Paid employment and common mental disorders in 50–64-year olds: analysis of three cross-sectional nationally representative survey samples in 1993, 2000 and 2007

Associations between employment status and mental health are well recognised, but evidence is sparse on the relationship between paid employment and mental health in the years running up to statutory retirement ages using robust mental health measures. In addition, there has been no investigation into the stability over time in this relationship: an important consideration if survey findings are used to inform future policy. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between employment status and common mental disorder (CMD) in 50–64-year old residents in England and its stability over time, taking advantage of three national mental health surveys carried out over a 14-year period. Data were analysed from the British National Surveys of Psychiatric Morbidity of 1993, 2000 and 2007. Paid employment status was the primary exposure of interest and CMD the primary outcome – both ascertained identically in all three surveys (CMD from the revised Clinical Interview Schedule). Multivariable logistic regression models were used. The prevalence of CMD was higher in people not in paid employment across all survey years; however, this association was only present for non-employment related to poor health as an outcome and was not apparent in those citing other reasons for non-employment. Odds ratios for the association between non-employment due to ill health and CMD were 3.05 in 1993, 3.56 in 2000, and 2.80 in 2007, after adjustment for age, gender, marital status, education, social class, housing tenure, financial difficulties, smoking status, recent physical health consultation and activities of daily living impairment. The prevalence of CMD was higher in people not in paid employment for health reasons, but was not associated with non-employment for other reasons. Associations had been relatively stable in strength from 1993 to 2007 in those three cross-sectional nationally representative samples

Two-Phase and Vapor-Phase Thermophysical Property (pvTz) Measurements of the Difluoromethane + trans-1,3,3,3-Tetrafluoroprop-1-ene Binary System

In this paper, 182 pvTz data (28 data in the two-phase region and 154 data in the superheated vapor region) of mixtures containing difluoromethane (R32) and trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoroprop-1-ene (R12..

Do ACE inhibitors improve the response to exercise training in functionally impaired older adults? A randomized controlled trial

<br>Background: Loss of muscle mass and strength with ageing is a major cause for falls, disability, and morbidity in older people. Previous studies have found that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) may improve physical function in older people. It is unclear whether ACEi provide additional benefit when added to a standard exercise training program. We examined the effects of ACEi therapy on physical function in older people undergoing exercise training.</br> <b>Methods:</b> Community-dwelling people aged ≥65 years with functional impairment were recruited through general (family) practices. All participants received progressive exercise training. Participants were randomized to receive either 4 mg perindopril or matching placebo daily for 20 weeks. The primary outcome was between-group change in 6-minute walk distance from baseline to 20 weeks. Secondary outcomes included changes in Short Physical Performance Battery, handgrip and quadriceps strength, self-reported quality of life using the EQ-5D, and functional impairment measured using the Functional Limitations Profile.<p></p> <b>Results:</b> A total of 170 participants (n = 86 perindopril, n = 84 placebo) were randomized. Mean age was 75.7 (standard deviation [SD] 6.8) years. Baseline 6-minute walk distance was 306 m (SD 99). Both groups increased their walk distance (by 29.6 m perindopril, 36.4 m placebo group) at 20 weeks, but there was no statistically significant treatment effect between groups (−8.6m [95% confidence interval: −30.1, 12.9], p = .43). No statistically significant treatment effects were observed between groups for the secondary outcomes. Adverse events leading to withdrawal were few (n = 0 perindopril, n = 4 placebo).<p></p> <b>Interpretation:</b> ACE inhibitors did not enhance the effect of exercise training on physical function in functionally impaired older people.<p></p&gt

Paid employment and common mental disorders in 50-64-year olds: analysis of three cross-sectional nationally representative survey samples in 1993, 2000 and 2007

Aims. Associations between employment status and mental health are well recognised, but evidence is sparse on the relationship between paid employment and mental health in the years running up to statutory retirement ages using robust mental health measures. In addition, there has been no investigation into the stability over time in this relationship: an important consideration if survey findings are used to inform future policy. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between employment status and common mental disorder (CMD) in 50–64-year old residents in England and its stability over time, taking advantage of three national mental health surveys carried out over a 14-year period. / Methods. Data were analysed from the British National Surveys of Psychiatric Morbidity of 1993, 2000 and 2007. Paid employment status was the primary exposure of interest and CMD the primary outcome – both ascertained identically in all three surveys (CMD from the revised Clinical Interview Schedule). Multivariable logistic regression models were used. / Results. The prevalence of CMD was higher in people not in paid employment across all survey years; however, this association was only present for non-employment related to poor health as an outcome and was not apparent in those citing other reasons for non-employment. Odds ratios for the association between non-employment due to ill health and CMD were 3.05 in 1993, 3.56 in 2000, and 2.80 in 2007, after adjustment for age, gender, marital status, education, social class, housing tenure, financial difficulties, smoking status, recent physical health consultation and activities of daily living impairment. / Conclusions. The prevalence of CMD was higher in people not in paid employment for health reasons, but was not associated with non-employment for other reasons. Associations had been relatively stable in strength from 1993 to 2007 in those three cross-sectional nationally representative samples

Cuando la ortodoxia no es lo más relevante: el paisaje de La Gomera y la orientación de sus iglesias

Presentamos un estudio de la relación entre astronomía y paisaje centrado en la orientación de las iglesias y ermitas cristianas de la isla de La Gomera, situada en el Archipiélago Canario (España). El trabajo de campo consistió en la medición de las coordenadas precisas de ubicación de 38 iglesias y ermitas, lo que representa la casi totalidad de las construcciones religiosas de la isla, que cuenta con una superficie de aproximadamente 370 km². Para cada iglesia se midió, además, el acimut y la altura angular del horizonte, tomados en la dirección hacia donde apunta el altar de cada templo. Los datos así medidos fueron luego corroborados con modelos digitales de terreno de uso frecuente en estudios arqueoastronómicos. Finalmente, para el estudio de la muestra, se realizaron diversos análisis: estadístico, calendárico y orográfico, tratando de hallar indicios que permitieran comprender el patrón de orientaciones encontrado. A partir de este análisis, podemos afirmar que en algunos lugares de la isla se respetó la tradición canónica de orientar los templos cristianos en el rango solar. Asimismo, es posible que algunas pocas construcciones se orientasen con patrones de imitación del culto aborigen, especialmente en direcciones solsticiales. Sin embargo, encontramos que la orientación de la mayoría de las ermitas e iglesias es hacia el noreste y, a falta de una justificación mejor, pensamos que la razón debe buscarse más en el paisaje terrestre que en el celeste. A juzgar por la manera en la que se distribuyen varios pequeños grupos de templos -por ejemplo, aquellos ubicados en los barrancos de Hermigua y Valle Gran Rey-, estimamos que este poco habitual patrón global de orientaciones está motivado por la particular orografía de la isla. Una proporción importante de iglesias y ermitas parece adaptarse a los sitios particulares de sus emplazamientos, orientándose de acuerdo a los numerosos accidentes geográficos -en particular, sus profundos barrancos- donde están situadas. Estos resultados nos permiten conjeturar que la conocida “abrupta naturaleza” de La Gomera es quizá la principal causante del patrón particular de orientaciones de sus centros de culto.We present a study of the relationship between astronomy and landscape centered on the orientation of Christian churches of the island of La Gomera, located in the Canary Archipelago (Spain). The fieldwork consisted of measuring the precise coordinates of 38 churches, which represents almost all of the island's religious constructions, which has an area of approximately 370 km². For each church, we measured the azimuth and the angular height of the horizon taken in the direction towards which the altar of each temple points. The data thus obtained were then corroborated with digital terrain models frequently used in archaeoastronomical studies. Finally, for the study of the sample, various analyzes were carried out: statistical, calendarical and orographic, trying to find clues that would allow us to understand the pattern of orientations found. From this analysis, we can infer that in some places on the island the canonical tradition of orienting Christian temples in the solar range was respected. Also, it is possible that a few constructions were oriented with imitation patterns of the aborigine cult, especially in solstitial directions. However, we find that the orientation of the majority of the churches is towards the northeast and, in the absence of a better justification, we think that reason should be sought more in the terrestrial landscape than in the celestial one. Judging by the way in which several small groups of temples are distributed -for example, those located in the ravines of Hermigua and Valle Gran Rey-, we estimate that this unusual pattern of global orientations is motivated by the particular orography of the island. A significant proportion of churches seems to adapt to the particular characteristics of their sites, orienting themselves according to the numerous geographical features -their deep ravines, in particular- where they are located. These results allow us to conjecture that the known "abrupt nature" of La Gomera is perhaps the main reason for the particular pattern of orientations of its worship sanctuaries.Sociedad Interamericana de Astronomía en la CulturaFacultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísica

Cuando la ortodoxia no es lo más relevante: El paisaje de La Gomera y la orientación de sus iglesias

Presentamos un estudio de la relación entre astronomía y paisaje centrado en la orientación de las iglesias y ermitas cristianas de la isla de La Gomera, situada en el Archipiélago Canario (España). El trabajo de campo consistió en la medición de las coordenadas precisas de ubicación de 38 iglesias y ermitas, lo que representa la casi totalidad de las construcciones religiosas de la isla, que cuenta con una superficie de aproximadamente 370 km². Para cada iglesia se midió, además, el acimut y la altura angular del horizonte, tomados en la dirección hacia donde apunta el altar de cada templo. Los datos así medidos fueron luego corroborados con modelos digitales de terreno de uso frecuente en estudios arqueoastronómicos. Finalmente, para el estudio de la muestra, se realizaron diversos análisis: estadístico, calendárico y orográfico, tratando de hallar indicios que permitieran comprender el patrón de orientaciones encontrado. A partir de este análisis, podemos afirmar que en algunos lugares de la isla se respetó la tradición canónica de orientar los templos cristianos en el rango solar. Asimismo, es posible que algunas pocas construcciones se orientasen con patrones de imitación del culto aborigen, especialmente en direcciones solsticiales. Sin embargo, encontramos que la orientación de la mayoría de las ermitas e iglesias es hacia el noreste y, a falta de una justificación mejor, pensamos que la razón debe buscarse más en el paisaje terrestre que en el celeste. A juzgar por la manera en la que se distribuyen varios pequeños grupos de templos -por ejemplo, aquellos ubicados en los barrancos de Hermigua y Valle Gran Rey-, estimamos que este poco habitual patrón global de orientaciones está motivado por la particular orografía de la isla. Una proporción importante de iglesias y ermitas parece adaptarse a los sitios particulares de sus emplazamientos, orientándose de acuerdo a los numerosos accidentes geográficos -en particular, sus profundos barrancos- donde están situadas. Estos resultados nos permiten conjeturar que la conocida “abrupta naturaleza” de La Gomera es quizá la principal causante del patrón particular de orientaciones de sus centros de culto.We present a study of the relationship between astronomy and landscape centered on the orientation of Christian churches of the island of La Gomera, located in the Canary Archipelago (Spain). The fieldwork consisted of measuring the precise coordinates of 38 churches, which represents almost all of the island's religious constructions, which has an area of approximately 370 km². For each church, we measured the azimuth and the angular height of the horizon taken in the direction towards which the altar of each temple points. The data thus obtained were then corroborated with digital terrain models frequently used in archaeoastronomical studies. Finally, for the study of the sample, various analyzes were carried out: statistical, calendarical and orographic, trying to find clues that would allow us to understand the pattern of orientations found. From this analysis, we can infer that in some places on the island the canonical tradition of orienting Christian temples in the solar range was respected. Also, it is possible that a few constructions were oriented with imitation patterns of the aborigine cult, especially in solstitial directions. However, we find that the orientation of the majority of the churches is towards the northeast and, in the absence of a better justification, we think that reason should be sought more in the terrestrial landscape than in the celestial one. Judging by the way in which several small groups of temples are distributed -for example, those located in the ravines of Hermigua and Valle Gran Rey-, we estimate that this unusual pattern of global orientations is motivated by the particular orography of the island. A significant proportion of churches seems to adapt to the particular characteristics of their sites, orienting themselves according to the numerous geographical features -their deep ravines, in particular- where they are located. These results allow us to conjecture that the known "abrupt nature" of La Gomera is perhaps the main reason for the particular pattern of orientations of its worship sanctuaries.Fil: Di Paolo, Adrian. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Física; ArgentinaFil: Gangui, Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; ArgentinaFil: Belmonte Avilés, Juan Antonio. Universidad de La Laguna; EspañaFil: Perera Betancort, Maria Antonia. Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; Españ

Equilibration times in numerical simulation of structural glasses: Comparing parallel tempering and conventional molecular dynamics

Generation of equilibrium configurations is the major obstacle for numerical investigation of the slow dynamics in supercooled liquid states. The parallel tempering (PT) technique, originally proposed for the numerical equilibration of discrete spin-glass model configurations, has recently been applied in the study of supercooled structural glasses. We present an investigation of the ability of parallel tempering to properly sample the liquid configuration space at different temperatures, by mapping the PT dynamics into the dynamics of the closest local potential energy minima (inherent structures). Comparing the PT equilibration process with the standard molecular dynamics equilibration process we find that the PT does not increase the speed of equilibration of the (slow) configurational degrees of freedom.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Multi analyte profiling and variability of inflammatory markers in blood and induced sputum in patients with stable COPD

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We analyzed serial concentrations of multiple inflammatory mediators from serum and induced sputum obtained from patients with stable COPD and controls. The objective was to determine which proteins could be used as reliable biomarkers to assess COPD disease state and severity.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Forty-two subjects; 21 with stable COPD and 21 controls, were studied every 2 weeks over a 6-week period. Serum and induced sputum were obtained at each of 3 visits and concentrations of 19 serum and 22 sputum proteins were serially assessed using multiplex immunoassays. We used linear mixed effects models to test the distribution of proteins for an association with COPD and disease severity. Measures of within- and between-subject coefficients of variation were calculated for each of the proteins to assess reliability of measurement.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was significant variability in concentrations of all inflammatory proteins over time, and variability was greater for sputum proteins (median intra-subject coefficient of variation 0.58) compared to proteins measured in serum (median intra-subject coefficient of variation 0.32, P = 0.03). Of 19 serum proteins and 22 sputum proteins tested, only serum CRP, myeloperoxidase and VEGF and sputum IL-6, IL-8, TIMP-1, and VEGF showed acceptable intra and inter-patient reliability and were significantly associated with COPD, the severity of lung function impairment, and dyspnea.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Levels of many serum and sputum biomarkers cannot be reliably ascertained based on single measurements. Multiple measurements over time can give a more reliable and precise estimate of the inflammatory burden in clinically stable COPD patients.</p