An Assessment of Mental Health Services for Veterans in the State of Texas

This report describes the complex challenges faced by veterans and their families in seeking, navigating, and attaining adequate mental health care in Texas. There are 1.7 million veterans in Texas, comprising 8.6 percent of the adult population. According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), the number of veterans requiring mental health services has grown dramatically and will continue to increase, making veterans’ mental health care an urgent issue in Texas. The federal agencies responsible for military and veterans mental health care, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the VA, have created new programs and invested significant financial and staff resources. Despite barriers to addressing veterans mental health needs. Texas state agencies have increased funding and instituted new mental health programs supporting returning veterans. Nonprofit agencies focused on veteran’s mental health have multiplied across Texas and the U.S. over the past decade to fill gaps in care. While these organizations provide a growing and increasingly diverse set of resources for veterans to extend the scope of support, volunteer efforts can suffer from fragmentation and overlap. The report identifies current practices, challenges, and opportunities within and across each group of service providers. The report draws on government reports, scholarly literature, and agency websites, as well as interviews with counselors, Veteran Service Officers, nonprofit providers, state officials, and veterans themselves. This report offers five recommendations toward the goal that veterans’ mental health care in Texas become comprehensive, inclusive, effective, and efficient. First, there is a need for greater inter-agency communication across organizations, improved outreach efforts, and increased services for hard-to-reach populations, such as homeless veterans. Second, federal agencies ought to address staff shortages, improve the transition from DoD to VA care, and increase feedback. Third, at the state level, specialized services are needed to address unique veterans’ needs concentrated in cities across Texas as well as those dispersed in rural areas. Fourth, providers can improve mental health care by integrating social services and law enforcement. Fifth, both veterans and providers can benefit if they recognize opportunities for cooperation and coordination and work towards long-term goals that emphasize outcomes that improve the lives of returning veterans. This research was funded in part by the Jack S. Blanton Research Fellowship and the George A. Roberts Research Fellowship of the IC² Institute.IC2 Institut

A Self-Assembling Lanthanide Molecular Nanoparticle for Optical Imaging

Chromophores that incorporate f-block elements have considerable potential for use in bioimaging applications because of their advantageous photophysical properties compared to organic dye, which are currently widely used. We are developing new classes of lanthanide-based self-assembling molecular nanoparticles as reporters for imaging and as multi-functional nanoprobes or nanosensors for use with biological samples. One class of these materials, which we call lanthanide "nano-drums", are homogeneous 4d-4f clusters approximately 25 to 30 angstrom in diameter. These are capable of emitting from the visible to near-infrared wavelengths. Here, we present the synthesis, crystal structure, photophysical properties and comparative cytotoxicity data for a 32 metal Eu-Cd nano-drum [Eu8Cd24L12(OAc)(48)] (1). We also explored the imaging capabilities of this nano-drum using epifluorescence, TIRF, and two-photon microscopy platforms.Welch Foundation F-816, F-1018, F1515Ministry of High Education (MOHE), Malaysia under High Impact Research (HIR) - MOHE project UM.C/625/1/HIR/MoE/CHAN/13/6 H-50001-00-A000034NIH/NIAID 1U01AI078008-3Centre for Blast Injury Study at Imperial College LondonCPRIT R1003NIH-NCI CA68682National Institutes of HealthNational Science FoundationCancer Prevention Research Institute of TexasNational Science Foundation CHE-0741973Chemistr

The acute effects of single versus multiple set resistance exercise on cognition and affect in untrained older adult women

PURPOSE: Current evidence suggests chronic resistance exercise training (RET) improves older adults’ executive function; however, the effects of a single session of resistance exercise (RE) and dose (i.e., frequency, intensity, volume) on executive performance remains unclear. Thus, we investigated the effect of RE, at three different volumes, on executive function in healthy older women. METHODS: This was a within-subjects, crossover study design of 21 untrained, older women (65-75 years). At baseline, participants were familiarized with four RE machines (leg press, chest press, knee-extension and lat pull down) and performed a 10RM. Following a minimum of 7 days, participants randomly completed 3 RE conditions: 1, 3, or 5 sets of 10 repetitions (70%1RM; 120 sec rest between sets) for each exercise, and a control (CON) condition. We measured two executive processes: 1) inhibitory control using the Flanker task, and 2) cognitive flexibility using the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) task. We also measured the affective response to RE using the Feelings Scale. Using a linear mixed model, we determined the effect of different RE volumes (i.e., condition) and time (i.e., visit number), adjusting for baseline performance, on change in inhibitory control (i.e., after RE – before RE) and cognitive flexibility. We also examined the effect of both RE volume and time on change in affect (i.e., after RE – before RE) using a linear mixed model. RESULTS: At baseline, participants were physically healthy and did not have cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores > 26/30). There were no significant differences found for acute changes in flanker performance by condition performed (i.e., 1, 3, 5, or CON) (p=0.12) and by time (i.e., visit number) (p=0.84). Similarly, there was no effect of condition on acute changes in DCCS performance (p=0.66) or time (p=0.57). Change in affect was not significantly different by both condition (p=0.56) and time (p=0.09). CONCLUSION: Contrary to evidence showing RE can promote executive performance, our results suggest a single bout of RE did not improve executive function in healthy older women, irrespective of volume.Medicine, Faculty ofGraduat

Strengthening the case for cluster set resistance training in aged and clinical settings: Emerging evidence, proposed benefits and suggestions

Resistance training (RT) is a fundamental component of exercise prescription aimed at improving overall health and function. RT techniques such as cluster set (CS) configurations, characterized by additional short intra-set or inter-repetition rest intervals, have been shown to maintain acute muscular force, velocity, and ‘power’ outputs across a RT session, and facilitate positive longer-term neuromuscular adaptations. However, to date CS have mainly been explored from a human performance perspective despite potential for application in health and clinical exercise settings. Therefore, this current opinion piece aims to highlight emerging evidence and provide a rationale for why CS may be an advantageous RT technique for older adults, and across several neurological, neuromuscular, cardiovascular and pulmonary settings. Specifically, CS may minimize acute fatigue and adverse physiologic responses, improve patient tolerance of RT and promote functional adaptations (i.e., force, velocity, and power). Moreover, we propose that CS may be a particularly useful exercise rehabilitation technique where injury or illness, persistent fatigue, weakness and dysfunction exist. We further suggest that CS offer an alternative RT strategy that can be easily implemented alongside existing exercise/rehabilitation programs requiring no extra cost, minimal upskilling and/or time commitment for the patient and professional. In light of the emerging evidence and likely efficacy in clinical exercise practice, future research should move toward further direct investigation of CS-based RT in a variety of adverse health conditions and across the lifespan given the already demonstrated benefits in healthy populations

Phosphonated glycans as post-translational modifications of proteins in velvet worm slime

To capture prey, onychophorans (velvet worms) expel a slime that forms stiff fibers upon shearing and dehydration. The high quantities of phosphorus previously found in the slime of the velvet worm Euperipatoides rowelli were ascribed to protein phosphorylation. We provide clear evidence, instead, that it is primarily present as phosphonate moieties in the slime of representative from both major onychophoran subgroups which diverged ~380 MYA. Advanced NMR and mass spectrometry demonstrate that 2-aminoethyl phosphonate (2-AEP) is associated with high molecular weight slime proteins as phosphonoglycans. Biogenic phosphonates are a substantial component of the organophosphorus cycle in marine environments but were not previously reported in terrestrial invertebrates. The evolutionary conservation of this rare protein modification suggests a potential role in the formation and function of these biological adhesive fibers with implications for bio-inspiration