Substance use disorder status moderates the association between personality traits and problematic mobile phone/internet use

Background: Associations between personality traits and problematic smartphone use (PSU) among individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) have not been widely investigated. The current study aims to assess whether SUD status moderates the association between personality traits and PSU. Methods: The study group included 151 individuals with SUD and a normative sample (NS) comprised of 554 non-SUD students. The following self-report questionnaires were used: the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS-10) to assess problematic smartphone use (PSU), the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) to assess intensity of internet use, and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) to assess Personality traits. Results: SUD status moderated the association between neuroticism and openness to new experiences on PSU. That is, greater neuroticism and openness were significantly associated with more excessive PSU among the NS. In the SUD group, greater openness was a significant protective factor against PSU. Moderation results were similar when using the IAT (which was significantly correlated with MPPUS) as an outcome. Conclusions: The presence of SUD may influence how personality traits are associated with problematic mobile phone/internet use. Given that this is among one of the first studies examining this topic, findings should be replicated with additional studies

Używanie telefonów komórkowych i internetu przez osoby uzależnione od substancji psychoaktywnych, pacjentów z zaburzeniami psychicznymi oraz studentów

Introduction: Behavioral disorders involving new technologies are important group of addictions with growing prevalence. This study was designed to assess patterns of mobile phone and internet use among drug addicts, patients diagnosed with mental disorder and medical students. Material and methods: 151 of drug addicts (PU), 183 psychiatric patients (PP) and 613 medical students being control group (GK) were enrolled to the study. Participants were asked to complete questionnaires on mobile phone use (Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale; MPPUS-10 and Mobile Phone Addiction Assessment Questionnaire; MPAAQ) and internet addiction (Internet Addiction Test; IAT). Results: There were no significant differences among the study groups in terms of problem us of mobile phone as measured with MPPUS-10; medians were as follows: PU=31.5 (IQR = 30.2), PP = 33 (IQR = 20.8), GK=35 (IQR = 22). According to MPAAQ, 35.8% of participants met mobile phone addiction criteria, while all other participants were at risk of addiction. MPAAQ medians were: PU=43 (IQR =40), PP=32.5 (IQR = 22.2), GK=31 (IQR = 18) with significant difference between PU and GK, PU and PP (both p < 0.001). Medians of internet addiction measured with IAT were: PU=31 (IQR = 26.5), PP=32 (IQR =10), GK=30 (IQR = 10) with significant difference between PU and PP as well as PP and GK, p = 0.015 and p = 0.012, respectively. Conclusion: Study results suggest high prevalence of mobile phone and internet addiction in Poland. This may indicate common background of substance dependence and behavioral addictions as well as comorbidity of internet addiction with mental disorders.Wstęp: Uzależnienia od nowych technologii stanowią ważną grupę uzależnień behawioralnych, a ich rozpowszechnieniew ostatnich latach wyraźnie wzrasta. Celem badania była ocena używania telefonów komórkowych i internetuwśród osób uzależnionych od substancji psychoaktywnych, pacjentów leczonych z powodu zaburzeń psychicznychoraz studentów medycyny. Materiał i metody: W badaniu wzięło udział 151 osób uzależnionych od substancji psychoaktywnych (PU), 183pacjentów oddziałów psychiatrycznych (PP) oraz 613 studentów uniwersytetu medycznego jako grupa kontrolna (GK).Badanie miało charakter ankietowy; uczestnicy wypełniali kwestionariusze oceniające używanie telefonu komórkowegoi internetu: Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS-10), Kwestionariusz do Badania Uzależnienia od Telefonu Komórkowego(KBUTK) oraz Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Wyniki: Nie stwierdzono różnic między badanymi grupami pod względem problemowego używania telefonu komórkowegoocenianego za pomocą skali MPPUS-10. Mediany skali MPPUS-10 wyniosły: PU = 31,5 (IQR = 30,2),PP = 33 (IQR = 20,8), GK = 35 (IQR = 22). W badanych populacjach, według skali KBUTK uzależnionych od telefonukomórkowego było 35,8% badanych, a pozostali badani byli zagrożeni uzależnieniem. Mediany KBUTK wynosiły:PU = 43 (IQR = 40), PP = 32,5 (IQR = 22,2), GK = 31 (IQR = 18). Istotnie statystycznie różniły się PU i GK oraz PUi PP (p &lt; 0,001). Uzależnienie od internetu oceniano według skali IAT; mediany: PU = 31 (IQR = 26,5), PP = 32 (IQR= 10), GK = 30 (IQR = 10). Istotnie statystycznie różnili się PU i PP oraz PP i GK (odpowiednio p = 0,015 i p = 0,012). Wnioski: Uzyskane wyniki mogą świadczyć o dużym rozpowszechnieniu w Polsce uzależnienia od telefonów komórkowychi internetu. Mogą również udowadniać wspólne podłoże uzależnień od substancji psychoaktywnych i behawioralnych,a także częste współwystępowanie uzależnienia od internetu z zaburzeniami psychicznymi

The influence of electron and gamma irradiation on the properties of starch:PVA films – the effect of irradiation dose

The paper discusses the effect of ionizing radiation on the functional properties of the biodegradable starch:PVA films. The analysis is related to the possible use of the material for packing the products (particularly, food) that are predicted for radiation decontamination and to the potential modification of the material by radiation treatment. Our previous results have shown that the influence of ionizing radiation on the films’ properties varied for the specific compositions (differing in starch:PVA ratio or the type of substrates) and depended on irradiation conditions. However, these studies considered only the irradiation performed in gamma chamber or in e-beam using a dose of 25 kGy. Therefore, the present study deals with the effect of the irradiations performed using various doses on the selected promising starch:PVA composition. The films characterized by starch:PVA weight ratio of 45:55 was obtained by solution casting and irradiated with fast electrons in air and with 60Co gamma rays in nitrogen applying the doses of 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 50, and 75 kGy. No regular dependence has been noticed between the composition of films (differing in the starch and PVA content) and the intensities of the particular bands in the UV-VIS DRS spectra after irradiation. The results indicated strong interaction of the starch and PVA components in the films and the occurrence of specific reactions in each composition upon irradiation. No special differences were observed between tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the non-irradiated films characterized by the starch:PVA ratio equal to 45:55 and the samples irradiated using doses in the range of 5–75 kGy. Similarly, no differences were observed in both cases between the swelling capability of the non-irradiated and the irradiated films. However, it can be deduced that solubility in water increased when the radiation dose increased. The results show that using the doses till the range 25 kGy does not cause an essential change of all the examined properties of the starch:PVA (45:55) films. Accordingly, starch:PVA (45:55) films might be considered suitable for packing food predicted for radiation decontamination

Number of Children and Social Contacts among Older People : the Moderating Role of Filial Norms and Social Policies

Social contacts offer opportunities for provision of emotional and instrumental support that enhance well-being throughout the life course, and the importance of these contacts is especially evident at advanced ages. In this paper, we take a cross-country comparative perspective to examine the association between the number of children and the frequency of social contacts among older people. Using data from the European Quality of Life Survey, we employ multilevel models with cross-level interactions between the number of children and macro-level indicators of filial norms and social policies supporting older people. Our results suggest that older adults with children are more likely than older adults without children to have frequent social interactions, but that the number of children does not affect social contact frequency. The magnitude of the association between having children and social contact frequency varies across European societies. The social contact frequency gap between older adults with children and older adults without children is larger in more familialistic countries with strong filial norms. Our results do not confirm that having children affects social contact frequency less in countries where the state provides more support for older people

The influence of ionizing radiation on the properties of starch-PVA films

The cornstarch: poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films characterized by the alternating ratio of starch:PVA (100:0, 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, 20:80, and 0:100) and containing 30% of glycerol were prepared by solution casting. The films were irradiated with an absorbed dose of 25 kGy with gamma rays in a vacuum and with fast electrons in the air. The films characterized by a high content of starch appeared stiff, while the films characterized by a high content of PVA were highly flexible. The tensile strength and flexibility, as well as swelling and hydrophilicity, increased with the increase in the PVA content in the films. However, the tensile strength and wetting angle values achieved a minimum at an intermediate composition. It was found that irradiation enables to reduce hydrophilicity of the films accompanied by a decrease in their flexibility. No general conclusion concerning the effect of irradiation on tensile strength and swelling behavior can be derived. An increase in the homogeneity of the films and an increase in the compatibility of their components was found by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Strong interactions of the starch and the PVA components were discovered by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Degradation was found to be the prevailing process occurring in the films under the influence of irradiation. The possible accompanying crosslinking is discussed in terms of the gel content in the samples. Creation of various oxidation products in the films characterized by the modified composition was observed under the influence of irradiation carried out in the air. Basing on the obtained results it can be supposed that the selected starch-PVA compositions might appear useful as packagings of the products predicted for radiation decontamination

Dictyonema black shale and Triassic sandstones as potential sources of uranium

The main objective of the present study was an assessment of the possibility of uranium recovery from domestic resources in Poland. In the first stage uranium was leached from the ground uranium ore by using acidic (sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid) or alkaline (carbonate) solutions. The leaching efficiencies of uranium were dependent on the type of ore and it reached 81% for Dictyonemic shales and almost 100% for sandstones. The novel leaching routes, with the application of the helical membrane contactor equipped with rotating part were tested. The obtained postleaching solutions were concentrated and purified using solvent extraction or ion exchange chromatography. New methods of solvent extraction, as well as hybrid processes for separation and purification of the product, were studied. Extraction with the use of membrane capillary contactors that has many advantages above conventional methods was also proposed as an alternative purification method. The final product U3O8 could be obtained by the precipitation of ‘yellow cake’, followed by calcination step. The results of precipitation of ammonium diuranate and uranium peroxide from diluted uranium solution were presente