The role of bipolar disorder and family wealth in choosing creative occupations.

Research in psychology and medicine has linked mental health disorders, and particularly bipolar disorder (BD), to employment in creative professions. Little is known, however, about the mechanisms for this link, which could be due to biology (primarily through a person's genes) or environmental (through socioeconomic status). Using administrative data on mental health diagnoses and occupations for the population of Denmark, we find that people with BD are more likely to be musicians than the population, but less likely to hold other creative jobs.

Does depression co-occur within households? The moderating effects of financial resources and job insecurity on psychological contagion.

The empirically related psychopathologies of stress and depression exact an enormous economic toll and have many physical and behavioral health effects. Most studies of the effects of stress and depression focus on their causes and consequences for a individual. We examine the extent to which depression, as indicated by filling antidepressant prescriptions (SSRI and Benzodiazepines), co-occurs across spouses, constituting a negative spillover effect.

Prehospital time and mortality in patients requiring a highest priority emergency medical response: a Danish registry-based cohort study.

Objective: To examine the association between time from emergency medical service vehicle dispatch to hospital arrival and 1-day and 30-day mortality.

Design: Register-based cohort study.

Setting: North Denmark Region (≈8000 km, catchment population ≈600 000).

Dual-Pore Carbon Shells for Efficient Removal of Humic Acid from Water.

A template-mediated process for the preparation of mesoporous carbon shells with high surface area, dual-pore structure, and excellent performance in the adsorption of humic acid is reported. Their synthesis involves templating phenolic resin against wrinkled silica nanospheres, subsequent carbonization under Ar atmosphere, and final release of dual-pore mesoporous carbon shells by etching the silica templates. An additional silica layer was used to protect the phenolic resin from aggregation during carbonization, and its subsequent removal gives the carbon shells a hydrophilic surface, which significantly improves their dispersity in aqueous media.

Can a central blood volume deficit be detected by systolic pressure variation during spontaneous breathing?

Background: Whether during spontaneous breathing arterial pressure variations (APV) can detect a volume deficit is not established. We hypothesized that amplification of intra-thoracic pressure oscillations by breathing through resistors would enhance APV to allow identification of a reduced cardiac output (CO). This study tested that hypothesis in healthy volunteers exposed to central hypovolemia by head-up tilt.

Water-assisted crystallization of mesoporous anatase TiO2 nanospheres.

We report a facile water-assisted crystallization process for the conversion of amorphous sol-gel derived TiO2 into mesoporous anatase nanostructures with a high surface area and well-controlled porosity and crystallinity. As an alternative to conventional calcination methods, this approach works under very mild conditions and is therefore much desired for broad biological, environmental and catalytic applications.

Ethylene glycol-assisted coating of titania on nanoparticles.

Coating titania shells onto sub-micron sized particles has been widely studied recently, with success mainly limited to objects with sizes above 50 nm. Direct coating on particles below this size has been difficult to attain especially with good control over properties such as thickness and crystallinity. Here we demonstrate that titanium-glycolate formed by reacting titanium alkoxide and ethylene glycol is an excellent precursor for coating titania on aqueous nanoparticles.

Photocatalytic Surface-Initiated Polymerization on TiO2 toward Well-Defined Composite Nanostructures.

We demonstrate the use of TiO2 nanospheres as the photoinitiator for photocatalytic surface-initiated polymerization for the synthesis of various inorganic/polymer nanocomposites with well-defined structures. The excitation of TiO2 by UV-light irradiation produces electrons and holes which drive the free radical polymerization near its surface, producing core/shell composite nanospheres with eccentric or concentric structures that can be tuned by controlling the surface compatibility between the polymer and the TiO2. When highly porous TiO2 nanospheres were employed as the photoinitiator, polymerization could disintegrate the mesoporous framework and give rise to nanocomposites with multiple TiO2 nanoparticles evenly distributed in the polymer spheres.

Kinematic and fatigue biomechanics of an interpositional facet arthroplasty device.

Background Context: Although approximately 30% of chronic lumbar pain can be attributed to the facets, limited surgical options exist for patients. Interpositional facet arthroplasty (IFA) is a novel treatment for lumbar facetogenic pain designed to provide patients who gain insufficient relief from medical interventional treatment options with long-term relief, filling a void in the facet pain treatment continuum.

Purpose: This study aimed to quantify the effect of IFA on segmental range of motion (ROM) compared with the intact state, and to observe device position and condition after 10,000 cycles of worst-case loading.

Thermal synthesis of silver nanoplates revisited: a modified photochemical process.

The well-known photochemical and thermal methods for silver nanoplate synthesis have been generally regarded as two parallel processes without strong connections. Here we report a surprising finding that both visible light and ambient O2, which are critically important in the photochemical process, also play determining roles in the thermal synthesis. By designing a series of control experiments, we reveal that the typical thermal synthesis is essentially a modified photochemical synthesis coupled with the unique redox properties of H2O2.

A sulfated ZrO2 hollow nanostructure as an acid catalyst in the dehydration of fructose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural.

Mesoporous hollow colloidal particles with well-defined characteristics have potential use in many applications. In liquid-phase catalysis, in particular, they can provide a large active surface area, reduced diffusion resistance, improved accessibility to reactants, and excellent dispersity in reaction media. Herein, we report the tailored synthesis of sulfated ZrO2 hollow nanostructures and their catalytic applications in the dehydration of fructose.

In sickness and in wealth: psychological and sexual costs of income comparison in marriage.

As the percentage of wives outearning their husbands grows, the traditional social norm of the male breadwinner is challenged. The upward income comparison of the husband may cause psychological distress that affects partners' mental and physical health in ways that affect decisions on marriage, divorce, and careers. This article studies this impact through sexual and mental health problems.

The biomechanics of a multilevel lumbar spine hybrid using nucleus replacement in conjunction with fusion.

Background Context: Degenerative disc disease is commonly a multilevel pathology with varying deterioration severity. The use of fusion on multiple levels can significantly affect functionality and has been linked to persistent adjacent disc degeneration. A hybrid approach of fusion and nucleus replacement (NR) has been suggested as a solution for mildly degenerated yet painful levels adjacent to fusion.

A comparison of the shock-absorbing properties of cervical disc prosthesis bearing materials.

Background Data: Cervical arthroplasty offers theoretical advantages over traditional spinal fusion, including elimination of adjacent segment disease and elimination of the risk of pseudoarthrosis formation. Initial studies of cervical arthroplasty have shown promising results, however, the ideal design characteristics for disc replacement constructs have not been determined. The current study seeks to quantify the differences in the shock absorption characteristics of three commonly used materials in cervical disc arthroplasty.

The effects of becoming an entrepreneur on the use of psychotropics among entrepreneurs and their spouses.

Aims: Entering entrepreneurship (i.e. becoming an entrepreneur) is known to be a demanding activity with increased workload, financial uncertainty and increased levels of stress.

The restoration of lumbar intervertebral disc load distribution: a comparison of three nucleus replacement technologies.

Study Design: A validated L3-L4 nonlinear finite element model was used to evaluate strain and pressure in the surrounding structures for 4 nucleus replacement technologies.

Objective: The objective of the current study was to compare subsidence and anular damage potential between 4 current nucleus replacement technologies. It was hypothesized that a fully conforming nucleus replacement would minimize the risk of both subsidence and anular damage.

The efficacy of using vibrometry to detect osteointegration of the Agility total ankle.

Arthritis is a chronic, debilitating disease affecting one in six people in the United States annually. One of the most promising surgical treatments is total joint replacement. After decades of development, some joint replacement (arthroplasty) systems such as the hip and knee enjoy high success rates while others, particularly newer ones for the ankle, have disappointing survival rates.

Helmet and shoulder pad removal in football players with unstable cervical spine injuries.

Football, one of the country's most popular team sports, is associated with the largest overall number of sports-related, catastrophic, cervical spine injuries in the United States (Mueller, 2007). Patient handling can be hindered by the protective sports equipment worn by the athlete. Improper stabilization of these patients can exacerbate neurologic injury.

Using an expiratory resistor, arterial pulse pressure variations predict fluid responsiveness during spontaneous breathing: an experimental porcine study.

Introduction: Fluid responsiveness prediction is difficult in spontaneously breathing patients. Because the swings in intrathoracic pressure are minor during spontaneous breathing, dynamic parameters like pulse pressure variation (PPV) and systolic pressure variation (SPV) are usually small. We hypothesized that during spontaneous breathing, inspiratory and/or expiratory resistors could induce high arterial pressure variations at hypovolemia and low variations at normovolemia and hypervolemia.

[Optimization of use of prehospital emergency physicians after new dispatch and guidance instructions].

Introduction: Correct use of prehospital medical competence requires optimal dispatch. Based on the severity gauge Severity of Injury/Illness Index (SIII) which grades injury/illness into eight levels, we examined the effect of implementing new dispatch and guidance instructions in the emergency call centre.

Materials And Methods: From the local Prehospital Database we have withdrawn data from 1st August 2000 to 31st December 2005.

[Use of skills among ambulance crews assessed by ambulance on-line record-keeping system].

Introduction: To fulfil the increasing requirements for documentation and quality assurance, amPHI, an ambulance on-line record-keeping system has been developed. We present the data from the pilot study to access how often ambulance crews use their skills.

Materials And Methods: As a pilot study amPHI was installed and tested in an emergency ambulance for 21 months.

Maltose and maltodextrin utilization by Bacillus subtilis.

Bacillus subtilis can utilize maltose and maltodextrins that are derived from polysaccharides, like starch or glycogen. In this work, we show that maltose is taken up by a member of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system and maltodextrins are taken up by a maltodextrin-specific ABC transporter. Uptake of maltose by the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system is mediated by maltose-specific enzyme IICB (MalP; synonym, GlvC), with an apparent K(m) of 5 microM and a V(max) of 91 nmol .

Expression of a novel gene, gluP, is essential for normal Bacillus subtilis cell division and contributes to glucose export.

Background: The Bacillus subtilis glucokinase operon was predicted to be comprised of the genes, yqgP (now named gluP), yqgQ, and glcK. We have previously established a role for glcK in glucose metabolism. In the absence of enzymes that phosphorylate glucose, such as GlcK and/or enzyme IIGlc, accumulated cytoplasmic glucose can be transported out of the cell.