Cortisol awakening response predicts intrinsic functional connectivity of the medial prefrontal cortex in the afternoon of the same day.

Cortisol awakening response (CAR) is the cortisol secretory activity in the first 30-60 min immediately after awakening in the morning. Alterations in CAR as a trait have been associated with changes in the brain structure and function. CAR also fluctuates over days.

Highly Efficient Solar Water Splitting from Transferred TiO2 Nanotube Arrays.

We report a synergistic effect of flame and chemical reduction methods to maximize the efficiency of solar water splitting in transferred TiO2 nanotube (TNT) arrays on a transparent conducting oxide (TCO) substrate. The flame reduction method (>1000 °C) leads to few oxygen vacancies in the anatase TNT arrays, but it exhibits unique advantages for excellent interfacial characteristics between transferred TNT arrays and TCO substrates, which subsequently induce a cathodic on-set potential shift and sharp photocurrent evolution. By contrast, the employed chemical reduction method for TNT arrays/TCO gives rise to an abrupt increase in photocurrent density, which results from the efficient formation of oxygen vacancies in the anatase TiO2 phase, but a decrease in charge transport efficiency with increasing chemical reduction time.

Higher chronic stress is associated with a decrease in temporal sensitivity but not in subjective duration in healthy young men.

Maintaining accurate and precise temporal perception under conditions of stress is important. Studies in animal models and clinic patients have suggested that time perception can change under chronic stress. Little is known, however, about the relationship between chronic stress and time perception in healthy individuals.

High cortisol awakening response is associated with impaired error monitoring and decreased post-error adjustment.

The cortisol awakening response (CAR), a rapid increase in cortisol levels following morning awakening, is an important aspect of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis activity. Alterations in the CAR have been linked to a variety of mental disorders and cognitive function. However, little is known regarding the relationship between the CAR and error processing, a phenomenon that is vital for cognitive control and behavioral adaptation.

Association between ORMDL3 polymorphism and susceptibility to asthma: a meta-analysis.

The aim of this study was to determine whether orosomucoid1- like 3 (ORMDL3) single nucleotide polymorphisms rs7216389, rs11650680, rs12603332 are associated with susceptibility to asthma. We performed a meta-analysis by searching PubMed, EMBASE, Elsevier and Wanfang Databases. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the strength of associations.

Efficacy of percutaneous cryoablation of renal cell carcinoma in older patients with medical comorbidities: Outcome study in 70 patients.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to establish the efficacy of cryoablation for incidentally discovered small renal cell carcinomas in older patients with medical comorbidities.

Methods: We carried out a retrospective chart analysis of outcomes of 70 patients treated by cryoablation. The inclusion criteria were age >56 years, medical comorbidities (Charlson class I-III), and suitability for cryoablation established by urologists and interventional radiologists.

Assessing dangerous driving behavior during driving inattention: Psychometric adaptation and validation of the Attention-Related Driving Errors Scale in China.

Driver inattention is a significant cause of motor vehicle collisions and incidents. The purpose of this study was to translate the Attention-Related Driving Error Scale (ARDES) into Chinese and to verify its reliability and validity. A total of 317 drivers completed the Chinese version of the ARDES, the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI), the Attention-Related Cognitive Errors Scale (ARCES) and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) questionnaires.

Identifying risky drivers with simulated driving.

Objective: The present study aimed to examine whether high-risk drivers differ from low-risk drivers in driving behavior in a simulated environment.

Method: The 2 risk groups including 36 drivers (18 males and 18 females) performed driving tasks in a simulated environment. The simulated driving behaviors are compared between the 2 risk groups.

The relationship between response inhibition and posttraumatic stress symptom clusters in adolescent earthquake survivors: an event-related potential study.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients experience impaired response inhibition. Little is known about the relationship between response inhibition abnormalities and distinct PTSD symptom clusters. This study investigated the relationship between response inhibition processing and a five-factor model of posttraumatic stress symptomatology in adolescents.

Corrigendum to "Asymptomatic Liver Abscesses Mimicking Metastases in Patients after Whipple Surgery: Infectious Complications following Percutaneous Biopsy-A Report of Two Cases".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2012/817314.].

Social comparison modulates reward-driven attentional capture.

It is well established that attention can be captured by task irrelevant and non-salient objects associated with value through reward learning. However, it is unknown whether social comparison influences reward-driven attentional capture. The present study created four social contexts to examine whether different social comparisons modulate the reward-driven capture of attention.

Anticipatory processes under academic stress: an ERP study.

It is well known that preparing for and taking high-stakes exams has a significant influence on the emotional and physiological wellbeing of exam-takers, but few studies have investigated the resulting cognitive changes. The current study examined the effect of examination-induced academic stress on anticipation in information processing. Anticipation was indexed using the contingent negative variation (CNV).

Dangerous driving in a Chinese sample: associations with morningness-eveningness preference and personality.

Individual differences in morningness-eveningness preference may influence susceptibility and response to sleepiness. These differences could influence driving performance, but the influence of morningness-eveningness preference on driving behavior and accident risk has not been comprehensively studied. As morningness-eveningness preference is associated with personality characteristics, we also investigated how the interaction between morningness-eveningness preference and personality may be related to dangerous driving behaviors.

Effect of lateral tilt angle on the volume of the abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava in pregnant and nonpregnant women determined by magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Left-lateral tilt position is used to reduce assumed aortocaval compression by the pregnant uterus.

Methods: Magnetic resonance images of 10 singleton parturients at full term and 10 healthy nonpregnant women were obtained for measurement of the abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava volume between the L1-L2 disk and L3-L4 disk levels in both the supine and left-lateral tilt positions (15°, 30°, and 45°) maintained by insertion of a 1.5-m-long polyethylene foam placed under the right side of the parturient's body.

Association between angiotensin I-converting enzyme gene polymorphism and susceptibility to cancer: a meta analysis.

Background: Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) gene plays an important role in the pathogenesis of cancers. The association between ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and the risk of various cancers has been studied. However, the results of these studies remain conflicting.

Enhanced spatial stimulus-response mapping near the hands: the Simon effect is modulated by hand-stimulus proximity.

Emerging evidence has revealed that visual processing of objects near the hands is altered. The present study shows that the visuomotor Simon effect when the hands are proximal to stimuli is greater than that observed when the hands are far from stimuli, thereby indicating stronger spatial stimulus-response mapping near the hands. The visuomotor Simon effect is robustly enhanced near the hands even when hand visibility and stimulus-response axis-similarity are controlled.

The -116C/G polymorphism in XBP1 gene is associated with psychiatric illness in Asian population: A meta-analysis.

X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) is a pivotal transcription factor and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of psychiatric illness. The association between XBP1-116C/G polymorphism and risk of psychiatric illness has been investigated in different populations. However, the results of these studies remain conflicting.

Efficient photoelectrochemical hydrogen production from bismuth vanadate-decorated tungsten trioxide helix nanostructures.

Tungsten trioxide/bismuth vanadate heterojunction is one of the best pairs for solar water splitting, but its photocurrent densities are insufficient. Here we investigate the advantages of using helical nanostructures in photoelectrochemical solar water splitting. A helical tungsten trioxide array is fabricated on a fluorine-doped tin oxide substrate, followed by subsequent coating with bismuth vanadate/catalyst.

The effect of stress and personality on dangerous driving behavior among Chinese drivers.

The relationship between stress and road safety has been studied for many years, but the effect of global stress and its joint effect with personality on driving behavior have received little attention in previous studies. This study aimed to elucidate the impact of global stress and various personality traits on driving behavior. 242 drivers completed the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI), and several personality trait scales related to anger, sensation seeking, and altruism.

Epithelial interleukin-25 is a key mediator in Th2-high, corticosteroid-responsive asthma.

Rationale: Activation of type 2 cytokine pathways plays a central role in a large subset of subjects with asthma. Th2-high and Th2-low asthma have distinct clinical, pathologic, and molecular phenotypes and respond differently to therapy. The factors that initiate type 2 responses in some subjects with asthma are unknown.

Pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma coexisting with pulmonary nodular amyloidosis: case discussion and review of the literature.

A 38-year-old female was found to have multiple bilateral lung nodules in a routine chest X-ray examination. Thoracoscopy was performed with biopsy of three nodules from the right lower lobe and Congo red staining showed typical amyloid pattern. Initial diagnosis of pulmonary nodular amyloidosis was made.

Unconventional pore and defect generation in molybdenum disulfide: application in high-rate lithium-ion batteries and the hydrogen evolution reaction.

A 2H-MoS2 (H=hexagonal) ultrathin nanomesh with high defect generation and large porosity is demonstrated to improving electrochemical performance, including in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), with the aid of a 3D reduced graphene oxide (RGO) scaffold as fast electron and ion channels. The 3D defect-rich MoS2 nanomesh/RGO foam (Dr-MoS2 Nm/RGO) can be easily obtained through a one-pot cobalt acetate/graphene oxide (GO) co-assisted hydrothermal reaction, in which GO, cobalt and acetate ions are co-morphology-controlling agents and defect inducers. As an anode material for LIBs, Dr-MoS2 Nm/RGO has only a 9% capacity decay at a 10 C discharge rate versus 0.

A meta-analysis of P2X7 gene-762T/C polymorphism and pulmonary tuberculosis susceptibility.

Aim: We performed a comprehensive meta-analysis to determine the association between P2X7 -762T/C polymorphism and pulmonary tuberculosis susceptibility.

Methodology: Based on comprehensive searches of the PubMed, SCI, Elsevier, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang Database, we identified eligible studies about the association between P2X7 -762T/C polymorphism and pulmonary tuberculosis risk. Pooled odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were calculated in random-effects model.

Functional Pathways of Social Support for Mental Health in Work and Family Domains Among Chinese Scientific and Technological Professionals.

This study investigated the role of social support in the complex pattern of associations among stressors, work-family interferences and depression in the domains of work and family. A questionnaire was administered to a nationwide sample of 11,419 Chinese science and technology professionals. Several structural equation models were specified to determine whether social support functioned as a predictor or a mediator.

Long-term academic stress increases the late component of error processing: an ERP study.

Exposure to long-term stress has a variety of consequences on the brain and cognition. Few studies have examined the influence of long-term stress on event related potential (ERP) indices of error processing. The current study investigated how long-term academic stress modulates the error related negativity (Ne or ERN) and the error positivity (Pe) components of error processing.