Inequities in Mental Health Services: A 16-Year Longitudinal Study of Youth in the Justice System.

OBJECTIVE: To examine: (1) if youth who have mental health disorders receive needed services after they leave detention-and as they age; and (2) inequities in service use, focusing on demographic characteristics and type of disorder. METHOD: We used data from the Northwestern Juvenile Project, a longitudinal study of 1,829 youth randomly sampled from detention in Chicago, Illinois in 1995. Participants were re-interviewed up to 13 times through 2015. Interviewers assessed disorders using structured diagnostic interviews and assessed service use using the Child and Adolescent Service Assessment and the Services Assessment for Children and Adolescents. RESULTS: Less than 20% of youth who needed services received them, up to median age 32 years. Female participants with any disorder had nearly twice the odds of receiving services compared with male participants (OR: 1.82; 95% CI: 1.41, 2.35). Compared with Black participants with any disorder, non-Hispanic White and Hispanic participants had 2.14 (95% CI: 1.57, 2.90) and 1.50 (95% CI: 1.04, 2.15) times the odds of receiving services. People with a disorder were more likely to receive services during childhood (< age 18) than during adulthood (OR: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.32, 3.95). Disorder mattered: participants with an internalizing disorder had 2.26 times and 2.43 times the odds of receiving services compared with those with a substance use disorder (respectively, 95% CI: 1.26, 4.04; 95% CI: 1.49, 3.97). CONCLUSION: Few youth who need services receive them as they age; inequities persist over time. We must implement evidence-based strategies to reduce barriers to services.

Emergence of MDR invasive Neisseria meningitidis in El Salvador, 2017-19.

BACKGROUND: Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is an acute, highly transmissible and potentially fatal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis. Prompt antimicrobial therapy and prophylaxis are recommended, where penicillin or ciprofloxacin are the available choices. However, the emergence of resistant isolates of N. meningitidis poses a challenge for antimicrobial therapy. OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinical, epidemiological and biological characteristics of six penicillin- and ciprofloxacin-resistant, culture-confirmed IMD cases reported in El Salvador, Central America, between 2017 and 2019. METHODS: Following the detection of six patients presenting with IMD in El Salvador, clinical data were collected and epidemiological action plans conducted. Isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing by broth microdilution and WGS for genotyping and molecular characterization analysis, including phylogeny comparison with global sequences available from public databases. RESULTS: A total of six IMD cases caused by N. meningitidis serogroup Y, resistant to both penicillin (MIC >8.0 mg/L) and ciprofloxacin (MIC 0.125 mg/L), were detected from 2017 to 2019. Genomic analysis showed that penicillin resistance was mediated by the production of ß-lactamase ROB-1. Ciprofloxacin resistance was attributed to an amino acid substitution in DNA gyrase (T91I). All isolates were classified as ST3587, clonal complex 23, and were genetically highly similar, based on core-genome SNP analysis. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, we report the first cases of MDR N. meningitidis causing IMD in Latin America. Our findings highlight the emergence of this potential public health threat, with a profound impact on the efficacy of IMD treatment and prophylaxis protocols.

Effect of a Brief Mindfulness-Based Program on Stress in Health Care Professionals at a US Biomedical Research Hospital: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Stress among health care professionals is well documented. The use of mindfulness-based interventions to reduce stress has shown promising results; however, the time commitment of typical programs can be a barrier to successful implementation in health care settings. Objective: To determine the efficacy and feasibility of a brief mindfulness-based program to reduce stress during work hours among health care professionals. Design, Setting, and Participants: This intent-to-treat randomized clinical trial was conducted among full-time health care professionals at the Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, between September 2017 and May 2018. Participants were randomized to receive mindfulness-based self-care (MBSC) training or life-as-usual control. Data were analyzed from June 2018 to January 2020. Interventions: The MBSC intervention included 5 weekly, 1.5-hour in-class mindfulness practice sessions. Main Outcomes and Measures: Stress level was the primary outcome, assessed with the Perceived Stress Scale 10-Item version. Secondary outcomes included anxiety, burnout, positive and negative affect, mindfulness (trait and state), and self-care. Assessments were taken at baseline and at the end of the intervention (week 5) in the intervention and control groups, and at follow-up (week 13) in the intervention group to test for a maintenance effect. A postprogram evaluation was also obtained. Results: Of 82 randomized participants, 78 who completed the study at week 5 were included in the modified intent-to-treat analysis (median [interquartile range] age, 32 [23-48] years; 65 [83%] women), including 43 participants in the MBSC group and 35 participants in the control group. At the end of the intervention, compared with the control group, the MBSC group had reduced levels of stress (mean [SD] score, 17.29 [5.84] vs 18.54 [6.30]; P = .02) and anxiety (mean [SD] score, 2.58 [1.52] vs 4.23 [1.73]; P < .001), and improved positive affect (mean [SD] score, 35.69 [7.12] vs 31.42 [7.27]; P < .001), state mindfulness (mean [SD] score, 3.74 [1.18] vs 2.78 [1.16]; P < .001), and mindful self-care (mean [SD] score, 7.29 [2.44] vs 5.54 [2.77]; P < .001). Burnout, negative affect, and trait mindfulness levels did not differ between groups. Changes within the MBSC group through follow-up included sustained reductions in stress (change, -6.14; 95% CI, -7.84 to -4.44; P < .001), anxiety (change, -1.46; 95% CI, -1.97 to -0.94; P < .001), trait mindfulness (change, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.90; P < .001), and state mindfulness (change, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.39 to 2.39; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: This randomized clinical trial found that this brief mindfulness-based intervention was an effective and feasible means to reduce stress in health care professionals. Larger studies are needed to assess the effects on clinical care and patient outcomes. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03781336.

Human autologous iPSC-derived dopaminergic progenitors restore motor function in Parkinson's disease models.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with loss of striatal dopamine, secondary to degeneration of midbrain dopamine (mDA) neurons in the substantia nigra, rendering cell transplantation a promising therapeutic strategy. To establish human induced pluripotent stem cell-based (hiPSC-based) autologous cell therapy, we report a platform of core techniques for the production of mDA progenitors as a safe and effective therapeutic product. First, by combining metabolism-regulating microRNAs with reprogramming factors, we developed a method to more efficiently generate clinical-grade iPSCs, as evidenced by genomic integrity and unbiased pluripotent potential. Second, we established a "spotting"-based in vitro differentiation methodology to generate functional and healthy mDA cells in a scalable manner. Third, we developed a chemical method that safely eliminates undifferentiated cells from the final product. Dopaminergic cells thus express high levels of characteristic mDA markers, produce and secrete dopamine, and exhibit electrophysiological features typical of mDA cells. Transplantation of these cells into rodent models of PD robustly restores motor function and reinnervates host brain, while showing no evidence of tumor formation or redistribution of the implanted cells. We propose that this platform is suitable for the successful implementation of human personalized autologous cell therapy for PD.

Gender Differences in Psycho-Social-Spiritual Healing.

Background: Many individuals exhibit significant distress in response to serious and/or life-limiting illness. However, there are others who make life-transforming changes, which involve healing experiences in the psychological, social, and spiritual domains of life regardless of illness outcome. The aim of the present study is to determine if there are any differences in psycho-social-spiritual healing between genders. Materials and Methods: The NIH Healing Experiences in All Life Stressors (NIH-HEALS), a 35-item measure of psycho-social-spiritual healing, is composed of three factors: Connection, Reflection & Introspection, and Trust & Acceptance. NIH-HEALS and a demographic questionnaire were administered to 193 patients with serious and/or life-limiting illness at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. Results: In response to NIH-HEALS, men and women significantly differed on the Reflection & Introspection factor. Women reported increased enjoyment of mind-body practices (p < 0.001), compassion (p = 0.005), gratitude (p = 0.014), and a desire to be more positive (p = 0.044) compared to men. Men rated their pain levels (p = 0.035) and severity of illness (p = 0.016) higher and their overall level of health (p = 0.010) poorer compared to women. Women's responses to items regarding compassion (rs = 0.37, p < 0.001) and gratitude (rs = 0.24, p = 0.015) correlated positively with better overall health ratings. Conclusion: Men and women show some differences in their self-reported psycho-social-spiritual healing, which may have implications when designing interventions aimed at promoting a healing experience in the context of serious and life-limiting illness.

The National Institutes of Health measure of Healing Experience of All Life Stressors (NIH-HEALS): Factor analysis and validation.

Two hundred patients with severe and/or life-threatening disease were recruited form the NIH Clinical Center and participated in the validation of the NIH-HEALS, which included exploratory factor analysis, principal component analysis, reliability, convergent validity, and divergent validity analyses. Item-reducing principal components analysis and internal consistency and split-half reliability demonstrated excellent internal consistency and split-half reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.89, split-half reliability = 0.95). Exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure, namely Connection (including religious, spiritual, and interpersonal), Reflection & Introspection, and Trust & Acceptance. Seven items were not retained. Convergent and divergent validity of 35-item NIH-HEALS against other validated measures of healing and spirituality provided strong evidence for its validity. As predicted, the Healed factor of the Self-Integration Scale (SIS), and Meaning, Peace, and Faith factors of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being-12 Scale (FACIT-SP12) were all positively and significantly correlated with the NIH-HEALS and its three factors. Divergent validity was also confirmed by the significant negative correlation between the NIH-HEALS and the Codependent factor on the SIS. Confirmatory Factor Analyses revealed good model fit by GFI (0.96), adjusted GFI (0.95), SRMR (0.077), and RMSEA (0.065), supporting the use of the NIH-HEALS with 35 items.

Characterization of knockin mice at the Rosa26, Tac1 and Plekhg1 loci generated by homologous recombination in oocytes.

Design and engineering of complex knockin mice has revolutionized the in vivo manipulation of genetically defined cells. Recently development of the bacterial clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) associated protein 9 (Cas9) system for single site cleavage of mammalian genomes has opened the way for rapid generation of knockin mice by targeting homology directed repair to selected cleavage sites. We used this approach to generate new lines of mice that will be useful for a variety of aspects of neuroscience research. These lines have been bred to homozygosity and details of the expression and function of the transgenes are reported. Two lines target the Rosa26-locus and have been engineered to allow Cre-dependent expression of the avian tva receptor, and Cre-dependent expression of a cell surface targeted spaghetti-monster carrying many copies of the "ollas-tag". Another line expresses red fluorescent protein and tva in Tac1-positive neurons; the fourth line targets FlpO expression to Plekhg1 expressing neurons, providing a powerful approach to modify gene expression in thalamic excitatory neurons.

Investigating the Potential Signaling Pathways That Regulate Activation of the Novel PKC Downstream of Serotonin in Aplysia.

Activation of the novel PKC Apl II in sensory neurons by serotonin (5HT) underlies the ability of 5HT to reverse synaptic depression, but the pathway from 5HT to PKC Apl II activation remains unclear. Here we find no evidence for the Aplysia-specific B receptors, or for adenylate cyclase activation, to translocate fluorescently-tagged PKC Apl II. Using an anti-PKC Apl II antibody, we monitor translocation of endogenous PKC Apl II and determine the dose response for PKC Apl II translocation, both in isolated sensory neurons and sensory neurons coupled with motor neurons. Using this assay, we confirm an important role for tyrosine kinase activation in 5HT mediated PKC Apl II translocation, but rule out roles for intracellular tyrosine kinases, epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors and Trk kinases in this response. A partial inhibition of translocation by a fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-receptor inhibitor led us to clone the Aplysia FGF receptor. Since a number of related receptors have been recently characterized, we use bioinformatics to define the relationship between these receptors and find a single FGF receptor orthologue in Aplysia. However, expression of the FGF receptor did not affect translocation or allow it in motor neurons where 5HT does not normally cause PKC Apl II translocation. These results suggest that additional receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) or other molecules must also be involved in translocation of PKC Apl II.

Optimization of pilocarpine-mediated seizure induction in immunodeficient NodScid mice.

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) has been modeled in mice using pilocarpine induction, with variable results depending on specific strains. To allow efficient xenotransplantation for the purpose of optimizing potential cell-based therapy of human TLE, we have determined the optimal dosing strategy to produce spontaneous recurring seizures in immunodeficient NodScid mice. Multiple 100mg/kg injections of pilocarpine have been shown to be more effective than single 300-400mg/kg injections for inducing spontaneous seizures in NodScid mice. Under our optimal conditions, 88.1 ± 2.9% of the mice experienced status epilepticus (SE) with a survival rate of 61.8 ± 5.9%. Surviving SE mice displayed spontaneous recurrent seizures at a frequency of 2.8 ± 0.9 seizures/day for a duration of 41.1 ± 3.5s. The widely used method of a single injection of pilocarpine was significantly less efficient in inducing seizures in NodScid mice. Therefore, we have determined that a multiple injection "ramping up" of 100mg/kg of pilocarpine is optimal for inducing TLE-like spontaneous seizures in NodScid mice. Using this method, mice with SE efficiently developed SRS and expressed mossy fiber sprouting, a signature histopathological feature of TLE.

Calidad e innovación de las páginas Web de enfermería en el periodo 2010-2012 / Quality and innovation in nursing Web pages over the period 2010-2012

Objetivo: Evaluar la calidad y la innovación de las páginas web de colegios oficiales y sociedades científicas de enfermería en España. Métodos: Estudio observacional descriptivo realizado en dos periodos: Julio-Septiembre de 2010 y Julio-Septiembre de 2012. Se ha utilizado el cuestionario de Bermúdez-Tamayo para evaluar la calidad y las herramientas PageRank de Google y Alexa TrafficRank para medir la visibilidad y popularidad respectivamente. Para valorar el grado de adaptación de las páginas web al entorno 2.0, se han analizado la presencia de: Blog, foros, comunidades, buscadores, RSS, contenidos multimedia, comentarios de opinión, herramientas todas ellas, que facilitan la interrelación con los usuarios. Resultados: La puntuación media + desviación estándar en el cuestionario de calidad en 2010 fue de 6,6 (DE 2,4) puntos y de 8,2 (DE 2,9) en 2012. En general, la visibilidad y popularidad de las web analizadas es escasa, mientras se ha incrementado la presencia de herramientas 2.0 hasta alcanzar el 89,4% en la segunda fase del estudio, siendo las sociedades científicas las que desarrollaron mayoritariamente su uso. Conclusiones: Existe una alta variabilidad en la calidad de los sitios web estudiados, aunque con un creciente interés por la misma en gran parte de las organizaciones evaluadas. Las páginas web de enfermería deben mejorar la visibilidad y popularidad para difundir de manera eficiente sus contenidos y servicios. El proceso de adaptación a la web 2.0 está en fase expansiva, de hecho, el 89,4% de las web estudiadas utiliza alguna herramienta 2.0 (AU)

Objective: Assess the web pages of Spanish registered nurse associations and nursing scientific societies for quality and innovation. Methods: Descriptive observational study conducted in July-September periods of 2010 and 2012. We used the Bermúdez-Tamayo questionnaire to assess the quality and tools Google PageRank and Alexa TrafficRank for measuring visibility and popularity respectively. To assess the degree of adaptation to the Web 2.0, we analyzed the presence of: Blogs, forums, communities, search engines, RSS, multimedia contents, opinion comments, all tools that facilitate interaction with users. Results: The mean score ± standard deviation on the questionnaire quality in 2010 was 6.6 (SD 2.4) points and 8.2 (SD 2.9) in 2012. In general the visibility and popularity of the web analyzed is low, while it has increased the presence of 2.0 tools up to the 89.4% in the second periods of the study, being scientific societies which developed mainly use. Discussion: There is high variability in the quality of the websites studied, although with a growing interest in the same in most of the assessed organizations. The nursing web pages should improve the visibility and popularity to efficiently disseminate their content and services.The process of adaption to the web 2.0 is at an expansive stage, in fact, the 89,4% of web pages studied used some web 2.0 tool (AU)

Gene variations of nitric oxide synthase regulate the effects of a saturated fat rich meal on endothelial function.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene variations have been linked to a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) by unknown mechanisms. Our aim was to determine if two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in NOS3 (E298D and i19342) interfere with microvascular endothelial function (MEF) and/or oxidative stress during the postprandial state. METHODS: MEF was assessed with laser Doppler flowmetry at baseline and 2, 4, 6 and 8 h after ingestion of a single fatty meal (60% fat, 15% proteins and 25% carbohydrates) by 40 healthy young males. Oxidative stress was measured by nitrites/nitrates and oxidized LDL (LDL-ox) concentrations in fasting and postprandial states. RESULTS: Postprandial MEF was impaired in the carriers of minor alleles of the SNPs (global mean 60.99% Vs 87.25%, p = 0.016 for i19342; 63.62% Vs 95.71%, p = 0.011 for E298D). Carriers of E298D showed a higher LDL-ox at fasting and postprandial measures, and lower nitrites/nitrates at fasting. CONCLUSIONS: Minor allele carriers for E298D and i19342 have an impaired postprandial MEF and increased oxidative stress. Our results both provide insight into the higher risk of CVD attributed to E298D and identify variants that affect MEF in a healthy population.

Efecto de la cantidad y el tipo de grasa de la dieta en la respuesta posprandial de la concentración de proteína C reactiva en el síndrome metabólico / The effect of the amount and type of dietary fat on the postprandial response of C-reactive protein levels in metabolic sydrome

Introducción. El síndrome metabólico (SM) determina un estado proinflamatorio y protrombótico que contribuye al desarrollo de la enfermedad arteriosclerótica. La dieta y, particularmente, el tipo de grasa tienen un papel importante en la inflamación y, por lo tanto, en el desarrollo de este síndrome. Objetivo. Estudiar el efecto posprandial de diferentes dietas en la proteína C reactiva (PCR) en pacientes con SM. Métodos. Se aleatorizó a 39 pacientes con SM, del estudio LIPGENE, para recibir una de estas dietas: una rica en SFA, una rica en MUFA y dos dietas bajas en grasa y ricas en hidratos de carbono complejos, una de ellas con PUFA n-3 de cadena larga (1,24 g/día) y la otra con placebo. Antes y después de cada período de intervención dietética, los pacientes se sometieron a una sobrecarga grasa con iguales tipo y composición de grasa que la dieta consumida durante las 12 semanas. Se determinaron las concentraciones plasmáticas de PCR a las 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 y 8 h durante el estudio posprandial. Resultados. No se observaron diferencias significativas en las concentraciones plasmáticas de PCR, entre los pacientes que consumieron las cuatro dietas, en ninguno de los estudios posprandiales. Tras el consumo a largo plazo, cuando se comparó la fase preintervención con la postintervención, al estudiar el incremento del área bajo la curva de la PCR, se observó un aumento significativo en el grupo que consumió la dieta rica en SFA (p = 0,031). Conclusiones. El consumo a largo plazo de una dieta rica en SFA, y no de una rica en MUFA o pobre en grasa con/sin PUFA n-3, produce un aumento posprandial de la PCR en comparación con el consumo agudo, lo que indica un aumento a largo plazo de la respuesta inflamatoria en pacientes con SM que consumen una dieta rica en grasa saturada (AU)

Introduction. The metabolic syndrome (MS) promotes a proinflammatory and prothrombotic state that contributes to the development of atherosclerosis. The diet and particularly the type of fat, plays an important role in the inflammation and therefore in the development of this syndrome. Objective. To study the postprandial response of different diets on C-reactive protein in MS patients. Methods. Thirty nine patients with MS from the LIPGENE study were randomized to receive one of the following four diets over a period of 12 weeks: a diet rich in SFA, a diet rich in MUFA, and two low-fat, high complex carbohydrate diets, one of them supplemented with long chain n-3 PUFA (1.24 g/day) and the other with placebo. Previously (pre) and after (post) the dietary intervention period, patients consumed a fat meal with the same type and composition of fat as in the diet consumed during the 12 weeks. The C reactive protein (CRP) plasma concentration was determined before and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 h after the fat meal consumption. Results. No significant differences in CRP plasma levels were found among the patients who consumed each diet, neither in the pre- or post-intervention postprandial studies. Nevertheless, we did find that the differences in the area under the curve for the CRP during the postprandial state was significantly increased in the group who consumed the SFA-rich diet (p = 0.031), when compared the pre- and post-intervention postprandial studies owing to the long-term consumption of this diet, but not in the MUFA-rich or low fat with or without n-3 PUFA diet. Conclusions. The chronic intake of a SFA-rich diet, but not the MUFA-rich or low fat with or without long chain n-3 PUFA diet, produces a postprandial increase of the CRP plasma levels when compared with the acute intake, which suggests a long-term increase in the inflammatory response in patients with MS who consumed a SFA-rich diet (AU)

Efecto de la sensibilidad a la insulina en marcadores de hemostasia tras el consumo de dietas con distintos tipos de grasa en varones jóvenes sanos / Insulin sensitivity regulates haemostatic markers after regular consumption of diets with different types of fat in healthy young men

Introducción. La hemostasia es un proceso complejo que regula la integridad del lecho vascular. La dieta modula la concentración de ciertos marcadores de hemostasis, aunque no está claro si el grado de resistencia a la insulina influye en esta relación. Nuestro objetivo fue investigar si la sensibilidad a la insulina influye en la concentración en ayunas y posprandial de ciertos marcadores de hemostasia (factor VII coagulante [FVIIc]), en el activador tisular del plasminógeno (tPA) y en el inhibidor del activador del plasminógeno (PAI-1), independientemente de la dieta consumida.Métodos. Estudio con diseño aleatorizado y cruzado, en el que 20 varones sanos recibieron 3 dietas, durante 4 semanas cada una, ricas en ácidos grasos monoinsaturados (Medit), saturados (Occid) e hidratos de carbono enriquecida con N3 (HC/N3). Posteriormente, se distribuyó a los participantes en 2 grupos: HOMA elevado (HE) o HOMA bajo (HB), dependiendo de las medianas para cada período de dieta. Se extrajeron determinaciones de FVIIc, tPA y PAI-1 en ayunas y 4 h después de una comida con la misma composición grasa que la seguida en el período previo, y se compararon los 2 grupos anteriores (HB frente a HE).Resultados. Hemos encontrado una concentración mayor, tanto de tPA como de PAI-1, en ayunas en el grupo HE, en relación con el grupo HB. El tPA también mostró una concentración mayor en el posprandio en el grupo HE.Conclusión. Nuestros datos indican una activación mayor de la coagulación en varones jóvenes con un índice HOMA mayor a la mediana poblacional, independientemente de la composición de la dieta seguida (AU)

Background. Haemostasis is a complex process that regulates the integrity of the circulatory system. It has been shown that diet can modulate the concentration of some haemostatic markers, but it is not clear if there is regulation of haemostasis depending on insulin sensitivity. We investigated whether insulin sensitivity influences fasting and postprandial concentration of haemostatic markers (FVIIc, PAI-1, tPA). Methods. Twenty healthy young men were submitted to three dietary intervention periods (rich in monounsaturated, saturated or n3 fatty acids) for four weeks each. The participants were separated into two groups (High-HOMA or Low-HOMA) depending on the median for the HOMA score after each period. Fasting and postprandial samples were drawn for the determination of the haemostatic markers. Results. High-HOMA group showed higher tPA and PAI-1 concentration levels in the fasting state compared with Low-HOMA group (p < 9.05). The tPA mean was also higher in the postprandial determination in the High-HOMA group. The type of diet received did not affect these results.Conclusion. In our study, the participants with higher HOMA score had a higher fasting concentration of tPA and PAI-1, and a higher postprandial concentration of tPA compared with the Low-HOMA group. These data suggest a higher activation of the coagulation cascade in healthy people with a HOMA score greater than the median for each population (AU)