The Ventura planning model: A proposal for mental health reform

The Ventura Planning Model is a proposal for public mental health reform. It addresses the decline in mental health funding. It offers a rationale for increased support—and funding—for public mental health services. The Planning Model grew out of the experience of implementing and operating the Ventura Children’s Demonstration Project. The model has five characteristics, or planning steps: 1) multi-problem target population; 2) systems goals; 3) interagency coalitions; 4) services and standards; and 5) systems monitoring and evaluation. The Ventura Children’s Demonstration Project implemented these planning steps, with an infusion of 1.54 million in funds from the state legislature. The project offset at least 66 percent of its cost by reducing other public agency costs and improved a variety of client-oriented outcomes. The success of the project in offsetting its costs has led the legislature to provide additional funds for three more California counties to implement the model for children and youth, and1.54 million in funds from the state legislature. The project offset at least 66 percent of its cost by reducing other public agency costs and improved a variety of client-oriented outcomes. The success of the project in offsetting its costs has led the legislature to provide additional funds for three more California counties to implement the model for children and youth, and 4 million a year for four years for Ventura County to test the model for adults and seniors. Emphasizing cost offsets in addition to client-oriented outcomes provides a practical rationale for proposing increases in public mental health funds. This rationale also implies substantial changes in the operations of many public mental health agencies.     

Croton oil pleurisy induces pulmonary hyperreactivity

Inflammatory process of the airways has been claimed to be relevant to the development of bronchial hyperreactivity in different experimental models. We investigated the consequences of pleural inflammation induced in the guinea-pigs by croton oil injection into the pleural space. Croton oil injection was followed by the development of an inflammatory reaction localized to the pleura as shown by recovery of inflammatory exudate from the pleural cavity of treated animals. An increased number of white cells was observed in the pleural fluid of treated animals as compared to control. Moreover, the croton oil induced inflammation was characterized by development of pulmonary hyperreactivity which involved both airway and vascular smooth muscles. We also studied this phenomenon in an animal model of asthma, such as the actively sensitized guinea-pigs. Polymorphonuclear leukocyte and particularly eosinophil recruitment was increased in this experimental condition and a different trend in the development of the hyperreactive phenomenon was observed. Our data support the relationship between inflammatory process within the pleural space and increased reactivity of pulmonary tissues. The possible involvement of different classes of white cells in this phenomenon has also been discussed.     

Effect of dopamine agonists and antagonists on neurotensin-induced antinociception

In previous reports, we have demonstrated that intracisternal (IC) administration of neurotensin (NT), an endogenous tridecapeptide, produces significant antinociception in a variety of analgesic tests, including the hot-plate test. In addition, many of the central nervous system effects of NT (i.e., hypothermia, gastric cytoprotection) appear to be mediated by brain dopamine (DA) systems. In this study, we evaluated the effect of selected DA agonists and antagonists on NT-induced antinociception in the hot-plate test with mice. Doses, route of administration, and pretreatment interval were determined from the available literature to significantly affect the incidence of DA-dependent behaviors. Pretreatment with chlorpromazine but not haloperidol significantly potentiated NT-induced antinociception. This potentiating effect of chlorpromazine appears not to be due to any intrinsic antinociceptive activity of this agent, chlorpromazine had no significant effect on hot-plate latencies when administered alone. The involvement of DA on NT-induced antinociception was further substantiated by the findings that pretreatment with several DA receptor agonists, including methylphenidate, apomorphine, and d-amphetamine, significantly antagonized the antinociceptive response to IC NT. None of these agents significantly altered the animal's response to the hot-plate when administered alone. The data furnished in the present report suggest that central DA circuits may be involved in the expression of NT-induced antinociception.     

液基细胞学结合阴道镜检查在北京市社区妇女宫颈病变筛查中的意义

目的探讨宫颈液基细胞学及阴道镜检查在北京市社区妇女宫颈病变筛查中的临床意义。方法2006年6月至2007年6月对北京市展览路社区的795位20～54岁有性生活的妇女进行筛查。筛查对象接受妇科检查时,留取宫颈超柏氏薄层液基细胞学检测标本,并对宫颈细胞学异常者行阴道镜检查及活组织检查。结果宫颈细胞学阳性[≥ASC-US（不能明确意义的不典型鳞状细胞）]45例,占5．7％（45／795）。其中ASC-US33例,占73．3％（33／45）;低度鳞状上皮内病变8例;高度鳞状上皮内病变3例;不典型腺细胞1例。细胞学阴性750例,占94．3％（750／795）。宫颈细胞学阳性的45例中,5例拒绝行阴道镜检查,占11．1％（5／45）。在行阴道镜活组织病理检查的40例中,慢性宫颈炎11例（27．5％）;宫颈湿疣14例（35．0％）;宫颈上皮内瘤样病变（CIN）1为7例（17．5％）;CIN2为3例（7．5％）;CIN3为4例（10．0％）;早期浸润癌1例（2．5％）。细胞学阴性的750例中,宫颈湿疣2例（0．3％）;CIN1为5例（0．7％）;宫颈低级别腺上皮内病变1例（0．1％）。宫颈液基细胞学筛查CIN1及以上宫颈病变和宫颈癌的敏感度71．4％,特异度94．2％,阳性预测值37．5％,阴性预测值99．2％;筛查CIN2及以上宫颈病变和宫颈癌的敏感度100．0％,特异度96．0％,阳性预测值20．5％,阴性预测值100．0％。结论应重视并及时进行北京市社区人群宫颈病变的早期筛查,薄层液基细胞学结合阴道镜活组织检查及病理学检查,对提高早期宫颈癌筛查的准确性效果明显。     

The Association Between Acculturation and Health Insurance Coverage for Immigrant Children from Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Regions of Origin

Among immigrant children whose parents have historically had lower education, the study explored which immigrant children were most likely to have coverage based on maternal region of origin. The direct and indirect relationship of acculturation on immigrant children’s coverage was also assessed. A subsample of US-born children with foreign-born mothers from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Kindergarten Cohort was analyzed using multinomial logistic regressions (n = 1,686). Children whose mothers emigrated from the Caribbean or Indochina had greater odds of being insured compared to children whose mothers emigrated from Mexico. Moreover, Latin American children did not statistically differ from Mexican children in being uninsured. Maternal citizenship was positively associated with children’s coverage; while living in a household with a mother who migrated as a child was negatively associated with private insurance. To increase immigrant children’s coverage, Latin American and Mexican families may benefit from additional financial assistance, rather than cultural assistance.