Cervelleite, Ag4TeS: solution and description of the crystal structure

Copyright: Springer-Verlag Wien 2015. This is the final, post refereeing version. You are advised to consult the publisher's version if you wish to cite from it, http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00710-015-0384-

Disseminating Evidence-Based Practices for Adults With PTSD and Severe Mental Illness in Public-Sector Mental Health Agencies

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains largely untreated among adults with severe mental illnesses (SMI). The treatment of psychotic symptoms usually takes precedence in the care of adults with SMI. Such oversight is problematic in that PTSD in SMI populations is common (19-43%), contributes a significant illness burden, and hinders mental health care. Yet, few public-sector mental health agencies routinely provide specialized services for PTSD. The purpose of the paper is to describe strategies and efforts to disseminate trauma-focused empirically-based practices (EBPs) in a public-sector mental health system. Identified challenges include limited resources and commitment; knowledge deficits, attitudes, and biases; and limited practice accountability at provider, facility, and system levels. Proposed strategies for overcoming these challenges are: set clear goals; nurture broad-based organizational commitment and key stakeholder involvement; implement specialty training efforts to provide information and change attitudes; provide on-going supervision; conduct fidelity monitoring; and ensure accountability to the extent possible

Plasma metabolite profile for primary open-angle glaucoma in three US cohorts and the UK Biobank

Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy and a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Primary open-angle glaucoma is the most common form, and yet the etiology of this multifactorial disease is poorly understood. We aimed to identify plasma metabolites associated with the risk of developing POAG in a case-control study (599 cases and 599 matched controls) nested within the Nurses' Health Studies, and Health Professionals' Follow-Up Study. Plasma metabolites were measured with LC-MS/MS at the Broad Institute (Cambridge, MA, USA); 369 metabolites from 18 metabolite classes passed quality control analyses. For comparison, in a cross-sectional study in the UK Biobank, 168 metabolites were measured in plasma samples from 2,238 prevalent glaucoma cases and 44,723 controls using NMR spectroscopy (Nightingale, Finland; version 2020). Here we show higher levels of diglycerides and triglycerides are adversely associated with glaucoma in all four cohorts, suggesting that they play an important role in glaucoma pathogenesis

DSM borderline criterion function across age groups: A cross-sectional mixed-method study

DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) Section II criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) lack developmental operationalization. The aim of the current study was to evaluate whether DSM criteria operate similarly across adolescents and adults to determine if developmental adjustment for DSM criteria was needed. Three age cohorts were recruited: adolescents (ages 12-17 years; n = 484), young adults (ages 18-25 years; n = 442), and adults (ages ≥26 years; n = 953). The Child Interview for DSM-IV BPD and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II disorders were administered to adolescents and adults, respectively. Item response theory methods were used to evaluate differential item (or criterion) functioning (DIF) of BPD criteria across adolescents and adults. Qualitative analyses were then used to evaluate the potential sources of DIF. Item response theory results demonstrated DIF across adolescents and adults for all DSM BPD criteria. Qualitative analyses suggested that the source of DIF was most likely due to rater/interviewer bias. Results furthermore suggested that behavioral criteria may represent the heterotypic features of BPD, while intra- and interpersonal criteria represent the homotypic features of the disorder. The article concludes with recommendations for developmentally informed guidelines for the assessment of BPD

Diffusion of e-health innovations in 'post-conflict' settings: a qualitative study on the personal experiences of health workers.

BACKGROUND: Technological innovations have the potential to strengthen human resources for health and improve access and quality of care in challenging 'post-conflict' contexts. However, analyses on the adoption of technology for health (that is, 'e-health') and whether and how e-health can strengthen a health workforce in these settings have been limited so far. This study explores the personal experiences of health workers using e-health innovations in selected post-conflict situations. METHODS: This study had a cross-sectional qualitative design. Telephone interviews were conducted with 12 health workers, from a variety of cadres and stages in their careers, from four post-conflict settings (Liberia, West Bank and Gaza, Sierra Leone and Somaliland) in 2012. Everett Roger's diffusion of innovation-decision model (that is, knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, contemplation) guided the thematic analysis. RESULTS: All health workers interviewed held positive perceptions of e-health, related to their beliefs that e-health can help them to access information and communicate with other health workers. However, understanding of the scope of e-health was generally limited, and often based on innovations that health workers have been introduced through by their international partners. Health workers reported a range of engagement with e-health innovations, mostly for communication (for example, email) and educational purposes (for example, online learning platforms). Poor, unreliable and unaffordable Internet was a commonly mentioned barrier to e-health use. Scaling-up existing e-health partnerships and innovations were suggested starting points to increase e-health innovation dissemination. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this study showed ICT based e-health innovations can relieve information and communication needs of health workers in post-conflict settings. However, more efforts and investments, preferably driven by healthcare workers within the post-conflict context, are needed to make e-health more widespread and sustainable. Increased awareness is necessary among health professionals, even among current e-health users, and physical and financial access barriers need to be addressed. Future e-health initiatives are likely to increase their impact if based on perceived health information needs of intended users

Therapist fidelity with an exposure-based treatment of ptsd in adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder

This study examined therapists’ fidelity to a manualized multi-component cognitive-behavioral intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including exposure therapy, among public sector patients with a psychotic disorder. Therapists’ competence and adherence was assessed by clinicians at the master’s level or higher who rated 20% of randomly selected audiotaped sessions (n = 57 sessions, coded by two independent raters, with strong interrater agreement). Adherence ratings indicated that therapists complied well with the protocol, and competency ratings typically averaged above “very good” (6 on 7-point Likert scale). Findings suggest that therapists can effectively deliver a manualized cognitive-behavioral intervention for PTSD, with exposure therapy, to patients with severe mental illness without compromise to the structure of sessions and/or to the therapeutic relationship. These data add needed support for the implementation of cognitive-behavioral interventions, including exposure therapy, as effective treatments for PTSD in complicated patient populations such as those with severe forms of mental illness

Minimally invasive strabismus surgery (MISS) for inferior obliquus recession

PURPOSE: To present a novel, minimally invasive strabismus surgery (MISS) technique for inferior obliquus recessions. METHODS: Graded MISS inferior obliquus recessions were performed in 20 eyes of 15 patients by applying two small conjunctival cuts, one at the insertion of inferior obliquus and another where the scleral anchoring of the muscle occurred. RESULTS: The amount of recession was 12.2 +/- 2.3 mm (range 6 to 14 mm). The vertical deviation, which was measured in 25 degrees of adduction, decreased from preoperatively 12.8 degrees +/- 5.6 degrees to 2.7 degrees +/- 2.2 degrees (p 0.1). In one eye (2.5%) the two cuts had to be joined because of excessive bleeding. Binocular vision improved in eight patients, remained unchanged in six patients, and decreased from 30 to 60 arcsec in one patient (p > 0.1). Conjunctival and lid swelling were hardly visible on the first postoperative day in primary gaze position in 10/20 (50%) of eyes. Five of the eyes (25%) had mild and five (25%) moderate visibility of surgery. One patient out of 15 (7%) needed repeat surgery because of insufficient reduction of the sursoadduction within the first 6 months. The dose-effect relationship 6 months postoperatively for an accommodative near target at 25 degrees adduction was 0.83 degrees +/- 0.43 degrees per mm of recession. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that small-incision, minimal dissection inferior obliquus graded recessions are feasible and effective to improve ocular alignment in patients with strabismus sursoadductorius

Exposure-based cognitive-behavioral treatment of PTSD in adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder: A pilot study

In an open trial design, adults (n = 20) with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and either schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were treated via an 11-week cognitive-behavioral intervention for PTSD that consisted of education, anxiety management therapy, social skills training, and exposure therapy, provided at community mental health centers. Results offer preliminary hope for effective treatment of PTSD among adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, especially among treatment completers (n = 13). Data showed significant PTSD symptom improvement, maintained at 3-month follow-up. Further, 12 of 13 completers no longer met criteria for PTSD or were considered treatment responders. Clinical outcomes for other targeted domains (e.g., anger, general mental health) also improved and were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Participants evidenced high treatment satisfaction, with no adverse events. Significant improvements were not noted on depression, general anxiety, or physical health status. Future directions include the need for randomized controlled trials and dissemination efforts