The relationship between anxious-depressive symptoms and harmful cannabis use: Multiple mediation models via rumination, negative urgency, protective behavioral strategies and refusal self-efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Distressful and negative affective states can be associated with limited self-regulation capacities, while emotion regulation processes (e.g., rumination, negative urgency) might contribute to further depletion of self-control capacities which in turn can lead to diminished control over cannabis use. AIMS: The mediating functions of rumination (i.e., brooding and reflection), negative urgency (NU) and constructs of cannabis use regulation (i.e., cannabis protective behavioral strategies [CPBS] and cannabis refusal self-efficacy [CRSE]) were examined on the associations between anxious-depressive symptoms and cannabis use outcomes (i.e., frequency, harmful use). METHODS: The cross-sectional study used a sample of cannabis users showing signs of harmful consumption (N = 750; Males: 70.13% [N = 526]; Age: M = 29.11 [SD = 7.45]). Standardized questionnaires measured anxious-depressive symptoms, rumination, NU, CRSE, CPBS, frequency of cannabis use and harmful cannabis use. A linear regression-based, double-mediation model was performed. RESULTS: Five significant indirect effects were demonstrated in the mediation model. Single-mediation effects were shown between anxious-depressive symptoms and harmful cannabis use via CRSE and via CPBS. Double-mediation effects were presented between anxious-depressive symptoms and harmful cannabis use via reflection and CPBS, via reflection and CRSE, and via NU and CRSE. CONCLUSIONS: Emotion and cannabis use regulation pathways explained the associations between anxious-depressive symptoms and harmful cannabis use. The mediation model provided new details on how anxious-depressive symptoms, rumination and NU might lead to harmful cannabis use via regulation of cannabis use. Limited self-regulation capacities and similarities between emotion and cannabis use regulation processes might explain the identified indirect effects.

The mediating effect of anger rumination, coping and conformity motives on the association between hostility and problematic cannabis use.

Background: Anger rumination is consistently associated with maladaptive psychopathological outcomes. However, there is a lack of research on the association between problematic cannabis use, cannabis use motives and anger rumination. Coping motives showed positive relationships with negative affectivity and emotion dysregulation, thus it might be possible that coping motives can mediate the effects of hostility and anger rumination on problematic cannabis use. Aims: The goal of the present study was to examine the mediating role of anger rumination and cannabis use motives on the relationship between hostility and problematic cannabis use. Methods: The cross-sectional study used a convenience sample of 764 past year cannabis users with a risk for problematic cannabis use (Males: 70.42% [N = 538], Age: M = 29.24 [SD = 7.55]). Standardized and online questionnaires measured problematic use and motives of cannabis use, anger rumination and hostility. Results: Structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed mediation model. Four significant indirect effects were identified in the mediation model. The positive effect of hostility on cannabis use problems was mediated (i) via coping motives, (ii) via anger rumination, (iii) via anger rumination and coping motives, and (iv) via anger rumination and conformity motives. Conclusions: The present study was the first that examined the construct of anger rumination in the context of cannabis use. Possible risk mechanisms via anger rumination and cannabis use motives with negative reinforcement were suggested in the context of problematic cannabis use. Self-medication tendencies and emotion dysregulation processes might explain these pathways.

Damage evolution during fracture by correlative microscopy with hyperspectral electron microscopy and laboratory-based microtomography.

Damage evolution during fracture of metals is a critical factor in determining the reliability and integrity of the infrastructure that the society relies upon. However, experimental techniques for directly observing these phenomena have remained challenged. We have addressed this gap by developing a correlative microscopy framework combining high-resolution hyperspectral electron microscopy with laboratory x-ray microtomography (XMT) and applied it to study fracture mechanisms in a steel inclusion system. We observed damage nucleation and growth to be inhomogeneous and anisotropic. Fracture resistance was observed to be controlled by inclusion distribution and the size scale of an inclusion-depleted zone. Furthermore, our studies demonstrate that laboratory XMT can characterize damage to the micrometer scale with a large field of view in dense metals like steel, offering a more accessible alternative to synchrotron-based tomography. The framework presented provides a means to broadly adopt correlative microscopy for studies of degradation phenomena and help accelerate discovery of new materials solutions.

Anatase assemblies from algae: coupling biological self-assembly of 3-D nanoparticle structures with synthetic reaction chemistry.

The shape-preserving conversion of biologically self-assembled 3-D nanoparticle structures (SiO(2)-based diatom frustules) into a new nanocrystalline material (anatase TiO(2))via a halide gas/solid displacement reaction route is demonstrated.

Drug use among sex workers in Hungary.

Drug use and sex work are both controversial issues with multiple interesting connections. This article presents findings from the first-ever survey on drug use and sex work in Hungary. The study aimed to chart the prevalence, function, and problems of drug use among various groups of sex workers. Survey forms were collected from 510 participants (average age 29.5 years, 91% female) in and near Budapest over a period of six months. The results show that sex workers have manifold higher lifetime prevalence, 84.3%, of illicit drug use compared with the prevalence of the Hungarian general young adult population, 20.9%. In our sample, it was very rare to perform sex work for alcohol or drugs (5%) or for money to purchase alcohol or drugs (20%). Findings also indicate notable relationships between location-based sex work types and the drugs used. One-third of the street sex workers reported regular amphetamine use, but none reported regular cocaine use. On the contrary, no escorts reported regular amphetamine use, but 38% admitted to regular cocaine use. The location of sex work may pose an additional occupational health risk factor for substance use. Regular use of alcohol was twice as typical (64%) for sex workers who were employed in bars, in salons/parlors, or alone in rented apartments than it was for those working in other indoor locations (33-34%). Furthermore, 74% of street sex workers smoked tobacco compared with 17% of escorts. Problem drug use was roughly estimated by asking the participants about the main problem domains (medical, legal, social, etc.) from the Addiction Severity Index instrument. The most problematic drug was amphetamine, and the most frequent problem was prolonged or excessive drug use. These main findings may contribute to more focused planning of health intervention services, harm reduction measures, outreach programs, and specific treatments.

Viable pregnancies can occur after 24-hour incubation of ejaculated sperm before intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

This is the first report of viable pregnancies established with ICSI after 24-hour incubation of washed ejaculated sperm from men with poor sperm parameters. Because both pregnancy rates and viable pregnancy rates were significantly increased compared with 2- to 4-hour-incubated historical controls, 24-hour incubation before ICSI may be beneficial in selecting the most favorable ejaculated sperm.