Serving Veterans in their Communities: Evaluation of an Online Resource for Behavioral Health Care Providers

Many veterans receive behavioral health care services from providers in their communities. The Community Provider Toolkit (the Toolkit) is a website developed by the National Center for PTSD and the Department of Veterans Affairs intended to provide community mental health care providers with key veteran-focused educational resources. This mixed-methods study examined the potential impact of the Toolkit on provider knowledge and behaviors. Sixty-four clinicians in the community who currently or plan to provide services to veterans were surveyed. The majority of providers found the website useful and easy to navigate. After visiting the site, many providers found additional online and educational resources that they would add to a hypothetical treatment plan. Forty-five providers completed a 1-month follow-up survey focused on use of the Toolkit. Results indicate that the Toolkit may be a valuable tool for increasing provider knowledge about veteran-specific resources.

     

Levels of Circulating Microparticles in Lung Cancer Patients and Possible Prognostic Value

Background. Endothelial-derived microparticles (EDMPs) and platelet-derived microparticles (PDMPs) have been reported to be increasing in various diseases including malignant diseases. Here, we investigated whether these MPs may be useful biomarkers for predicting lung cancer (LC) disease status, cell type, or metastasis. Methods and Results. One hundred and thirty LC patients were prospectively enrolled into the study between April 2011 and February 2012. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that the circulating levels of platelet-derived activated MPs (PDAc-MPs), platelet-derived apoptotic MPs (PDAp-MPs), endothelial-derived activated MPs (EDAc-MPs), and endothelial-derived apoptotic MPs (EDAp-MPs) were significantly higher in LC patients than in 30 age- and gender-matched normal control subjects (all P < 0.05). Additionally, circulating level of PDAc-MPs was significantly lower (P = 0.031), whereas the circulating levels of the other three biomarkers did not differ (all P > 0.1) in early stage versus late stage LC patients. Furthermore, the circulating levels of the four types of MPs did not differ among patients with different disease statuses (i.e., disease controlled, disease progression, and disease without treatment, i.e., fresh case) (all P > 0.2) or between patients with or without LC metastasis (all P > 0.5). Moreover, only the circulating level of EDAp-MPs was significantly associated with the different cell types (i.e., squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and small cell carcinoma) of LC (P = 0.045). Conclusion. Circulating MP levels are significantly increased in LC patients as compared with normal subjects. Among the MPs, only an increased level of EDAp-MPs was significantly associated with different LC cell types.     

Selenium level does not differ in blood but increased in cerebrospinal fluid in Parkinson’s disease: a meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective: Recent studies have found that selenium (Se) levels were associated with the risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD), but the results were contradictory. Therefore, this meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the correlation between Se levels and PD.

Methods: PubMed, Embase and Web of Science were searched published up to 28 October 2019. The differences between groups were analyzed by forest plots and results were pooled and assessed using a random-effect model. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to assess the association between Se levels and the risk of PD. Subgroup analysis, meta-regression, and sensitivity analysis were also conducted. Publication bias was estimated using Begg’s regression asymmetry test.

Results: Finally, 12 articles involving 601 PD patients and 749 controls were included in this meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed a significantly higher cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Se level in PD patients than those in controls (SMD = 1.22; 95%CI [0.05, 2.39]; p?=?0.000). No publication bias was found.

Conclusion: The meta-analysis indicated that CSF Se levels in PD patients were significantly higher than those in controls.     

A Community Survey of Quality of Life and Psychiatric Disorders among Residents Following the Kaohsiung Gas Explosion: a 5-Year Cross-Sectional Follow-Up Study

Psychiatric Quarterly - To investigate factors associated with quality of life (QoL) and disaster-related psychiatric disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive...     

Diaphragm ultrasound in the diagnosis of respiratory dysfunction in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

ObjectiveIn this study, we aimed to select the best diaphragm ultrasonography (DUS) parameter as an alternative index for the diagnosis of lung function impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).MethodsTwenty-nine patients with ALS and 15 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. DUS, lung function tests, phrenic nerve conduction study and arterial blood gas analysis were performed.ResultsPatients with respiratory dysfunction had a significantly lower level of ΔTmax than those without (P = 0.039). Significant correlations (P < 0.05) were found between forced vital capacity (FVC) and Tdi-ins (r = 0.665, P < 0.0001) and ΔTmax (r = ?0.748, P < 0.0001) and Δins-exp (r = 0.627, P < 0.0001) and ΔTdi (r = 0.485, P < 0.0001). Receiver Operating Curves analysis demonstrated that ΔTmax (AUC = 0.76, P = 0.044) had a better overall accuracy for detection of respiratory dysfunction compared with Tdi-ins (AUC = 0.27, P = 0.067), Δins-exp (AUC = 0.312, P = 0.139), and ΔTdi (AUC = 0.38, P = 0.359).ConclusionΔTmax is the most valuable DUS index in the diagnosis of diaphragmatic dysfunction.SignificanceDUS can provide functional and structural information of diaphragm and help to diagnose diaphragmatic dysfunction in ALS.     

DNA hypermethylation of SFRP2 influences the pathology of rheumatoid arthritis through the canonical Wnt signaling in model rats

Abstract

In this work, the expression of secreted frizzled related protein 2 (SFRP2) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) model rats and the mechanisms of SFRP2 on the RA pathogenesis were investigated. Data suggested that SFRP2 was significantly down-regulated in RA model rats compared with normal control, and overexpression of SFRP2 suppressed the RA pathogenesis and the canonical Wnt signaling in fibroblast-like synovial cells (FLS) from RA model rats, whereas knockdown of SFRP2 got an opposite observation. Interestingly, 5-azadC treatment up-regulated the SFRP2 expression, inhibited the FLS proliferation, suppressed the expression of IL-6 and IL-8 and the fibronectin production, suggesting that the decreased SFRP2 in RA model rats was due to the DNA methylation. Furthermore, DNMT1 knockdown up-regulated the SFRP2 expression, DNMT1 overexpression inhibited the SFRP2, and the quantitative methylation-specific PCR (qMSP) confirmed that the DNMT1 has direct methylation roles for the SFRP2 promoter, leading to a regulation of FLS proliferation and fibronectin expression in RA model rats. In addition, up-regulated MeCP2 was involved in the SFRP2 regulation and the pathogenesis of RA model rats, and MeCP2 and DNMT1 have synergistic inhibition roles in the SFRP2 expression. Combination of DNMT1 and DNA methylation may be a promising treatment strategy for individuals with RA in which SFRP2 is down-regulated.     

Role of C-reactive protein in effective utilization of emergent MRI for spinal infections

Emergency Radiology - Emergent spinal MRI is recommended for patients with back pain and red flags for infection. However, many of these studies are negative due to low prevalence of spinal...