In summary on cotinine and niacin - cotinine might be the main benefit giving constituent, and minus the negatives of nicotine (e.g increaded heart rate), with niacin as the MAOI component.
Steeped e-liquid more like WTA (though not it's equal, maybe not too far off?)
That some nicotine will...
"Nicotinamide, a form of the B vitamin niacin, is known to exert similar effects on the brain as benzodiazapenes.13 Nicotinamide stimulates the GABA-benzodiazapene receptor complex, an inhibitory neuron grouping. By activating these neurons, a calming effect is the end result.14 Other...
Thinking about the relative nature of smoke and vapor. Smoke will contain other alkaloids beside nicotine, but what nicotine is released is more likely to be oxidised than the nicotine in vapor (because largely the 'vapor' is mostly actually a mist of tiny droplets of PG/VG with the nicotine...
One wonders about the anecdotal evidence regarding the advantages of: 1) 'steeping' and 2) high power vaping - and whether there might be psychopharmacological advantages to oxidation / heat induced changes (beyond improvements in taste).
This paper is interesting ...