NAMI in our own voice and NAMI smarts for advocacy: self-narrative as advocacy tool.

In his first Advocacy column for the Journal of Psychiatric Practice, the author discusses the importance and relevance of advocacy for all mental health professionals and researchers in whatever setting they work. Advocacy efforts can and have influenced a range of issues that are important to hospital-based and community psychiatrists, private practitioners, and researchers. The author then discusses the importance of personal self-narrative as a tool for decreasing stigma and increasing understanding of serious mental illness, with a focus on two programs developed by the National Alliance on Mental Illness: NAMI In Our Own Voice and NAMI Smarts for Advocacy.

Scrotal pearls and pitfalls: ultrasound findings of benign scrotal lesions.

Scrotal symptoms including palpable mass or pain often bring men to medical attention. Ultrasound serves as an extension of the physical examination in these patients and, in most cases, allows definitive diagnosis. Although the diagnosis of malignancy is of greatest concern both to the patient and clinician, a number of benign scrotal pathologies exist and most have characteristic imaging features.

Imaging in infections of the head and neck.

Infections of the head and neck vary in their clinical course and outcome because of the diversity of organs and anatomic compartments involved. Imaging plays a central role in delineating the anatomic extent of the disease process, identifying the infection source, and detecting complications. The utility of imaging to differentiate between a solid phlegmonous mass and an abscess cannot be overemphasized.

Topical chemotherapy in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: positive results of a randomized, controlled, multicenter trial testing the efficacy and safety of a novel mechlorethamine, 0.02%, gel in mycosis fungoides.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel mechlorethamine hydrochloride, 0.02%, gel in mycosis fungoides. DESIGN Randomized, controlled, observer-blinded, multicenter trial comparing mechlorethamine, 0.

An ICT based "turn on/off" quinoline armed calix[4]arene fluoroionophore: its sensing efficiency towards fluoride from waste water and Zn2+ from blood serum.

A novel structurally simple calix[4]arene appended 8-amidoquinoline linked conjugate was synthesized and has been used as a turn-on fluorescence probe for Zn(2+) and turn off fluorescence probe for F(-). Moreover, this probe has been applied for Zn(2+) detection in blood serum upto 8.7 μM and fluoride detection upto 22 nM in waste water samples, using emission spectra.

Deferasirox for porphyria cutanea tarda: a pilot study.

Objective: To determine the efficacy and safety of deferasirox (an oral iron-chelating agent approved to reduce iron stores in patients with chronic iron overload due to blood transfusions) in a pilot trial for the treatment of patients with porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT), the most common of the porphyrias and often difficult to treat.

Design: Prospective, open-label, noncomparative study.

Setting: University-affiliated tertiary health care center in Dallas, Texas.

Examining a comprehensive model of disaster-related posttraumatic stress disorder in systematically studied survivors of 10 disasters.

Objectives: Using a comprehensive disaster model, we examined predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in combined data from 10 different disasters.

Methods: The combined sample included data from 811 directly exposed survivors of 10 disasters between 1987 and 1995. We used consistent methods across all 10 disaster samples, including full diagnostic assessment.

Calixarene capped ZnS quantum dots as an optical nanoprobe for detection and determination of menadione.

In this communication we report a p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene coated ZnS quantum dots "cup type" highly stable optical probe for the detection and determination of menadione (VK(3)) with high sensitivity and selectivity. The detection of VK(3) depends on supramolecular host-guest chemistry.

Low modulus biomimetic microgel particles with high loading of hemoglobin.

We synthesized extremely deformable red blood cell-like microgel particles and loaded them with bovine hemoglobin (Hb) to potentiate oxygen transport. With similar shape and size as red blood cells (RBCs), the particles were fabricated using the PRINT (particle replication in nonwetting templates) technique. Low cross-linking of the hydrogel resulted in very low mesh density for these particles, allowing passive diffusion of hemoglobin throughout the particles.

Performance evaluation of two methods using commercially available reagents for PCR-based detection of FMR1 mutation.

The current workflow for clinical Fragile X testing is time consuming and labor intensive. Recently developed PCR-based methods simplify workflow, amplify full mutation alleles, and improve sensitivity for detecting low-level mosaicism. We evaluated the performance characteristics and workflow of two methods using commercially available reagents for determining FMR1 mutation status.

Skin diseases in rural Yucatan, Mexico.

Objectives: There are no known reports of the frequency of skin diseases endemic to rural Yucatan, Mexico. The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of dermatologic conditions in rural villages in that region.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective descriptive study of all cases of skin disease diagnosed by a team of American board-certified dermatologists during consultations in January 2009, August 2009, and June 2010, in the state of Yucatan, Mexico.

The effect of particle size on the biodistribution of low-modulus hydrogel PRINT particles.

There is a growing recognition that the deformability of particles used for drug delivery plays a significant role on their biodistribution and circulation profile. Understanding these effects would provide a crucial tool for the rational design of drug delivery systems. While particles resembling red blood cells (RBCs) in size, shape and deformability have extended circulation times and altered biodistribution profiles compared to rigid, but otherwise similar particles, the in vivo behavior of such highly deformable particles of varied size has not been explored.

Protective role of Brassica olerecea and Eugenia jambolana extracts against H₂O₂ induced cytotoxicity in H9C2 cells.

This study assesses the efficacy of anthocyanin rich Brassica olerecea leaves (ARCE) and flavonoid rich Eugenia jambolana seed (EJSE) extracts as possible cardioprotective agents against hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) induced cytotoxicity in H9C2 cells. Presence of ARCE or EJSE resulted in a superior cell viability and cell integrity as revealed by cell viability and lactate dehydrogenase release assays and acridine orange and ethidium bromide staining of control and H(2)O(2) treated H9C2 cells. These extracts were also able to reduce the impact of H(2)O(2) induced lipid peroxidation and depletion of intracellular glutathione.

Rendering protein-based particles transiently insoluble for therapeutic applications.

Herein, we report the fabrication of protein (bovine serum albumin, BSA) particles which were rendered transiently insoluble using a novel, reductively labile disulfide-based cross-linker. After being cross-linked, the protein particles retain their integrity in aqueous solution and dissolve preferentially under a reducing environment. Our data demonstrates that cleavage of the cross-linker leaves no chemical residue on the reactive amino group.

Incorporation and controlled release of silyl ether prodrugs from PRINT nanoparticles.

Asymmetric bifunctional silyl ether (ABS) prodrugs of chemotherapeutics were synthesized and incorporated within 200 nm × 200 nm particles. ABS prodrugs of gemcitabine were selected as model compounds because of the difficulty to encapsulate a water-soluble drug within a hydrogel. The resulting drug delivery systems were degraded under acidic conditions and were found to release only the parent or active drug.

Etiology of unilateral hearing loss in a national hereditary deafness repository.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to characterize the genetic, audiologic, and epidemiologic characteristics of unilateral hearing loss (HL) in a national hereditary deafness repository.

Materials And Methods: This is a prospective clinical study involving 34 subjects identified in a national hereditary deafness repository. Clinical data and family history of HL were obtained on enrollment.

CT enterography at 80 kVp with adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction versus at 120 kVp with standard reconstruction: image quality, diagnostic adequacy, and dose reduction.

Objective: The objective of our study was to evaluate the image quality and diagnostic adequacy of the following two CT enterography protocols in patients weighing less than 160 lb (72 kg): 80-kVp imaging with the adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) in comparison with 120-kVp imaging with the filtered back projection reconstruction.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 133 CT enterography examinations of 127 patients weighing less than 160 lb, 64 80-kVp examinations, and 69 120-kVp examinations. Image quality for evaluation of the bowel wall, mesenteric vessels, and hepatic parenchyma and the overall image quality were graded on a scale of 1-5 (1 = poor, 2 = acceptable, 3 = good, 4 = very good, 5 = excellent).

Interventional therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the third most common cause of cancer-related death. In the past few years, staging systems have been developed that enable patients to be stratified into treatment algorithms in a multidisciplinary setting. Several of these treatments involve minimally invasive image-guided therapy that can be performed by radiologists.

A novel nanoaggregation detection technique of TNT using selective and ultrasensitive nanocurcumin as a probe.

Here, for the first time, we designed an ultrasensitive nanocurcumin based nanomaterials surface energy transfer (NSET) probe for detection of trace amount of TNT with excellent sensitivity (1 nM) and selectivity over other nitro explosives via nanoaggregation and we found the largest fluorescent enhancement to date for sensing TNT (upto 800 fold).

Melasma quality of life measures.

The Melasma Quality of Life scale (MELASQOL) is a useful tool in assessing quality of life in patients with melasma. Initially developed in English, it has recently been translated into Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, and Turkish. Development of a validated, translated, disease-specific quality of life questionnaire is a complex process which is further discussed in this article.

Obesity and burns.

The population of overweight patients presenting to burn facilities is expected to increase significantly over the next decades due to the global epidemic of obesity. Excess adiposity mediates alterations to key physiological responses and poses challenges to the optimal management of burns. The purpose of this study is to document the general epidemiological aspects of thermal injuries in the obese population, outline relevant physiological aspects associated with obesity, and draw attention to topics relating to the management, rehabilitation, and prognosis of burns in this emerging subpopulation of patients.