Temperamental correlates of trauma symptoms in firemen, policemen and soldiers

Objectives: The main goal of the research was to assess temperamental determinants of trauma symptoms in firemen, policemen and soldiers. The temperament traits which were considered were those postulated by the Regulative Theory of Temperament (briskness, perseveration, sensory sensitivity, emotional reactivity, endurance and activity). Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was run on non-clinical samples. The participants were 417 men, White-Caucasian only: 284 firemen (aged 21–55), 58 policemen (aged 22–45), and 75 soldiers (aged 21–42). Temperament was assessed using the Formal Characteristics of Behavior – Temperament Inventory. Intensity of trauma symptoms was assessed with the PTSD-Factorial Version Inventory, a quantitative measure of trauma-related symptoms. The respondents were examined in their place of work. The study included only men reporting at least 1 traumatic event during the year before the trauma diagnosis. Results: Emotional reactivity had a significant positive effect on the intensity of trauma symptoms only in the group of firemen. Emotional reactivity accounted for 16% of the variance of trauma intensity symptoms in this occupational group. Negative significant effect on trauma symptoms was found for briskness only in the soldiers group (briskness explained 20% trauma intensity variance in this group). Conclusions: Emotional reactivity was conducive to the increased trauma symptoms intensity in firemen, whereas briskness tended to reduce symptoms intensity only in the group of soldiers

Fabrication of unilateral conductive and transparent polymer thin films decorated with nanomaterials for flexible electrodes

Recently, electrically conductive, flexible, and transparent nanocomposite thin films consisting of nanomaterials on insulating polymer layers are of particular interest to scientific and industrial experts and have promising applications in energy, electronic, and environment areas, due to their remarkable properties. In this study, nanomaterials including silver nanowires, reduced graphene oxide, and carbon nanotubes, and also, conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate were embedded onto insulating polyamide 6-based polymer layer to form unilateral (one-sided) conductive nanocomposite thin film with advanced optical, electrical, and mechanical properties. Spin coating technique was used to fabricate these flexible, conductive, and transparent thin film layers. Thin conductive films decorated with silver nanowires exhibited sufficiently low sheet resistance of 105 ?/sq with a transparency of ~85%. The maximum measured stress and elongation was obtained as 2.24 N/mm2 and 12.5%, respectively. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:1771–1778, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineer

Changes in sensation seeking and need for structure before and after a combat deployment.

n this study, soldiers’ adaptation with the situational demands on combat deployment is explored. Certain changes on the level of two needs-based personality characteristics, Sensation Seeking (SS) and Need for Structure (NS) take place across deployment: soldiers who are lower in SS were more inclined to seek for sensations after deployment, and soldiers at the extremes of the NS dimension, modified their behavioral tendencies after deployment towards a moderate level. According to our findings, these changes suggest at least temporal characteristic adaptations with certain environmental demands. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and practic

Turkey as a crossroad for Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus roseus: Evidence from population trends and ring-resightings (Aves: Phoenicopteridae)

The Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus is a waterbird commonly found in saline and brackish lagoons throughout the Mediterranean Region. We have gathered existing data on Greater Flamingos in Turkey and carried out field surveys to present the most up to date information on wintering (1999-2014) and breeding (1969-2014). The wintering population of flamingos shows an increasing trend with 54,947±20,794 individuals mainly concentrated in the Gediz, Buyuk Menderes and Çukurova deltas, respectively. Breeding attempts were recorded in at least seven wetlands in Turkey in the past, yet after 1999 most of the colonies were abandoned due to basin scale intensive water management practices in Central Anatolia. Currently, only Tuz Lake and Gediz Delta are used as regular breeding sites, while breeding has been recorded sporadically in Acigol and Akşehir Lakes. The breeding colony of Tuz Lake is of prime importance at the Mediterranean scale, with the number of young chicks in 2011, 2012 and 2013 accounting for the highest number of fledglings in the Mediterranean Region and West Africa (18,418, 20,274 and 20,292 respectively). Finally, building upon the previous findings about Turkey and the western Mediterranean metapopulation links, recent resightings of Turkish flamingos (despite the limited numbers) confirm post-fledging and natal dispersal reaching the western Mediterranean Basin and West Africa. Flamingos from Turkey were also found to disperse to Israel and to a region outside the known flyways of the western Mediterranean and West African flamingos (i.e. to Israel and UAE). Thus, Turkey, due to its geographic position, appears to be a crossroad between the western and eastern Mediterranean Region and southwest Asia. © 2015 Taylor and Francis