Individual differences and the development of Internet addiction

Internet addiction (IA) has emerged as a universal issue, but its international estimates vary due to different screening instruments and different samples. The present study aims to estimate the risk of IA in a school-based nationally representative sample of Slovenian adolescents and ascertain the interplay between IA, sociodemographic factors, free-time activities, self-control, and perceived satisfaction with life. Overall, the present study found that adolescents at greater risk for developing IA tend to be more passive in their free time, since they watch TV and play video games more than their peers, as well as chat on social media. Adolescents presenting high risk of IA displayed poorer levels of self-control in most cases and reported to be generally less satisfied with their lives in comparison to adolescents presenting low risk of IA

A Note on Normalised Distributions of DC Partial Microdischarges

Statistical distributions (exponential and Pareto) of DC partial microdischarges running within sandwich electrode systems are discussed from the viewpoint of a normalisation procedure which may influence some features of the final distribution

Internet Gaming Disorder among Slovenian primary schoolchildren: findings from a nationally representative sample of adolescents

Background and aims: Since the inclusion of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in the latest (fifth) edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a tentative disorder, a few psychometric screening instruments have been developed to assess IGD, including the 9-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale – Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) – a short, valid, and reliable instrument. Methods: Due to the lack of research on IGD in Slovenia, this study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the IGDS9-SF in addition to investigating the prevalence rates of IGD in a nationally representative sample of eighth graders from Slovenia (N=1,071). Results: The IGDS9-SF underwent rigorous psychometric scrutiny in terms of validity and reliability. Construct validation was investigated with confirmatory factor analysis to examine the factorial structure of the IGDS9-SF and a unidimensional structure appeared to fit the data well. Concurrent and criterion validation were also investigated by examining the association between IGD and relevant psychosocial and game-related measures, which warranted these forms of validity. In terms of reliability, the Slovenian version IGDS9-SF obtained excellent results regarding its internal consistency at different levels, and the test appears to be a valid and reliable instrument to assess IGD among Slovenian youth. Finally, the prevalence rates of IGD were found to be around 2.5% in the whole sample and 3.1% among gamers. Discussion and conclusion: Taken together, these results illustrate the suitability of the IGDS9-SF and warrants further research on IGD in Slovenia

Na tropie środków przydatnych w terapii lub profilaktyce choroby Alzheimera

Mimo olbrzymich inwestycji kadrowych i finansowych, próby pozyskiwania nowych przełomowych leków okazują się coraz trudniejsze, a w przypadku choroby Alzheimera wręcz nieskuteczne. Farmakoterapia choroby Alzheimera i innych chorób, w których obserwuje się tworzenie fibryli białka amyloidowego, nie rokuje całkowitego wyleczenia czy poprawy funkcjonowania chorych. Rutynowo stosuje się leczenie paliatywne, objawowe lub substytucyjne. W fazie eksperymentalnej jest terapia skojarzona, z użyciem środków działających plejotropowo oraz substancji, które mają hamować zwyrodnienie neurofibrylarne. Obserwacje epidemiologiczne, kojarzone z paleniem tytoniu, skierowały uwagę badaczy na podjednostkę α7 neuronowego receptora cholinergicznego typu nikotynowego (α7nAChR). Najbardziej obiecujące i racjonalne wydają się jednak próby ingerencji farmakologicznej w proces agregacji amyloidu czy rozpuszczania jego złogów. Istnieją doniesienia o takim działaniu dla różnych środków, szczególnie przyjmowanych długotrwale. Obok nikotyny i pochodnych wchodzących w skład etnograficznie charakterystycznych używek, wskazuje się także na niektóre składniki prawidłowej diety, w tym kwasy tłuszczowe omega-3. W badaniach zainicjowanych w Katedrze Biofarmacji i Farmakodynamiki Gdańskiego Uniwersytetu Medycznego, mierzono nową metodą elektrochemicznospektroskopową powinowactwo wielu związków pirydynowych i piperydynowych, zwłaszcza alkaloidów występujących w używkach i przyprawach, do amyloidu β(1–42). Wykazano silne właściwości wiązania amyloidu z wieloma wytypowanymi do badań związkami. Szczególnie obiecująco z punktu widzenia profilaktyki choroby Alzheimera przedstawia się alkaloid trigonellina, charakterystyczny dla powszechnie spożywanych w Azji (także jako składnik curry) i znanych w Polsce nasion kozieradki, która należy do surowców roślinnych uwzględnionych w obowiązującej Farmakopei Europejskiej

Fractality of Electrostatic Microdischarges on the Surface of Polymers

Ramified Lichtenberg figures caused by electrostatic microdischarges on the surface of polymeric polyethylene terephthalate have been studied. They occurred in consequence of the previous electret forming of the polymeric sheets and were initiated in the air gap between the grounded electrode and the polymeric sheets. Multifractal image analysis was used to determine the fractal dimensions of the Lichtenberg patterns in dependence on the loading voltages used for electret forming

Prevalence of problematic internet use in Slovenia

BACKGROUND: Internet use is an integral part of our everyday activities; however, Internet use may become problematic and harmful in a minority of cases. The majority of reported prevalence rates of problematic Internet use refer to adolescent samples, whereas epidemiological studies on representative adult populations are lacking. This study aimed to reveal the prevalence and characteristics of problematic Internet use in Slovenia. METHODS: Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ) was included in European Health Interview Study (EHIS) on representative Slovenian sample. The frequency of Internet use and problematic Internet use were both assessed. RESULTS: 59.9% of Slovenian adult population uses the Internet daily, and 3.1% are at risk of becoming problematic Internet users, 11% in the age group from 20 to 24 years. Those being at risk for becoming problematic Internet users are younger (mean age 31.3 vs. 48.3 for non-problematic users), more likely to be males (3.6% of males, whereas 2.6% of females are affected), students (12.0%), unemployed (6.3%) or unable to work (8.7%), single (6.5%), with high education (4.5%). Regression analysis revealed that the strongest predictor of being at risk for problematic Internet use is age (ß=-0.338, p<0.001); followed by high educational level (ß=0.145; p<0.001) and student status (ß=0.136; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: 3.1% of Slovenian adult population are at risk of becoming problematic Internet users, whereas 3 out of 20 Slovenian adolescents aged from 18 to 19 years are at risk (14.6%). Prevention programs and treatment for those affected are paramount, especially for the young generation

Internet Gaming Disorder in adolescence: investigating profiles and associated risk factors

Background: Electronic gaming is a popular free-time activity and its deleterious effects have been considered by the American Psychiatric Association and World Health Organization. More recently ‘Gaming Disorder’ (GD) has been added to the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, while ‘Internet Gaming Disorder’ (IGD) remains as a tentative disorder in the 5th revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This study aimed to explore the characteristics of young gamers at risk for developing IGD. Methods: To achieve this, a quantitative and nationally representative study was conducted in primary schools in Slovenia with eighth grade as the primary sampling unit (N = 1071, Meanage = 13.44 years, SDage = 0.59). Psychometric testing assessing IGD was conducted to identify participants’ IGD risk levels and to compare ‘high risk gamers’, ‘low risk gamers’, and ‘non-gamers’ in relation to free-time activities, self-control, and parent-child relationship. A one-way ANOVA analysis was conducted with Games-Howell post-hoc test to compare the three groups of participants. Statistically significant IGD factors were then included in a multinomial logistic regression analysis to identify the most relevant predictors of IGD. Results: About 4.7% (n = 48) [95% CI: 3.4–6.0%] of Slovenian adolescents were found to be ‘high risk gamers’ when considering risk of IGD. These were mostly males (n = 42, 87.5%), and their preferred leisure activities involved more screen time activities (e.g., watching TV, playing video games, using social media). Moreover, ‘high risk gamers’ showed significantly lower levels of self-control compared to ‘low risk gamers’, and poorer understanding with their parents. Perceived satisfaction with life and mental health did not differ significantly between the three groups. The multinomial logistic regression identified four key predictors of IGD: male gender, gaming as a frequent free-time activity, attending music school or a choir and self-control. Conclusion: Public health measures should target adolescents at increased risk of developing IGD in early age because they are particularly drawn to excessive gaming behaviors and present greater IGD vulnerability

Montana Integrated Carbon to Liquids (ICTL) Demonstration Program

Integrated carbon‐to‐liquids technology (ICTL) incorporates three basic processes for the conversion of a wide range of feedstocks to distillate liquid fuels: (1) Direct Microcatalytic Coal Liquefaction (MCL) is coupled with biomass liquefaction via (2) Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation and Isomerization (CHI) of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) or trigylceride fatty acids (TGFA) to produce liquid fuels, with process derived (3) CO{sub 2} Capture and Utilization (CCU) via algae production and use in BioFertilizer for added terrestrial sequestration of CO{sub 2}, or as a feedstock for MCL and/or CHI. This novel approach enables synthetic fuels production while simultaneously meeting EISA 2007 Section 526 targets, minimizing land use and water consumption, and providing cost competitive fuels at current day petroleum prices. ICTL was demonstrated with Montana Crow sub‐bituminous coal in MCL pilot scale operations at the Energy and Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota (EERC), with related pilot scale CHI studies conducted at the University of Pittsburgh Applied Research Center (PARC). Coal‐Biomass to Liquid (CBTL) Fuel samples were evaluated at the US Air Force Research Labs (AFRL) in Dayton and greenhouse tests of algae based BioFertilizer conducted at Montana State University (MSU). Econometric modeling studies were also conducted on the use of algae based BioFertilizer in a wheat‐camelina crop rotation cycle. We find that the combined operation is not only able to help boost crop yields, but also to provide added crop yields and associated profits from TGFA (from crop production) for use an ICTL plant feedstock. This program demonstrated the overall viability of ICTL in pilot scale operations. Related work on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a Montana project indicated that CCU could be employed very effectively to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the MCL/CHI process. Plans are currently being made to conduct larger‐scale process demonstration studies of the CHI process in combination with CCU to generate synthetic jet and diesel fuels from algae and algae fertilized crops. Site assessment and project prefeasibility studies are planned with a major EPC firm to determine the overall viability of ICTL technology commercialization with Crow coal resources in south central Montana