Regular and problematic leisure-time Internet use in the community: results from a German population-based survey

In our study, we attempted to identify systematically the use of Internet applications in the German population in order to derive risk factors for problematic use. In a representative survey of the German population, we queried 1,401 women and 1,111 men between the ages of 14 and 94 years by specific questions and standardized questionnaires on depression, anxiety (HADS), and depersonalization (CDS-2). The majority of the German population (55%) used the Internet in their leisure time. Users were younger and had a higher socioeconomic status (education, employment, income). Leisure-time use included e-mail and information search, as well as shopping. Chatting, online communities, games and sex were domains of young, mostly male adults. Overall, 9.3% reported at least one negative consequence of Internet use, especially neglect of recreational activities and problems with family/partner, work or education, and health. Problematic use was associated with longer average daily online times, avoidance of negative emotions, preference for certain applications (gaming, gam- bling, online sex) and an increased rate of depersonalization. The extent of Internet use per se is not sufficient as an addiction criterion and other negative consequences; rather, specific adverse consequences need to be identified. If the Internet is used excessively to cope with negative affect states and alternative means of coping (e.g., social support, health-promoting behavior) are diminished, a vicious cycle may ensue with increasing stress and reliance on the reinforcing properties of certain online activities that may finally lead to addictive behaviour

Both sides of the story: Addiction is not a pastime activity

The proposed inclusion of Internet gaming disorder (IGD) into the upcoming ICD-11 has caused mixed reactions. Having a sound diagnostic framework for defining this new phenomenon has been applauded but concerns have risen regarding overpathologizing a mere pastime activity. The review by Aarseth et al. (2016) provides a fine but one-sided impression on IGD. What has been totally left out in the argumentation is the clinical perspective. Although the concerns depicted must not be ignored, the conclusion provided by the authors is reflecting quite subjective speculations while objectivity would rather be needful

Marine shelled molluscs from two locations in the Maltese Islands - a checklist

Climate change and manifold other anthropogenic influences are the main driving factors for changes in marine ecosystems. Characterising these changes is of great interest and can be made possible through the adoption of marine shelled mollusca as bioindicators. Malta is renowned for its rich diversity of mollusc species, including rare and endemic ones. So, we analysed mollusc shell grit from two locations (St. Pauls Island/Selmunett Island and Marsaxlokk) to provide a species baseline list for future investigations. We identified a total of 7662 parts of marine shelled mollusca. 115 species were found at St. Pauls Island and 45 species at Marsaxlokk, belonging to a total of 60 families (16 at both locations). To make both samples comparable, despite differences in sampling efforts, we formulated an individual-based species extrapolation curve for each location. With this, we calculated an estimated total species number of 134 at St. Pauls Island and of 49 at Marsaxlokk, for a set threshold of 6000 individuals, indicating a considerably lower mollusc diversity at the second location, putatively the result of higher human disturbance levels at the same location. The substantial differences in mollusc species composition between the two localities, despite the small geographical distance between the two, further underscores the importance of further related research.peer-reviewe

Szteránvázas vegyületek kutatása = Research of steroids

A szteránváz D-gyűrűjéhez kondenzált heterociklusok farmakológiailag jelentős vegyületek. A beszámolási időszakban az androszt-5-én vázhoz 17?-helyzetben kondenzált, két heteroatomot tartalmazó ciklusokat építettünk ki. Az N-fenil-, és az N-szubsztituált-fenil-2-oxazolidonokat a szteránvázhoz fűződő ?,?-haloalkil-N-ariluretánok alkalikus közegű szolvolízisével végeztük. A folyamat egy (N-5) szimbólummal jellemezhető szomszédcsoport részvétel. A 21-hidroximetilidén-pregn-5-én-20-on fenilhidrazinnal és annak szubsztituált származékaival végzett átalakítása két regioizomer N-fenil-pirazolhoz vezet. Arilpirazolin és izoxazolidin származékok előállítását 1,3-dipoláris cikloaddicióval sikerült megvalósítani az androszt-5-én sorban. A folyamat mechanizmusát és sztereoszelektivitását számításokkal sikerült alátámasztani. A 13?-ösztron sorban endo-, és exo-ciklusos ketonok kialakítását sikerült megvalósítani, melyek nitriliminnel végzett 1,3-dipoláris cikloaddícója regioizomer pirazolinokhoz vezetett. Az elállított vegyületek jelentős része jelentős antiproliferativ hatásúnak bizonyult. | Steroids bearing heterocycles attached to the D-ring of the steroid nucleus have been of pharmaceutical interest. During the supported period we carried out synthesis of steroidal two heteroatom-containing heterocycles at position 17? of androst-5-en-3?-ol. For the synthesis of the N-phenyl-, and N-(substituted-phenyl)-2-oxazolidone ring we chose cyclization of the steroidal ?,?-haloalkyl-N-arylurethanes in alkaline media. The cyclization takes place with (N-5) neighboring group participation. The reaction of 21-hydroxymethylidenepregn-5-en-20-one with phenylhydrazine, or p-substituted phenylhydrazines affords two regioisomer steroidal N-phenylpyrazolyl derivatives. Arylpyrazolynes and isoxazolidines in the androst-5-ene series were prepared by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. The mechanism and stereoselectivity of the reactions were elucidated. Effective syntheses of endo- and exocyclic ?,?-unsaturated ketones were carried out in the 13?-estrone series. The 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of 15,16-unsaturated ketones with nitrilimines stereoselectively furnished two regioisomers of new condensed pyrazolynes. Several compounds exerted marked in vitro antiproliferative activity on different malignant human cell lines

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) is neuroprotective when administered either before or after injury in a focal cortical cold lesion model

Dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate (DHEAS) are sex hormone precursors that exert marked neurotrophic and/or neuroprotective activity in the central nervous system. The present study evaluated the effects of DHEAS and 17�-estradiol (E2) in a focal cortical cold lesion model, in which DHEAS (50 mg/kg, sc) and E2 (35 mg/kg, sc) were administered either as pretreatment (two subsequent injections 1 d and 1 h before lesion induction) or posttreatment (immediately after lesion induction). The focal cortical cold lesion was induced in the primary motor cortex by means of a cooled copper cylinder placed directly onto the cortical surface. One hour later, the animals were killed, the brains cut into 0.4-mm-thick slices, and the sections stained with 1% triphenyltetrazolium chloride. The volume of the hemispheric lesion was calculated for each animal. The results demonstrated that the lesion area was significantly attenuated in both the DHEAS- and E2- preand posttreated groups and that in the presence of letrozole, a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor, no neuroprotection was observed, suggesting that the beneficial effect of DHEAS on the cold injury might depend on the conversion of DHEAS to E2 within the brain. It is concluded that even a single posttraumatic administration of DHEAS may be of substantial therapeutic benefit in the treatment of focal brain injury with vasogenic edema