Hormonal Correlates of P50 Suppression in Socially Anxious Young Adults

Ten to 15% of the population is temperamentally shy and have elevated physiological stress responses to novel social situations. Yet, the neural mechanisms underlying this personality trait are not fully understood (Beaton et al., 2009; Schmidt et al., 1997). Efficiently attending to, acting on, and remembering relevant stimuli and filtering out less important information is critical given the sheer volume of sensory and perceptual stimuli the brain is exposed to. Relevant stimuli that garner attention are remembered and consolidated with existing memories. Stimuli that do not warrant extended attention are ignored or habituated to in a process underpinned by cortical and subcortical inhibitory brain networks that reduce processing load on finite attentional resources (Freedman et al., 1991; Adler et al., 1998). Inefficient filtering of irrelevant stimuli could underpin anxiety in those with temperamental shyness and anxiety (Aron, Aron, & Davies, 2005). We measured the P50 auditory event-related potential (ERP) using a paired auditory click paradigm, as well as self-reported social anxiety and shyness, and salivary cortisol in two groups of healthy young adults selected for being very shy or very gregarious. While shy and gregarious groups demonstrated a similar P50 ERP to sound one (S1), the shy group showed elevated P50 amplitudes in response to the second sound (S2) compared to the gregarious group. Participants categorized as being lower or higher on social anxiety displayed a reverse pattern: those higher in social anxiety had a reduced response to S1 compared to those lower in social anxiety, yet a similar response to S2. Further, higher salivary cortisol predicted smaller differences and larger ratios in the P50 ERP from S1 to S2

Core-shell carbon-polymer quantum dot passivation for near infrared perovskite light emitting diodes

High-performance perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) require a high quality perovskite emitter and appropriate charge transport layers to facilitate charge injection and transport within the device. Solution-processed n-type metal oxides represent a judicious choice for the electron transport layer (ETL); however, they don't always present suitable surface properties and energetics in order to be compatible with the perovskite emitter. Moreover, the emitter itself exhibits poor nanomorphology and defect traps that compromise the device performance. Here we modulate the surface properties and interface energetics of the tin oxide (SnO2) ETL with the perovskite emitter by using an amino functionalized difluoro{2-[1-(3,5-dimethyl-2H-pyrrol-2-ylidene-N)ethyl]-3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrrolato-N}boron (BDP) compound and passivate the defects present in the perovskite with carbon-polymer core-shell quantum dots (PCDs) inserted into the perovskite precursor. Both these approaches synergistically improve the perovskite layer nanomorphology and enhance the radiative recombination. These properties resulted in the fabrication of near infrared (NIR) PeLEDs based on formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) with a high radiance of 92 W sr-1 m-2, an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 14% and reduced efficiency roll-off

Interleukin-1 polymorphisms associated with increased risk of gastric cancer

Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with a variety of clinical outcomes including gastric cancer and duodenal ulcer disease. The reasons for this variation are not clear, but the gastric physiological response is influenced by the severity and anatomical distribution of gastritis induced by H. pylori. Thus, individuals with gastritis predominantly localized to the antrum retain normal (or even high) acid secretion, whereas individuals with extensive corpus gastritis develop hypochlorhydria and gastric atrophy, which are presumptive precursors of gastric cancer. Here we report that interleukin-1 gene cluster polymorphisms suspected of enhancing production of interleukin-1-beta are associated with an increased risk of both hypochlorhydria induced by H. pylori and gastric cancer. Two of these polymorphism are in near-complete linkage disequilibrium and one is a TATA-box polymorphism that markedly affects DNA-protein interactions in vitro. The association with disease may be explained by the biological properties of interleukin-1-beta, which is an important pro-inflammatory cytokine and a powerful inhibitor of gastric acid secretion. Host genetic factors that affect interleukin-1-beta may determine why some individuals infected with H. pylori develop gastric cancer while others do no

Dependence, plans to quit, quitting self-efficacy and past cessation behaviours among menthol and other flavoured cigarette users in Europe: The EUREST-PLUS ITC Europe Surveys

INTRODUCTION: This study characterises smoking and cessationrelated behaviours among menthol and other flavoured cigarette users in Europe prior to the implementation of the European Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) ban on the sale of flavoured cigarettes. METHODS: An analysis of cross-sectional data from the 2016 EUREST-PLUS ITC Europe Surveys was conducted among a sample of 10760 adult smokers from eight European Union Member States. Respondents were classified as menthol, other flavoured, unflavoured, or no usual flavour cigarette users and compared on smoking and cessation behaviours and characteristics. Data were analysed in SPSS Complex Samples Package using bivariate and multivariate regression analyses adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, dependence, and country. RESULTS: In bivariate analyses, cigarette flavour was significantly associated with all outcomes (p<0.001). After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, these associations attenuated but remained significant and in the same direction for dependence, self-efficacy, plans to quit, past quit attempts, and ever e-cigarette use. In fully adjusted models, compared to smokers of non-flavoured cigarettes, menthol smokers were less likely to smoke daily (AOR=0.47, 95% CI: 0.32–0.71), smoke within 30 min of waking (0.52,0.43–0.64), consider themselves addicted (0.74,0.59–0.94), and more likely to have ever used e-cigarettes (1.26,1.00–1.57); other flavoured cigarette smokers were less likely to smoke daily (0.33,0.15–0.77), and have higher self-efficacy (1.82,1.20–2.77); no usual flavour smokers were less likely to smoke daily (0.34,0.22–0.51), smoke within 30 min of waking (0.66,0.55–0.80), consider themselves addicted (0.65,0.52–0.78), have ever made a quit attempt (0.69,0.58– 0.84), have ever used e-cigarettes (0.66,0.54–0.82), and had higher self-efficacy (1.46,1.19–1.80). CONCLUSIONS: Smokers of different cigarette flavours in Europe differ on smoking and cessation characteristics. The lower dependence of menthol cigarette smokers could lead to greater success rates if quit attempts are made, however cross-country differences in smoking behaviours and quitting intentions could lead to the TPD ban on cigarette flavours having differential impact if not accompanied by additional measures, such as smoking cessation support

Knowledge of the health risks of smoking and impact of cigarette warning labels among tobacco users in six European countries: Findings from the EUREST-PLUS ITC Europe Surveys

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to examine knowledge of health effects of smoking and the impact of cigarette package warnings among tobacco users from six European Union (EU) Member States (MS) immediately prior to the introduction of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) in 2016 and to explore the interrelationship between these two factors. METHODS Cross-sectional data were collected via face-to-face interviews with adult smokers (n=6011) from six EU MS (Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Spain) between June-September 2016. Sociodemographic variables and knowledge of health risks of smoking (KHR) were assessed. Warning salience, thoughts of harm, thoughts of quitting and foregoing of cigarettes as a result of health warnings were assessed. The Label Impact Index (LII) was used as a composite measure of warning effects. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to examine sociodemographic predictors of KHR and LII and the inter-relationship between knowledge and LII scores. RESULTS The KHR index was highest in Romania and Greece and lowest in Hungary and Germany. While the majority of smokers knew that smoking increases the risk for heart diseases, lung and throat cancer, there was lower awareness that tobacco use caused mouth cancer, pulmonary diseases, stroke, and there were very low levels of knowledge that it was also associated with impotence and blindness, in all six countries. Knowledge regarding the health risks of passive smoking was moderate in most countries. The LII was highest in Romania and Poland, followed by Spain and Greece, and lowest in Germany and Hungary. In almost all countries, there was a positive association between LII scores and higher KHR scores after controlling for sociodemographic variables. Several sociodemographic factors were associated with KHR and LII, with differences in these associations documented across countries. CONCLUSIONS These data provide evidence to support the need for stronger educational efforts and policies that can enhance the effectiveness of health warnings in communicating health risks and promoting quit attempts. Data will serve as a baseline for examining the impact of the TPD

Voluntary self-poisoning as a cause of admission to a tertiary hospital internal medicine clinic in Piraeus, Greece within a year

BACKGROUND: Out of 1705 patients hospitalised for various reasons in the 3(rd) Internal Medicine Department of the Regional General Hospital of Nikaea, in Piraeus, 146(8,5%) persons were admitted for drug intoxication between November 1999 and November 2000. METHODS: On average, these persons [male 50(34,2%) – female 96(65,8%)] were admitted to the hospital within 3.7 hours after taking the drug. RESULTS: The drugs that were more frequently taken, alone or in combination with other drugs, were sedatives (67.1%), aspirins and analgesics (mainly paracetamol) (43.5%). 38.3% of patients had a mental illness history, 31.5% were in need of psychiatric help and 45.2% had made a previous suicide attempt. No death occurred during the above period and the outcome of the patients' health was normal. After mental state examination, the mental illnesses diagnosed were depression (20.96%), psychosis (15.32%), dysthymic disorder (16,2%), anxiety disorder (22.58%) and personality disorder (8.87%). CONCLUSIONS: Self-poisoning remains a crucial problem. The use of paracetamol and sedatives are particularly important in the population studied. Interpersonal psychiatric therapy may be a valuable treatment after people tried to poison themselves

Strain relaxation and multidentate anchoring in n-type perovskite transistors and logic circuits

This is the author accepted manuscriptData availability: Source data are provided with this paper. Additional data related to this work are available from the corresponding authors upon request.Code availability statement: All codes (software) used in the calculation and visualization are publicly available and the condition of their usage in the publication is an appropriate citation.The engineering of tin halide perovskites has led to the development of p-type transistors with field-effect mobilities of over 70 cm2 V-1 s-1 . However, due to their background hole doping, these perovskites are not suitable for n-type transistors. Ambipolar lead halide perovskites are potential candidates, but their defective nature limits electron mobilities to around 3-4 cm2 V-1 s-1, which makes the development all-perovskite logical circuits challenging. Here, we report formamidinium lead iodide perovskite n-type transistors with field-effect mobilities of up to 33 cm2 V-1s-1 measured in continuous bias mode. This is achieved through strain relaxation of the perovskite lattice using a methyl ammonium chloride additive, followed by suppression of undercoordinated lead through tetramethyl ammonium fluoride multidentate anchoring. Our approach stabilizes the alpha phase, balances strain, and improves surface morphology, crystallinity, and orientation. It also enables low-defect perovskite–dielectric interfaces. We use 46 the transistors to fabricate unipolar inverters and eleven-stage ring oscillator

Plantar calcaneal spurs in older people: longitudinal traction or vertical compression?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Plantar calcaneal spurs are common, however their pathophysiology is poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and correlates of plantar calcaneal spurs in a large sample of older people.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Weightbearing lateral foot radiographs of 216 people (140 women and 76 men) aged 62 to 94 years (mean age 75.9, <smcaps>SD</smcaps> 6.6) were examined for plantar calcaneal and Achilles tendon spurs. Associations between the presence of spurs and sex, body mass index, radiographic measures of foot posture, self-reported co-morbidities and current or previous heel pain were then explored.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 216 participants, 119 (55%) had at least one plantar calcaneal spur and 103 (48%) had at least one Achilles tendon spur. Those with plantar calcaneal spurs were more likely to have Achilles tendon spurs (odds ratio [OR] = 2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2 to 3.5). Prevalence of spurs did not differ according to sex. Participants with plantar calcaneal spurs were more likely to be obese (OR = 7.9, 95% CI 3.6 to 17.0), report osteoarthritis (OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.6 to 4.8) and have current or previous heel pain (OR = 4.6, 95% CI 2.3 to 9.4). No relationship was found between the presence of calcaneal spurs and radiographic measures of foot posture.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Calcaneal spurs are common in older men and women and are related to obesity, osteoarthritis and current or previous heel pain, but are unrelated to radiographic measurements of foot posture. These findings support the theory that plantar calcaneal spurs may be an adaptive response to vertical compression of the heel rather than longitudinal traction at the calcaneal enthesis.</p