Switching effective oxygen reduction and evolution performance by controlled graphitization of a cobalt-nitrogen-carbon framework system

We report a purposely designed route for the synthesis of a promising carbon-based electrocatalyst for both ORR (oxygen reduction reaction) and OER (oxygen evolution reaction) from zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs). Firstly, precursor ZIFs are rationally designed with a blend of volatile zinc to induce porosity and stable cobalt to induce graphitic domains. Secondly, the self-modulated cobalt–nitrogen–carbon system (SCNCS) is shown to be an effective ORR catalyst after graphitization at mild temperatures. Finally, the best OER catalyst is developed by enhancing graphitization of the SCNCS. For the first time, solely by switching the graphitization conditions of SCNCS, excellent ORR or OER performance is realized. This approach not only opens up a simple protocol for simultaneous optimization of nitrogen doping and graphitization at controlled cobalt concentrations, but also provide a facile method of developing such active catalysts without the use of extensive synthesis procedures

Profiling and predicting help-seeking behaviour among trauma-exposed UK firefighters

Background: Firefighters often do not avail of psychological support services within fire services. Hence, investigating help-seeking behaviour is crucial to determine viable support options. Objective: This study attempted to characterize help-seeking behaviour among UK firefighters by profiling and identifying patterns of help-seeking. Methods: An online survey was administered to 1282 UK firefighters who were asked which help-seeking options they availed of within and outside professional settings. The analysis was conducted in two linked phases. First, latent class analysis was used to identify the fewest profiles that most accurately described help-seeking behaviour. Second, multinomial logistic regression analysis was employed to describe class composition using demographic and years in service variables, while ANOVA was employed to identify variation in alcohol consumption and openness to discussing emotions across help-seeking classes. Results: Five distinct help-seeking classes were identified. Class 1 (9.2%) represented firefighters who availed of all forms of support. Class 2, the smallest class (6.9%) represented firefighters who independently sought External Professional Psychological Support. Class 3 (12.2%) represented those who mainly sought Friends Support. Class 4, the largest class (48.7%) represented those who mainly sought Spousal Support. Class 5 (23%) represented firefighters who sought all avenues of Social Support. Regression analyses indicated that the External Psychological Support class was more likely to be single with fewer years in service. Firefighters longest in service were less likely to seek Social Support, and those who relied on Spousal support had the lowest alcohol consumption. Conclusion: Variations in help-seeking behaviour among UK firefighters were found. Firefighters who sought spousal support had the lowest alcohol consumption rates, indicating a protected profile. Firefighters who only sought friends and informal colleagues’ support had the highest alcohol consumption rates and the most difficulty in discussing feelings, indicating a potential at-risk profile. Recognizing these differences in help-seeking patterns is important for targeting interventions

Macroeconomic effects of corporate tax policy

Prior studies on the relation between corporate taxes and future macroeconomic growth present contradictory evidence. We argue this mixed evidence is at least partly due to the use of statutory corporate tax rates which ignore the complexity of tax exemptions, tax deductions, tax enforcement and firms’ tax planning. We propose an alternative tax rate measure that aggregates cash effective tax rates of listed firms, which reflect not only statutory tax rates, but also other features of the tax code, enforcement, and firm's tax planning. We find a strong robust negative relation between country-level effective tax rates and future macroeconomic growth

ICD-11 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the United States: A Population-Based Study

The primary aim of this study was to provide an assessment of the current prevalence rates of International Classification of Diseases (11th rev.) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) among the adult population of the United States and to identify characteristics and correlates associated with each disorder. A total of 7.2% of the sample met criteria for either PTSD or CPTSD, and the prevalence rates were 3.4% for PTSD and 3.8% for CPTSD. Women were more likely than men to meet criteria for both PTSD and CPTSD. Cumulative adulthood trauma was associated with both PTSD and CPTSD; however, cumulative childhood trauma was more strongly associated with CPTSD than PTSD. Among traumatic stressors occurring in childhood, sexual and physical abuse by caregivers were identified as events associated with risk for CPTSD, whereas sexual assault by noncaregivers and abduction were risk factors for PTSD. Adverse childhood events were associated with both PTSD and CPTSD, and equally so. Individuals with CPTSD reported substantially higher psychiatric burden and lower levels of psychological well-being compared to those with PTSD and those with neither diagnosis

Cumulative risk exposure is associated with increased risk for PTSD but not depression or anxiety. Results from a UK clinical sample of children and adolescents

Background Childhood adversity can include traumatic experiences and exposure to other risk factors; consistently predicting poorer psychosocial outcomes in adulthood. Relatively little research has investigated the impact of cumulative risk exposure in childhood. Using data collected in a specialist clinical setting, we investigated the associations between risk exposure, psychopathology and psychosocial functioning. Method Participants were children attending the Attachment and Trauma service at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London (N = 132, M = 10.25, SD = 3.35). Data was collected via routine clinical practice during multi-disciplinary assessments. Data was collected on developmental and trauma history, psychopathology, and functioning (CGAS), using standardised measures, clinical interviews, and observations. Results All children had experienced at least one risk factor, with 78% reporting multiple exposures, including witnessing interpersonal violence (52%), neglect (48%), and physical abuse (42%). Other risk exposures included exposure to alcohol (17%) and substances (24%) in-utero, as well as social risk factors such as multiple foster placements in some cases. In this sample, 65% of children met criteria for at least one psychiatric diagnosis (Anxiety = 31%, PTSD = 28%, Depression = 8%). High levels of functional impairment were found, with 52% of children falling into the highest categories of ‘obvious’ or ‘severe’ problems. Multiple risk exposure significantly predicted PTSD (OR 9.64 (1.1, 83.7)), but did not predict anxiety, depression, or functional impairment. Conclusion This study highlights the rates of cumulative risk exposure in this clinical sample. The findings demonstrate the importance of detailed and accurate clinical assessments in ascertaining trauma histories in children with known histories of adversity and maltreatment. There are implications for assessment and treatment, such as the importance of clear guidelines on treating PTSD in children with complex trauma histories

Evidence of distinct profiles of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) based on the new ICD-11 Trauma Questionnaire (ICD-TQ)

BACKGROUND: The WHO International Classification of Diseases, 11th version (ICD-11), has proposed two related diagnoses following exposure to traumatic events; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (CPTSD). We set out to explore whether the newly developed ICD-11 Trauma Questionnaire (ICD-TQ) can distinguish between classes of individuals according to the PTSD and CPTSD symptom profiles as per ICD-11 proposals based on latent class analysis. We also hypothesized that the CPTSD class would report more frequent and a greater number of different types of childhood trauma as well as higher levels of functional impairment. Methods Participants in this study were a sample of individuals who were referred for psychological therapy to a National Health Service (NHS) trauma centre in Scotland (N=193). Participants completed the ICD-TQ as well as measures of life events and functioning. RESULTS: Overall, results indicate that using the newly developed ICD-TQ, two subgroups of treatment-seeking individuals could be empirically distinguished based on different patterns of symptom endorsement; a small group high in PTSD symptoms only and a larger group high in CPTSD symptoms. In addition, CPTSD was more strongly associated with more frequent and a greater accumulation of different types of childhood traumatic experiences and poorer functional impairment. LIMITATIONS: Sample predominantly consisted of people who had experienced childhood psychological trauma or been multiply traumatised in childhood and adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: CPTSD is highly prevalent in treatment seeking populations who have been multiply traumatised in childhood and adulthood and appropriate interventions should now be developed to aid recovery from this debilitating condition

Molecular dynamics study of the fragmentation of silicon doped fullerenes

Tight binding molecular dynamics simulations, with a non orthogonal basis set, are performed to study the fragmentation of carbon fullerenes doped with up to six silicon atoms. Both substitutional and adsorbed cases are considered. The fragmentation process is simulated starting from the equilibrium configuration in each case and imposing a high initial temperature to the atoms. Kinetic energy quickly converts into potential energy, so that the system oscillates for some picoseconds and eventually breaks up. The most probable first event for substituted fullerenes is the ejection of a C2 molecule, another very frequent event being that one Si atom goes to an adsorbed position. Adsorbed Si clusters tend to desorb as a whole when they have four or more atoms, while the smaller ones tend to dissociate and sometimes interchange positions with the C atoms. These results are compared with experimental information from mass abundance spectroscopy and the products of photofragmentation.Comment: Seven two-column pages, six postscript figures. To be published in Physical Review

Childhood Adversity, Resilience, and Mental Health: A Sequential Mixed-Methods Study of Chinese Young Adults

Resilience is a key health protective factor for those with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), but little research has explored how it manifests in early adulthood or across cultures. The purpose of this study was to generate a fuller understanding of resilience and its contribution to the relationships between mental health problems and ACEs among Chinese young adults in Hong Kong. Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, 433 Chinese young adults aged 18-24 years were surveyed online to examine the relationships between ACEs, resilience, and mental health problems (depression, anxiety, maladjustment, and post-traumatic stress symptoms). Among them, 34 participants with ACEs were purposively selected and interviewed to explore cultural factors that influenced their resilience. Quantitative data were analyzed using multiple hierarchical regression analyses; qualitative data were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach.Higher cumulative ACE exposure was associated with higher severity of adjustment disorder and odds for screening positive for post-traumatic stress disorders, but not for symptoms of depression or anxiety. Resilience significantly contributed to explaining variances across all mental health outcomes over and beyond ACEs and in a protective fashion. Four themes emerged from qualitative interviews: (1) Privacy, emotional restraint, and “saving face”; (2) Conforming to preserve harmony; (3) A will to excel; and (4) Viewing adversity as a matter of luck. These findings suggest Chinese young adults’ resilience was influenced by cultural norms of restraint, conformity, competition, and superstition. The present study provides a model for future studies using a mixed-methods design to deeply examine resilience among younger people exposed to early adversities within sociocultural, historical, or geographical contexts

The development and initial validation of self‐report measures of ICD‐11 depressive episode and generalized anxiety disorder: the International Depression Questionnaire (IDQ) and the International Anxiety Questionnaire (IAQ)

Background The new International Classification of Diseases came into effect in 2022 (ICD-11; World Health Organization, 2022) and included updated descriptions and diagnostic rules for “Depressive Episode” and “Generalized Anxiety Disorder.” No self-report measures align with these disorders so this study reports the development and initial validation of the “International Depression Questionnaire” (IDQ) and “International Anxiety Questionnaire” (IAQ). Methods Items were developed that aligned to the ICD-11 descriptions and their performance was assessed using data from a community sample (N = 2058) that was representative of the United Kingdom adult population. Results Item response theory models indicated that the two scales were unidimensional, and the items performed well in terms of difficulty and discrimination. Estimates of internal reliability were high. Based on ICD-11 derived diagnostic algorithms, 7.4% met requirements for ICD-11 Depressive Episode and 7.1% for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Conclusions The IDQ and the IAQ are short, easy to use, self-report measures aligned to the new and updated ICD-11 diagnostic descriptions. This study provides initial evidence that the scales produce scores that are reliable and valid

Anxiety, depression, traumatic stress and COVID-19-related anxiety in the UK general population during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented global crisis, necessitating drastic changes to living conditions, social life, personal freedom and economic activity. No study has yet examined the presence of psychiatric symptoms in the UK population under similar conditions. AIMS: We investigated the prevalence of COVID-19-related anxiety, generalised anxiety, depression and trauma symptoms in the UK population during an early phase of the pandemic, and estimated associations with variables likely to influence these symptoms. METHOD: Between 23 and 28 March 2020, a quota sample of 2025 UK adults aged 18 years and older, stratified by age, gender and household income, was recruited by online survey company Qualtrics. Participants completed standardised measures of depression, generalised anxiety and trauma symptoms relating to the pandemic. Bivariate and multivariate associations were calculated for demographic and health-related variables. RESULTS: Higher levels of anxiety, depression and trauma symptoms were reported compared with previous population studies, but not dramatically so. Anxiety or depression and trauma symptoms were predicted by young age, presence of children in the home, and high estimates of personal risk. Anxiety and depression were also predicted by low income, loss of income and pre-existing health conditions in self and others. Specific anxiety about COVID-19 was greater in older participants. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a modest increase in the prevalence of mental health problems in the early stages of the pandemic, and these problems were predicted by several specific COVID-related variables. Further similar surveys, particularly of those with children at home, are required as the pandemic progresses