• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.527-533
• /
• 2016

Background: In Jordan, a developing country with a high tobacco burden and where roughly 40% of cancers are tobacco-related, limited knowledge exists on public awareness regarding tobacco. This is a hindrance for experts seeking to strengthen anti-tobacco health promotion and counter growing tobacco use. We sought to evaluate public awareness regarding tobacco; to gauge exposure to anti-tobacco public messages; and to draw attention to the lay public's informational needs. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey of lay public in the capital, Amman, capturing knowledge regarding tobacco harms and anti-tobacco laws, perceptions regarding tobacco use and control, and exposure to and recall of anti-tobacco messages, was conducted. Statistics on perceptions were generated and analyzed by smoking status and sociodemographic factors. Multivariate regression was performed to estimate independent associations of smoking and sociodemographic factors with knowledge. Results: Of 1,169 respondents, 17.8% could recall specific anti-tobacco messages. With regard to knowledge, despite high proportions of respondents exhibiting knowledge for individual statements regarding tobacco health harms, variables capturing breadth of knowledge showed that much lower proportions could correctly identify all the listed health harms of tobacco, and all listed Jordanian anti-tobacco regulations (47.5% and 36.2%, respectively). On multivariate analysis, breadth of knowledge varied by smoking status, age and educational level. Conclusions: There is need for more salient, evocative and multi-faceted anti-tobacco messages in Jordan, tailored to subgroups, given detected variability in knowledge across smoking status and sociodemographic characteristics.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.91-105
• /
• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the current status of managing educational programs for tobacco use prevention at middle and high schools located in Busan. Methods: Using a survey method with a 29-item self-administration questionnaire, the data were collected from January 10 through February 18, 2005, from school nurses as well as teachers major in healthcare of 227 participant schools. Results: A strategic plan for school-based educational programs of tobacco use prevention was mainly developed by a school nurse at middle school and a teacher in charge of school discipline at high school. The educational programs for tobacco use prevention were implemented for approximately 40% of schools in Busan with the budget ranged from 110,000 won to 200,000 won a year. Eighty five percepts of the schools had anti-tobacco regulations and guidelines in place. Twenty two percents of the middle and high schools collected the data regarding adolescents' smoking status periodically. Over 70% of schools provided tobacco use prevention education programs as a part of regular semester curriculum. Conclusions: For making the management of educational programs for tobacco use prevention effective and consistent with government's anti-smoking policy, schools need (a) development of tobacco management guideline and regulations with participation of teachers, students, and parents, (b) clear job and role descriptions for personnel to plan and implement anti-tobacco programs, (c) compilation of the budget enough to implement the programs, (d) periodically assessment of adolescents' smoking status, and evaluation of the programs to monitor whether those are effective for adolescents' health promotion; and (e) to make an effort to less range of quality in educational programs for tobacco use.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.sup1
• /
• pp.31-36
• /
• 2016

Scientific evidence on all aspects of smoking amongst youth is very important for designing appropriate interventions to reduce smoking among this vulnerable population. This paper describes current access to anti-smoking information among school children aged 13 to 15 years in Vietnam in 2014 and examines its potential impact on preventing smoking initiation. The data used in this paper were obtained from the 2014 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) in Vietnam. Students were asked questions about their level of awareness of anti-smoking information from various sources in the past 30 days and about lessons in school regarding the dangers of tobacco use during the last 12 months. Those who have never smoked were asked "whether or not they thought about avoiding cigarettes because of health warnings on cigarette packages" and answers were analyzed in combination with data on access to anti-smoking information from other sources. The prevalence of exposure to antismoking campaigns was high among school children in Viet Nam: 55.3% of current smokers reported thoughts of smoking cessation because of health warnings on cigarette packages; 60.5% of never smokers avoided initiating smoking because of the same health warnings. The potential impact of graphic health warnings to prevent school-aged children from smoking initiation would be stronger if there was concurrent access to anti-smoking programs on the dangers of tobacco use in schools. However, school education for tobacco prevention and control has not been as strong as expected. A more comprehensive school curriculum on tobacco prevention and control is recommended to reinforce antismoking messages among school children.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.1263-1265
• /
• 2013

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.3455-3459
• /
• 2013

Background: Smoking and smokeless tobacco use are almost always initiated and established during adolescence. More than 80% of adult smokers begin smoking before 18 years of age. The main objective of the present study is to assess the feasibility of preventing adolescent tobacco use with the help of a specially designed tobacco control program. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional survey on tobacco use and related health effects was conducted using a structured questionnaire in 13 randomly selected schools in Kannur district of Kerala. These students were followed for a period of one academic year with multiple spaced interventions such as anti-tobacco awareness classes, formation of anti-tobacco task forces, inter-school competitions, supplying IEC (information, education and communication) materials and providing a handbook on tobacco control for school personnel. Final evaluation was at the end of one year. Results: There were 4,144 school children who participated in the first phase of the study. The prevalence of tobacco smoking and chewing habits were 9.85% and 2.24% respectively. Ninety-one percent had parental advice against tobacco use and only 3.79% expressed desire for future tobacco use. The final evaluation witnessed a sharp decline in the current tobacco use as 4.68%. We observed a statistically significant difference towards the future use of tobacco (p<0.001) and awareness about the ill effects of passive smoking (p<0.001) among boys and girls. Further a significantly increased knowledge was observed among boys compared to girls about tobacco and oral cancer (p=0.046). Conclusions: The comprehensive school based tobacco control project significantly reduced the tobacco use pattern in the target population. School tobacco projects incorporating frequent follow ups and multiple interventions appear more effective than projects with single intervention.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.sup1
• /
• pp.37-42
• /
• 2016

Studies have shown that smoking is a learnt behavior, often initiated during adolescence. This paper aims to describe tobacco-related knowledge, attitude and associations among school adolescents aged 13-15 with exposure to anti-smoking information. Using data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) in Viet Nam, 2014, knowledge was measured through 4 questions about tobacco use, and attitude was assessed through 3 questions on personal, social and environmental aspects. Students giving most anti-tobacco responses to all questions were considered as having correct knowledge or appropriate attitude or both. Access to anti-smoking information was determined by exposure to any media messages on tobacco control during the past 30 days and teaching in school about the danger of tobacco use during the past 12 months. A substantial percentage of students thought that being near others who smoke might be harmful to them and smoking is harmful to health (89.4% and 89.6% respectively). However, only 46.4% reported that it is definitely difficult to quit smoking and 66.9% thought that smoking for only 1 or 2 years, once stopped, is harmful to health. Slightly more than half of the respondents reported appropriate attitude that young smokers have fewer friends than others and smoking makes them less attractive and less comfortable at social events. Noticing anti-smoking messages in the media together with having lessons in school about the dangers of tobacco substantially increased the likelihood of having correct knowledge, appropriate attitude and both. Despite relatively high awareness about smoking harms, effective educational communication is still highly needed to improve the level of comprehensive knowledge and an appropriate attitude regarding tobacco use.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.6 no.4
• /
• pp.265-269
• /
• 1996

An isolate of Streptomyces rochei synonym was found to produce antibiotics with narrow anti-microbial spectrum against Streptococcus and Xanthomonas sp. Among the antibiotic complex produced by the strain, the main active compound was isolated, and its physico-chemical properties and biological activities were investigated. Molecular weight of the compound was determined to be ${[M+H]}^+$ 797 (FAB-MS). UV, $^1H \;and\;^{13}C$ NMR, and IR spectra suggested that the compound is a kirromycin-like aurodox group antibiotic. However, the anti-microbial spectrum of the main compound was slightly different from that of kirromycin. In addition, it was newly found that kirromycin showed a selective anti-microbial activity against Streptococcus pyogenes and phytopathogenic Xanthomonas sp.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.111-116
• /
• 1996

The components were isolated from the root of Astragalus membranaceus and their structures were characterized as 3,4-methylenedioxypyrrolealdehyde, $7-O-{\beta}-D-glucopyranosyl$ 7, 3'-dihydroxy-4'-methoxy isoflavone and a naphthalene derivative on the basis of spectral and physical methods. $7-O-{\beta}-D-glucopyranosyl$ 7, 3'-dihydroxy-4'-methoxy isoflavone and the naphthalene compound showed protective effect on $CC_{l4}-induced$ cytotoxicity in primary cultured rat hepatocytes.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.339-345
• /
• 2006

Objectives: This study (a) investigated the rate of smoking cessation sucess for current male smokers, and (b) identified the factors that are associated with the smoking cessation success. Methods: Data were collected from four follow-up surveys of 700 current male smokers. The follow-up period was from December 2004 to June 2005. Success of smoking cessation was defined as "maintaining a smoking cessation status for six months". The demographic and socioeconomic factors included age, the household income level and, occupation. The smoking behavioral factors were composed of the amount of smoking, the duration of smoking, the age of initiating smoking, the willingness to quit, the frequency of trying to quit smoking and the smoker's attitude toward the anti-smoking policies. Results: The proportion of quitters increased from 6.6% to 11.0% during the follow-up period. The majority of quitters answered that the increase of tobacco price acted as cue to achieve smoking cessation. The age-standardized experience and success rate of smoking cessation were 16.0% (95% C.I.=13.0% to, 19.0%) and 4.5% (95% C.I.=3.0% to, 6.0%), respectively. On the multivariate analysis, success for smoking cessation was associated with the willingness to quit smoking, low prior tobacco consumption, and agreement on the tobacco price increase. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that the recent anti-smoking policies provided an opportunity to quit smoking. The results of this study can be used to establish evidence for further anti-smoking policies.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.57-65
• /
• 2009

CDC48 is a member of the AAA ATPase superfamily. Yeast CDC48 and its mammalian homolog p97 are implicated in diverse cellular processes, including mitosis, membrane fusion, and ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation. However, the cellular functions of plant CDC48 proteins are largely unknown. In the present study, we performed virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) screening and found that silencing of a gene encoding a tobacco CDC48 homolog, NgCDC48, resulted in severe abnormalities in leaf and shoot development in tobacco. Furthermore, transgenic tobacco plants (35S:anti-NgCDC48), in which the NgCDC48 gene was suppressed using the antisense RNA method, exhibited severely aberrant development of both vegetative and reproductive organs, resulting in arrested shoot and leaf growth and sterile flowers. Approximately 57-83% of 35S:anti-NgCDC48 plants failed to develop mature organs and died at early stage of development. Scanning electron microscopy showed that both adaxial and abaxial epidermal pavement cells in antisense transgenic leaves were significantly smaller and more numerous than those in wild type leaves. These results indicate that NgCDC48 is critically involved in cell growth and development of tobacco plants. An in vivo targeting experiment revealed that NgCDC48 resides in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in tobacco protoplasts. We consider the tantalizing possibility that CDC48-mediated degradation of an as-yet unidentified protein(s) in the ER might be a critical step for cell growth and expansion in tobacco leaves.