Parental alcohol use disorders and alcohol use and disorders in offspring: a community study

Background. We examined the association between parental alcohol use disorders and patterns of alcohol consumption and DSM-IV alcohol use disorders in their offspring in a community-based sample of young adults. Methods. Data are based on baseline and 4-year follow-up data of 2427 respondents aged 14–24 at baseline. Alcohol use and disorders in respondents were assessed using the Munich-Composite-International-Diagnostic-Interview with DSM-IV algorithms. Diagnostic information about parents was collected by family history information from the respondents, and by direct interview with one parent (cohort aged 14 to 17 years only). Results. Although the association between maternal and paternal alcohol use disorders and non-problematical drinking in offspring was minimal, there was a strong effect for the transition to hazardous use and for alcohol abuse and dependence; the effect of parental concordance for transition into hazardous use was particularly striking. Maternal history was associated with a higher probability of progression from occasional to regular use, whereas paternal history was associated with progression from regular to hazardous use. Parental alcoholism increased the risk for first onset of hazardous use and alcohol dependence between the ages of 14–17, and for an earlier onset of the alcohol outcomes in offspring. The impact of parental alcohol use disorders was comparable for male and female offspring. Conclusions. Parental alcoholism predicts escalation of alcohol use, development of alcohol use disorders and onset of alcohol outcomes in offspring

Pressure dependence of diffusion in simple glasses and supercooled liquids

Using molecular dynamics simulation, we have calculated the pressure dependence of the diffusion constant in a binary Lennard-Jones Glass. We observe four temperature regimes. The apparent activation volume drops from high values in the hot liquid to a plateau value. Near the critical temperature of the mode coupling theory it rises steeply, but in the glassy state we find again small values, similar to the ones in the liquid. The peak of the activation volume at the critical temperature is in agreement with the prediction of mode coupling theory

The role of mental disorders in the risk and speed of transition to alcohol use disorders among community youth

Background Among adolescents and young adults with DSM-IV alcohol use disorders (AUDs), there are inter-individual differences in the speed of transition from initial alcohol use (AU) to AUD. AUDs are highly co-morbid with other mental disorders. The factors associated with rapid transition from first AU to AUD remain unknown and the role of mental disorders in rapid transitions is unclear. Given this background we examined (1) whether prior anxiety, mood, externalizing and non-alcohol substance use disorders are related to the risk and speed of transition from first AU to DSM-IV alcohol abuse (AA) and alcohol dependence (AD) and (2) whether early age of onset of prior mental disorders (PMDs) is a promoter of rapid transition. Method A total of 3021 community subjects (97.7% lifetime AU) aged 14-24 years at baseline were followed up prospectively for up to 10 years. AU and mental disorders were assessed with the DSM-IV/M-CIDI. Results Among subjects with lifetime AU, several PMDs, such as specific phobia, bipolar disorder and nicotine dependence, were associated with an increased risk of AUD independent of externalizing disorders. Associations of PMDs with the speed of transition to AUDs were mostly weak and inconsistent. Only social phobia and externalizing disorders were associated with faster transitions to AD even after adjustment for other PMDs. Earlier age of onset of PMD was not associated with rapid transition. Conclusions Mental disorders are associated with the risk of AUD. With the possible exception of social phobia and externalizing disorders, they do not promote rapid transition, even if they occur particularly early. Future research needs to identify factors relevant to rapid transition to AU

Coherent instabilities in a semiconductor laser with fast gain recovery

We report the observation of a coherent multimode instability in quantum cascade lasers (QCLs), which is driven by the same fundamental mechanism of Rabi oscillations as the elusive Risken-Nummedal-Graham-Haken (RNGH) instability predicted 40 years ago for ring lasers. The threshold of the observed instability is significantly lower than in the original RNGH instability, which we attribute to saturable-absorption nonlinearity in the laser. Coherent effects, which cannot be reproduced by standard laser rate equations, can play therefore a key role in the multimode dynamics of QCLs, and in lasers with fast gain recovery in general.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Experimental study of the impact of ion orbit losses on the edge radial electric field at the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak

Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (grant FPU17/06273)EUROfusion Consortium 63305

Danger and loss events and the incidence of anxiety and depressive disorders: a prospective-longitudinal community study of adolescents and young adults

Background There are inconclusive findings regarding whether danger and loss events differentially predict the onset of anxiety and depression. Method A community sample of adolescents and young adults (n=2304, age 14-24 years at baseline) was prospectively followed up in up to four assessments over 10 years. Incident anxiety and depressive disorders were assessed at each wave using the DSM-IV/M-CIDI. Life events (including danger, loss and respectively mixed events) were assessed at baseline using the Munich Event List (MEL). Logistic regressions were used to reveal associations between event types at baseline and incident disorders at follow-up. Results Loss events merely predicted incident ‘pure' depression [odds ratio (OR) 2.4 per standard deviation, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5-3.9, p<0.001] whereas danger events predicted incident ‘pure' anxiety (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1-4.6, p=0.023) and ‘pure' depression (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.7-3.5, p<0.001). Mixed events predicted incident ‘pure' anxiety (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.5-5.7, p=0.002), ‘pure' depression (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.6-3.4, p<0.001) and their co-morbidity (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.8-7.0, p<0.001). Conclusions Our results provide further evidence for differential effects of danger, loss and respectively mixed events on incident anxiety, depression and their co-morbidity. Since most loss events referred to death/separation from significant others, particularly interpersonal loss appears to be highly specific in predicting depressio