Adverse childhood experiences, childhood relationships and associated substance use and mental health in young Europeans

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can increase risks of health-harming behaviours and poor health throughout life. While increases in risk may be affected by resilience resources such as supportive childhood relationships, to date few studies have explored these effects. Methods: We combined data from cross-sectional ACE studies among young adults (n = 14 661) in educational institutions in 10 European countries. Nine ACE types, childhood relationships and six health outcomes (early alcohol initiation, problem alcohol use, smoking, drug use, therapy, suicide attempt) were explored. Multivariate modelling estimated relationships between ACE counts, supportive childhood relationships and health outcomes. Results: Almost half (46.2%) of participants reported ≥1 ACE and 5.6% reported ≥4 ACEs. Risks of all outcomes increased with ACE count. In individuals with ≥4 ACEs (vs. 0 ACEs), adjusted odds ratios ranged from 2.01 (95% CIs: 1.70-2.38) for smoking to 17.68 (95% CIs: 12.93-24.17) for suicide attempt. Supportive childhood relationships were independently associated with moderating risks of smoking, problem alcohol use, therapy and suicide attempt. In those with ≥4 ACEs, adjusted proportions reporting suicide attempt reduced from 23% with low supportive childhood relationships to 13% with higher support. Equivalent reductions were 25% to 20% for therapy, 23% to 17% for problem drinking and 34% to 32% for smoking. Conclusions: ACEs are strongly associated with substance use and mental illness. Harmful relationships are moderated by resilience factors such as supportive childhood relationships. Whilst ACEs continue to affect many children, better prevention measures and interventions that enhance resilience to the life-long impacts of toxic childhood stress are required

Structure-Activity Relationships of Synthetic Coumarins as HIV-1 Inhibitors

HIV/AIDS pandemics is a serious threat to health and development of mankind, and searching for effective anti-HIV agents remains actual. Considerable progress has been made in recent years in the field of drug development against HIV. A lot of structurally different coumarins were found to display potent anti-HIV activity. The current review demonstrates the variety of synthetic coumarins having unique mechanism of action referring to the different stages of HIV replication. Recent studies based on the account of various synthetic coumarins seem to indicate that some of them serve as potent non-nucleoside RT-inhibitors, another as inhibitors of HIV-integrase or HIV-protease. The merits of selecting potential anti-HIV agents to be used in rational combination drugs design and structure-activity relationships are discussed.The scientific community is looking actively for new drugs and combinations for treatment of HIV infection effective for first-line treatment, as well as against resistant mutants. The investigation on chemical anti-HIV agents gives hope and optimism about it. This review article describes recent progress in the discovery, structure modification, and structure-activity relationship studies of potent anti-HIV coumarin derivatives

Structural and optical properties of both pure poly (3-octylthiophene) (P3OT) and P3OT/fullerene films

We have investigated the structural and optical properties of P3OT and P3OT/fullerene thin films in view of their application as active layer in plastic solar cells. Films of these materials were prepared by spin coating from toluene solutions onto silicon substrates. Their optical properties were studied by spectroscopic ellipsometry, which provides the anisotropic dielectric function of the films. Moreover, structural properties were studied using X-ray diffraction. A close correlation between the results obtained by both methods could be found. Especially, the strong optical anisotropy of the films can be explained in terms of a preferable orientation of the polymer chains parallel to the substrate. The effect of the optical anisotropy on the performance of optoelectronic devices is discussed. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Correlation between structural and optical properties of composite polymer/fullerene films for organic solar cells

We investigate thin poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl)/[6,6]-phenyI C-61 butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT/PCBM) films, which are widely used as active layers in plastic solar cells. Their structural properties are studied by grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (XRD). The size and the orientation of crystalline]P3HT nanodomains within the films are determined. PCBM crystallites are not detected in thin films by XRD. Upon annealing, the P3HT crystallinity increases, leading to an increase in the optical absorption and spectral photocurrent in the low-photon-energy region. As a consequence, the efficiency of P3HT/PCBM solar cells is significantly increased. A direct relation between efficiency and P3HT crystallinity is demonstrated