Do social support and community engagement act as mechanisms in the association between neighbourhood income inequality and the mental health of mothers in Calgary,Canada? A mediation analysis

PurposeAccording to the social determinants of health framework, income inequality is a potential risk factor for adverse mental health. However, few studies have explored the mechanisms suspected to mediate this relationship. The current study addresses this gap through a mediation analysis to determine if social support and community engagement act as mediators linking neighbourhood income inequality to maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms within a cohort of new mothers living in the City of Calgary, Canada.MethodsData collected at three years postpartum from mothers belonging to the All Our Families (AOF) cohort were used in the current study. Maternal data were collected between 2012 and 2015 and linked to neighbourhood socioeconomic data from the 2006 Canadian Census. Income inequality was measured using Gini coefficients derived from 2006 after-tax census data. Generalized structural equation models were used to quantify the associations between income inequality and mental health symptoms, and to assess the potential direct and indirect mediating effects of maternal social support and community engagement.ResultsIncome inequality was not significantly associated with higher depressive symptoms (β = 0.32, 95%CI = −0.067, 0.70), anxiety symptoms (β = 0.11, 95%CI = −0.39, 0.60), or lower social support. Income inequality was not associated with community engagement. For the depression models, higher social support was significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms (β = −0.13, 95%CI = −0.15, −0.097), while community engagement was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms (β = 0.059, 95%CI = −0.15, 0.27). Similarly, for the anxiety models, lower anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with higher levels of social support (β = −0.17, 95%CI = −0.20, −0.13) but not with higher levels of community engagement (β = 0.14, 95%CI = −0.14, 0.41).ConclusionThe current study did not find clear evidence for social support or community engagement mediating the relationship between neighbourhood income inequality and maternal mental health. Future investigations should employ a broader longitudinal approach to capture changes in income inequality, potential mediators, and mental health symptomatology over time.     

聚焦解决护理模式结合健康教育对银屑病患者心理状态、应对方式的影响

目的 探讨聚焦解决护理模式结合健康教育对银屑病患者心理状态、应对方式的影响。方法 选取2020年2月至2021年2月我院收治的100例银屑病患者,随机分为观察组(聚焦解决护理模式结合健康教育)与对照组(常规健康教育)。比较两组的心理状态及应对方式。结果 干预后,观察组的焦虑自评量表(SAS)、抑郁自评量表(SDS)评分低于对照组(P<0.05)。干预后,观察组的面对评分高于对照组,屈服、回避评分低于对照组(P<0.05)。干预后,观察组的病耻感评分低于对照组(P<0.05)。结论 聚焦解决护理模式结合健康教育可有效改善银屑病患者的不良情绪,减轻病耻感,转变疾病应对方式。     

Key Social Determinants to Narrow the Gap between Health-adjusted Life Expectancy and Life Expectancy in Megacities

ObjectiveImprovement in the quality of life is reflected in the narrowing of the gap between health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE) and life expectancy (LE). The effect of megacity expansion on narrowing the gap is rarely reported. This study aimed to disclose this potential relationship.MethodsAnnual life tables were constructed from identified death records and population counts from multiple administrative sources in Guangzhou, China, from 2010 to 2020. Joinpoint regression was used to evaluate the temporal trend. Generalized principal component analysis and multilevel models were applied to examine the county-level association between the gap and social determinants.ResultsAlthough LE and HALE in megacities are increasing steadily, their gap is widening. Socio-economic and health services are guaranteed to narrow this gap. Increasing personal wealth, a growing number of newborns and healthy immigrants, high urbanization, and healthy aging have helped in narrowing this gap.ConclusionIn megacities, parallel LE and HALE growth should be highly considered to narrow their gap. Multiple social determinants need to be integrated as a whole to formulate public health plans.     

Generalized Convulsive Status Epilepticus in the Adult

Summary: Status epilepticus (SE) is denned as recurrent epileptic seizures without full recovery of consciousness before the next seizure begins, or more-or-less continuous clinical and/or electrical seizure activity lasting for more than 30 min whether or not consciousness is impaired. Three presentations of SE are now recognized: recurrent generalized tonic and/or clonic seizures without full recovery of consciousness between attacks, nonconvulsive status where the patient appears to be in a prolonged "epileptic twilight state," and continuous/repetitive focal seizure activity without alteration of consciousness. Generalized convulsive status epilepticus (GCSE) encompasses a broad spectrum of clinical presentations from repeated overt generalized tonic-clonic seizures to subtle convulsive movements in a profoundly comatose patient. Thus, GCSE is a dynamic state that is characterized by paroxysmal or continuous tonic and/or clonic motor activity, which may be symmetrical or asymmetrical and overt or subtle but which is associated with a marked impairment of consciousness and with bilateral (although frequently asymmetrical) ictal discharges on the EEG. Just as there is a progression from overt to increasingly subtle clinical manifestations of GCSE, there is also a predictable sequence of progressive EEG changes during untreated GCSE. A sequence of five patterns of ictal discharges has been observed: discrete electrographic seizures, waxing and waning, continuous, continuous with flat periods, and periodic epileptiform discharges on a relatively flat background. A patient actively having seizures or comatose who exhibits any of these patterns on EEG should be considered to be in GCSE and should be treated aggressively to stop all clinical and electrical seizure activity to prevent further neurological morbidity and mortality.     

银屑病患者血清促进皮肤成纤维细胞增生的实验研究

进行期寻常型银屑病患者混合血清以5%的比例加入培养基中,作用于体外培养的正常人皮肤成纤维细胞.结果发现,对该细胞的增生具有明显的促进作用.提示银屑病不仅是表皮细胞的异常增生,真皮成纤维细胞的异常和系统性因素在其病理生理方面也占有重要地位.     

银屑病患者血清一氧化氮、一氧化氮合酶、总抗氧化能力、维生素E水平的变化

目的：了解血清一氧化氮（NO）、一氧化氮合酶（NOS）、总抗氧化能力（TAO）、维生素E（VitE）水平的变化在银屑病患者病理过程中的意义。方法：对48例寻常型银屑病患者（进行期36例，静止期12例）、30名健康对照者分别采用硝酸还原酶法、分光光度法、比色法检测血清NO、NOS、TAO、VitE水平。结果：患者组的血清NO、NOS、TAO水平高于对照组（P＜0．01），患者组血清VitE水平低于对照组（P＜0．01）；进行期患者NO、NOS水平高于静止期患者（P＜0．05），而TAO、VitE水平在进行期与静止期患者间无差异（P＞0．05）。结论：NO、NOS、VitE、TAO在银屑病的病理过程中可能具有一定作用。     

Corpus callosotomy in refractory idiopathic generalized epilepsy

RATIONALE: A small percentage of patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) do not respond to medical therapy. Generalized tonic-clonic (GTC) seizures are especially debilitating and can be associated with severe injuries. The benefit, safety and effect of corpus callosotomy (CC) in patients with IGE have not been studied. METHODS: We reviewed patients with presumed IGE who underwent CC between 1991 and 2000. Criteria for selection included history, examination, brain imagining, interictal and ictal EEG. All patients had refractory and debilitating tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) and had failed four or more antiepileptic drugs. Seizure frequency was calculated per month over the last year and pre-operative baseline was compared to last follow-up using paired t-tests. IQ, executive function, language and verbal, non-verbal memory and quality of life (QOL) was compared before and after surgery. Serial EEGs after surgery were reviewed. RESULTS: There were nine patients (seven men), mean age 37.9 (range: 22-49), mean IQ 87.3 (range: 75-107). All had anterior CC. Mean follow-up time was 5.4 years (range: 0.6-10.3 years). One patient died from sudden death in epilepsy 9 months after surgery. There was a significant reduction of GTC seizures from 6.3 to 1.1 (p<0.005). Four patients had more than 80% and eight more than 50% reduction. Of five patients with absence seizures, two became seizure free and one had more than 80% reduction and two worsened slightly, and of three with myoclonic seizures one had more than 90% reduction. One patient had completion of the CC with improvement of myoclonus and absence seizures, but not of GTC seizures and suffered a disconnection syndrome. Another had right frontal focal resection without improvement after new seizures of focal onset. Cognitive testing showed a good outcome (improved or no change) in all cognitive domains. Post-surgical EEG showed new focal slowing and sharp waves. There was no change in QOL. CONCLUSION: CC can be effective in reducing GTC, absence and myoclonic seizures in patients with refractory IGE. These findings suggest that interhemispheric communication of the cerebral cortices plays an important role in the generation of seizures in IGE. Anterior CC appears safe while complete callosotomy has a risk of disconnection syndrome.     

麦考酚酸联合迪银片治疗寻常型银屑病的近期临床疗效观察

目的研究麦考酚酸(MMF)联合迪银片治疗寻常型银屑病的使用方法、近期临床疗效及其副作用。方法46例患者随机分为治疗组和对照组。治疗组23例,MMF1.5 g/d分3次口服,1月后,减为1.0 g 2次/d,共4周,同时服用迪银片5片,3次/d共8周;对照组32例,服用迪银片和火把花根各5片,均3次/d,共8周。结果治疗组基本痊愈14例,显效5例,进步2例,无效2例,有效率91.30%;对照组基本痊愈16例,显效8例,进步2例,无效6例,有效率81.25%。两组疗效差异无显著性(P>0.05)。结论MMF联合迪银片治疗寻常型银屑病疗效与迪银片联合火把花根片相当,有较好的疗效。但因其价格昂贵,可作为二线银屑病治疗药物。     

银屑病患者血清中抗角质层抗体滴度的研究

本文以正常人掌蹠角质层作抗原,应用酶联免疫吸附试验的方法,检测52名正常人和银屑病人血清中抗角质层抗体的含量,结果病人血清中抗角质层抗体的水平显著低于正常人(P<0.01),并且病人抗角质层抗体的消长变化与临床病情的进程和皮损的活动强度呈平行关系。