SOMA: SCREENING AND SOMATIC HEALTH INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE WITH SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS.

Progress in psychiatric treatment has led to important improvements in the quality of life of patients with severe mental illness (SMI). Nevertheless, the life expectancy of patients with SMI remains two decades shorter than that of the general population, and the most prevalent cause of death is cardiovascular disease. Given that the delivery of somatic care to a population of individuals with mental illness is specific, we developed a screening and intervention programme aimed at this vulnerable population.

Pay-it-forward gonorrhea and chlamydia testing among men who have sex with men and male STD patients in China: the PIONEER pragmatic, cluster randomized controlled trial protocol.

Background: Gonorrhea and chlamydia are the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. Previous studies have shown pay-it-forward (PIF) interventions to be associated with a substantial increase in gonorrhea and chlamydia test uptake compared to standard-of-care. We propose a 'pay-it-forward' gonorrhea and chlamydia testing randomized controlled trial (PIONEER).

Building local decision-making competencies during COVID-19: Accelerating the transition from learning healthcare systems to learning health communities.

Introduction: The persisting and evolving COVID-19 pandemic has made apparent that no singular policy of mitigation at a regional, national or global level has achieved satisfactory and universally acceptable results. In the United States, carefully planned and executed pandemic policies have been neither effective nor popular and COVID-19 risk management decisions have been relegated to individual citizens and communities. In this paper, we argue that a more effective approach is to equip and strengthen community coalitions to become (LLHCs) that use data over time to make adaptive decisions that can optimize the equity and well-being in their communities.

Developing capacity for learning community systems: Experiences from the 100 Million Healthier Lives SCALE Initiative.

Introduction: This paper explores the capabilities that contribute to community transformation and the common pathways followed by communities in the 100 Million Healthier Lives SCALE (Spreading Community Accelerators through Learning and Evaluation) initiative in their transformation journeys towards a "Culture of Health".

Methods: Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), from 2016 to 2020, between 18 to 24 community coalitions nationwide participated in SCALE, the goal of which was to co-design, implement, test, and scale up a model called the Community of Solutions (COS) Framework, that built community capacity around a set of skills and behaviors to advance culture change and create sustainable improvement in health, well-being, and equity. We adapted and applied two qualitative research techniques, meta-ethnography and participatory action synthesis, to evaluate SCALE initiative data.

A learning approach to community response during the COVID-19 pandemic: Applying the Cynefin framework to guide decision-making.

Introduction: The United States has been unsuccessful in containing the rapid spread of COVID-19. The complex epidemiology of the disease and the fragmented response to it has resulted in thousands of ways in which spread has occurred, creating a situation where each community needs to create its own local, context-specific learning model while remaining compliant to county or state mandates.

Methods: In this paper, we demonstrate how cross sector collaborations can use the Cynefin Framework, a tool for decision-making in complex systems, to guide community response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Role of Primary Care in the Initiation of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in Statewide Public and Private Insurance.

Objective: To determine if individuals newly diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD) who saw a primary care provider (PCP) before or on the date of diagnosis had higher rates of medication treatment for OUD (MOUD).

Methods: Observational study using logistic regression with claims data from Medicaid and a large private insurer in North Carolina from January 2014 to July 2017.

Key Results: Between 2014 and 2017, the prevalence of diagnosed OUD increased by 47% among Medicaid enrollees and by 76% among the privately insured.

The impact of the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental-health services in Europe.

Purpose: The current COVID-19 pandemic confronts psychiatric patients and mental health services with unique and severe challenges.

Methods: In order to identify these trans-national challenges across Europe, an survey was conducted among 23 experts, each answering for one European or aligned country.

Results: A number of important themes and issues were raised for the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and mental health services, barriers to service provision and future consequences.

L. Extract Does Not Induce Fibroblast to Myofibroblast Conversion but Increases Extracellular Matrix Production In Vitro Leading to Increased Wound Tensile Strength in Rats.

The ability of horse chestnut extract (HCE) to induce contraction force in fibroblasts, a process with remarkable significance in skin repair, motivated us to evaluate its wound healing potential in a series of experiments. In the in vitro study of the ability of human dermal fibroblasts to form myofibroblast-like cells was evaluated at the protein level (Western blot and immunofluorescence). The in vivo study was conducted on male Sprague-Dawley rats with inflicted wounds (one open circular and one sutured incision) on their backs.

Salmonella enterica Infection of Murine and Human Enteroid-Derived Monolayers Elicits Differential Activation of Epithelium-Intrinsic Inflammasomes.

Recent studies have determined that inflammasome signaling plays an important role in driving intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) responses to bacterial infections, such as serovar Typhimurium. There are two primary inflammasome pathways, canonical (involving caspase-1) and noncanonical (involving caspase-4 and -5 in humans and caspase-11 in mice). Prior studies identified the canonical inflammasome as the major pathway leading to interleukin-18 (IL-18) release and restriction of Typhimurium replication in the mouse cecum.

Regional environmental assessment of dairy farms.

A comprehensive, yet in depth, assessment is needed of the environmental impacts of dairy farms at regional and national scales to better track improvements made by the industry. With Pennsylvania as an example, a method using process-level simulation and cradle-to-farm gate life cycle assessment was developed and used to assess important environmental footprints of dairy farms within a state. Representative dairy farms of various sizes and management practices throughout 7 regions of the state were simulated with the Integrated Farm System Model.

Projected heat stress challenges and abatement opportunities for U.S. milk production.

Cost-effective heat mitigation strategies are imperative for maintaining milk production and dairy farm profitability in the U.S. with projected climate change.

Crystal structure of a ligand-free stable TSH receptor leucine-rich repeat domain.

The crystal structures of the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) leucine-rich repeat domain (amino acids 22-260; TSHR260) in complex with a stimulating human monoclonal autoantibody (M22TM) and in complex with a blocking human autoantibody (K1-70™) have been solved. However, attempts to purify and crystallise free TSHR260, that is not bound to an autoantibody, have been unsuccessful due to the poor stability of free TSHR260. We now describe a TSHR260 mutant that has been stabilised by the introduction of six mutations (H63C, R112P, D143P, D151E, V169R and I253R) to form TSHR260-JMG55TM, which is approximately 900 times more thermostable than wild-type TSHR260.

Short communication: Identifying challenges and opportunities for improved nutrient management through the USDA's Dairy Agroecosystem Working Group.

Nutrient management on US dairy farms must balance an array of priorities, some of which conflict. To illustrate nutrient management challenges and opportunities across the US dairy industry, the USDA Agricultural Research Service Dairy Agroecosystems Working Group (DAWG) modeled 8 confinement and 2 grazing operations in the 7 largest US dairy-producing states using the Integrated Farm System Model (IFSM). Opportunities existed across all of the dairies studied to increase on-farm feed production and lower purchased feed bills, most notably on large dairies (>1,000 cows) with the highest herd densities.

Paneth Cells during Viral Infection and Pathogenesis.

Paneth cells are major secretory cells located in the crypts of Lieberkühn in the small intestine. Our understanding of the diverse roles that Paneth cells play in homeostasis and disease has grown substantially since their discovery over a hundred years ago. Classically, Paneth cells have been characterized as a significant source of antimicrobial peptides and proteins important in host defense and shaping the composition of the commensal microbiota.

Adenovirus Infection of Human Enteroids Reveals Interferon Sensitivity and Preferential Infection of Goblet Cells.

Human adenoviruses (HAdV) are significant human pathogens. Although only a subset of HAdV serotypes commonly cause gastroenteritis in humans, most HAdV species replicate in the gastrointestinal tract. Knowledge of the complex interaction between HAdVs and the human intestinal epithelium has been limited by the lack of a suitable cell culture system containing relevant cell types.

Defensins in Viral Infection and Pathogenesis.

α, β, and θ defensins are effectors of the innate immune system with potent antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activity. Defensins have direct antiviral activity in cell culture, with varied mechanisms for individual viruses, although some common themes have emerged. In addition, defensins have potent immunomodulatory activity that can alter innate and adaptive immune responses to viral infection.

Alpha-defensin-dependent enhancement of enteric viral infection.

The small intestinal epithelium produces numerous antimicrobial peptides and proteins, including abundant enteric α-defensins. Although they most commonly function as potent antivirals in cell culture, enteric α-defensins have also been shown to enhance some viral infections in vitro. Efforts to determine the physiologic relevance of enhanced infection have been limited by the absence of a suitable cell culture system.

Defensins at the Mucosal Surface: Latest Insights into Defensin-Virus Interactions.

Defensins are innate immune effector peptides expressed at mucosal surfaces throughout the human body and are potently antiviral in vitro The role of defensins in viral pathogenesis in vivo is poorly understood; however, recent studies have revealed that defensin-virus interactions in vivo are complicated and distinct from their proposed antiviral mechanisms in vitro These findings highlight the need for additional research that connects defensin neutralization of viruses in cell culture to in vivo antiviral mechanisms.

Pharmacological activation of estrogen receptors-α and -β differentially modulates keratinocyte differentiation with functional impact on wound healing.

Estrogen deprivation is considered responsible for many age-related processes, including poor wound healing. Guided by previous observations that estradiol accelerates re‑epithelialization through estrogen receptor (ER)‑β, in the present study, we examined whether selective ER agonists [4,4',4''-(4-propyl [1H] pyrazole-1,3,5-triyl)‑trisphenol (PPT), ER‑α agonist; 2,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionitrile (DPN), ER‑β agonist] affect the expression of basic proliferation and differentiation markers (Ki‑67, keratin‑10, ‑14 and ‑19, galectin‑1 and Sox‑2) of keratinocytes using HaCaT cells. In parallel, ovariectomized rats were treated daily with an ER modulator, and wound tissue was removed 21 days after wounding and routinely processed for basic histological analysis.

Plantago lanceolata L. water extract induces transition of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts and increases tensile strength of healing skin wounds.

Objectives: Although the exact underlying mechanisms are still unknown, Plantago lanceolata L. (PL) water extracts are frequently used to stimulate wound healing and to drain abscesses. Therefore, in this experimental study the effect of PL water extract on skin wound healing was studied in Sprague-Dawley rats.

A small intestinal organoid model of non-invasive enteric pathogen-epithelial cell interactions.

Organoids mirror in vivo tissue organization and are powerful tools to investigate the development and cell biology of the small intestine. However, their application for the study of host-pathogen interactions has been largely unexplored. We have established a model using microinjection of organoids to mimic enteric infection, allowing for direct examination of pathogen interactions with primary epithelial cells in the absence of confounding variables introduced by immune cells or the commensal microbiota.

Removal of fractured endodontic instruments using an Nd:YAG laser.

Objective: Fractured endodontic instruments inhibit optimal cleaning and filling of dental root canals, which may result in a less favorable prognosis for the tooth. Several techniques are available to remove fractured instruments; however, healthy tooth substance often must be destroyed in the process. This study was intended to evaluate Nd:YAG laser treatment as a method to remove fractured stainless steel instruments without destroying healthy tooth substance.

Low-level laser therapy with 810 nm wavelength improves skin wound healing in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

Objective: The aim of present study was to evaluate whether low-level laser therapy (LLLT) can reverse the impaired wound healing process in diabetic rats.

Background Data: Impaired wound healing in diabetic patients represents a major health problem. Recent studies have indicated that LLLT may improve wound healing in diabetic rats, but the optimal treatment parameters are still unknown.

Investigating the responses of Cronobacter sakazakii to garlic-drived organosulfur compounds: a systematic study of pathogenic-bacterium injury by use of high-throughput whole-transcriptome sequencing and confocal micro-raman spectroscopy.

We present the results of a study using high-throughput whole-transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) and vibrational spectroscopy to characterize and fingerprint pathogenic-bacterium injury under conditions of unfavorable stress. Two garlic-derived organosulfur compounds were found to be highly effective antimicrobial compounds against Cronobacter sakazakii, a leading pathogen associated with invasive infection of infants and causing meningitis, necrotizing entercolitis, and bacteremia. RNA-seq shows changes in gene expression patterns and transcriptomic response, while confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy characterizes macromolecular changes in the bacterial cell resulting from this chemical stress.