Child's age at parental death and university education

Losing a parent due to premature death is generally associated with negative child outcomes. However, the study of possible (modifying) effects of the child's age and family background has been neglected in previous research. In this paper, we analyse the relationship between the child's age at parental death and the child's university education, and we study whether the possible association is modified by the child's family background. We apply ordinary least square regression and linear sibling fixed effect models to high-quality Finnish Census Panel data, consisting of 88,727 children born between 1982 and 1990. According to our results, the negative influence of parental death varies by the child's age; the consequences of parental death for young children were the most adverse. Interestingly, the influence of parental death seemed not to vary by family background

Adipocyte-specific protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B deletion increases lipogenesis, adipocyte cell size and is a minor regulator of glucose homeostasis

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The risk of having a depressive or anxiety disorder was 2.8 times higher in the low-income group than in the high-income group among men and 2.0 times higher among women. For men, non-work and work factors explained 20% and 31% of this association, respectively. For women, the corresponding figures were 65% and 23%. Conclusions: Low income is associated with frequent mental disorders among a working population. In particular, work factors among men and non-work factors among women contribute to the income differences in mental health. Mental disorders, such as depressive and anxiety disorders, are relatively common and predict work disability as much or even more than many other chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases. 1 2 The 12-month prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders in general populations varies between 4% and 11%, and 4% and 19%, respectively. 3-5 Socioeconomic inequalities in mental health are well documented and indicate a higher prevalence and incidence of mental health problems in socially disadvantaged populations. 5-21 However, only a few studies have used the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) or other standardised diagnostic interview methods to study the association between socioeconomic position and the most common mental disorders. 5-12 15 21 The Finnish Health 2000 Study showed no association between educational level and mental disorders. 19 In one study, socioeconomic position was measured by means of income per consumption unit which predicted incidence of psychiatric disorder. 7 While earlier studies have included unemployed and economically inactive subjects, it is not known whether socioeconomic inequalities in mental health can also be found among the working population. Socioeconomic inequalities in mental health have been explained by two theoretical frameworks. The social causation hypothesis states that barriers (eg, low income) to achieving highly valued goals (eg, goods, services, honour, job control) produce socioeconomic inequalities in health. 22 23 However, according to the social selection hypothesis, the rate of psychopathology among people in low socioeconomic positions is a function of an inter-and intragenerational sifting process in which unhealthy individuals tend to drift down from a high socioeconomic position or fail to rise from a low position. 36 Women seem to be more affected by crises involving children, housing and reproduction (eg, postpartum depression) rather than those involving work. In fact, work characteristics have been shown to be more strongly related to socioeconomic differences in psychological distress among men than among women. 14 16 20 However, as earlier reports have concerned self-reported psychological distress or symptoms, it is unclear if these results apply to clinically significant depressive and anxiety disorders, as defined by DSM-IV diagnostic criteria in a population-based sample. This study examined the contribution of non-work and work factors to the association between income and DSM-IV depressive and anxiety disorders in a working population. Based on earlier literature, we stratified our analyses by gender. The stratification and sampling were conducted as follows. The strata were five university hospital districts, each serving about 1 million inhabitants and differing in several features relating to geography, economic structure, health services and the socio-demographic characteristics of the population. First, the 15 largest cities were included with a probability of 1. Next, within the five districts, 65 other areas were sampled according to the probability proportional to population size (PPS) method. Finally, from each of these 80 areas, a random sample was drawn from the National Population Register. A total of 75% of the original sample participated in the CIDI interview. Compared to participants in the CIDI interview, those who only attended the home interview were found to score significantly more symptoms on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), were older, were more often single or widowed, and had a low level of education. METHODS Sample and procedure 37 The data collection phase started in August 2000 and was completed in June 2001. A total of 7419 persons (93% of the 7977 persons alive on the first day of the first phase of the survey) attended at least one phase of the study. They were interviewed at home, where they were also given a questionnaire to be returned at the clinical health examination. During the interview, the respondents received an information leaflet and their written informed consent was obtained. The Health 2000 Study was approved in 2000 by the Ethics Committee for Epidemiology and Public Health in the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa in Finland. Of the total sample, 5871 persons were of working age (30-64 years old). Of this base population, 5152 persons were interviewed (88%), 4935 persons returned the questionnaire (84%) and 4886 (83%) participated in the health examination, including the structured mental health interview (CIDI). The final sample of our study comprised the 3374 participants (1667 men, 1707 women) who were employed at the time of the interview. Income level We determined the income level of the participants using the definition of low income as suggested by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In that definition, people have a low income if they belong to a household in which the income per consumption unit is either lower than 50% or lower than 60% of the national median income. In Finland, there is no official definition for low-income level. In this study, we used 50% of the median income as a cutoff point for low income. The cut point for the low-income consumption unit (J7340/year for 2001) was obtained from Statistics Finland (the government's official statistical office, personal information, June 2007). Because no official cut-off points have been defined for high income, the high-income group was derived from the highest tertile of the working population in our dataset, and the intermediate income group comprised those who fell between the low-and high-income groups. Information on household income and the number of adults and children in the household was derived from the home interview. Gross income was transformed to net income using a tax calculation programme (year 2001) developed for this purpose. As suggested in the OECD directive, the number of consumption units was calculated as follows: the first adult in the household was weighted by 1 and each following adult was weighted by 0.7. Each child in the household was weighted by 0.5. The income per consumption unit was calculated by dividing the household income by the number of consumption units. DSM-IV depressive and anxiety disorders Mental health status was based on a computerised version of the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI) as a part of the comprehensive health examination. The standardised CIDI interview has been shown to be a valid instrument to assess common non-psychotic mental disorders. 38 The program uses operationalised criteria for DSM-IV diagnoses and allows the estimation of DSM-IV diagnoses for major mental disorders. Demographic factors Information on gender and age was collected in the home interview. Non-work factors Home interview Information on marital status was collected in the home interview and subjects were divided into two groups: those who were married or cohabiting and those who were divorced, widowed or single. Housing disadvantages were examined in the home interview with 12 questions with yes/no alternatives considering pro- Smoking status was obtained from home interview and subjects were classified as non-smokers versus current smokers. Survey Four survey questions based on the scale by Sarason et al 40 assessed social support outside work. In that measure, the participants marked who (spouse, close relative, friend, close neighbour, someone else close) would help or support them (1) when they were exhausted, (2) when they were depressed, (3) when they needed practical help, or (4) in any event. A sum score was calculated ranging from 0 to 20 and reversed to indicate lack of social support. In the survey, the participants were asked how many times during the past 12 months they had become a victim of violence which left visible signs or were victims of threatening intimidation. The respondents who had become victims of either of these alternatives at least once were identified as cases. Clinical health examination Somatic health was determined in a standard 30-min clinical health examination carried out by a physician. Abnormal somatic health meant an abnormal status of the skin, respiratory, cardiovascular, abdominal, musculoskeletal or neurological systems. Physical symptoms were queried during an interview before the physician's examination. Altogether, 13 questions with yes/ no alternative answers concerned respiratory symptoms (three questions), cardiovascular symptoms (four questions), allergic and other skin symptoms (four questions) and musculoskeletal symptoms (two questions). The number of symptoms was calculated as a simple sum of positive answers

Basic Personal Values Underlie and Give Coherence to Political Values: A Cross National Study in 15 Countries

Do the political values of the general public form a coherent system? What might be the source of coherence? We view political values as expressions, in the political domain, of more basic personal values. Basic personal values (e.g., security, achievement, benevolence, hedonism) are organized on a circular continuum that reflects their conflicting and compatible motivations. We theorize that this circular motivational structure also gives coherence to political values. We assess this theorizing with data from 15 countries, using eight core political values (e.g., free enterprise, law and order) and ten basic personal values. We specify the underlying basic values expected to promote or oppose each political value. We offer different hypotheses for the 12 non-communist and three post-communist countries studied, where the political context suggests different meanings of a basic or political value. Correlation and regression analyses support almost all hypotheses. Moreover, basic values account for substantially more variance in political values than age, gender, education, and income. Multidimensional scaling analyses demonstrate graphically how the circular motivational continuum of basic personal values structures relations among core political values. This study strengthens the assumption that individual differences in basic personal values play a critical role in political thought

Drop-out and mood improvement: a randomised controlled trial with light exposure and physical exercise [ISRCTN36478292]

BACKGROUND: Combining bright light exposure and physical exercise may be an effective way of relieving depressive symptoms. However, relatively little is known about individual factors predicting either a good response or treatment failure. We explored background variables possibly explaining the individual variation in treatment response or failure in a randomised trial. METHODS: Participants were volunteers of working-age, free from prior mental disorders and recruited via occupational health centres. The intervention was a randomised 8-week trial with three groups: aerobics in bright light, aerobics in normal room lighting, and relaxation/stretching in bright light. Good response was defined as a 50% decrease in the symptom score on either the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) or 8-item scale of atypical symptoms. Background variables for the analysis included sex, age, body-mass index, general health habits, seasonal pattern, and sleep disturbances. RESULTS: Complete data were received from 98 subjects (11 men, 87 women). Of them, 42 (5 men, 37 women) were classified as responders on the HDRS. Overall, light had a significant effect on the number of responders, as assessed with the HDRS (X(2 )= .02). The number needed to treat (NNT) for light was 3.8. CONCLUSIONS: We investigated the effect of bright light and exercise on depressive symptoms. Problems with sleep, especially initial insomnia, may predict a good response to treatment using combined light and exercise. Bright light exposure and physical exercise, even in combination, seem to be well tolerated and effective on depressive symptoms

Strong Magnetic Field Fluctuations within Filamentary Auroral Density Cavities Interpreted as VLF Saucer Sources

The Geoelectrodynamics and Electro-Optical Detection of Electron and SuprathermalIon Currents (GEODESIC) sounding rocket encountered more than 100 filamentary densitycavities associated with enhanced plasma waves at ELF (3 kHz) and VLF (310 kHz)frequencies and at altitudes of 800990 km during an auroral substorm. These cavities weresimilar in size (20 m diameter in most cases) to so-called lower-hybrid cavities (LHCs)observed by previous sounding rockets and satellites; however, in contrast, many of theGEODESIC cavities exhibited up to tenfold enhancements in magnetic wave powerthroughout the VLF band. GEODESIC also observed enhancements of ELF and VLFelectric fields both parallel and perpendicular to the geomagnetic field B0 within cavities,though the VLF E field increases were often not as large proportionally as seen in themagnetic fields. This behavior is opposite to that predicted by previously published theoriesof LHCs based on passive scattering of externally incident auroral hiss. We argue thatthe GEODESIC cavities are active wave generation sites capable of radiating VLF wavesinto the surrounding plasma and producing VLF saucers, with energy supplied by cold,upward flowing electron beams composing the auroral return current. This interpretation issupported by the observation that the most intense waves, both inside and outside cavities,occurred in regions where energetic electron precipitation was largely inhibited orabsent altogether. We suggest that the wave-enhanced cavities encountered by GEODESICwere qualitatively different from those observed by earlier spacecraft because of thefortuitous timing of the GEODESIC launch, which placed the payload at apogee within asubstorm-related return current during its most intense phase, lasting only a few minutes

Effect of simulated dawn on quality of sleep – a community-based trial

BACKGROUND: Morning light exposure administered as simulated dawn looks a promising method to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder, but it may moreover help with resetting the inaccurate organisation of body clock functions relative to sleep occurring in winter among people in general. Disturbances in sleep patterns are common and may compromise wellbeing even in the short term. Our hypothesis was that simulated dawn could improve the subjective quality of sleep during winter. METHODS: A community-based trial with 100 volunteer subjects provided with dawn simulators. Study period lasted for eight weeks, and subjects used the dawn simulators for two weeks at a time, each subject acting as his own control (ABAB-design). Main outcome measure was subjective quality of sleep recorded each morning with Groningen Sleep Quality Scale. RESULTS: 77 subjects completed the trial. Quality of sleep improved while subjects were using dawn simulator-devices (p = 0.001). The treatment became beneficial after six days' use of dawn simulator, but the effect did not last after the use was ceased. CONCLUSION: Dawn simulation may help to improve the subjective quality of sleep, but the benefits are modest. Further research is needed to verify these findings and to elucidate the mechanism by which dawn simulation acts on the sleep-wake pattern

The spatio-relational nature of urban innovation systems: Universities, knowledge intensive business service firms, and collaborative networks

The need to better identify the spatio-relational nature of urban innovation systems and spaces is increasingly acknowledged. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to provide an enhanced understanding of the knowledge networks existing between urban Knowledge Intensive Business Services firms (KIBS) and universities, which are often key components of such systems and spaces. Drawing on an analysis of urban KIBS firms and universities in the UK, it is found that the nature of firms, the location in which they are based, and the research intensity of their university partners are important determinants of the spatiality and localisation of the networks they form. The results show that the smallest urban KIBS firms have the highest propensity to engage in local links with universities, suggesting that they rely most significantly on their own urban innovation system for collaborative network ties. Keywords : innovation systems; urban innovation spaces; knowledge-based development; proximity; networks; KIBS; universities

Mutations in GPAA1, Encoding a GPI Transamidase Complex Protein, Cause Developmental Delay, Epilepsy, Cerebellar Atrophy, and Osteopenia.

Approximately one in every 200 mammalian proteins is anchored to the cell membrane through a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. These proteins play important roles notably in neurological development and function. To date, more than 20 genes have been implicated in the biogenesis of GPI-anchored proteins. GPAA1 (glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor attachment 1) is an essential component of the transamidase complex along with PIGK, PIGS, PIGT, and PIGU (phosphatidylinositol-glycan biosynthesis classes K, S, T, and U, respectively). This complex orchestrates the attachment of the GPI anchor to the C terminus of precursor proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. Here, we report bi-allelic mutations in GPAA1 in ten individuals from five families. Using whole-exome sequencing, we identified two frameshift mutations (c.981_993del [p.Gln327Hisfs∗102] and c.920delG [p.Gly307Alafs∗11]), one intronic splicing mutation (c.1164+5C>T), and six missense mutations (c.152C>T [p.Ser51Leu], c.160_161delinsAA [p.Ala54Asn], c.527G>C [p.Trp176Ser], c.869T>C [p.Leu290Pro], c.872T>C [p.Leu291Pro], and c.1165G>C [p.Ala389Pro]). Most individuals presented with global developmental delay, hypotonia, early-onset seizures, cerebellar atrophy, and osteopenia. The splicing mutation was found to decrease GPAA1 mRNA. Moreover, flow-cytometry analysis of five available individual samples showed that several GPI-anchored proteins had decreased cell-surface abundance in leukocytes (FLAER, CD16, and CD59) or fibroblasts (CD73 and CD109). Transduction of fibroblasts with a lentivirus encoding the wild-type protein partially rescued the deficiency of GPI-anchored proteins. These findings highlight the role of the transamidase complex in the development and function of the cerebellum and the skeletal system

Emirati women do not shy away from competition: evidence from a patriarchal society in transition

We explore gender attitudes towards competition in the United Arab Emirates—a traditionally patriarchal society which in recent times has adopted numerous policies to empower women and promote their role in the labor force. The experimental treatments vary whether individuals compete in single-sex or mixed-sex groups. In contrast to previous studies, women in our sample are not less willing to compete than men. In fact, once we control for individual performance, Emirati women are more likely to select into competition. Our analysis shows that neither women nor men shy away from competition, and both compete more than what would be optimal in monetary terms as the fraction of men in their group increases. We offer a detailed survey of the literature and discuss possible reasons for the lack of gender differences in our experiment