Impersonal Sex and Pornography: Potential Confounding, Moderation, and Implications for Public Health.

Following the recent exhortations of health communication scholars to continue the study of pornography and its potential impact on health-related behaviors, the present study investigated associations between the frequency of pornography use and six indicators of impersonal sex among a national probability sample of US adults. Impersonal sex has been linked to a variety of important public health outcomes, including STD risk and sexual aggression perpetration. In this study, pornography use was positively correlated with the likelihood of engaging in group sex, having sex with a casual partner, having sex without emotional intimacy, experiencing heightened sexual pleasure during non-relational sex, relational infidelity, and perceiving the receipt of sexual pleasure from others as the best thing about sex. No evidence emerged that these associations were spuriously due to high sex drive individuals being both more likely to consume pornography and engage in impersonal sex. But several were conditional on age. Most importantly, countering the conventional wisdom that sexual media are most likely to affect the sexual behavior of young audiences, the strength of the positive association between pornography use and the likelihood of engaging in group sex and casual dyadic sex was larger among older adults and weaker among younger adults.

Exploring Differences in Four Types of Online Activities Across Individuals with and without Problematic Smartphone Use.

Studies on problematic online activities commonly focus on one type of online activity, such as social media. However, individuals often use their Smartphones for more than one online activity. This study examined four types of online activities (social networking, gaming, information acquisition, and short-form video viewing). Based on a combinatory assessment of problematic smartphone use and hours spent online, two groups were created from a larger sample (N = 642): a problematic smartphone user group (PSU; N = 230; F = 72%; Age = 24.99 ± 6.60) and a non-problematic smart phone user group (NPSU; N = 87; F = 62%; Age = 30.49 ± 10.22). As compared to the NPSU group, the PSU group engaged in more social networking, gaming, information acquisition, and short-form video seeing. The PSU group also scored higher on psychological distress, sleep disturbance, fear of missing out, metacognitions about Smartphone use (MSU), desire thinking (DT), and lower on satisfaction with life and cognitive reappraisal. Regression analyses were employed to probe correlates of each online activity among the PSU and NPSU groups. The findings are discussed in light of the metacognitive model of addictive behaviors and future directions are provided concerning the challenges of distinguishing individuals for problematic Internet-related behaviors.

Zinc triazolate oxalate CALF-20 with platelet morphology and its PEBAX-based mixed matrix membranes for CO2/N2 separation.

CALF-20, [Zn2(1,2,4-triazolate)2(oxalate)] shows remarkable performance in post-combustion carbon capture, even under humid conditions1 but its reported crystal morphology hinders its applicability in mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). Here, a route to its preparation as platelets a few tens of nm thick is reported. These were incorporated into a PEBAX MH1567 polymer matrix and the resultant MMMs display improvement in CO2 permeability and CO2/N2 selectivity.

U.S. Males and Pornography: Replication and Experimental Extension.

Communication scientists have published pornography research in the communication discipline's central journals for decades. Health communication scholars have become particularly interested in pornography in recent years, given increasing evidence of its likely impact on critical sexual health outcomes. An important resource for scholarship on pornography use is the General Social Survey (GSS). The first major article on pornography use and potential effects using the GSS was published only a decade ago and in a sexological journal, however. The present study provides a replication of this original article within the context of a GSS methodological experiment designed to provide pornography scholars with the first opportunity in 50 years to test a potential new pornography use measure. Results are interpreted in terms of their implications for the GSS, the pornography literature in general, and multiple theories of media use, processes, and effects.

Adolescent Pornography Exposure, Condom Use, and the Moderating Role of Parental Sexual Health Communication: Replication in a U.S. Probability Sample.

Following calls for an increase in replication studies in communication science as well as multiple other disciplines, the present study provides a direct replication of a pragmatically and theoretically important investigation of U.S. adolescents' pornography exposure, parent-adolescent sexual health communication, and condomless sex published in this journal. Parent-adolescent sexual health communication has been suggested as a sexual risk-reduction mechanism, but condomless sex among U.S. adolescents is increasing. Simultaneously, pornography remains an extremely popular media genre and condomless sex is the norm in pornographic depictions. The findings of the present study replicated the findings of the original study, with the most notable replicated finding being an interaction between pornography exposure and parent-adolescent sexual health communication on the likelihood of condomless sex. Both in the original and present study, the association between U.S. adolescents' pornography exposure and likelihood of condomless sex decreased as parental-adolescent sexual health communication increased. Results are discussed in terms of the challenges to examining these particular relationships among U.S. youth and the state of replication in the pornography effects literature.

Pornographic Video Consumption and Partner Preference Among Chinese Male Sexual Minorities: The Moderating Role of Perceived Realism.

A growing body of research documents that the use of pornography is becoming more frequent among male sexual minorities. According to the sexual script acquisition, activation, application model of mediated sexual socialization (3AM), pornography can be considered a potential factor influencing an individual's partner preference. In addition, perceived realism could moderate the link between pornography consumption and partner preferences. This study explored the relationship between pornographic video consumption and partner preference among male sexual minorities and the moderating role of perceived realism. A total of 595 male sexual minorities aged 18 to 47 years (M = 21.70, SD = 3.83), including 82.9% gay men and 17.1% bisexual men, were enrolled in the study. Our results revealed the following: (1) The frequency of pornographic video consumption and male sexual minorities' preferences for appearance and sexual ability in partner selection were positively correlated (r = .06/.07, ps < .05). (2) When perceived realism was low, pornographic video consumption was not significantly associated with appearance and sexual ability preference. (3) Conversely, when perceived realism was high, pornographic video consumption was positively associated with appearance and sexual ability preference (ß = .17/.16, ps < .01). Findings highlight the mechanisms behind pornographic video consumption and partner preference in sexual minority males.

Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization in the Treatment of Acute Subdural Hematoma: A Case Series Featuring Access Through a Carotid Stent.

The first objective of this case series was to describe the case of a patient with severe symptomatic left internal carotid artery stenosis after a recent stroke. Several days after stent placement by transcarotid artery revascularization, the patient developed a left-sided subdural hematoma. The patient then underwent embolization of the left middle meningeal artery (MMA) despite blocked access to the left MMA because of an internal carotid stent. The external carotid artery was accessed by passing a guiding catheter through the stent wall. We describe this method as "intrawall access." This allowed a coaxial system to deliver polyvinyl alcohol particles to the MMA for embolization. Embolization was successfully performed, with the stent integrity and blood flow through it remaining uncompromised. Overall, we demonstrated a new method of access through a previously placed internal carotid stent to gain neurointerventional access to the external carotid artery, which was jailed by a stent, for treating an acute subdural hematoma via MMA embolization. The second objective of this case series was to demonstrate the first MMA embolization in literature carried out in the acute or acute-on-subacute setting, in this case, and in four others.

From the U.S. to Denmark and Beyond: It's Time to Reimagine the Use of Control Variables in Observational Research.

Methodologists from a variety of social and behavioral sciences have called attention to misunderstandings, misclassifications, and misapplications of third variable "controls" in observational research. We are unaware, however, of a comprehensive discussion of these issues in the sexological literature. In this article, we attempt to detail several of the more important potential pitfalls within the context of a case study commentary on a recent Journal of Sex Research inquiry into Danish persons' pornography use, sexual satisfaction, and sexual behavior. We emphasize that our own (still limited) edification came only through personal error and chart an optimistic path forward wherein the current state of practice can be transformed into theoretical progress and innovation.

Cardiovascular risk factors are associated with cognitive trajectory in the first year after stroke.

Introduction: Stroke often leads to cognitive impairment, but its progression and influencing factors over time remain poorly understood. This study evaluates immediate post-stroke cognitive impacts and investigates the influence of concurrent factors on cognitive evolution over the first year. Patients and methods: In the STRATEGIC study, 179 patients with first symptomatic ischemic stroke underwent neuropsychological assessments within three months post-stroke, and 141 were re-evaluated at 12 months. Risk factors tested for associations with cognitive outcome included demographic variables, cardiovascular and other medical factors, and lesion characteristics. Cognitive performance was primarily measured via the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), with domain-specific assessments for episodic memory (Free and Cued Selective Reminding Task), short-term memory (Digit Span forward), and working memory (Digit Span backward). Results: At the time of stroke, participants ranged in age from 46 to 89 years (M = 70, SD = 9.5) and 36.9% were female. Ischemic heart disease predicted cognitive non-improvement between 3 and 12 months. Atrial fibrillation and carotid stenosis were linked to changes in episodic and working memory, respectively. Moreover, female sex and lower education correlated with stagnant global cognition and episodic memory. Discussion and conclusion: Our findings underscore the important influence of cardiovascular risk factors on cognitive functional recovery after stroke. Interventions targeting these risk factors may improve cognitive prognosis and affect traditional outcome measures such as recurrent vascular events. Future trials should include cognitive measures to fully capture the potential benefits of intensive risk factor intervention.

Pornography, identification, alcohol, and condomless sex.

Using national probability data from the 2022 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior, the present study evaluated whether moderators of the association between frequency of pornography exposure and condomless sex are consistent with the sexual script acquisition, activation, application model's (3AM) suppositions about the facilitating effects of wishful identification and decreased self-regulation and forethought capacity. Consistent with the 3AM, two-way interaction effect analysis indicated that the strength of the positive association between exposure frequency and condomless sex increased as identification intensified. Inconsistent with the 3AM, two-way interaction effect analysis indicated that the association between exposure frequency and condomless sex was not significantly different among those who had and had not consumed alcohol before their last sexual encounter. However, the three-way interaction between exposure frequency, identification, and alcohol use did suggest a role for each 3AM moderator, as the catalyzing effect of identification was operable among those who had consumed alcohol only.

Synthesis of the large pore aluminophosphate STA-1 and its application as a catalyst for the Beckmann rearrangement of cyclohexanone oxime.

The preparation of stable large pore aluminophosphate (AlPO) zeotypes offers materials for applications in adsorption and catalysis. Here we report the synthesis of the pure AlPO with the SAO topology type (AlPO STA-1) using N,N'-diethylbicyclo[2.2.2]oct-7-ene-2,3:5,6-dipyrrolidine (DEBOP) as the organic structure directing agent in the presence of fluoride. The AlPO STA-1 can be rendered microporous (pore volume 0.36 cm3 g-1) via calcination and the calcined form remains stable in the presence of moisture. The structure of the dehydrated form has been established by Rietveld refinement (tetragonal P4̄n2, a = 13.74317(10) Å, c = 21.8131(5) Å, V = 4119.94(16) Å3). Multinuclear 27Al and 31P MAS NMR, together with 2D COSY and CASTEP NMR calculations, enables resolution and assignment of the signals from all crystallographically distinct Al and P framework sites. Structural elucidation of the as-prepared aluminophosphate-fluoride is more challenging, because of the presence of partially protonated OSDA molecules in the 3D-connected channel system and in particular because the fluoride ions coordinate with positional disorder to some of the Al atoms to give 5-fold as well as tetrahedrally-coordinated framework Al species. These are postulated to occupy Al-F-Al bridging sites, where they are responsible for distortion of the framework [P4̄n2, a = 13.3148(9) Å, c = 22.0655(20) Å, V = 3911.9(7) Å3]. Calcination and removal of fluoride ions and OSDAs allows the framework to expand to its relaxed configuration. The SAO topology type aluminophosphate can also be synthesised with small amounts of Si and Ge in the framework, and these SAPO and GeAPO STA-1 materials are also stable to template removal. IR spectroscopy with CO as a probe at 123 K indicates all have weak-to-mild acidity, increasing in the order AlPO < GeAPO < SAPO. These STA-1 materials have been investigated for their activity in the Beckmann rearrangement of cyclohexanone oxime to ε-caprolactam at 598 K: while all are active, the AlPO form is favoured due to its high selectivity and slow deactivation, both of which are a consequence of its very weak acid strength, which is nevertheless sufficient to catalyse the reaction.

A Wrist-Worn Internet of Things Sensor Node for Wearable Equivalent Daylight Illuminance Monitoring.

Light exposure is a vital regulator of physiology and behavior in humans. However, monitoring of light exposure is not included in current wearable Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and only recently have international standards defined [Formula: see text] -optic equivalent daylight illuminance (EDI) measures for how the eye responds to light. This article reports a wearable light sensor node that can be incorporated into the IoT to provide monitoring of EDI exposure in real-world settings. We present the system design, electronic performance testing, and accuracy of EDI measurements when compared to a calibrated spectral source. This includes consideration of the directional response of the sensor, and a comparison of performance when placed on different parts of the body, and a demonstration of practical use over 7 days. Our device operates for 3.5 days between charges, with a sampling period of 30 s. It has 10 channels of measurement, over the range 415-910 nm, balancing accuracy and cost considerations. Measured [Formula: see text]-opic EDI results for 13 devices show a mean absolute error of less than 0.07 log lx, and a minimum between device correlation of 0.99. These findings demonstrate that accurate light sensing is feasible, including at wrist worn locations. We provide an experimental platform for use in future investigations in real-world light exposure monitoring and IoT-based lighting control.

Improving Mental Health Among Communication and Media Scholars: Four Structural Suggestions.

In recent years, multiple studies have called attention to the mental health of scholars across the academy. And yet, the mental health of communication and media scholars specifically has not received the focused attention it deserves. In their recent Journal of Communication article, Thomas Hanitzsch and colleagues begin the process of remedying this omission, providing important data on communication and media scholars' mental health and its correlates. Hanitzsch and colleagues stress that their work is a starting point only, and call for their fellow communication and media scholars to engage in discussion about potential solutions. In response to their call, this essay provides four structural recommendations aimed at improving the mental health of early and mid-career scholars.

Adolescents' Preferences for Mainstream and Paraphilic Pornography and Sexual Health Components: Attention to Within-And Between-Person Dynamics Over Time.

Health communication scholars are becoming increasingly cognizant of the potential health implications of youths' pornography consumption. However, while research on pornography viewing and adolescent health and development has become increasingly common, the possible importance of distinguishing between mainstream and paraphilic consumption and within-and-between person dynamics has been underemphasized. Accordingly, the present study explored relations between adolescents' preferences for mainstream and paraphilic pornography and their sexual satisfaction and sexual arousability in three-wave panel data using random intercept cross-lagged panel models. At a between-person level, only mainstream pornography viewing was positively related to adolescents' sexual arousability. No relations were found between mainstream and paraphilic pornography viewing and sexual satisfaction at a between-person level. Results further revealed that an increased exposure to mainstream pornography and paraphilic pornography was not associated with sexual arousability and sexual satisfaction at the individual level. Null findings regarding paraphilic pornography viewing may be explained by the presence of a floor effect. Further, no differences in the investigated relations were found between sexually inexperienced and experienced adolescents, and between single adolescents and adolescents in a relationship. The findings are discussed in light of recent commentary on the uses of random-intercept cross-lagged panel models in the communication discipline.

Inorganic nitrate benefits contrast-induced nephropathy after coronary angiography for acute coronary syndromes: the NITRATE-CIN trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), also known as contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) underlies a significant proportion of the morbidity and mortality following coronary angiographic procedures in high-risk patients and remains a significant unmet need. In pre-clinical studies inorganic nitrate, which is chemically reduced in vivo to nitric oxide, is renoprotective but this observation is yet to be translated clinically. In this study, the efficacy of inorganic nitrate in the prevention of CIN in high-risk patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is reported. METHODS: NITRATE-CIN is a double-blind, randomized, single-centre, placebo-controlled trial assessing efficacy of inorganic nitrate in CIN prevention in at-risk patients presenting with ACS. Patients were randomized 1:1 to once daily potassium nitrate (12 mmol) or placebo (potassium chloride) capsules for 5 days. The primary endpoint was CIN (KDIGO criteria). Secondary outcomes included kidney function [estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)] at 3 months, rates of procedural myocardial infarction, and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 12 months. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03627130. RESULTS: Over 3 years, 640 patients were randomized with a median follow-up of 1.0 years, 319 received inorganic nitrate with 321 received placebo. The mean age of trial participants was 71.0 years, with 73.3% male and 75.2% Caucasian; 45.9% had diabetes, 56.0% had chronic kidney disease (eGFR <60 mL/min) and the mean Mehran score of the population was 10. Inorganic nitrate treatment significantly reduced CIN rates (9.1%) vs. placebo (30.5%, P < .001). This difference persisted after adjustment for baseline creatinine and diabetes status (odds ratio 0.21, 95% confidence interval 0.13-0.34). Secondary outcomes were improved with inorganic nitrate, with lower rates of procedural myocardial infarction (2.7% vs. 12.5%, P = .003), improved 3-month renal function (between-group change in eGFR 5.17, 95% CI 2.94-7.39) and reduced 1-year MACE (9.1% vs. 18.1%, P = .001) vs. placebo. CONCLUSIONS: In patients at risk of renal injury undergoing coronary angiography for ACS, a short (5 day) course of once-daily inorganic nitrate reduced CIN, improved kidney outcomes at 3 months, and MACE events at 1 year compared to placebo.

Donor KIR2DL1 Allelic Polymorphism Influences Posthematopoietic Progenitor Cell Transplantation Outcomes in the T Cell Depleted and Reduced Intensity Conditioning Setting.

The majority of established KIR clinical assessment algorithms used for donor selection for hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation (HPCT) evaluate gene content (presence/absence) of the KIR gene complex. In comparison, relatively little is known about the impact of KIR allelic polymorphism. By analyzing donors of T cell depleted (TcD) reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) HPCT, this study investigated the influence on post-transplant outcome of 2 polymorphic residues of the inhibitory KIR2DL1. The aim of this study was to expand upon existing research into the influence of KIR2DL1 allelic polymorphism upon post-transplant outcome. The effects of allele groups upon transplant outcomes were investigated within a patient cohort using a defined treatment protocol of RIC with TcD. Using phylogenetic data, KIR2DL1 allelic polymorphism was categorized into groups on the basis of variation within codons 114 and 245 (positive or negative for the following groups: KIR2DL1*002/001g, KIR2DL1*003, KIR2DL1*004g) and the identification of null alleles. The influence of these KIR2DL1 allele groups in hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation (HPCT) donors was assessed in the post-transplant data of 86 acute myelogenous leukemia patients receiving RIC TcD HPCT at a single center. KIR2DL1 allele groups in the donor significantly impacted upon 5-year post-transplant outcomes in RIC TcD HPCT. Donor KIR2DL1*003 presented the greatest influence upon post-transplant outcomes, with KIR2DL1*003 positive donors severely reducing 5-year post-transplant overall survival (OS) compared to those receiving a transplant from a KIR2DL1*003 negative donor (KIR2DL1*003 pos versus neg: 27.0% versus 60.0%, P = .008, pc = 0.024) and disease-free survival (DFS) (KIR2DL1*003 pos versus neg: 23.5% versus 60.0%, P = .004, pc = 0.012), and increasing 5-year relapse incidence (KIR2DL1*003 pos versus neg: 63.9% versus 27.2%, P = .009, pc = 0.027). KIR2DL1*003 homozygous and KIR2DL1*003 heterozygous grafts did not present significantly different post-transplant outcomes. Donors possessing the KIR2DL1*002/001 allele group were found to significantly improve post-transplant outcomes, with donors positive for the KIR2DL1*004 allele group presenting a trend towards improvement. KIR2DL1*002/001 allele group (KIR2DL1*002/001g) positive donors improved 5-year OS (KIR2DL1*002/001g pos versus neg: 56.4% versus 27.2%, P = .009, pc = 0.024) and DFS (KIR2DL1*002/001g pos versus neg: 53.8% versus 25.5%, P = .018, pc = 0.036). KIR2DL1*004 allele group (KIR2DL1*004g) positive donors trended towards improving 5-year OS (KIR2DL1*004g pos versus neg: 53.3% versus 35.5%, P = .097, pc = 0.097) and DFS (KIR2DL1*004g pos versus neg: 50.0% versus 33.9%, P = .121, pc = 0.121), and reducing relapse incidence (KIR2DL1*004g pos versus neg: 33.1% versus 54.0%, P = .079, pc = 0.152). The presented findings suggest donor selection algorithms for TcD RIC HPCT should consider avoiding KIR2DL1*003 positive donors, where possible, and contributes to the mounting evidence that KIR assessment in donor selection algorithms should reflect the conditioning regime protocol used.

Transcriptomic profiling reveals a pronociceptive role for angiotensin II in inflammatory bowel disease.

ABSTRACT: Visceral pain is a leading cause of morbidity in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), contributing significantly to reduced quality of life. Currently available analgesics often lack efficacy or have intolerable side effects, driving the need for a more complete understanding of the mechanisms causing pain. Whole transcriptome gene expression analysis was performed by bulk RNA sequencing of colonic biopsies from patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) reporting abdominal pain and compared with noninflamed control biopsies. Potential pronociceptive mediators were identified based on gene upregulation in IBD biopsy tissue and cognate receptor expression in murine colonic sensory neurons. Pronociceptive activity of identified mediators was assessed in assays of sensory neuron and colonic afferent activity. RNA sequencing analysis highlighted a 7.6-fold increase in the expression of angiotensinogen transcripts, Agt , which encode the precursor to angiotensin II (Ang II), in samples from UC patients ( P = 3.2 × 10 -8 ). Consistent with the marked expression of the angiotensin AT 1 receptor in colonic sensory neurons, Ang II elicited an increase in intracellular Ca 2+ in capsaicin-sensitive, voltage-gated sodium channel subtype Na V 1.8-positive sensory neurons. Ang II also evoked action potential discharge in high-threshold colonic nociceptors. These effects were inhibited by the AT 1 receptor antagonist valsartan. Findings from our study identify AT 1 receptor-mediated colonic nociceptor activation as a novel pathway of visceral nociception in patients with UC. This work highlights the potential utility of angiotensin receptor blockers, such as valsartan, as treatments for pain in IBD.

Is Adolescents' Cyber Dating Violence Perpetration Related to Problematic Pornography Use? The Moderating Role of Hostile Sexism.

Intimate partner violence is an important public health problem. Cyber dating violence (CDV) is a form of intimate partner violence perpetrated within a dating relationship via new communication technologies. This study investigated the moderating roles of hostile and benevolent sexism in the relationship between problematic pornography use and CDV perpetration. The Cyber Pornography Use Inventory, the Cyber Dating Violence Inventory, and the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory were completed by 421 Italian adolescents (M = 16.53; females = 63.7%). Results indicated that problematic pornography use was positively related to CDV perpetration. In addition, the relationship between problematic pornography use and CDV perpetration was found to be moderated by hostile sexism. In participants with low levels of hostile sexism, the relationship between problematic pornography use and CDV perpetration was not significant. Conversely, in those with high levels of hostile sexism, this relationship was stronger and significant. Benevolent sexism was not found to be a moderator in the relationship between problematic pornography use and CDV perpetration. Thus, hostile sexism could be a risk factor for the relationship between adolescents' problematic pornography use and their engagement in CDV. Conversely, low levels of hostile sexism could be a protective factor.

Pornography and Sociosexual Attitudes and Behaviors in a Nationally Representative Survey: Potential Pandemic and Method Effects.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The General Social Survey (GSS) switched from an in-person interview to a self-administered online survey for its most recent data collection. This modality switch makes it possible to compare sociosexual data gathered using the GSS's last in-person survey (2018) to its first-ever self-administered online survey (2021), an oft suggested format for reducing social desirability bias. This study compared sociosexual data collected in the 2018 GSS to the 2021 GSS, with a primary focus on pornography use. Results suggested that among men neither the direction nor the magnitude of the association between pornography use and more nontraditional sociosexual attitudes and behaviors are affected by whether surveys are conducted in-person or online; that among women the magnitude of the positive association between pornography use and certain nontraditional sexual behaviors could be attenuated by in-person interviews; a pandemic period increase in pornography use among both men and women; a pandemic period decrease in men's nonrelational sexual behavior; and that men's and women's reporting of certain nontraditional sexual attitudes may be reduced by in-person interviews. It is important to emphasize that alternative explanations for 2018-2021 change are possible. The goal of the present study was to promote interpretive dialogue rather than definitive answers.