricia K Sallam, Karim Sayed, Nazish Chen, Ian Y https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2zh8031w BACKGROUND: Marijuana leaf vaporizers, which heat plant material and sublimate Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol without combustion, are popular alternatives to smoking cannabis that are generally perceived to be less harmful. We have shown that smoke from tobacco and marijuana, as well as aerosol from e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, impair vascular endothelial function in rats measured as arterial flow-mediated dilation (FMD). METHODS AND RESULTS: We exposed 8 rats per group to aerosol generated by 2 vaporizer systems (Volcano and handheld Yocan) using marijuana with varying Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol levels, in a single pulsatile exposure session of 2 s/min over 5 minutes, and measured changes in FMD. To model secondhand exposure, we exposed rats for 1 minute to diluted aerosol approximating release of uninhaled Volcano aerosol into typical residential rooms. Exposure to aerosol from marijuana with and without cannabinoids impaired FMD by ≈50%. FMD was similarly impaired by aerosols... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2zh8031w Mon, 2 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Liu, Jiangtao Nabavizadeh, Pooneh Rao, Poonam Derakhshandeh, Ronak Han, Daniel D Guo, Raymond Murphy, Morgan B Cheng, Jing Schick, Suzaynn F https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7101-3077 Springer, Matthew L https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6689-8234 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9dh426t6 These data show the differentially expressed genes (DEG) from HCC38 breast cancer cell line chronically exposed to nicotine versus vehicle control. Additional data is also provided from dynamic trajectory analysis, identifying the most dynamic genes due to chronic nicotine treatment. To produce this dataset, we first performed single cell RNA sequencing from HCC38 cells chronically treated with vehicle or nicotine, followed by scanpy analysis to yield 6 discrete cell clusters at conservative resolution. We then evaluated differential gene expression between chronic nicotine and control cells for each individual cluster or in the whole sample using PyDESeq2. For dynamic trajectory analysis, Velocyto (0.6) was used to estimate the spliced and unspliced counts for each gene between chronic nicotine-treated cells and vehicle, allowing computation of gene velocities. These data are useful for analysing the expression of individual genes or gene velocities either in the whole sample... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9dh426t6 Thu, 22 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Mugisha, Samson Labhsetwar, Shreyas Dave, Devam Klemke, Richard https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8230-2915 Desgrosellier, Jay S https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8097-0143 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/19k5n75w INTRODUCTION: Physical activity (PA) is prospectively inversely associated with dementia risk, but few studies examined accelerometer measures of PA and sitting with rigorously-adjudicated mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia risk. METHODS: We examined the associations of accelerometer measures (PA and sitting) with incident MCI/probable dementia in the Women's Health Initiative (n&nbsp;=&nbsp;1277; mean age&nbsp;=&nbsp;82&nbsp;±&nbsp;6 years) RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 4.2 years, 267 MCI/probable dementia cases were identified. Adjusted Cox regression HRs (95% CI) across moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) min/d quartiles were 1.00 (reference), 1.28 (0.90 to 1.81), 0.79 (0.53 to 1.17), and 0.69 (0.45 to 1.06); P-trend&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.01. Adjusted HRs (95% CI) across steps/d quartiles were 1.00 (reference), 0.73 (0.51 to 1.03), 0.64 (0.43 to 0.94), and 0.38 (0.23 to 0.61); P-trend&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.001. The HR (95% CI) for each 1-SD increment in MVPA (31 min/d) and steps/d... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/19k5n75w Sun, 18 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Nguyen, Steve LaCroix, Andrea Z Hayden, Kathleen M Di, Chongzhi Palta, Priya Stefanick, Marcia L Manson, JoAnn E Rapp, Stephen R LaMonte, Michael J Bellettiere, John https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7167-3048 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1wf9s9dd Bioengineering and regenerative medicine strategies are promising for the treatment of vascular diseases. However, current limitations inhibit the ability of these approaches to be translated to clinical practice. Here we summarize some of the big bottlenecks that inhibit vascular regeneration in the disease applications of aortic aneurysms, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. We also describe the bottlenecks preventing three-dimensional bioprinting of vascular networks for tissue engineering applications. Finally, we describe emerging technologies and opportunities to overcome these challenges to advance vascular regeneration. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1wf9s9dd Wed, 7 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Fantini, Dalia A Yang, Guang Khanna, Astha Subramanian, Divya Phillippi, Julie A Huang, Ngan F https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2298-6790 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/71h963gp We explored ancestry-related differences in the genetic architecture of whole-blood gene expression using whole-genome and RNA sequencing data from 2,733 African Americans, Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans. We found that heritability of gene expression significantly increased with greater proportions of African genetic ancestry and decreased with higher proportions of Indigenous American ancestry, reflecting the relationship between heterozygosity and genetic variance. Among heritable protein-coding genes, the prevalence of ancestry-specific expression quantitative trait loci (anc-eQTLs) was 30% in African ancestry and 8% for Indigenous American ancestry segments. Most anc-eQTLs (89%) were driven by population differences in allele frequency. Transcriptome-wide association analyses of multi-ancestry summary statistics for 28 traits identified 79% more gene–trait associations using transcriptome prediction models trained in our admixed population than models trained using data... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/71h963gp Mon, 14 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Kachuri, Linda Mak, Angel CY Hu, Donglei Eng, Celeste Huntsman, Scott Elhawary, Jennifer R Gupta, Namrata Gabriel, Stacey Xiao, Shujie Keys, Kevin L Oni-Orisan, Akinyemi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5897-5543 Rodríguez-Santana, José R LeNoir, Michael A Borrell, Luisa N Zaitlen, Noah A https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3553-3670 Williams, L Keoki Gignoux, Christopher R Burchard, Esteban González Ziv, Elad https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9t61d6mm Changes in the density and organization of fibrous biological tissues often accompany the progression of serious diseases ranging from fibrosis to neurodegenerative diseases, heart disease and cancer. However, challenges in cost, complexity, or precision faced by existing imaging methodologies and materials pose barriers to elucidating the role of tissue microstructure in disease. Here, we leverage the intrinsic optical anisotropy of the Morpho butterfly wing and introduce Morpho-Enhanced Polarized Light Microscopy (MorE-PoL), a stain- and contact-free imaging platform that enhances and quantifies the birefringent material properties of fibrous biological tissues. We develop a mathematical model, based on Jones calculus, which describes fibrous tissue density and organization. As a representative example, we analyzed collagen-dense and collagen-sparse human breast cancer tissue sections and leverage our technique to assess the microstructural properties of distinct regions of... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9t61d6mm Fri, 11 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Kirya, Paula Mestre‐Farrera, Aida Yang, Jing Poulikakos, Lisa V https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6897v7sx Abstract Airway epithelial cells (AECs), dendritic cells (DCs) and alveolar macrophages are the primary cells involved in respiratory immunity and tolerance. Since DCs and macrophages exist in close proximity to AECs, the function of both these cells is influenced by AECs. Using a 2D model to study the interaction of human primary bronchial epithelial cells (representative of AECs) with DCs we have recently demonstrated that AECs enhance the immune surveillance capacity of myeloid DCs (mDCs) from the circulation at homeostasis. Culture of mDCs with AECs resulted in the upregulation of pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs) and downstream signaling molecules which were reflected in the enhanced inflammatory cytokine responses to Klebsiella pneumoniae LPS. In contrast to circulatory mDCs, culture of macrophages with AECs led to a significant inhibition of LPS induced proinflammatory responses. More importantly, AECs induced the secretion of TGF-β and IL-10 from macrophages even in... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6897v7sx Thu, 10 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Agrawal, Anshu https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4898-9615 Agrawal, Sudhanshu Monteiro, Clarice Mohammadi, Reza https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5zt9g1gx Abstract Advancing age significantly enhances the risk of respiratory diseases such as COPD, fibrosis etc. Immune response to respiratory viral infections is also impaired often leading to hospitalization. The underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Airway epithelial cells (AECs) and dendritic cells (DCs) and alveolar macrophages are the primary cells involved in respiratory immunity and tolerance. Since DCs and macrophages exist in close proximity to AECs, the function of both these cells is influenced by AECs. Using a 2D model to study the interaction of human primary bronchial epithelial cells (representative of AECs) with DCs we have recently demonstrated that AECs enhance the immune surveillance capacity of myeloid DCs (mDCs) from the circulation at homeostasis. Culture of mDCs with AECs resulted in the upregulation of pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs) and downstream signaling molecules. In contrast to circulatory mDCs, culture of macrophages with AECs led to a... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5zt9g1gx Thu, 10 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Agrawal, Anshu https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4898-9615 Agrawal, Sudhanshu Monteiro, Clarice https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5x5922c7 With the many negative health consequences of cigarette smoking, quitting is known to improve health in multiple domains. Using positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanning, our group previously demonstrated that smokers have lower levels than nonsmokers of translocator protein binding both acutely and following overnight abstinence. Here, we sought to determine the effects of longer smoking abstinence on this marker of gliosis for microglia and astroglia, as well as explore associations between the marker and smoking-related symptoms. This observational study was performed in an academic VA medical centre. Fifty-nine generally healthy Veterans who were either nonsmokers (n = 15) or smokers (n = 44) participated in the study. Participants completed an intake visit to evaluate for inclusion/exclusion criteria, [¹⁸F]FEPPA PET/CT scanning and a structural magnetic resonance imaging scan. Smokers were alternately assigned either to smoke to satiety... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5x5922c7 Thu, 10 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Brody, Arthur L https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2614-8495 Sanavi, Andre Y Beverly‐Aylwin, Renee Guggino, Natalie Mischel, Anna K Wong, Alvin Bahn, Ji Hye Myers, Mark G https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4044-2914 Rana, Brinda Vera, David Kotta, Kishore K Meyer, Jeffrey H Young, Jared W Hoh, Carl K https://escholarship.org/uc/item/63n133ds E-cigarette aerosols contain a complex mixture of harmful and potentially harmful chemicals. Once released into the environment, they evolve and become new sources of indoor air pollutants that could pose a significant threat to both users and non-users. However, current understanding of the physicochemical properties of e-cigarette aerosol constituents that govern gas-particle partitioning in the atmosphere is limited, making it difficult to estimate the health risks associated with exposure. Here, we used correlation gas chromatography (C-GC) and two-dimensional volatility basis set (2D-VBS) methods to determine the vapor pressures and volatility for commonly reported toxic and irritating e-cigarette aerosol constituents. The vapor pressures of target compounds at 298 K were estimated from the Antoine-type linear relationship between the vapor pressure of reference standards and their retention times. Our C-GC results showed an overall positive correlation (R = 0.84) with estimates... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/63n133ds Wed, 2 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Tian, Linhui https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2147-1518 Woo, Wonsik Canchola, Alexa https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8285-4795 Chen, Kunpeng Lin, Ying-Hsuan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8904-1287 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9rh4j6t7 Context: Students of color in the United States experience elevated stress across the entire spectrum of education, spanning from early stages of K-12 to the more advanced stages of postgraduate studies. This sustained state of chronic stress decreases learning and curtails opportunities, especially in science, technology, engineering, and math (ST EM) fields, where stress levels are considered exceptionally high. Mindfulness-based practices such as MBSR have a proven effective for stress reduction in college students. However, to date, mindfulness practices have yet to be designed to support the unique needs of minoritized students with intersectional identities (e.g., poor, English as second language learners, and sexual/gender minorities) that are stigmatized in ST EM. Objectives: This article describes the development of an online, eight-week modified mindfulness practice (MMP) for minoritized students adapted from traditional MBSR. The MMP was purposely designed to be culturally... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9rh4j6t7 Tue, 1 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Michaud, Midley Evans, Maiya Mendez, Rebecca Zapanta, Jalena Trochez, Anthony Mehta, Kala M https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8281-5796 Márquez-Magaña, Leticia Parangan-Smith, Audrey https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4z39x0jx Stromal cells within the tumor tissue promote immune evasion as a critical strategy for cancer development and progression, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we explore the role of endothelial cells (ECs) in the regulation of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Using mouse pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) models, we found that canonical Notch signaling in endothelial cells suppresses the recruitment of antitumor T cells and promotes tumor progression by inhibiting the pro-inflammatory functions of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Abrogation of endothelial Notch signaling modulates EC-derived angiocrine factors to enhance the pro-inflammatory activities of CAFs, which drive CXCL9/10-CXCR3-mediated T cell recruitment to inhibit tumor growth. Additionally, abrogation of endothelial Notch unleashed interferon gamma responses in the tumor microenvironment, upregulated PDL1 expression on tumor cells, and sensitized PDAC to PD1-based... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4z39x0jx Tue, 1 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Zhu, Yu Xiang, Menglan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4234-4998 Brulois, Kevin F Lazarus, Nicole H Pan, Junliang Butcher, Eugene C https://escholarship.org/uc/item/45r2d4jg BACKGROUND: Early life stress (ELS) increases the risk of substance use disorder (SUD) in adulthood. The pathway from ELS to SUD is hypothesized to be influenced by sex. We examine the impact of ELS on adolescent first substance use, a common precursor to adult SUDs, and test for sex differences in the relationship between ELS and risk of first use of alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana. METHODS: Individuals from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study (ABCD; N = 8608 US children aged 9-10 at baseline) were assessed for multiple measures of ELS (Environmental, Family, Trauma), covariates (race/ethnicity, age in months at baseline, pubertal development score), and first substance use. Cox proportional hazards regression was performed for total population and stratified by sex, generating adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of first substance use. RESULTS: One unit increase in ELS Total scores significantly increased aHRs of first use of all substances. Dimensional ELS analysis... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/45r2d4jg Tue, 1 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Donovan, Alexandra Assari, Shervin https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5054-6250 Grella, Christine Shaheen, Magda https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9077-5798 Richter, Linda Friedman, Theodore C https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9555-7626 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1hz2h28b Tissue-selective chemoattractants direct lymphocytes to epithelial surfaces to establish local immune environments, regulate immune responses to food antigens and commensal organisms, and protect from pathogens. Homeostatic chemoattractants for small intestines, colon and skin are known1,2, but chemotropic mechanisms selective for respiratory tract and other non-intestinal mucosal tissues remain poorly understood. Here we leveraged diverse omics datasets to identify GPR25 as a lymphocyte receptor for CXCL17, a chemoattractant cytokine whose expression by epithelial cells of airways, upper gastrointestinal and squamous mucosae unifies the non-intestinal mucosal tissues and distinguishes them from intestinal mucosae. Single-cell transcriptomic analyses show that GPR25 is induced on innate lymphocytes before emigration to the periphery, and is imprinted in secondary lymphoid tissues on activated B and T cells responding to immune challenge. GPR25 characterizes B and T tissue resident... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1hz2h28b Tue, 1 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Ocón, Borja Xiang, Menglan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4234-4998 Bi, Yuhan Tan, Serena Brulois, Kevin Ayesha, Aiman Kunte, Manali Zhou, Catherine LaJevic, Melissa Lazarus, Nicole Mengoni, Francesca Sharma, Tanya Montgomery, Stephen Hooper, Jody E Huang, Mian Handel, Tracy Dawson, John RD Kufareva, Irina https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9083-7039 Zabel, Brian A Pan, Junliang Butcher, Eugene C https://escholarship.org/uc/item/18p9n8sk Progenitors of intraepithelial T cells (IELps) migrate from the thymus to the intestines after birth where they develop into unconventional TCRγδ and TCRαβ lymphocytes in a process of extrathymic lymphopoiesis within cryptopatches. Mechanisms of IELp migration have remained unclear. Here we show that thymic IELps express the somatostatin receptor SSTR2, which contributes to their homing to the gut. IELp homing is Sstr2 dependent and correlates with neonatal induction of Sst encoding somatostatin in neuroendocrine and lamina propria stromal cells. The SSTR2 ligands somatostatin and cortistatin attract IELps in chemotaxis assays and somatostatin triggers IELp binding to the mucosal vascular addressin MAdCAM1. T cell transduction with Sstr2 confers homing to the neonatal colon. Human fetal thymic IELp-like cells express SSTR2 and intestinal stromal cells express SST at the time of initial T cell population, suggesting conserved mechanisms of progenitor seeding of the developing intestines.... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/18p9n8sk Tue, 1 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Ocón, Borja Brulois, Kevin F Hadeiba, Husein Gaafarelkhalifa, Mohammed Ayesha, Aiman Bi, Yuhan Xiang, Menglan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4234-4998 Gulman, Jacob Kooshesh, Maryam Pan, Junliang Butcher, Eugene C https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3q91f3hs Importance: An important public health goal is to increase tobacco cessation, but there is limited research on associations of vaping with tobacco cessation. Objective: To estimate the association of vaping with long-term tobacco cessation among US cigarette smokers who used electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS; ie, e-cigarettes) in 2017. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study used a nationally representative sample of US cigarette smokers from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health cohort at wave 4 (2017) with follow-up at wave 6 (2021). Data were analyzed from June 2023 to June 2024. Exposure: Wave 4 ENDS use: daily, nondaily, or no use. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were 12 or more months' abstinence from cigarette smoking and 12 or more months' abstinence from both cigarette and ENDS use, ascertained at wave 6. Propensity score matching was used to control confounding on 14 potential confounders, including interest in quitting,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3q91f3hs Thu, 27 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Quach, Natalie E Pierce, John P https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0075-7471 Chen, Jiayu Dang, Brian Stone, Matthew D Strong, David R https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5383-9032 Trinidad, Dennis R https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1608-6005 McMenamin, Sara B Messer, Karen https://escholarship.org/uc/item/96v746pp PURPOSE: To determine how the frequency of testing affects the time required to detect statistically significant glaucoma progression for circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (cpRNFL) with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and circumpapillary capillary density (cpCD) with OCT angiography (OCTA). DESIGN: Retrospective, observational cohort study. METHODS: In this longitudinal study,&nbsp;156 eyes of 98 patients with glaucoma followed up over an average of 3.5 years were enrolled. Participants with 4 or more OCT and OCTA tests were included to measure the longitudinal rates of cpRNFL thickness and cpCD change over time using linear regression. Estimates of variability were then used to re-create real-world cpRNFL and cpCD data by computer simulation to evaluate the time required to detect progression for various loss rates and different testing frequencies. RESULTS: The time required to detect a statistically significant negative cpRNFL and cpCD slope decreased as the testing... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/96v746pp Tue, 18 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Mahmoudinezhad, Golnoush Moghimi, Sasan Proudfoot, James A Brye, Nicole Nishida, Takashi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8312-6623 Yarmohammadi, Adeleh Kamalipour, Alireza Zangwill, Linda M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1143-5224 Weinreb, Robert N https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9553-3202 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/95m7s1vw We begin by summarizing several examples of antidepressants whose therapeutic actions begin when they encounter their targets in the cytoplasm or in the lumen of an organelle. These actions contrast with the prevailing view that most neuropharmacological actions begin when drugs engage their therapeutic targets at extracellular binding sites of plasma membrane targets—ion channels, receptors, and transporters. We review the chemical, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic principles underlying the movements of drugs into subcellular compartments. We note the relationship between protonation-deprotonation events and membrane permeation of antidepressant drugs. The key properties relate to charge and hydrophobicity/lipid solubility, summarized by the parameters LogP, pKa, and LogDpH7.4. The classical metric, volume of distribution (Vd), is unusually large for some antidepressants and has both supracellular and subcellular components. A table gathers structures, LogP, PKa, LogDpH7.4,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/95m7s1vw Tue, 18 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Blumenfeld, Zack Bera, Kallol Castrén, Eero Lester, Henry A https://escholarship.org/uc/item/27c471ps OBJECTIVE: To assess differences in psychosocial and mental health outcomes between older lesbian and bisexual women compared to heterosexual women. DESIGN: Cross sectional study. SETTING: The study was carried out in the California Teachers Study, a prospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Self-identified heterosexual (<i>n</i> = 35,846), lesbian (<i>n</i> = 710), and bisexual (<i>n</i> = 253) women 50 years of age and older were enrolled. MEASUREMENTS: Validated questionnaires were used to measure social connection, overall happiness, and depression. Logistic regression modeling was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) comparing lesbian and bisexual women separately to heterosexual women in relation to psychosocial and mental health outcomes. RESULTS: After controlling for age and marital status, older bisexual women were significantly more likely to report lack of companionship (OR = 2.00; 95% CI, 1.30-3.12) and feeling left out (OR = 2.33; 95%... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/27c471ps Tue, 18 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Martinez, Maria Elena Felner, Jennifer K https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9915-4637 Shen, Jian McDaniels-Davidson, Corinne Nodora, Jesse N Lacey, James V Savage, Kristen E Duffy, Christine N Spielfogel, Emma S Hong, Suzi https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0300-5950 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/42w3m4r3 Chronic nicotine exposure has been shown to improve memory in rodents. However, the molecular mechanism for such an enhancement remains poorly understood. Chronic nicotine exposure increases NMDA/AMPA ratio due to enhanced NMDAR-mediated responses in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells and facilitates LTP. Here, we found that the same nicotine treatment increases NMDA/AMPA ratios in parvalbumin-expressing interneurons in the hippocampus and in layer 5 pyramidal cells in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of male and female rats. To gain further insight into the nicotine-initiated signaling pathway, we used a positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of m1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (m1 receptor), VU0453595. We found that chronic VU0453595 treatment mimics the effects of chronic nicotine exposure, causing increased NMDA/AMPA ratio in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells and LTP facilitation. Furthermore, chronic exposure to VU0453595 also caused increased NMDA/AMPA ratio in layer 5 pyramidal... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/42w3m4r3 Sat, 15 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Nakauchi, Sakura Su, Hailing Sumikawa, Katumi https://escholarship.org/uc/item/289030bh BACKGROUND: In May 2020, Oakland became the most populous city in California to implement a minimum floor price law (MFPL), requiring tobacco retailers to sell cigarettes and cigars at $8 or more per pack/package. Policy enforcement began in August 2020. METHODS: We estimated changes in cigarette and cigar prices and unit sales for Oakland versus a matched comparator during the first 20 months following MFPL implementation using a synthetic difference-in-differences approach. We estimated outcome changes overall and by lower-priced (&lt;$8) versus higher-priced (≥$8) segments based on pre-MFPL prices. We also assessed retailer compliance with the MFPL. We further estimated cross-border shopping as a means of price increase avoidance and substitution to electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products as alternative consumer responses to the MFPL. RESULTS: Retailer compliance was high for cigarettes (97.5%) but extremely low for cigars... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/289030bh Fri, 7 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 White, Justin S https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3388-9569 Atherwood, Serge https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9434-1401 Apollonio, Dorie E https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4694-0826 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0f7975jb BACKGROUND: Over 1 million people in the United States are infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). As of 2021, pharmacists in California can prescribe PrEP and PEP without establishing a collaborative practice agreement in an effort to reduce HIV transmission. However, in 2021 less than 3% of independent pharmacies in the San Francisco Bay Area did so. To our knowledge, there has been no follow-up research assessing potential changes in pre-exposure prophylaxis/postexposure prophylaxis (PrEP/PEP) furnishing rates in the region. OBJECTIVE: Assess the extent of PrEP/PEP furnishing in San Francisco Bay Area pharmacies 3 years after policy implementation. METHODS: We conducted an observational, cross-sectional study to identify independent community and mail-order pharmacies furnishing PrEP/PEP in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area in 2024. Furnishing pharmacies were identified via phone calls and the findings were validated with in-person visits. We also identified... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0f7975jb Fri, 7 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Herron, Grace Leong, Ashley Patel, Keya Rasekhi, Keanna Apollonio, Dorie E https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4694-0826 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1cw7c067 BackgroundHomelessness is a growing concern in the United States, especially among people who use drugs (PWUD). The degree of material hardship among this population may be linked to worse health outcomes. PWUD experiencing homelessness in urban areas are increasingly subjected to policies and social treatment, such as forced displacement, which may worsen material hardship. It is critical to describe hardship among PWUD and examine if it is linked to health outcomes.MethodsData were collected as part of a prospective cohort study of PWUD in Los Angeles, California and Denver, Colorado (n = 476). Analysis sample size was smaller (N = 395) after selecting for people experiencing homelessness and for whom data were complete. Five indicators assessing hardship (difficulty finding food, clothing, restrooms, places to wash/shower, and shelter) in the past three months were obtained from participants at baseline and were used in latent class analysis (LCA). We chose a base latent class... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1cw7c067 Sun, 2 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Goldshear, Jesse Lloyd Ganesh, Siddhi S Borquez, Annick Gelberg, Lillian https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9772-0116 Corsi, Karen F Bluthenthal, Ricky N https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9c0300th The present study examined tobacco health perceptions, regulation attitudes, and cessation intentions among California adults before and after the COVID-19 lockdown, given the pandemic's mixed impact on tobacco use. An online survey of California adults was conducted in two phases: pre-lockdown (March 2020, <i>n</i> = 1349) and post-lockdown (May 2020, <i>n</i> = 1201). Participants (<i>M</i> age 30.29 years; <i>SD</i> = 5.91) from both samples were predominately former or current smokers, male, and non-Hispanic White (&gt;60% for all). This method allowed for a comparison of attitudes and behaviors across two distinct periods with two samples. There were significant differences between pre- and post-lockdown risk perceptions, regulatory attitudes, and cessation intentions. Examining shifts in perceptions and attitudes amidst the pandemic aids in understanding the complex and dynamic nature of tobacco behavior change through the lens of a major socioenvironmental event to guide... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9c0300th Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Beylin, Natalie R Song, Anna V https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1874-3326 Epperson, Anna E https://escholarship.org/uc/item/73h0q3sc E-cigarette emissions, which contain a variety of hazardous compounds, contribute significantly to indoor air pollution and raise concerns about secondhand exposure to vaping byproducts. Compared to fresh vape emissions, our understanding of chemically aged products in indoor environments remains incomplete. Terpenes are commonly used as flavoring agents in e-liquids, which have the ability to react with the dominant indoor oxidant ozone (O₃) to produce reactive oxygenated byproducts and result in new particle formation. In this study, mixtures of propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), and terpenes as e-liquids were injected into a 2 m³ FEP chamber to simulate the indoor aging process. 100 ppbv O₃ was introduced into the chamber and allowed to react with the fresh vape emissions for 1 h. Complementary online and offline analytical techniques were used to characterize the changes in the aerosol size distribution and chemical composition... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/73h0q3sc Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Tian, Linhui https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2147-1518 Woo, Wonsik Lin, Ying-Hsuan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8904-1287 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5fb80914 The COVID-19 pandemic provides both reasons to quit smoking as well as stress that may promote increased cigarette consumption. Perceptions of COVID-19 risk related to smoking may motivate cessation among smokers. At the same time, other evidence shows that affective perceptions (i.e., worry) could lead to increased smoking as a coping mechanism. Using a sample drawn from a rural region of California (N&nbsp;=&nbsp;295), we examined the relationship between perceptions about health risks for smokers during the pandemic and both reported increases in smoking frequency and intentions to quit smoking. We also examined whether worry about health risks mediated these relationships. High perceived risk was associated both with reported increases in smoking frequency as well as greater intentions to quit smoking. Worry partially mediated both these relationships, with worry accounting for 29.11% of the variance in the relationship between high risk perceptions and increased smoking as... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5fb80914 Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Halliday, Deanna M Epperson, Anna E Gonzalez, Mariaelena Song, Anna V https://escholarship.org/uc/item/57x2z6qc IntroductionMaternal tobacco smoking in the perinatal period increases the risk for adverse outcomes in offspring.ObjectiveTo better understand the biological pathways through which maternal tobacco use may have long-term impacts on child metabolism, we performed a high-resolution metabolomics (HRM) analysis in newborns, following an untargeted metabolome-wide association study workflow.MethodsThe study population included 899 children without cancer diagnosis before age 6 and born between 1983 and 2011 in California. Newborn dried blood spots were collected by the California Genetic Disease Screening Program between 12 and 48&nbsp;h after birth and stored for later research use. Based on HRM, we considered mothers to be active smokers if they were self- or provider-reported smokers on birth certificates or if we detected any cotinine or high hydroxycotinine intensities in newborn blood. We used partial least squares discriminant analysis and Mummichog pathway analysis to identify... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/57x2z6qc Thu, 27 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 He, Di Yan, Qi Uppal, Karan Walker, Douglas I Jones, Dean P Ritz, Beate Heck, Julia E https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8713-8413 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4265h6mq M19 Adult Consequences of Repeated Nicotine and Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Vapor Inhalation in Adolescent Rats https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4265h6mq Thu, 27 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Gutierrez, Arnold Creehan, Kevin Grant, Yanabel Taffe, Michael https://escholarship.org/uc/item/29c9v7z1 People living with HIV (HIV+) are roughly twice as likely to smoke cigarettes (Smok+) as the general population. With the advent of effective antiretroviral therapies, it is increasingly important to understand the effects of chronic HIV infection and cigarette smoking on brain function and cognition since HIV+ individuals have heightened neuroinflammation and cognitive deficits even with such therapies. Based on prior studies demonstrating that smoking reduces a marker for neuroinflammation in HIV- individuals, we hypothesized that HIV+/Smok+ individuals would have less neuroinflammation and better cognitive control than HIV+/Smok- individuals. Fifty-nine participants (HIV-/Smok- [n = 16], HIV-/Smok+ [n=14], HIV+/Smok- [n = 18], and HIV+/Smok+ [n = 11]) underwent baseline eligibility tests, positron emission tomography (PET) scanning to determine levels of a marker for neuroinflammation, and assessment of cognitive control with the reverse-translated 5-choice continuous performance... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/29c9v7z1 Thu, 27 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Brody, Arthur L https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2614-8495 Mischel, Anna K Sanavi, Andre Y Wong, Alvin Bahn, Ji Hye Minassian, Arpi Morgan, Erin E Rana, Brinda Hoh, Carl K Vera, David R Kotta, Kishore K Miranda, Alannah H https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8749-2073 Pocuca, Nina Walter, Thomas J Guggino, Natalie Beverly-Aylwin, Renee Meyer, Jeffrey H Vasdev, Neil Young, Jared W https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0mv5k8p6 Precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) are commonly used as an <i>ex vivo</i> model to study lung fibrosis; however, traditional models lack immune cell infiltration, including the recruitment of monocytes and macrophages, which are critical for inflammation and fibrosis. To address this limitation, we developed novel autologous PCLS-immune co-culture models that better replicate the processes of inflammation, repair, and immune cell recruitment associated with fibrosis. Fibrotic responses to nicotine, cigarette smoke extract (CSE), and a fibrosis-inducing cocktail (FC) were first evaluated in PCLS containing only tissue-resident macrophages, with upregulation of α-SMA-expressing fibroblasts confirmed by immunofluorescence and Western blotting, and collagen deposition quantified using Sirius Red staining. To study macrophage recruitment, we employed an indirect co-culture model using transwells to approximate blood vessel function. Chemotactic studies revealed increased migration of... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0mv5k8p6 Thu, 27 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Chang, So-Yi Chang, Wen-Hsin Yang, David C Hong, Qi-Sheng Hsu, Ssu-Wei Wu, Reen Chen, Ching-Hsien https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4211-9988 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5s13g02t BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking/nicotine exposure in pregnancy shows an increased risk of hypertension in offspring, but the mechanisms are unclear. This study tested the hypothesis that m6A RNA hypomethylation epigenetically regulates vascular NOX (NADPH oxidase) and reactive oxygen species production, contributing to the fetal programming of a hypertensive phenotype in nicotine-exposed offspring. METHODS: Pregnant rats were exposed to episodic chronic intermittent nicotine aerosol (CINA) or saline aerosol control from gestational day 4 to day 21, and experiments were performed in 6-month-old adult offspring. RESULTS: Antenatal CINA exposure augmented Ang II (angiotensin II)-stimulated blood pressure response in male, but not female offspring. Moreover, CINA increased vascular NOX2 expression and superoxide production exclusively in male offspring. Inhibition of NOX2 with gp91ds-tat, both ex vivo and in vivo, mitigated the CINA-induced elevation in superoxide production and blood... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5s13g02t Tue, 11 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Liu, Bailin Xia, Liang Li, Yong Jiang, Siyi Yu, Wansu Zhang, Lubo Shao, Xuesi M Xu, Zhice Xiao, Daliao https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0147-2758 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/815666tq BACKGROUND: Cigarettes share a high rate of co-use with alcohol, particularly among young adults. Studies have demonstrated greater perceived pleasure from smoking cigarettes when drinking alcohol. However, little is known about co-use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) and alcohol. The current study sought to compare extent of use and perceived pleasure from cigarettes and e-cigs when drinking alcohol. METHODS: Young adult bar patrons in California cities (San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco) were recruited in 2015-16 using randomized time-location sampling. Participants completed cross-sectional surveys in bars, reporting the percent of cigarette smoking/e-cig use that occurred under the influence of alcohol, and reported if pleasure from smoking cigarettes/using e-cigs changed when drinking alcohol. Analyses are limited to participants reporting current (past 30-day) use of cigarettes, e-cigs, and alcohol (N = 269; M age = 24.1; 40.1% female, 36.1% Non-Hispanic White). RESULTS:... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/815666tq Mon, 3 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Thrul, Johannes https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8929-9579 Gubner, Noah R Tice, Chiara L Lisha, Nadra E Ling, Pamela M https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6166-9347 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4c22j9nf INTRODUCTION: The assessment of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use poses unique challenges that go beyond established assessment methods for tobacco cigarettes. Recent studies have proposed using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), a method to collect self-reported data on mobile devices, or data passively collected by "smart" Bluetooth enabled ENDS to assess use. The current study sought to compare ENDS use data using EMA and puff counts collected from a smart device. AIMS AND METHODS: We recruited 18 young adult ENDS users (age M = 23.33; 44.4% female) from the San Francisco Bay Area. For a total of 30 days, participants completed daily diaries by EMA and used a second-generation smart Bluetooth enabled ENDS that collected puff data. Repeated measures correlations, multilevel regressions, and paired t tests assessed concordance of EMA reports and ENDS data. A subset of four highly compliant participants were selected for sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: Among all... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4c22j9nf Mon, 3 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Li, Zehan Benowitz-Fredericks, Carson Ling, Pamela M https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6166-9347 Cohen, Joanna E Thrul, Johannes https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8929-9579 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2vw28975 ABSTRACT: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) generate an extracellular matrix (ECM) which provides a repository for factors that promote pancreatic cancer progression. In this study, we establish that CAF contribution to pancreatic tumor initiation, i.e., stemness, depends on fibronectin (FN) as a scaffold required for assembly of a collagen-containing fibrotic ECM with a critical dependence on the FN-binding integrins, α5β1 and αvβ3. CAF matrix assembly can be prevented by knockdown of FN, integrin α5, or integrin β3 or by a bispecific antibody with dual recognition of α5β1 and αvβ3 that can also destabilize a preexisting matrix. In mice, the ability of CAFs to produce a stiff collagenous matrix and accelerate tumor initiation can be blocked by knockdown of FN or FN-binding integrins or systemic treatment with the α5β1/αvβ3 bispecific antibody. Together, these results reveal that dual targeting of the FN-binding integrins, α5β1 and αvβ3, can block the ability of CAFs and their... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2vw28975 Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Wu, Chengsheng Von Schalscha, Tami Sansanwal, Diva Qian, Chen Jiang, Qinlin Shepard, Ryan M Wettersten, Hiromi I https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7144-3122 McCormack, Stephen J Weis, Sara M https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3137-4239 Cheresh, David A https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1hw7r6jw Smoking plays an underappreciated role in breast cancer progression, increasing recurrence and mortality in patients. Here, we show that S100A8/A9 innate immune signaling is a molecular mechanism that identifies smoking-related breast cancers and underlies their enhanced malignancy. In contrast to acute exposure, chronic nicotine increased tumorigenicity and reprogrammed breast cancer cells to express innate immune response genes. This required the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, which elicited dynamic changes in cell differentiation, proliferation, and expression of secreted cytokines, such as S100A8 and S100A9, as assessed by unbiased scRNA-seq. Indeed, pharmacologic or genetic inhibition of S100A8/A9-RAGE receptor signaling blocked nicotine’s tumor-promoting effects. We also discovered Syntaphilin (SNPH) as an S100A8/A9-dependent gene enriched specifically in estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) cancers from former smokers, linking this response to patient disease. Together,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1hw7r6jw Thu, 30 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Mugisha, Samson Baba, Shahnawaz A Labhsetwar, Shreyas Dave, Devam Zakeri, Aran Klemke, Richard https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8230-2915 Desgrosellier, Jay S https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8097-0143 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/191702zj Tumor initiation represents the first step in tumorigenesis during which normal progenitor cells undergo cell fate transition to cancer. Capturing this process as it occurs in vivo, however, remains elusive. Here we employ spatiotemporally controlled oncogene activation and tumor suppressor inhibition together with multiomics to unveil the processes underlying oral epithelial progenitor cell reprogramming into tumor initiating cells at single cell resolution. Tumor initiating cells displayed a distinct stem-like state, defined by aberrant proliferative, hypoxic, squamous differentiation, and partial epithelial to mesenchymal invasive gene programs. YAP-mediated tumor initiating cell programs included activation of oncogenic transcriptional networks and mTOR signaling, and recruitment of myeloid cells to the invasive front contributing to tumor infiltration. Tumor initiating cell transcriptional programs are conserved in human head and neck cancer and associated with poor patient... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/191702zj Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Faraji, Farhoud Ramirez, Sydney I Clubb, Lauren M Sato, Kuniaki https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6014-1911 Burghi, Valeria Hoang, Thomas S Officer, Adam Anguiano Quiroz, Paola Y Galloway, William MG Mikulski, Zbigniew Medetgul-Ernar, Kate Marangoni, Pauline Jones, Kyle B Cao, Yuwei https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4119-4399 Molinolo, Alfredo A Kim, Kenneth Sakaguchi, Kanako Califano, Joseph A Smith, Quinton Goren, Alon Klein, Ophir D Tamayo, Pablo Gutkind, J Silvio https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5150-4482 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5n21s91h BACKGROUND: There are significant racial disparities in head and neck cancer (HNC) outcomes. Racial differences in survival may be explained by differential access to high-quality care. The goal of this study was to evaluate the association of race and ethnicity with the quality of the treating hospital, and receipt of guideline-compliant care among HNC patients. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of data from the California Cancer Registry dataset linked with discharge records and hospital characteristics. The study cohort included adult patients with HNC diagnosed between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2019. Outcome measures included the quality of treating hospital, and NCCN guideline-compliant care. RESULTS: Black (OR 0.76, 95&nbsp;% CI 0.67 to 0.85) and Hispanic (OR 0.68, 95&nbsp;% CI 0.63 to 0.74) patients were less likely to be treated in top-quality hospitals compared with non-Hispanic White patients, after adjusting for demographic, and clinical factors. This association... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5n21s91h Wed, 8 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Megwalu, Uchechukwu C https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5132-8864 Ma, Yifei Divi, Vasu https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2rr7c27t Clarification Regarding Insurance Disparities Among Patients With Head and Neck Cancer—Reply https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2rr7c27t Wed, 8 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Megwalu, Uchechukwu C https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5132-8864 Ma, Yifei