Lithium has established itself as an effective prophylactic agent in mood disorders, but not all patients respond to lithium therapy. It is probable that genetic factors play a substantial role in determining the differences in response to lithium. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the dopamine receptor D3 (DRD3) gene and prophylactic efficacy of lithium in mood d...

OBJECTIVE To compare suicide rates with vs. without long-term lithium treatment in major affective disorders. METHOD Broad searching yielded 22 studies providing suicide rates during lithium maintenance; 13 also provide rates without such treatment. Study quality was scored, between-study variance tested, and suicide rates on vs. off lithium examined by meta-analyses using random-effects regr...

Suppressing dendrite formation at lithium metal anodes during cycling is critical for the implementation of future lithium metal-based battery technology. Here we report that it can be achieved via the facile process of immersing the electrodes in ionic liquid electrolytes for a period of time before battery assembly. This creates a durable and lithium ion-permeable solid-electrolyte interphase...

Increased activity of erythrocyte sodium-lithium countertransport is associated with essential hypertension. Sodium-lithium countertransport is highly heritable, but no single gene product mediating the exchange or explaining the association of increased sodium-lithium countertransport activity and hypertension has been identified. We performed a linkage study by using erythrocyte sodium-lithiu...

Accurate lifetime prediction of lithium-ion batteries is a great challenge for the researchers and engineers involved in battery applications in electric vehicles and satellites.  In this study, a semi-empirical model is introduced to predict the capacity loss of lithium-ion batteries as a function of charge and discharge cycles, operational time, and temperature. The model parameters are obtai...

Lithium nitride hydride, Li₄NH, was synthesised from lithium nitride and lithium hydride over minute timescales, using microwave synthesis methods in the solid state for the first time. The structure of the microwave-synthesised powders was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction [tetragonal space group I4₁/a; a = 4.8864(1) Å, c = 9.9183(2) Å] and the nitride hydride reacts with moist air under a...

Lithium-sulfur batteries show advantages for next-generation electrical energy storage due to their high energy density and cost effectiveness. Enhancing the conductivity of the sulfur cathode and moderating the dissolution of lithium polysulfides are two key factors for the success of lithium-sulfur batteries. Here we report a sulfur host that overcomes both obstacles at once. With inherent me...

MAIN RESULTS Over 10 years, 413 people (4%) receiving continuous treatment with lithium were admitted into hospital at least once for lithium toxicity. Of these, 15% required critical care, 3% dialysis, and 5% died before discharge. Existing use of loop diuretics and ACE inhibitors was associated with a modestly increased risk of lithium toxicity. Initiating loop diuretics or ACE inhibitors sig...

The use of lithium ceramic pebble beds has been considered in many blanket designs for the fusion reactors. Lithium ceramics have received a significant interest as tritium breeders for the fusion blankets during the last three decades. The thermal performance of the lithium ceramic pebble beds plays a key role for the fusion blankets. In order to study the heat transfer in the blanket, the eff...