Risk-Adjusting Mortality in the Nationwide Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.

Background: The US Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system began reporting risk-adjusted mortality for intensive care (ICU) admissions in 2005. However, while the VA's mortality model has been updated and adapted for risk-adjustment of all inpatient hospitalizations, recent model performance has not been published. We sought to assess the current performance of VA's 4 standardized mortality models: acute care 30-day mortality (acute care SMR-30); ICU 30-day mortality (ICU SMR-30); acute care in-hospital mortality (acute care SMR); and ICU in-hospital mortality (ICU SMR).

The SOLAR group program to promote recovery after disaster and trauma-A randomized controlled feasibility trial among German trauma survivors.

Introduction: Many disaster and trauma survivors experience persistent subclinical distress that places them at risk of developing a mental health disorder. This study describes the first European feasibility study of a brief and scalable skills-based intervention targeting persistent subclinical distress following disasters and trauma.

Method: Randomized controlled feasibility study of the Skills fOr Life Adjustment and Resilience (SOLAR) group program.

[Skills fOr Life Adjustment and Resilience Program].

Background: After catastrophes, trauma and other highly stressful experiences, a proportion of individuals develop mental illness, while another proportion exhibit persisting subclinical distress that limits psychosocial functioning. Individuals with persisting subclinical distress rarely receive psychosocial support services.

Aim Of The Study: This paper presents the Skills fOr Life Adjustment and Resilience (SOLAR) program, a brief intervention developed for people with persistent subclinical distress following catastrophes and other severe stressors.

Ribosome-associated vesicles: A dynamic subcompartment of the endoplasmic reticulum in secretory cells.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a highly dynamic network of membranes. Here, we combine live-cell microscopy with in situ cryo-electron tomography to directly visualize ER dynamics in several secretory cell types including pancreatic β-cells and neurons under near-native conditions. Using these imaging approaches, we identify a novel, mobile form of ER, ribosome-associated vesicles (RAVs), found primarily in the cell periphery, which is conserved across different cell types and species.

New roles for dopamine D and D receptors in pancreatic beta cell insulin secretion.

Although long-studied in the central nervous system, there is increasing evidence that dopamine (DA) has important roles in the periphery including in metabolic regulation. Insulin-secreting pancreatic β-cells express the machinery for DA synthesis and catabolism, as well as all five DA receptors. In these cells, DA functions as a negative regulator of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), which is mediated by DA D-like receptors including D (D2R) and D (D3R) receptors.