Rural waste generation: a geographical survey at local scale

"The paper examines the per capita waste generation rates from from rural areas of Neamț County (Romania) using thematic cartography. Geographical approach of this issue is difficult because the lack of a geostatistic database at commune scale. Spatial analysis of waste indicators reveals several disparities between localities. Comparability of data between communes located in various geographical conditions must be carrefully made according to local waste management systems. Several dysfunctionalities are outlined in order to compare these results, on the one hand, between localities and on the one hand, between recent years. Geographical analysis of waste generation rates is imperative for a proper monitoring of this sector. Data from 2009, 2010 and 2012 shows that rural waste management is in a full process of change towards a more organized, stable and efficient system." (author's abstract

Salivary cortisol patterns in psychopathic and non-psychopathic offenders

Item does not contain fulltextPrevious research has described diverse biological correlates of the psychopathic personality. Efforts to understand the underpinnings of low fear responses in psychopathic individuals have drawn attention to the possible role of abnormalities in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function, but studies to date have been largely limited to youth or to adult community samples. The current study therefore examined morning basal cortisol levels and responses to a psychosocial stress task in a forensic clinical sample of psychopathic offenders (n = 14), non-psychopathic offenders (n = 22), and non-offender controls (n = 14). Morning cortisol levels were similar in all three groups. Throughout the stress task, psychopathic offenders showed significantly lower cortisol than controls; non-psychopathic offenders showed a similar but non-significant trend towards lower cortisol. The three groups did not differ, however, in cortisol response slopes. Implications of these findings are discussed in the framework of current theories about biological mechanisms underlying psychopathic personality.5 p

Daily hassles, uplifts, and time use in individuals with bipolar disorder in remission.

Although life stress has been shown to trigger relapse in bipolar disorder, little is known about how bipolar patients perceive daily hassles or their positive counterparts, uplifts. We used the experience sampling method to investigate the daily experience of hassles and uplifts in 38 patients with remitted bipolar disorder and 38 healthy controls. Largely because of current unemployment, patients were more often alone and at home and spent less time working and more time in passive leisure activities. Contrary to expectations, the groups did not differ in total frequencies or appraisals of events. Within the patient group, however, those patients with current depressive symptoms and more previous depressive episodes experienced negative events as more stressful. These findings are consistent with hypothesized processes linking depressive symptoms to the generation of stressful conditions or to the reactivation of negative cognitive schemas

The association between cortisol and the BOLD response in male adolescents undergoing fMRI

MRI participation has been shown to induce subjective and neuroendocrine stress reactions. A recent aging study showed that cortisol levels during fMRI have an age-dependent effect on cognitive performance and brain functioning. The present study examined whether this age-specific influence of cortisol on behavioral and brain activation levels also applies to adolescence. Salivary cortisol as well as subjective experienced anxiety were assessed during the practice session, at home, and before, during and after the fMRI session in young versus old male adolescents. Cortisol levels were enhanced pre-imaging relative to during and post-imaging in both age groups, suggesting anticipatory stress and anxiety. Overall, a negative correlation was found between cortisol output during the fMRI experiment and brain activation magnitude during performance of a gambling task. In young but not in old adolescents, higher cortisol output was related to stronger deactivation of clusters in the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex. In old but not in young adolescents, a negative correlation was found between cortisol and activation in the inferior parietal and in the superior frontal cortex. In sum, cortisol increased the deactivation of several brain areas, although the location of the affected areas in the brain was age-dependent. The present findings suggest that cortisol output during fMRI should be considered as confounder and integrated in analyzing developmental changes in brain activation during adolescence

Individual differences in cortisol responses to a laboratory speech task and their relationship to responses to stressful daily events

A Stress Inducing Speech Task was used to investigate the contribution of perceived stress, individual traits, and current mood states to individual differences in salivary cortisol responses. Additionally, we examined the correspondence between laboratory baseline cortisol levels and overall levels in daily life, and between cortisol responses to the speech task and a measure of stress reactivity to stressful events in daily life, Forty-two 'high stress' and forty-five 'low stress' white-collar males completed the speech task and an Experience Sampling study, in which stressful daily events and cortisol levels were monitored for five days. No association was found between perceived stress, trait anxiety, anger, depression, psychosomatic symptoms, coping style or personality and cortisol responses to the speech task. Negative mood state at baseline was associated with higher cortisol levels at baseline just before, and just after, the speech. Laboratory and field cortisol levels were moderately correlated, but no association was found between laboratory and field response measures. Laboratory baseline levels, but not responses to the speech task, were significant predictors of field cortisol levels.</p

Individual differences in cortisol responses to a laboratory speech task and their relationship to responses to stressful daily events

A Stress Inducing Speech Task was used to investigate the contribution of perceived stress, individual traits, and current mood states to individual differences in salivary cortisol responses. Additionally, we examined the correspondence between laboratory baseline cortisol levels and overall levels in daily life, and between cortisol responses to the speech task and a measure of stress reactivity to stressful events in daily life, Forty-two 'high stress' and forty-five 'low stress' white-collar males completed the speech task and an Experience Sampling study, in which stressful daily events and cortisol levels were monitored for five days. No association was found between perceived stress, trait anxiety, anger, depression, psychosomatic symptoms, coping style or personality and cortisol responses to the speech task. Negative mood state at baseline was associated with higher cortisol levels at baseline just before, and just after, the speech. Laboratory and field cortisol levels were moderately correlated, but no association was found between laboratory and field response measures. Laboratory baseline levels, but not responses to the speech task, were significant predictors of field cortisol levels.</p