How young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds experience mental health: some insights for mental health nurses

This article reports on a part of a study which looked at the mental health of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) young people. The research sought to learn from CALD young people, carers, and service providers experiences relevant to the mental health of this group of young people. The ultimate goal was to gain insights that would inform government policy, service providers, ethnic communities and most importantly the young people themselves. To this end, qualitative interviews were undertaken with 123 CALD young people, 41 carers and 14 mental health service providers in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. Only one aspect of the study will be dealt with here, namely the views of the young CALD participants, which included risk factors, coping strategies and recommendations about how they could be supported in their struggle to maintain mental health. One of the most important findings of the study relates to the resilience of these young people and an insight into the strategies that they used to cope. The efforts of these young people to assist us in our attempts to understand their situation deserve to be rewarded by improvements in the care that we provide. To this end this article sets out to inform mental health nurses of the results of the study so that they will be in a position to better understand the needs and strengths of their CALD clients and be in a better position to work effectively with them

Microstructure as a key parameter for understanding chloride ingress in alkali-activated mortars

This study aims to evaluate the influence of microstructural properties on the chloride diffusion resistance of alkali-activated materials (AAMs) based on blast furnace slag and/or fly ash, with variable activator doses (represented as Na2O%). Resistance to chloride penetration was tested using accelerated chloride penetration (NT BUILD 443) and chloride migration (NT BUILD 492) tests. Addition of slag to alkali-activated mortars mainly based on fly ash reduced porosity and chloride permeability. Chloride penetration decreased with increasing Na2O%, but porosity and pore structure did not follow the same trend. The pore threshold (dth) and critical pore radius (rcrit) determined by mercury intrusion porosimetry had a good correlation with the chloride diffusion coefficient. Both the quantification of reaction products and the correlation between chloride penetration and pore surface area indicated that physical chloride adsorption on the C-A-S-H/N-A-S-H gel surfaces predominated over chemical chloride binding

Revealing corrosion parameters of steel in alkali-activated materials

The long-term corrosion behaviour of reinforcing steel embedded in alkali-activated mortars (AAMs) prepared with three different binder compositions was monitored over a 360-day period by cyclic wetting/drying and spraying with chloride solution. Corrosion potential and polarisation resistance were determined by linear polarisation, individual resistance of mortar and steel by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and Tafel slopes by potentiodynamic anodic polarisation. The results were validated by correlating the electrochemical mass losses with the gravimetric mass losses. Based on the time evolution of the corrosion parameters, the study proposes new limits for passive and active corrosion conditions for reinforcing steel in AAMs

DT-MRI study on masticatory muscles in normal and pathological subjects

In our recent research we tested the use of DTI in the study of muscles, considering anatomical and clinical application. We have demonstrated the possibility to detect even minor muscle injuries of athletes undetectable with traditional ultrasound techniques. In this report we intend to apply this method to the study of the anatomical and volumetric masticatory muscles and particularly of masseter muscle. We selected a sample of 5 healthy subjects and 5 patients with cross-bite. Our results demonstrate the possibility to distinguish, on the basis of the different orientation of the muscle fibers, masseter muscles from pterygoid muscles. In addition, with post-elaboration of DTI anisotropy map, we evaluated different masticatory muscles density revealing their reduction along cross-bite side and a light increment in contralateral muscle. These evidences confirm our previous results obtained with elettromiography and histochemistry techniques

BMJ Open

ObjectivesThe raising unit price of cigarette has been shown to be one of the most effective ways of reducing cigarette consumption and increasing rates of successful quitting. However, researchers have shown that price-sensitive smokers have used a variety of strategies to mitigate the effect of the rising price of cigarettes on their smoking habits. In particular, 23\ue2\u20ac\u201c34% of adult smokers in the US use cheaper brands, and 18\ue2\u20ac\u201c55% use coupons or promotions. Little is known about the discount use by type of brands. As such, the main purpose of this analysis is to evaluate the uses and price discount effects of these price-related discounts by manufacturers and major brands.SettingAn analysis based on the cross-sectional 2009\ue2\u20ac\u201c2010 National Adult Tobacco Survey (NATS).Participants11\ue2\u20ac\u2026766 current smokers aged 18 or above in the USA.Primary outcome measuresPrice-related discount was defined as smokers who used coupons, rebates, buy-one-get-one-free, two-for-one or any other special promotions for their last cigarettes purchase.ResultsThe use of price-related discounts and associated price impact vary widely by cigarette manufacturer and brand. Approximately one of three Camel, one of four Marlboro and one of eight Newport smokers used price-related discounts on their latest cigarette purchases. The average price reductions of discounts offered by Philip Morris (PM) or R.J. Reynolds (RJR) were around 29 cents per pack while that of Lorillard (Newport only) was 24 cents per pack. Cigarette brands that provided significant per pack price reductions include: PM Marlboro (28 cents), RJR brand Camel (41 cents), Doral (50 cents), Kool (73 cents) and Salem (80 cents), and Lorillard Newport (24 cents).ConclusionsPolicies that decrease price-minimisation strategies will benefit public health

Identification of urocortin mRNA and peptide in the human endometrium

Urocortin is a 40-amino acid peptide belonging to the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family. In human reproductive tissues, urocortin expression has been previously demonstrated in the ovary, in the placenta and fetal membranes and in pregnant uterine tissues, while no data are available on the expression of the peptide in the nonpregnant uterus. In this study, urocortin expression was evaluated by both immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, in human uterine tissues and cells at different phases of the menstrual cycle. Urocortin was immunolocalized in endometrial epithelial and stromal cells, as well as in the myometrium, and in vascular smooth muscle cells. No differences between proliferative and secretory phase were observed. These results were confirmed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis of isolated endometrial epithelial and stromal cells, and myometrial specimens. These findings open new questions on the roles played by urocortin in the human uterus

Chemotherapy of Skull Base Chordoma Tailored on Responsiveness of Patient-Derived Tumor Cells to Rapamycin1,2

Skull base chordomas are challenging tumors due to their deep surgical location and resistance to conventional radiotherapy. Chemotherapy plays a marginal role in the treatment of chordoma resulting from lack of preclinical models due to the difficulty in establishing tumor cell lines and valuable in vivo models. Here, we established a cell line from a recurrent clival chordoma. Cells were cultured for more than 30 passages and the expression of the chordoma cell marker brachyury was monitored using both immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Sensitivity of chordoma cells to the inhibition of specific signaling pathways was assessed through testing of a commercially available small molecule kinase inhibitor library. In vivo tumorigenicity was evaluated by grafting chordoma cells onto immunocompromised mice and established tumor xenografts were treated with rapamycin. Rapamycin was administered to the donor patient and its efficacy was assessed on follow-up neuroimaging. Chordoma cells main- tained brachyury expression at late passages and generated xenografts closely mimicking the histology and phe- notype of the parental tumor. Rapamycin was identified as an inhibitor of chordoma cell proliferation. Molecular analyses on tumor cells showed activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway and mutation of KRAS gene. Rapamycin was also effective in reducing the growth of chordoma xenografts. On the basis of these results, our patient received rapamycin therapy with about six-fold reduction of the tumor growth rate upon 10-month follow-up neuroimaging. This is the first case of chordoma in whom chemotherapy was tailored on the basis of the sensitivity of patient-derived tumor cells

Analysis of the combined action of miR-143 and miR-145 on oncogenic pathways in colorectal cancer cells reveals a coordinate program of gene repression

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) from the gene cluster miR-143–145 are diminished in cells of colorectal tumor origin when compared with normal colon epithelia. Until now, no report has addressed the coordinate action of these miRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we performed a comprehensive molecular and functional analysis of the miRNA cluster regulatory network. First, we evaluated proliferation, migration, anchorage-independent growth and chemoresistance in the colon tumor cell lines after miR-143 and miR-145 restoration. Then, we assessed the contribution of single genes targeted by miR-143 and miR-145 by reinforcing their expression and checking functional recovery. Restoring miR-143 and miR-145 in colon cancer cells decreases proliferation, migration and chemoresistance. We identified cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44), Kruppel-like factor 5 (KLF5), Kirsten rat sarcoma 2 viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) and v-Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) as proteins targeted by miR-143 and miR- 145. Their re-expression can partially revert a decrease in transformation properties caused by the overexpression of miR-143 and miR- 145. In addition, we determined a set of mRNAs that are diminished after reinforcing miR-143 and miR-145 expression. The whole transcriptome analysis ascertained that downregulated transcripts are enriched in predicted target genes in a statistically significant manner. A number of additional genes, whose expression decreases as a direct or indirect consequence of miR-143 and miR-145, reveals a complex regulatory network that affects cell signaling pathways involved in transformation. In conclusion, we identified a coordinated program of gene repression by miR-143 and miR-145, in CRC, where either of the two miRNAs share a target transcript, or where the target transcripts share a common signaling pathway. Major mediators of the oncosuppression by miR-143 and miR-145 are genes belonging to the growth factor receptor–mitogen-activated protein kinase network and to the p53 signaling pathwa