Male sex and hazardous alcohol use following military sexual assault increase suicide risk among US service members and veterans.

Background: Higher alcohol use and military sexual assault (MSA) are associated with increased risk of death by suicide. Risk for death by suicide is rapidly increasing among females, who report higher rates of MSA, yet actual death by suicide and alcohol use are higher among males. It is not well understood whether higher alcohol use confers greater suicide risk in male or female service members and veterans who have experienced MSA.Objective: To determine whether the association between alcohol misuse and suicide risk was moderated by biological sex in a sample of male and female service members (N = 400, 50% female) who reported MSA.Method: Participants completed surveys of alcohol use and suicide risk as well as a demographic inventory. Linear regression with an interaction term was used to determine if suicide risk differed by sex and alcohol use severity after accounting for discharge status, sexual orientation, and age.Results: Average scores on the suicide risk measure were consistent with an inpatient psychiatric sample and scores on the AUDIT-C were indicative of a probable positive screen for alcohol misuse. Suicide risk was most pronounced among males who reported higher levels of hazardous alcohol use. A sensitivity analysis examining suicide risk by sex and screening results for alcohol misuse (positive/negative) showed that men with a probable positive screen had higher suicide risk.Discussion: The current study provides novel findings on suicide risk among survivors of military sexual violence by including both male and female survivors. Interventions to decrease suicide risk following MSA may consider alcohol reduction strategies, and optimizing these interventions in males. Engaging military culture at both the US Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to encourage more healthy alcohol consumption may mitigate this public health concern. Future research may consider how country of origin relates to these associations.

Average scores for the suicide risk measure and alcohol use were high among a sample of male and female survivors of military sexual assault.Suicide risk was most pronounced among males who reported higher levels of hazardous alcohol use.A sensitivity analysis examining suicide risk by sex and screening results for alcohol misuse (positive/negative) showed that men with a probable positive screen had higher suicide risk.

Negative posttraumatic cognitions about self potentially mediate the relation between sexual revictimization and suicide risk in a sample of military sexual assault survivors.

OBJECTIVE: Military sexual trauma (MST) is a risk factor for suicide among service members/veterans. Research reported that around half of MST survivors were exposed to pre-MST, making MST a revictimization experience. Unfortunately, little is known about mechanisms of the association between revictimization and suicide risk among MST survivors. One possible mechanism is posttraumatic cognitions (PTCs), which include the survivor's (a) negative cognitions about themselves, (b) negative cognitions about the world, and (c) self-blame. The current study examined each of the PTC subscales as potential mediators of the association between sexual revictimization and suicide risk. METHOD: Participants were 383 service members/veterans reporting a history of MST that involved assault (50.65% female). Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing demographics, suicide risk, history of sexual victimization (MST and premilitary sexual victimization), and PTCs. Of these, 340 (88.8%) reported a history of MST and premilitary victimization and comprised the revictimization group. RESULTS: Parallel mediation analysis with suicide risk regressed on each of the PTCs subscales and covariates revealed that negative cognitions about self had a significant indirect effect on the association between revictimization and higher suicide risk, above and beyond negative cognitions about the world and self-blame. CONCLUSIONS: Targeting negative cognitions about self among sexual revictimization survivors may be a therapeutic strategy to reduce suicide risk most effectively. Cognitive processing therapy may be particularly useful given the focus on altering PTCs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A Novel Load Balancing Scheme for Satellite IoT Networks Based on Spatial-Temporal Distribution of Users and Advanced Genetic Algorithms.

Satellite IoT networks (S-IoT-N), which have been a hot issue regarding the next generation of communication, are quite important for the coming era of digital twins and the metaverse because of their performance in sensing and monitoring anywhere, anytime, and anyway, in more dimensions. However, this will cause communication links to face greater traffic loads. Satellite internet networks (SIN) are considered the most possible evolution road, possessing characteristics of many satellites, such as low earth orbit (LEO), the Ku/Ka frequency, and a high data rate. Existing research on load balancing schemes for satellite networks cannot solve the problems of low efficiency under conditions of extremely non-uniform distribution of users (DoU) and dynamic density variances. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel load balancing scheme of adjacent beams for S-IoT-N based on the modeling of spatial-temporal DoU and advanced GA. In our scheme, the PDF of the DoU in the direction of movement of the SSP's trajectory was modeled first, which provided a multi-directional constraint for the non-uniform distribution of users in S-IoT-N. Fully considering the prior periodicity of satellite movement and the similarity of DoU in different areas, we proposed an adaptive inheritance iteration to optimize the crossover factor and mutation factor for GA for the first time. Based on the proposed improved GA, we obtained the optimal scheme of load balancing under the conditions of the adaptation from the local balancing scheme to global balancing, and a selection of Ser-Beams to access. Finally, the simulations show that the proposed method can improve the average throughput by 3% under specific conditions and improve processing efficiency by 30% on average.

Sexual compulsivity, erectile dysfunction, and suicidality among male survivors of military sexual violence.

Although military sexual trauma (MST) is associated with an increased risk of suicide, suicide attempts, and suicidal ideation among service members and veterans, there is limited knowledge regarding the mechanisms of MST and suicidality among men. The current study examined whether MST was associated with sexual compulsivity and/or erectile dysfunction and if these, in turn, explained elevated suicidal thoughts and the likelihood of engaging in future suicidal behavior after accounting for mental health, military, and demographic characteristics. Service members and veterans who reported their gender as male (N = 508) were recruited via social media and completed online self-report measures assessing MST, erectile dysfunction, sexual compulsivity, suicidal ideation frequency, and the likelihood of engaging in future suicidal behavior. Path analysis was used to examine the study hypotheses. In total, 67 participants (13.2%) reported a history of MST; of these individuals, 27 (40.3%) reported suicidal ideation in the past 12 months, and 29 (43.9%) reported an increased likelihood of engaging in future suicidal behavior. MST was associated with increased sexual compulsivity, which, in turn, predicted more frequent suicidal ideation as well as a higher self-reported likelihood of engaging in future suicidal behavior. MST was associated with higher levels of erectile dysfunction, but erectile dysfunction was not associated with suicidal ideation in the adjusted model. Although the data were cross-sectional, precluding determinations of causality, the results support assessing and intervening with regard to sexual compulsivity to mitigate the risk for suicide-related outcomes among men who experience MST.

Dual Stream Transmission and Downlink Power Control for Multiple LEO Satellites-Assisted IoT Networks.

The multi-satellites cooperative transmission can effectively increase the data rate that can be achieved by internet of things (IoT) terminals. However, the dynamic characteristics brought by low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites will seriously decrease the data rate and make the data rate fluctuate. In this paper, dual-stream transmission and downlink power control for multiple LEO satellites-assisted IoT networks are investigated. To mitigate the effects of the frequency offset caused by different LEO satellites, a multi-satellites synchronization scheme is proposed. Then, different power control schemes are given to resist the data rate fluctuation during the transmission. The simulation results show that the proposed schemes can effectively compensate for the varied frequency offset and keep the data rate stable.

[Simulation study of force and temperature field during transcranial magnetic stimulation application working with magnetic resonance imaging simultaneously].

Currently, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been widely used in the treatment of depression, Parkinson's disease and other neurological diseases. To be able to monitor the brain's internal activity during TMS in real time and achieve better treatment outcomes, the researchers proposed combining TMS with neuroimaging methods such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), both of which use Tesla-level magnetic fields. However, the combination of strong current, large magnetic field and small size is likely to bring physical concerns which can lead to mechanical and thermal instability. In this paper, the MRI static magnetic field, the TMS coil and human head model were built according to the actual situations. Through the coupling of the magnetic field and the heat transfer module in the finite element simulation software COMSOL, the force and temperature of the TMS coil and head were obtained when the TMS was used in combination with MRI (TMS-MRI technology). The results showed that in a 3 T MRI environment, the maximum force density on the coil could reach 2.51 × 109 N/m3. Both the direction of the external magnetic field and the current direction in the coil affected the force distributions. The closer to the boundary of the external magnetic field, the greater the force. The magnetic field generated by the coil during TMS treatment increased the temperature of the brain tissue by about 0.16 °C, and the presence of the MRI static magnetic field did not cause additional thermal effects. The results of this paper can provide a reference for the development of the use guidelines and safety guidelines of TMS-MRI technology.

The effect of intimate partner violence on treatment response in an intensive outpatient program for suicide-bereaved military widows.

Suicide-bereaved military widows can struggle with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and prolonged grief. Intimate partner violence survivors (IPV) are particularly at risk. We examined whether IPV impacts outcomes in a two-week intensive outpatient program for N = 50 suicide-bereaved military widows. Mixed-model regressions were employed to examine the effects of IPV, time, and their interaction on symptoms. Thirty-four percent experienced IPV perpetrated by their deceased veteran. Symptoms improved at post-treatment (ps < .001), one-month (ps < .01), and three-month follow-up (ps< .001). There was no significant effect of IPV or significant interaction (ps > .05), indicating that IPV survivors also benefitted from treatment.

A Pilot Study of a Stress Management Program for Incarcerated Veterans.

INTRODUCTION: Veterans involved in the justice system are an understudied population warranting attention given their higher risk of mental health concerns and psychosocial challenges. Thus, there is a need for programs to support the psychological health of incarcerated veterans. The present study sought to determine the acceptability and effectiveness of a mind-body stress reduction program for incarcerated veterans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four incarcerated veterans (100% male; Mage = 44.87 (SD = 13.84)) completed a 6 week mind-body stress reduction course, or Resilient Warrior. Participants completed validated, self-report assessments of mood, functioning, mindfulness, and coping at pre- and post-program as well as having post-program qualitative feedback surveys. RESULTS: Results showed improvement in depressive symptom severity, self-efficacy, and resilience over the study duration (P < .05), but not stress reactivity, mindfulness, sleep disturbance, or perceived stress. The intervention was reported as helpful by 96% of participants, with 86% of participants stating they would recommend the course to others. CONCLUSIONS: The Resilient Warrior program is acceptable and well-tolerated for incarcerated veterans as well as may improve aspects of psychological health. Future studies could examine how stress reductions program might improve recidivism rates and quality of life after the release of incarcerated veterans.

Synthesis, Characterization and Novel Photoluminescence of SrWO4:Ln3+ Nanocrystals.

SrWO4:Ln3+ (Ln = Eu, Ce, and Tb) nanocrystals were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method, and were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that the crystalline size of nanocrystals decreases with increasing Eu3+ concentrations and increases with increasing annealing temperature, gradually. The photoluminescence properties of SrWO4:Ln3+ were investigated in detail. In the emission spectra of SrWO4:Eu3+, the luminescence was dominated by 5D0--> 7F2 transition, indicating that Eu3+ occupied a site lacking inversion symmetry. The concentration quenching effect hardly occurs. In the excitation spectra of SrWO4:Eu3+ nanocrystals monitored at 619 nm, the most intense peak is centered at 467 nm when the Eu3+ concentration was less than 10%, while the most intense peak is centered at 396 nm when the Eu3+ concentration was 15%. In the normalized emission spectra of SrWO4:Ce3+/Tb3+ nanocrystals excited at 254 nm, the intensity ratio of the sharp emission peaks from Tb3+ ions to the broad emission band from Ce3+ ions increased with increasing Tb3+ concentration.

23327Enhanced photoelectric conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells by the incorporation of flower-like Bi2S3:Eu3+ sub-microspheres.

In this paper, TiO2-Bi2S3 and TiO2-Bi2S3:Eu(3+) composite photoanodes were successfully designed, which can not only fully absorb visible light but also transfer the electron from Bi2S3 to TiO2 conduction band due to the narrow band gap and high conduction band of Bi2S3. Compared to pure TiO2 cell, the photoelectric conversion efficiencies of TiO2-Bi2S3 and TiO2-Bi2S3:Eu(3+) composite cells were increased significantly. In addition, the efficiency of TiO2-Bi2S3:Eu(3+) composite cells were higher than that of TiO2-Bi2S3 cell which could be attributed to the larger BET surface area of Bi2S3:Eu(3+). The electron transport and interfacial recombination kinetics were investigated by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and intensity-modulated photocurrent/photovoltage spectroscopy. The results indicated that the interfacial resistance of the TiO2-dye|I3(-)/I(-) electrolyte interface of TiO2-Bi2S3:Eu(3+) composite cell was much bigger than that of pure TiO2 cell. In addition, the TiO2-Bi2S3:Eu(3+) cell has longer electron recombination time and longer electron transport time than pure TiO2 cell. The charge collection efficiency of TiO2-Bi2S3:Eu(3+) composite cell was higher than that of pure TiO2 cell.

In situ synthesis and high adsorption performance of MoO2/Mo4O11 and MoO2/MoS2 composite nanorods by reduction of MoO3.

MoO2/Mo4O11 and MoO2/MoS2 composite nanorods were successfully synthesized by reducing MoO3 nanorods. The adsorption performance of samples was evaluated by using Rhodamine B (RhB) and metal ions in aqueous solutions as the targets. The results indicated that the obtained MoO2/Mo4O11 and MoO2/MoS2 composite nanorods can present excellent adsorption performance. The BET surface areas of samples increased with increasing the MoO3 : S mass ratio. The adsorption kinetics for the RhB and Cu(2+) ions on the composite nanorods were well fitted to a pseudo-second order model.

Synthesis, novel luminescence properties, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering of Au/Y2O3:Eu(3+) composite nanotubes.

Y(OH)3:Eu(3+) nanotubes were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method first, and then Au particles were grown on the surface of Y2O3:Eu(3+) nanotubes by combining the vacuum extraction method and the annealing process. The composite nanotubes were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The effects of the Au content on the photoluminescence properties of the Au/Y2O3:Eu(3+) composite nanotubes were investigated in detail. In the excitation spectra of Au/Y2O3:Eu(3+) monitored at 614 nm, the (7)F0→(5)H3 transition from Eu(3+) increased with increasing Au content, while the other sharp lines originating from Eu(3+) f-f electron transitions almost vanished. In the emission spectra, the spectral configurations of Eu(3+) in Au/Y2O3:Eu(3+) composite nanotubes varied with the excitation wavelengths. When the excitation wavelength was 256 nm, the (5)D4→(7)F0, (5)D7→(7)F0, (5)G2→(7)F0, (5)L6→(7)F0, (5)D0→(7)F0, (5)D0→(7)F1, (5)D0→(7)F2, (5)D0→(7)F3, and (5)D0→(7)F4 transitions from Eu(3+) ions in Au/Y2O3:Eu(3+) were observed. When the excitation wavelength was 378 nm, the plasmon resonance peak from Au nanoparticles was observed. In addition, 4-ATP was chosen as the model molecule to examine the performance of the Au/Y2O3:Eu(3+) composite nanotubes as SERS substrates. The relative intensities of the SERS spectra enhanced with the increase of Au(+) : Ln(3+) ratio.

Controlled synthesis and novel luminescence properties of string SrWO4:Eu³âº nanobeans.

One-dimensional SrWO4:Eu(3+) nanostructures were prepared by a hydrothermal method. The structures and morphologies of the nanocrystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that the phase compositions, morphologies and sizes and luminescence properties of SrWO4:Eu(3+) are related to the initial reactant content and reaction time, and lower initial reactant content is beneficial for the formation of the string SrWO4:Eu(3+) nanobeans. The photoluminescence properties of SrWO4:Eu(3+) were investigated in detail. In the emission spectra of SrWO4:Eu(3+), the (5)D0→(7)F1 is dominant when the excitation wavelength is 295 nm, while the (5)D0→(7)F2 is dominant when the excitation wavelengths are in the range of 363-537 nm. Obviously, the string SrWO4:Eu(3+) nanobeans have multiple luminescence centers or emitting states. The excitation spectra of SrWO4:Eu(3+) contain several sharp peaks attributed to f-f transitions of Eu(3+) ions and a broad excitation band assigned to the overlap of WO4(3-) absorption and charge transfer transition between Eu(3+) and O(2-). The intensity ratio of the broad excitation band to the sharp excitation peaks changed with the emission wavelength as well as the Eu(3+) content. In addition, Eu(3+) ions occupy higher symmetry sites in SrWO4:Eu(3+) nanocrystals with increasing the particle size of nanocrystals. The effect of Tb(3+) as well as Gd(3+) ions on the photoluminescence of SrWO4:Eu(3+) was also investigated.

A prospective, randomized, multi-center trial to investigate Actovegin in prevention and treatment of acute oral mucositis caused by chemoradiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

PURPOSE: A multi-center prospective randomized trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Actovegin in the prevention and treatment of chemoradiotherapy-induced acute oral mucositis. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between February 2006 and May 2007, 156 evaluable patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were randomized to Group 1 (n=53) for prevention, Group 2 (n=51) for treatment, and Group 3 (n=52) for control. All patients received concomitant chemoradiotherapy ± induction chemotherapy. Radiation technique and dose were similar among 3 groups. Intravenous Actovegin of 30 ml daily (5 days/week) was administrated from day 1 of the radiotherapy for Group 1 and from the onset of grade 2 mucositis for Group 2, until the end of the radiotherapy. RESULTS: The incidence of grade 3 mucositis was lower in Group 1 compared with Group 3 (26.4% vs. 55.8%, P=0.002). Group 2 had a lower progression rate of mucositis from grade 2 to 3 compared with Group 3 (39.2% vs. 60.4%, P=0.035). There was no difference in the onset time of grade 3 mucositis among 3 groups. Actovegin was well tolerated and no treatment-related adverse events were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Actovegin is effective in the prevention and treatment of chemoradiotherapy-induced oral mucositis.