Background This systematic review of prospective longitudinal primary studies sought to determine whether electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use by teenagers who had never smoked conventional tobacco cigarettes (tobacco cigarettes) at baseline was associated with subsequently commencing tobacco cigarette smoking. Methods The review followed the principles of a systematic review and meta-analysis. A key word search identified peer-reviewed articles published between 1 January 2005 and 2 October 2019 from seven bibliographic databases and one search engine. Using pre-prepared inclusion/exclusion criteria two researchers independently screened abstracts, and subsequently, full text papers. Selected articles were quality assessed in duplicate. Data on study participants characteristics, exposure and outcome measures were recorded in an adapted Cochrane Data Extraction Form. Feasibility assessment was done to detect clinical heterogeneity and choose an approach to meta-analysis. Analysis comprised pairwise random effects meta-analyses, and sensitivity and subgroup analyses. Results From the 6619 studies identified, 14 one-off primary studies in 21 articles were suitable for inclusion. The participants ages ranged from 13 to 19 years and comprised teenagers based in Europe and North America. Nine of the 14 one-off studies, with follow-up periods between 4 and 24 months, met the criteria for inclusion in a meta-analysis of the association between ever use of e-cigarettes and subsequent initiation of tobacco cigarette use. Based on primary study adjusted odds ratios, our meta-analysis calculated a 4.06 (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.00–5.48, I2 68%, 9 primary studies) times higher odds of commencing tobacco cigarette smoking for teenagers who had ever used e-cigarettes at baseline, though the odds ratio were marginally lower (to 3.71 times odds, 95%CI: 2.83–4. 86, I2 35%, 4 primary studies) when only the four high-quality studies were analysed. Conclusion The systematic review found that e-cigarette use was associated with commencement of tobacco cigarette smoking among teenagers in Europe and North America, identifying an important health-related harm. Given the availability and usage of e-cigarettes, this study provides added support for urgent response by policymakers to stop their use by teenagers to decrease direct harms in this susceptible population group, as well as to conserve achievements in diminishing tobacco cigarette initiation.

Purpose -The purpose of this empirical study is to investigate the use of, and perception of, weblogs in the Irish library and information profession, in order to ascertain the extent weblog technology is used by Irish librarians, and what factors promote or discourage the use of weblogs. Design/methodology/approach -The research questions answered in the study were: "What types of library/librarian weblogs exist in the Irish library community?"; "Does the Irish librarian community use weblogs and other social communication technologies?"; "What factors affect the uptake of blogging technologies by Irish librarians?". The methodology employed in the study combined quantitative and qualitative techniques, and involved content analysis of existing Irish library and librarian weblogs; a survey of Irish librarians concerning weblogs and other social communication technologies; and interviews with Irish librarians who maintain weblogs. Findings -The study found that a high proportion of Irish librarians read weblogs, but weblogs are not extensively used as an information resource or communication method, and e-mail and websites are preferred. The professional use of weblogs was found to be associated with simplicity of use, and a proactive attitude to technology and to library users. Constraining factors included time concerns, fear of misuse of the weblog, the limitations of the linear nature of weblogs and the newness of the technology. Interest in weblog technology is growing and its uptake will ultimately depend on the interest of the librarian and the perceived and actual needs of the library users. Originality/value -This study analyzes, for the first time, the Irish biblioblogosphere and contributes to the emergent body of knowledge concerning librarians' use of weblogs.

Aim: This systematic review of longitudinal cohort studies aimed to explore whether electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use by adolescents who had never smoked conventional tobacco cigarettes (tobacco cigarettes) at baseline was associated with subsequent initiation of tobacco cigarette smoking. The analysis included studies based in Europe and North America. Methods: This study followed all the principles of a systematic review and meta-analysis. A key word search identified peer-reviewed literature published between 1 January 2005 and 2 October 2019 from seven bibliographic databases and one search engine. Using a predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria two authors independently screened abstracts, and subsequently, full text papers. Eligible papers were quality assessed and scored by two authors. Included papers had data on population characteristics, exposure and outcome measures extracted into an adapted Cochrane Data Extraction Form. Statistical analysis was preceded by a feasibility assessment, and included a pairwise random effects meta-analysis, and sensitivity and subgroup analyses. Findings: From an initial 6,619 studies, 14 unique studies in 21 papers were identified. Overall, the studies populations were between 13 and 19 years at baseline. Nine of the 14 unique longitudinal studies with follow-up periods between 4 and 24 months were eligible for inclusion in a meta-analysis of the association between ever use of e-cigarettes and subsequent initiation of tobacco cigarette use. Based on primary study adjusted odds ratios, our meta-analysis calculated a 4.06 (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.00-5.48) times higher odds of initiating tobacco cigarette smoking for those who had ever used e-cigarettes at baseline, although the odds ratio was reduced slightly (to 3.71 times odds, 95%CI: 2.83-4. 86) when only the four high-quality studies were included. The initial meta-analysis model had a moderate to high statistical heterogeneity, sensitivity analysis restricted to high-quality studies had a low to moderate statistical heterogeneity.Conclusion: The systematic review found that e-cigarette use was associated with initiation of tobacco cigarette smoking among adolescents in Europe and North America, identifying a potentially serious public health harm. Given the widespread availability and use of e-cigarettes, this study further supports urgent action by policymakers to prevent their use by adolescents to reduce direct harms in this vulnerable population group, as well as to protect gains in reducing tobacco cigarette initiation.

Background: The implementation of housing with support is rapidly expanding, particularly as life expectancy is increasing throughout the world. This expansion is likely to intensify in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has revealed the risks of relying primarily on nursing homes. This mixed-methods systematic review aims to: 1) explore older people’s perceptions and experiences of housing with support and 2) examine the impact of providing housing with support for older people on their quality of life. Methods: The databases Ovid Medline, Ovid Social Policy & Practice, EBSCO CINAHL, and EBSCO SOCIndex will be searched, and grey literature will also be identified. Quality assessment will be carried out using Joanna Briggs Institute’s Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research as well as a tool from the National Institutes of Health for observational cohort studies. This review will employ convergent parallel design; as such, qualitative and quantitative findings will be synthesised separately in the initial stage of analysis. The results from the qualitative and quantitative syntheses will then be integrated in the final stage of the analysis. Conclusion: This systematic review will synthesise the evidence regarding older people’s perceptions and experiences of housing with support and the impact of providing housing with support for older people on their quality of life.

INTRODUCTION This systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluated the efficacy and safety of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes, ENDS) in helping people who smoke to achieve abstinence compared with electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENNDS, no nicotine) or any smoking cessation comparator treatment or combination of treatments at 24–26 weeks and at 52 weeks. METHODS Systematic review techniques involved searches of three databases in February 2020 with update searches run on 14 May 2021, two-person independent screening, two-person independent assessment of bias, formal extraction of data with verification by a second person, a feasibility assessment to decide if meta-analysis was appropriate, and network meta-analysis (NMA) of data at 24–26 weeks. Data at 52 weeks were narratively summarized. RESULTS Ten RCTs met the inclusion criteria, eight for efficacy and ten for safety. Eight of the nine RCTs were assessed as at high risk of bias. The sample sizes of the RCTs were 30–2012. Using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) as the reference treatment, the incidences of smoking cessation at 24–26 weeks were comparable between ENDS and NRT groups (RR=1.17; 95% CrI: 0.66–1.86). Three sensitivity analyses were carried out indicating the main findings for 24–26 weeks were robust to assumptions. The findings at 52 weeks were inconclusive. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review and NMA indicates that there is no clear evidence of a difference in effect between nicotine containing e-cigarettes and NRT on incidences of smoking cessation at 24–26 weeks, and substantial uncertainty remains.